De Rerum Natura

Lucretius

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

  1. This, this it is, O Memmius, to see through
  2. The very nature of fire-fraught thunderbolt;
  3. O this it is to mark by what blind force
  4. It maketh each effect, and not, O not
  5. To unwind Etrurian scrolls oracular,
  6. Inquiring tokens of occult will of gods,
  7. Even as to whence the flying flame hath come,
  8. Or to which half of heaven it turns, or how
  9. Through walled places it hath wound its way,
  10. Or, after proving its dominion there,
  11. How it hath speeded forth from thence amain,
  12. Or what the thunderstroke portends of ill
  13. From out high heaven. But if Jupiter
  14. And other gods shake those refulgent vaults
  15. With dread reverberations and hurl fire
  16. Whither it pleases each, why smite they not
  17. Mortals of reckless and revolting crimes,
  18. That such may pant from a transpierced breast
  19. Forth flames of the red levin- unto men
  20. A drastic lesson?- why is rather he-
  21. O he self-conscious of no foul offence-
  22. Involved in flames, though innocent, and clasped
  23. Up-caught in skiey whirlwind and in fire?
  24. Nay, why, then, aim they at eternal wastes,
  25. And spend themselves in vain?- perchance, even so
  26. To exercise their arms and strengthen shoulders?
  27. Why suffer they the Father's javelin
  28. To be so blunted on the earth? And why
  29. Doth he himself allow it, nor spare the same
  30. Even for his enemies? O why most oft
  31. Aims he at lofty places? Why behold we
  32. Marks of his lightnings most on mountain tops?
  33. Then for what reason shoots he at the sea?-
  34. What sacrilege have waves and bulk of brine
  35. And floating fields of foam been guilty of?
  36. Besides, if 'tis his will that we beware
  37. Against the lightning-stroke, why feareth he
  38. To grant us power for to behold the shot?
  39. And, contrariwise, if wills he to o'erwhelm us,
  40. Quite off our guard, with fire, why thunders he
  41. Off in yon quarter, so that we may shun?
  42. Why rouseth he beforehand darkling air
  43. And the far din and rumblings? And O how
  44. Canst thou believe he shoots at one same time
  45. Into diverse directions? Or darest thou
  46. Contend that never hath it come to pass
  47. That divers strokes have happened at one time?
  48. But oft and often hath it come to pass,
  49. And often still it must, that, even as showers
  50. And rains o'er many regions fall, so too
  51. Dart many thunderbolts at one same time.
  52. Again, why never hurtles Jupiter
  53. A bolt upon the lands nor pours abroad
  54. Clap upon clap, when skies are cloudless all?
  55. Or, say, doth he, so soon as ever the clouds
  56. Have come thereunder, then into the same
  57. Descend in person, that from thence he may
  58. Near-by decide upon the stroke of shaft?
  59. And, lastly, why, with devastating bolt
  60. Shakes he asunder holy shrines of gods
  61. And his own thrones of splendour, and to-breaks
  62. The well-wrought idols of divinities,
  63. And robs of glory his own images
  64. By wound of violence?