De Rerum Natura

Lucretius

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

  1. But to return apace,
  2. Easy it is from these same facts to know
  3. In just what wise those things (which from their sort
  4. The Greeks have named "bellows") do come down,
  5. Discharged from on high, upon the seas.
  6. For it haps that sometimes from the sky descends
  7. Upon the seas a column, as if pushed,
  8. Round which the surges seethe, tremendously
  9. Aroused by puffing gusts; and whatso'er
  10. Of ships are caught within that tumult then
  11. Come into extreme peril, dashed along.
  12. This haps when sometimes wind's aroused force
  13. Can't burst the cloud it tries to, but down-weighs
  14. That cloud, until 'tis like a column from sky
  15. Upon the seas pushed downward- gradually,
  16. As if a Somewhat from on high were shoved
  17. By fist and nether thrust of arm, and lengthened
  18. Far to the waves. And when the force of wind
  19. Hath rived this cloud, from out the cloud it rushes
  20. Down on the seas, and starts among the waves
  21. A wondrous seething, for the eddying whirl
  22. Descends and downward draws along with it
  23. That cloud of ductile body. And soon as ever
  24. 'Thas shoved unto the levels of the main
  25. That laden cloud, the whirl suddenly then
  26. Plunges its whole self into the waters there
  27. And rouses all the sea with monstrous roar,
  28. Constraining it to seethe. It happens too
  29. That very vortex of the wind involves
  30. Itself in clouds, scraping from out the air
  31. The seeds of cloud, and counterfeits, as 'twere,
  32. The "bellows" pushed from heaven. And when this shape
  33. Hath dropped upon the lands and burst apart,
  34. It belches forth immeasurable might
  35. Of whirlwind and of blast. Yet since 'tis formed
  36. At most but rarely, and on land the hills
  37. Must block its way, 'tis seen more oft out there
  38. On the broad prospect of the level main
  39. Along the free horizons.