of the nature of things-第15部分

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Enough　for　all　the　divers　shapes　of　those
Primordials　whence　this　variation　springs。
But　this　meseems　I'm　able　to　declare：
Those　vestiges　of　natures　left　behind
Which　reason　cannot　quite　expel　from　us
Are　still　so　slight　that　naught　prevents　a　man
From　living　a　life　even　worthy　of　the　gods。
　　So　then　this　soul　is　kept　by　all　the　body；
Itself　the　body's　guard；　and　source　of　weal：
For　they　with　common　roots　cleave　each　to　each；
Nor　can　be　torn　asunder　without　death。
Not　easy　'tis　from　lumps　of　frankincense
To　tear　their　fragrance　forth；　without　its　nature
Perishing　likewise：　so；　not　easy　'tis
From　all　the　body　nature　of　mind　and　soul
To　draw　away；　without　the　whole　dissolved。
With　seeds　so　intertwined　even　from　birth；
They're　dowered　conjointly　with　a　partner…life；
No　energy　of　body　or　mind；　apart；
Each　of　itself　without　the　other's　power；
Can　have　sensation；　but　our　sense；　enkindled
Along　the　vitals；　to　flame　is　blown　by　both
With　mutual　motions。　Besides　the　body　alone
Is　nor　begot　nor　grows；　nor　after　death
Seen　to　endure。　For　not　as　water　at　times
Gives　off　the　alien　heat；　nor　is　thereby
Itself　destroyed；　but　unimpaired　remains…
Not　thus；　I　say；　can　the　deserted　frame
Bear　the　dissevering　of　its　joined　soul；
But；　rent　and　ruined；　moulders　all　away。
Thus　the　joint　contact　of　the　body　and　soul
Learns　from　their　earliest　age　the　vital　motions；
Even　when　still　buried　in　the　mother's　womb；
So　no　dissevering　can　hap　to　them；
Without　their　bane　and　ill。　And　thence　mayst　see
That；　as　conjoined　is　their　source　of　weal；
Conjoined　also　must　their　nature　be。
　　If　one；　moreover；　denies　that　body　feel；
And　holds　that　soul；　through　all　the　body　mixed；
Takes　on　this　motion　which　we　title　〃sense；〃
He　battles　in　vain　indubitable　facts：
For　who'll　explain　what　body's　feeling　is；
Except　by　what　the　public　fact　itself
Has　given　and　taught　us？　〃But　when　soul　is　parted；
Body's　without　all　sense。〃　True！…　loses　what
Was　even　in　its　life…time　not　its　own；
And　much　beside　it　loses；　when　soul's　driven
Forth　from　that　life…time。　Or；　to　say　that　eyes
Themselves　can　see　no　thing；　but　through　the　same
The　mind　looks　forth；　as　out　of　opened　doors；
Is…　a　hard　saying；　since　the　feel　in　eyes
Says　the　reverse。　For　this　itself　draws　on
And　forces　into　the　pupils　of　our　eyes
Our　consciousness。　And　note　the　case　when　often
We　lack　the　power　to　see　refulgent　things；
Because　our　eyes　are　hampered　by　their　light…
With　a　mere　doorway　this　would　happen　not；
For；　since　it　is　our　very　selves　that　see；
No　open　portals　undertake　the　toil。
Besides；　if　eyes　of　ours　but　act　as　doors；
Methinks　that；　were　our　sight　removed；　the　mind
Ought　then　still　better　to　behold　a　thing…
When　even　the　door…posts　have　been　cleared　away。
　　Herein　in　these　affairs　nowise　take　up
What　honoured　sage；　Democritus；　lays　down…
That　proposition；　that　primordials
Of　body　and　mind；　each　super…posed　on　each；
Vary　alternately　and　interweave
The　fabric　of　our　members。　For　not　only
Are　the　soul…elements　smaller　far　than　those
Which　this　our　body　and　inward　parts　compose；
But　also　are　they　in　their　number　less；
And　scattered　sparsely　through　our　frame。　And　thus
This　canst　thou　guarantee：　soul's　primal　germs
Maintain　between　them　intervals　as　large
At　least　as　are　the　smallest　bodies；　which；
When　thrown　against　us；　in　our　body　rouse
