of the nature of things-第17部分

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Wherefore；　again；　again；　souls　must　be　thought
Nor　void　of　birth；　nor　free　from　law　of　death；
Nor；　if；　from　outward；　in　they　wound　their　way；
Could　they　be　thought　as　able　so　to　cleave
To　these　our　frames；　nor；　since　so　interwove；
Appears　it　that　they're　able　to　go　forth
Unhurt　and　whole　and　loose　themselves　unscathed
From　all　the　thews；　articulations；　bones。
But；　if　perchance　thou　thinkest　that　the　soul；
From　outward　winding　in　its　way；　is　wont
To　seep　and　soak　along　these　members　ours；
Then　all　the　more　'twill　perish；　being　thus
With　body　fused…　for　what　will　seep　and　soak
Will　be　dissolved　and　will　therefore　die。
For　just　as　food；　dispersed　through　all　the　pores
Of　body；　and　passed　through　limbs　and　all　the　frame；
Perishes；　supplying　from　itself　the　stuff
For　other　nature；　thus　the　soul　and　mind；
Though　whole　and　new　into　a　body　going；
Are　yet；　by　seeping　in；　dissolved　away；
Whilst；　as　through　pores；　to　all　the　frame　there　pass
Those　particles　from　which　created　is
This　nature　of　mind；　now　ruler　of　our　body；
Born　from　that　soul　which　perished；　when　divided
Along　the　frame。　Wherefore　it　seems　that　soul
Hath　both　a　natal　and　funeral　hour。
　　Besides　are　seeds　of　soul　there　left　behind
In　the　breathless　body；　or　not？　If　there　they　are；
It　cannot　justly　be　immortal　deemed；
Since；　shorn　of　some　parts　lost；　'thas　gone　away：
But　if；　borne　off　with　members　uncorrupt；
'Thas　fled　so　absolutely　all　away
It　leaves　not　one　remainder　of　itself
Behind　in　body；　whence　do　cadavers；　then；
From　out　their　putrid　flesh　exhale　the　worms；
And　whence　does　such　a　mass　of　living　things；
Boneless　and　bloodless；　o'er　the　bloated　frame
Bubble　and　swarm？　But　if　perchance　thou　thinkest
That　souls　from　outward　into　worms　can　wind；
And　each　into　a　separate　body　come；
And　reckonest　not　why　many　thousand　souls
Collect　where　only　one　has　gone　away；
Here　is　a　point；　in　sooth；　that　seems　to　need
Inquiry　and　a　putting　to　the　test：
Whether　the　souls　go　on　a　hunt　for　seeds
Of　worms　wherewith　to　build　their　dwelling　places；
Or　enter　bodies　ready…made；　as　'twere。
But　why　themselves　they　thus　should　do　and　toil
'Tis　hard　to　say；　since；　being　free　of　body；
They　flit　around；　harassed　by　no　disease；
Nor　cold　nor　famine；　for　the　body　labours
By　more　of　kinship　to　these　flaws　of　life；
And　mind　by　contact　with　that　body　suffers
So　many　ills。　But　grant　it　be　for　them
However　useful　to　construct　a　body
To　which　to　enter　in；　'tis　plain　they　can't。
Then；　souls　for　self　no　frames　nor　bodies　make；
Nor　is　there　how　they　once　might　enter　in
To　bodies　ready…made…　for　they　cannot
Be　nicely　interwoven　with　the　same；
And　there'll　be　formed　no　interplay　of　sense
Common　to　each。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Again；　why　is't　there　goes
Impetuous　rage　with　lion's　breed　morose；
And　cunning　with　foxes；　and　to　deer　why　given
The　ancestral　fear　and　tendency　to　flee；
And　why　in　short　do　all　the　rest　of　traits
Engender　from　the　very　start　of　life
In　the　members　and　mentality；　if　not
Because　one　certain　power　of　mind　that　came
From　its　own　seed　and　breed　waxes　the　same
Along　with　all　the　body？　But　were　mind
Immortal；　were　it　wont　to　change　its　bodies；
How　topsy…turvy　would　earth's　creatures　act！
The　Hyrcan　hound　would　flee　the　onset　oft
Of　antlered　stag；　the　scurrying　hawk　would　quake
Along　the　winds　of　air　at　the　coming　dove；
And　men　would　dote；　and　savage　beasts　be　wise；
For　false　the　reasoning　of　those　that　say
Immortal　mind　is　changed　by　change　of　body…
For　what　is　changed　dissolves；　and　therefore　dies。
For　parts　are　re…disposed　and　leave　their　order；
Wherefore　they　must　be　also　capable
Of　dissolution　through　the　frame　at　last；
That　they　along　with　body　perish　all。
