of the nature of things-第9节

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Thuswise　to　swerve；　down　would　they　fall；　each　one；
Like　drops　of　rain；　through　the　unbottomed　void；
And　then　collisions　ne'er　could　be　nor　blows
Among　the　primal　elements；　and　thus
Nature　would　never　have　created　aught。
　　But；　if　perchance　be　any　that　believe
The　heavier　bodies；　as　more　swiftly　borne
Plumb　down　the　void；　are　able　from　above
To　strike　the　lighter；　thus　engendering　blows
Able　to　cause　those　procreant　motions；　far
From　highways　of　true　reason　they　retire。
For　whatsoever　through　the　waters　fall；
Or　through　thin　air；　must　quicken　their　descent；
Each　after　its　weight…　on　this　account；　because
Both　bulk　of　water　and　the　subtle　air
By　no　means　can　retard　each　thing　alike；
But　give　more　quick　before　the　heavier　weight；
But　contrariwise　the　empty　void　cannot；
On　any　side；　at　any　time；　to　aught
Oppose　resistance；　but　will　ever　yield；
True　to　its　bent　of　nature。　Wherefore　all；
With　equal　speed；　though　equal　not　in　weight；
Must　rush；　borne　downward　through　the　still　inane。
Thus　ne'er　at　all　have　heavier　from　above
Been　swift　to　strike　the　lighter；　gendering　strokes
Which　cause　those　divers　motions；　by　whose　means
Nature　transacts　her　work。　And　so　I　say；
The　atoms　must　a　little　swerve　at　times…
But　only　the　least；　lest　we　should　seem　to　feign
Motions　oblique；　and　fact　refute　us　there。
For　this　we　see　forthwith　is　manifest：
Whatever　the　weight；　it　can't　obliquely　go；
Down　on　its　headlong　journey　from　above；
At　least　so　far　as　thou　canst　mark；　but　who
Is　there　can　mark　by　sense　that　naught　can　swerve
At　all　aside　from　off　its　road's　straight　line？
　　Again；　if　ev'r　all　motions　are　co…linked；
And　from　the　old　ever　arise　the　new
In　fixed　order；　and　primordial　seeds
Produce　not　by　their　swerving　some　new　start
Of　motion　to　sunder　the　covenants　of　fate；
That　cause　succeed　not　cause　from　everlasting；
Whence　this　free　will　for　creatures　o'er　the　lands；
Whence　is　it　wrested　from　the　fates；…　this　will
Whereby　we　step　right　forward　where　desire
Leads　each　man　on；　whereby　the　same　we　swerve
In　motions；　not　as　at　some　fixed　time；
Nor　at　some　fixed　line　of　space；　but　where
The　mind　itself　has　urged？　For　out　of　doubt
In　these　affairs　'tis　each　man's　will　itself
That　gives　the　start；　and　hence　throughout　our　limbs
Incipient　motions　are　diffused。　Again；
Dost　thou　not　see；　when；　at　a　point　of　time；
The　bars　are　opened；　how　the　eager　strength
Of　horses　cannot　forward　break　as　soon
As　pants　their　mind　to　do？　For　it　behooves
That　all　the　stock　of　matter；　through　the　frame；
Be　roused；　in　order　that；　through　every　joint；
Aroused；　it　press　and　follow　mind's　desire；
So　thus　thou　seest　initial　motion's　gendered
From　out　the　heart；　aye；　verily；　proceeds
First　from　the　spirit's　will；　whence　at　the　last
'Tis　given　forth　through　joints　and　body　entire。
Quite　otherwise　it　is；　when　forth　we　move；
Impelled　by　a　blow　of　another's　mighty　powers
And　mighty　urge；　for　then　'tis　clear　enough
All　matter　of　our　total　body　goes；
Hurried　along；　against　our　own　desire…
Until　the　will　has　pulled　upon　the　reins
And　checked　it　back；　throughout　our　members　all；
At　whose　arbitrament　indeed　sometimes
The　stock　of　matter's　forced　to　change　its　path；
Throughout　our　members　and　throughout　our　joints；
And；　after　being　forward　cast；　to　be
Reined　up；　whereat　it　settles　back　again。
So　seest　thou　not；　how；　though　external　force
Drive　men　before；　and　often　make　them　move；
Onward　against　desire；　and　headlong　snatched；
Yet　is　there　something　in　these　breasts　of　ours
Strong　to　combat；　strong　to　withstand　the　same？…
Wherefore　no　less　within　the　primal　seeds
Thou　must　admit；　besides　all　blows　and　weight；
Some　other　cause　of　motion；　whence　derives
This　power　in　us　inborn；　of　some　free　act。…
Since　naught　from　nothing　can　become；　we　see。
For　weight　prevents　all　things　should　come　to　pass
Through　blows；　as　'twere；　by　some　external　force；
But　that　man's　mind　itself　in　all　it　does
Hath　not　a　fixed　necessity　within；
Nor　is　not；　like　a　conquered　thing；　compelled
To　bear　and　suffer；…　this　state　comes　to　man
From　that　slight　swervement　of　the　elements
In　no　fixed　line　of　space；　in　no　fixed　time。
　　Nor　ever　was　the　stock　of　stuff　more　crammed；
Nor　ever；　again；　sundered　by　bigger　gaps：
For　naught　gives　increase　and　naught　takes　away；
On　which　account；　just　as　they　move　to…day；
The　elemental　bodies　moved　of　old
And　shall　the　same　hereafter　evermore。
And　what　was　wont　to　be　begot　of　old
Shall　be　begotten　under　selfsame　terms
And　grow　and　thrive　in　power；　so　far　as　given
To　each　by　Nature's　changeless；　old　decrees。
The　sum　of　things　there　is　no　power　can　change；
For　naught　exists　outside；　to　which　can　flee
Out　of　the　world　matter　of　any　kind；
Nor　forth　from　which　a　fresh　supply　can　spring；
Break　in　upon　the　founded　world；　and　change
Whole　nature　of　things；　and　turn　their　motions　about。