Sense…bearing　motions。　Hence　it　comes　that　we
Sometimes　don't　feel　alighting　on　our　frames
The　clinging　dust；　or　chalk　that　settles　soft；
Nor　mists　of　night；　nor　spider's　gossamer
We　feel　against　us；　when；　upon　our　road；
Its　net　entangles　us；　nor　on　our　head
The　dropping　of　its　withered　garmentings；
Nor　bird…feathers；　nor　vegetable　down；
Flying　about；　so　light　they　barely　fall；
Nor　feel　the　steps　of　every　crawling　thing；
Nor　each　of　all　those　footprints　on　our　skin
Of　midges　and　the　like。　To　that　degree
Must　many　primal　germs　be　stirred　in　us
Ere　once　the　seeds　of　soul　that　through　our　frame
Are　intermingled　'gin　to　feel　that　those
Primordials　of　the　body　have　been　strook；
And　ere；　in　pounding　with　such　gaps　between；
They　clash；　combine　and　leap　apart　in　turn。
　　But　mind　is　more　the　keeper　of　the　gates；
Hath　more　dominion　over　life　than　soul。
For　without　intellect　and　mind　there's　not
One　part　of　soul　can　rest　within　our　frame
Least　part　of　time；　companioning；　it　goes
With　mind　into　the　winds　away；　and　leaves
The　icy　members　in　the　cold　of　death。
But　he　whose　mind　and　intellect　abide
Himself　abides　in　life。　However　much
The　trunk　be　mangled；　with　the　limbs　lopped　off；
The　soul　withdrawn　and　taken　from　the　limbs；
Still　lives　the　trunk　and　draws　the　vital　air。
Even　when　deprived　of　all　but　all　the　soul；
Yet　will　it　linger　on　and　cleave　to　life；…
Just　as　the　power　of　vision　still　is　strong；
If　but　the　pupil　shall　abide　unharmed；
Even　when　the　eye　around　it's　sorely　rent…
Provided　only　thou　destroyest　not
Wholly　the　ball；　but；　cutting　round　the　pupil；
Leavest　that　pupil　by　itself　behind…
For　more　would　ruin　sight。　But　if　that　centre；
That　tiny　part　of　eye；　be　eaten　through；
Forthwith　the　vision　fails　and　darkness　comes；
Though　in　all　else　the　unblemished　ball　be　clear。
'Tis　by　like　compact　that　the　soul　and　mind
Are　each　to　other　bound　forevermore。

THE　SOUL　IS　MORTAL

　　Now　come：　that　thou　mayst　able　be　to　know
That　minds　and　the　light　souls　of　all　that　live
Have　mortal　birth　and　death；　I　will　go　on
Verses　to　build　meet　for　thy　rule　of　life；
Sought　after　long；　discovered　with　sweet　toil。
But　under　one　name　I'd　have　thee　yoke　them　both；
And　when；　for　instance；　I　shall　speak　of　soul；
Teaching　the　same　to　be　but　mortal；　think
Thereby　I'm　speaking　also　of　the　mind…
Since　both　are　one；　a　substance　inter…joined。
First；　then；　since　I　have　taught　how　soul　exists
A　subtle　fabric；　of　particles　minute；
Made　up　from　atoms　smaller　much　than　those
Of　water's　liquid　damp；　or　fog；　or　smoke；
So　in　mobility　it　far　excels；
More　prone　to　move；　though　strook　by　lighter　cause
Even　moved　by　images　of　smoke　or　fog…
As　where　we　view；　when　in　our　sleeps　we're　lulled；
The　altars　exhaling　steam　and　smoke　aloft…
For；　beyond　doubt；　these　apparitions　come
To　us　from　outward。　Now；　then；　since　thou　seest；
Their　liquids　depart；　their　waters　flow　away；
When　jars　are　shivered；　and　since　fog　and　smoke
Depart　into　the　winds　away；　believe
The　soul　no　less　is　shed　abroad　and　dies
More　quickly　far；　more　quickly　is　dissolved
Back　to　its　primal　bodies；　when　withdrawn
From　out　man's　members　it　has　gone　away。
For；　sure；　if　body　（container　of　the　same
Like　as　a　jar）；　when　shivered　from　some　cause；
And　rarefied　by　loss　of　blood　from　veins；
Cannot　for　longer　hold　the　soul；　how　then
Thinkst　thou　it　can　be　held　by　any　air…
A　stuff　much　rarer　than　our　bodies　be？
　　Besides　we　feel　that　mind　to　being　comes
