De Rerum Natura

Lucretius

Lucretius. De Rerum Natura. William Ellery Leonard. E. P. Dutton. 1916.

  1. Again, we view
  2. From dark recesses things that stand in light,
  3. Because, when first has entered and possessed
  4. The open eyes this nearer darkling air,
  5. Swiftly the shining air and luminous
  6. Followeth in, which purges then the eyes
  7. And scatters asunder of that other air
  8. The sable shadows, for in large degrees
  9. This air is nimbler, nicer, and more strong.
  10. And soon as ever 'thas filled and oped with light
  11. The pathways of the eyeballs, which before
  12. Black air had blocked, there follow straightaway
  13. Those films of things out-standing in the light,
  14. Provoking vision- what we cannot do
  15. From out the light with objects in the dark,
  16. Because that denser darkling air behind
  17. Followeth in, and fills each aperture
  18. And thus blockades the pathways of the eyes
  19. That there no images of any things
  20. Can be thrown in and agitate the eyes.
  21. And when from far away we do behold
  22. The squared towers of a city, oft
  23. Rounded they seem,- on this account because
  24. Each distant angle is perceived obtuse,
  25. Or rather it is not perceived at all;
  26. And perishes its blow nor to our gaze
  27. Arrives its stroke, since through such length of air
  28. Are borne along the idols that the air
  29. Makes blunt the idol of the angle's point
  30. By numerous collidings. When thuswise
  31. The angles of the tower each and all
  32. Have quite escaped the sense, the stones appear
  33. As rubbed and rounded on a turner's wheel-
  34. Yet not like objects near and truly round,
  35. But with a semblance to them, shadowily.
  36. Likewise, our shadow in the sun appears
  37. To move along and follow our own steps
  38. And imitate our carriage- if thou thinkest
  39. Air that is thus bereft of light can walk,
  40. Following the gait and motion of mankind.
  41. For what we use to name a shadow, sure
  42. Is naught but air deprived of light. No marvel:
  43. Because the earth from spot to spot is reft
  44. Progressively of light of sun, whenever
  45. In moving round we get within its way,
  46. While any spot of earth by us abandoned
  47. Is filled with light again, on this account
  48. It comes to pass that what was body's shadow
  49. Seems still the same to follow after us
  50. In one straight course. Since, evermore pour in
  51. New lights of rays, and perish then the old,
  52. Just like the wool that's drawn into the flame.
  53. Therefore the earth is easily spoiled of light
  54. And easily refilled and from herself
  55. Washeth the black shadows quite away.
  1. And yet in this we don't at all concede
  2. That eyes be cheated. For their task it is
  3. To note in whatsoever place be light,
  4. In what be shadow: whether or no the gleams
  5. Be still the same, and whether the shadow which
  6. Just now was here is that one passing thither,
  7. Or whether the facts be what we said above,
  8. 'Tis after all the reasoning of mind
  9. That must decide; nor can our eyeballs know
  10. The nature of reality. And so
  11. Attach thou not this fault of mind to eyes,
  12. Nor lightly think our senses everywhere
  13. Are tottering. The ship in which we sail
  14. Is borne along, although it seems to stand;
  15. The ship that bides in roadstead is supposed
  16. There to be passing by. And hills and fields
  17. Seem fleeing fast astern, past which we urge
  18. The ship and fly under the bellying sails.
  19. The stars, each one, do seem to pause, affixed
  20. To the ethereal caverns, though they all
  21. Forever are in motion, rising out
  22. And thence revisiting their far descents
  23. When they have measured with their bodies bright
  24. The span of heaven. And likewise sun and moon
  25. Seem biding in a roadstead,- objects which,
  26. As plain fact proves, are really borne along.
  27. Between two mountains far away aloft
  28. From midst the whirl of waters open lies
  29. A gaping exit for the fleet, and yet
  30. They seem conjoined in a single isle.
  31. When boys themselves have stopped their spinning round,
  32. The halls still seem to whirl and posts to reel,
  33. Until they now must almost think the roofs
  34. Threaten to ruin down upon their heads.
  35. And now, when nature begins to lift on high
  36. The sun's red splendour and the tremulous fires,
  37. And raise him o'er the mountain-tops, those mountains-
  38. O'er which he seemeth then to thee to be,
  39. His glowing self hard by atingeing them
  40. With his own fire- are yet away from us
  41. Scarcely two thousand arrow-shots, indeed
  42. Oft scarce five hundred courses of a dart;
  43. Although between those mountains and the sun
  44. Lie the huge plains of ocean spread beneath
  45. The vasty shores of ether, and intervene
  46. A thousand lands, possessed by many a folk
  47. And generations of wild beasts. Again,