　ATOMIC　FORMS　AND　THEIR　　COMBINATIONS

　　Now　come；　and　next　hereafter　apprehend
What　sorts；　how　vastly　different　in　form；
How　varied　in　multitudinous　shapes　they　are…
These　old　beginnings　of　the　universe；
Not　in　the　sense　that　only　few　are　furnished
With　one　like　form；　but　rather　not　at　all
In　general　have　they　likeness　each　with　each；
No　marvel：　since　the　stock　of　them's　so　great
That　there's　no　end　（as　I　have　taught）　nor　sum；
They　must　indeed　not　one　and　all　be　marked
By　equal　outline　and　by　shape　the　same。
　　　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。
Moreover；　humankind；　and　the　mute　flocks
Of　scaly　creatures　swimming　in　the　streams；
And　joyous　herds　around；　and　all　the　wild；
And　all　the　breeds　of　birds…　both　those　that　teem
In　gladsome　regions　of　the　water…haunts；
About　the　river…banks　and　springs　and　pools；
And　those　that　throng；　flitting　from　tree　to　tree；
Through　trackless　woods…　Go；　take　which　one　thou　wilt；
In　any　kind：　thou　wilt　discover　still
Each　from　the　other　still　unlike　in　shape。
Nor　in　no　other　wise　could　offspring　know
Mother；　nor　mother　offspring…　which　we　see
They　yet　can　do；　distinguished　one　from　other；
No　less　than　human　beings；　by　clear　signs。
Thus　oft　before　fair　temples　of　the　gods；
Beside　the　incense…burning　altars　slain；
Drops　down　the　yearling　calf；　from　out　its　breast
Breathing　warm　streams　of　blood；　the　orphaned　mother；
Ranging　meanwhile　green　woodland　pastures　round；
Knows　well　the　footprints；　pressed　by　cloven　hoofs；
With　eyes　regarding　every　spot　about；
For　sight　somewhere　of　youngling　gone　from　her；
And；　stopping　short；　filleth　the　leafy　lanes
With　her　complaints；　and　oft　she　seeks　again
Within　the　stall；　pierced　by　her　yearning　still。
Nor　tender　willows；　nor　dew…quickened　grass；
Nor　the　loved　streams　that　glide　along　low　banks；
Can　lure　her　mind　and　turn　the　sudden　pain；
Nor　other　shapes　of　calves　that　graze　thereby
Distract　her　mind　or　lighten　pain　the　least…
So　keen　her　search　for　something　known　and　hers。
Moreover；　tender　kids　with　bleating　throats
Do　know　their　horned　dams；　and　butting　lambs
The　flocks　of　sheep；　and　thus　they　patter　on；
Unfailingly　each　to　its　proper　teat；
As　nature　intends。　Lastly；　with　any　grain；
Thou'lt　see　that　no　one　kernel　in　one　kind
Is　so　far　like　another；　that　there　still
Is　not　in　shapes　some　difference　running　through。
By　a　like　law　we　see　how　earth　is　pied
With　shells　and　conchs；　where；　with　soft　waves；　the　sea
Beats　on　the　thirsty　sands　of　curving　shores。
Wherefore　again；　again；　since　seeds　of　things
Exist　by　nature；　nor　were　wrought　with　hands
After　a　fixed　pattern　of　one　other；
They　needs　must　flitter　to　and　fro　with　shapes
In　types　dissimilar　to　one　another。
　　　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。
Easy　enough　by　thought　of　mind　to　solve
Why　fires　of　lightning　more　can　penetrate
Than　these　of　ours　from　pitch…pine　born　on　earth。
For　thou　canst　say　lightning's　celestial　fire；
So　subtle；　is　formed　of　figures　finer　far；
And　passes　thus　through　holes　which　this　our　fire；
Born　from　the　wood；　created　from　the　pine；
Cannot。　Again；　light　passes　through　the　horn
On　the　lantern's　side；　while　rain　is　dashed　away。
And　why？…　unless　those　bodies　of　light　should　be
Finer　than　those　of　water's　genial　showers。
We　see　how　quickly　through　a　colander
The　wines　will　flow；　how；　on　the　other　hand；
The　sluggish　olive…oil　delays：　no　doubt；
Because　'tis　wrought　of　elements　more　large；
Or　else　more　crook'd　and　intertangled。　Thus
It　comes　that　the　primordials　cannot　be
So　suddenly　sundered　one　from　other；　and　seep；
One　through　each　several　hole　of　anything。
　　And　note；　besides；　that　liquor　of　honey　or　milk
Yields　in　the　mouth　agreeable　taste　to　tongue；
Whilst　nauseous　wormwood；　pungent　centaury；
With　their　foul　flavour　set　the　lips　awry；
Thus　simple　'tis　to　see　that　whatsoever
Can　touch　the　senses　pleasingly　are　made
Of　smooth　and　rounded　elements；　whilst　those
Which　seem　the　bitter　and　the　sharp；　are　held
Entwined　by　elements　more　crook'd；　and　so
Are　wont　to　tear　their　ways　into　our　senses；
And　rend　our　body　as　they　enter　in。
In　short　all　good　to　sense；　all　bad　to　touch；
Being　up…built　of　figures　so　unlike；
Are　mutually　at　strife…　lest　thou　suppose
That　the　shrill　rasping　of　a　squeaking　saw
Consists　of　elements　as　smooth　as　song
Which；　waked　by　nimble　fingers；　on　the　strings
The　sweet　music