Along　with　body；　with　body　grows　and　ages。
For　just　as　children　totter　round　about
With　frames　infirm　and　tender；　so　there　follows
A　weakling　wisdom　in　their　minds；　and　then；
Where　years　have　ripened　into　robust　powers；
Counsel　is　also　greater；　more　increased
The　power　of　mind；　thereafter；　where　already
The　body's　shattered　by　master…powers　of　eld；
And　fallen　the　frame　with　its　enfeebled　powers；
Thought　hobbles；　tongue　wanders；　and　the　mind　gives　way；
All　fails；　all's　lacking　at　the　selfsame　time。
Therefore　it　suits　that　even　the　soul's　dissolved；
Like　smoke；　into　the　lofty　winds　of　air；
Since　we　behold　the　same　to　being　come
Along　with　body　and　grow；　and；　as　I've　taught；
Crumble　and　crack；　therewith　outworn　by　eld。
　　Then；　too；　we　see；　that；　just　as　body　takes
Monstrous　diseases　and　the　dreadful　pain；
So　mind　its　bitter　cares；　the　grief；　the　fear；
Wherefore　it　tallies　that　the　mind　no　less
Partaker　is　of　death；　for　pain　and　disease
Are　both　artificers　of　death；…　as　well
We've　learned　by　the　passing　of　many　a　man　ere　now。
Nay；　too；　in　diseases　of　body；　often　the　mind
Wanders　afield；　for　'tis　beside　itself；
And　crazed　it　speaks；　or　many　a　time　it　sinks；
With　eyelids　closing　and　a　drooping　nod；
In　heavy　drowse；　on　to　eternal　sleep；
From　whence　nor　hears　it　any　voices　more；
Nor　able　is　to　know　the　faces　here
Of　those　about　him　standing　with　wet　cheeks
Who　vainly　call　him　back　to　light　and　life。
Wherefore　mind　too；　confess　we　must；　dissolves；
Seeing；　indeed；　contagions　of　disease
Enter　into　the　same。　Again；　O　why；
When　the　strong　wine　has　entered　into　man；
And　its　diffused　fire　gone　round　the　veins；
Why　follows　then　a　heaviness　of　limbs；
A　tangle　of　the　legs　as　round　he　reels；
A　stuttering　tongue；　an　intellect　besoaked；
Eyes　all　aswim；　and　hiccups；　shouts；　and　brawls；
And　whatso　else　is　of　that　ilk？…　Why　this？…
If　not　that　violent　and　impetuous　wine
Is　wont　to　confound　the　soul　within　the　body？
But　whatso　can　confounded　be　and　balked；
Gives　proof；　that　if　a　hardier　cause　got　in；
'Twould　hap　that　it　would　perish　then；　bereaved
Of　any　life　thereafter。　And；　moreover；
Often　will　some　one　in　a　sudden　fit；
As　if　by　stroke　of　lightning；　tumble　down
Before　our　eyes；　and　sputter　foam；　and　grunt；
Blither；　and　twist　about　with　sinews　taut；
Gasp　up　in　starts；　and　weary　out　his　limbs
With　tossing　round。　No　marvel；　since　distract
Through　frame　by　violence　of　disease。
　　　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。
Confounds；　he　foams；　as　if　to　vomit　soul；
As　on　the　salt　sea　boil　the　billows　round
Under　the　master　might　of　winds。　And　now
A　groan's　forced　out；　because　his　limbs　are　griped；
But；　in　the　main；　because　the　seeds　of　voice
Are　driven　forth　and　carried　in　a　mass
Outwards　by　mouth；　where　they　are　wont　to　go；
And　have　a　builded　highway。　He　becomes
Mere　fool；　since　energy　of　mind　and　soul
Confounded　is；　and；　as　I've　shown；　to…riven；
Asunder　thrown；　and　torn　to　pieces　all
By　the　same　venom。　But；　again；　where　cause
Of　that　disease　has　faced　about；　and　back
Retreats　sharp　poison　of　corrupted　frame
Into　its　shadowy　lairs；　the　man　at　first
Arises　reeling；　and　gradually　comes　back
To　all　his　senses　and　recovers　soul。
Thus；　since　within　the　body　itself　of　man
The　mind　and　soul　are　by　such　great　diseases
Shaken；　so　miserably　in　labour　distraught；
Why；　then；　believe　that　in　the　open　air；
Without　a　body；　they　can　pass　their　life；
Immortal；　battling