De Rerum Natura

Lucretius

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

  1. And that the earth may there abide at rest
  2. In the mid-region of the world, it needs
  3. Must vanish bit by bit in weight and lessen,
  4. And have another substance underneath,
  5. Conjoined to it from its earliest age
  6. In linked unison with the vasty world's
  7. Realms of the air in which it roots and lives.
  8. On this account, the earth is not a load,
  9. Nor presses down on winds of air beneath;
  10. Even as unto a man his members be
  11. Without all weight- the head is not a load
  12. Unto the neck; nor do we feel the whole
  13. Weight of the body to centre in the feet.
  14. But whatso weights come on us from without,
  15. Weights laid upon us, these harass and chafe,
  16. Though often far lighter. For to such degree
  17. It matters always what the innate powers
  18. Of any given thing may be. The earth
  19. Was, then, no alien substance fetched amain,
  20. And from no alien firmament cast down
  21. On alien air; but was conceived, like air,
  22. In the first origin of this the world,
  23. As a fixed portion of the same, as now
  24. Our members are seen to be a part of us.
  25. Besides, the earth, when of a sudden shook
  26. By the big thunder, doth with her motion shake
  27. All that's above her- which she ne'er could do
  28. By any means, were earth not bounden fast
  29. Unto the great world's realms of air and sky:
  30. For they cohere together with common roots,
  31. Conjoined both, even from their earliest age,
  32. In linked unison. Aye, seest thou not
  33. That this most subtle energy of soul
  34. Supports our body, though so heavy a weight,-
  35. Because, indeed, 'tis with it so conjoined
  36. In linked unison? What power, in sum,
  37. Can raise with agile leap our body aloft,
  38. Save energy of mind which steers the limbs?
  39. Now seest thou not how powerful may be
  40. A subtle nature, when conjoined it is
  41. With heavy body, as air is with the earth
  42. Conjoined, and energy of mind with us?