De Rerum Natura

Lucretius

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

  1. As due to several causes. For, indeed,
  2. Why should the moon be able to shut out
  3. Earth from the light of sun, and on the side
  4. To earthward thrust her high head under sun,
  5. Opposing dark orb to his glowing beams-
  6. And yet, at same time, one suppose the effect
  7. Could not result from some one other body
  8. Which glides devoid of light forevermore?
  9. Again, why could not sun, in weakened state,
  10. At fixed time for-lose his fires, and then,
  11. When he has passed on along the air
  12. Beyond the regions, hostile to his flames,
  13. That quench and kill his fires, why could not he
  14. Renew his light? And why should earth in turn
  15. Have power to rob the moon of light, and there,
  16. Herself on high, keep the sun hid beneath,
  17. Whilst the moon glideth in her monthly course
  18. Athrough the rigid shadows of the cone?-
  19. And yet, at same time, some one other body
  20. Not have the power to under-pass the moon,
  21. Or glide along above the orb of sun,
  22. Breaking his rays and outspread light asunder?
  23. And still, if moon herself refulgent be
  24. With her own sheen, why could she not at times
  25. In some one quarter of the mighty world
  26. Grow weak and weary, whilst she passeth through
  27. Regions unfriendly to the beams her own?