But　should　some　say　that　always　souls　of　men
Go　into　human　bodies；　I　will　ask：
How　can　a　wise　become　a　dullard　soul？
And　why　is　never　a　child's　a　prudent　soul？
And　the　mare's　filly　why　not　trained　so　well
As　sturdy　strength　of　steed？　We　may　be　sure
They'll　take　their　refuge　in　the　thought　that　mind
Becomes　a　weakling　in　a　weakling　frame。
Yet　be　this　so；　'tis　needful　to　confess
The　soul　but　mortal；　since；　so　altered　now
Throughout　the　frame；　it　loses　the　life　and　sense
It　had　before。　Or　how　can　mind　wax　strong
Coequally　with　body　and　attain
The　craved　flower　of　life；　unless　it　be
The　body's　colleague　in　its　origins？
Or　what's　the　purport　of　its　going　forth
From　aged　limbs？…　fears　it；　perhaps；　to　stay；
Pent　in　a　crumbled　body？　Or　lest　its　house；
Outworn　by　venerable　length　of　days；
May　topple　down　upon　it？　But　indeed
For　an　immortal　perils　are　there　none。
　　Again；　at　parturitions　of　the　wild
And　at　the　rites　of　Love；　that　souls　should　stand
Ready　hard　by　seems　ludicrous　enough…
Immortals　waiting　for　their　mortal　limbs
In　numbers　innumerable；　contending　madly
Which　shall　be　first　and　chief　to　enter　in！…
Unless　perchance　among　the　souls　there　be
Such　treaties　stablished　that　the　first　to　come
Flying　along；　shall　enter　in　the　first；
And　that　they　make　no　rivalries　of　strength！
　　Again；　in　ether　can't　exist　a　tree；
Nor　clouds　in　ocean　deeps；　nor　in　the　fields
Can　fishes　live；　nor　blood　in　timber　be；
Nor　sap　in　boulders：　fixed　and　arranged
Where　everything　may　grow　and　have　its　place。
Thus　nature　of　mind　cannot　arise　alone
Without　the　body；　nor　exist　afar
From　thews　and　blood。　But　if　'twere　possible；
Much　rather　might　this　very　power　of　mind
Be　in　the　head；　the　shoulders　or　the　heels；
And；　born　in　any　part　soever；　yet
In　the　same　man；　in　the　same　vessel　abide。
But　since　within　this　body　even　of　ours
Stands　fixed　and　appears　arranged　sure
Where　soul　and　mind　can　each　exist　and　grow；
Deny　we　must　the　more　that　they　can　have
Duration　and　birth；　wholly　outside　the　frame。
For；　verily；　the　mortal　to　conjoin
With　the　eternal；　and　to　feign　they　feel
Together；　and　can　function　each　with　each；
Is　but　to　dote：　for　what　can　be　conceived
Of　more　unlike；　discrepant；　ill…assorted；
Than　something　mortal　in　a　union　joined
With　an　immortal　and　a　secular
To　bear　the　outrageous　tempests？
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Then；　again；
Whatever　abides　eternal　must　indeed
Either　repel　all　strokes；　because　'tis　made
Of　solid　body；　and　permit　no　entrance
Of　aught　with　power　to　sunder　from　within
The　parts　compact…　as　are　those　seeds　of　stuff
Whose　nature　we've　exhibited　before；
Or　else　be　able　to　endure　through　time
For　this：　because　they　are　from　blows　exempt；
As　is　the　void；　the　which　abides　untouched；
Unsmit　by　any　stroke；　or　else　because
There　is　no　room　around；　whereto　things　can；
As　'twere；　depart　in　dissolution　all；…
Even　as　the　sum　of　sums　eternal　is；
Without　or　place　beyond　whereto　things　may
Asunder　fly；　or　bodies　which　can　smite；
And　thus　dissolve　them　by　the　blows　of　might。
　　But　if　perchance　the　soul's　to　be　adjudged
Immortal；　mainly　on　ground　'tis　kept　secure
In　vital　forces…　either　because　there　come
Never　at　all　things　hostile　to　its　weal；
Or　else　because　what　come　somehow　retire；
Repelled　or　ere　we　feel　the　harm　they　work；
　　　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。
For；　lo；　besides　that；　when　the　frame's　diseased；
Soul　sickens　too；　there　cometh；　many　a　time；
That　which　torments　it　with　the　things　to　be；
Keeps　it　in　dread；　and　wearies　it　with　cares；
And　even　when　evil　acts　are　of　the　past；
Still　gnaw　the　old　transgressions　bitterly。
Add；　too；　that　frenzy；　peculiar　to　the　mind；
And　that　oblivion　of　the　things　that　were；
Add　its　submergence　in　the　murky　waves
Of　drowse　and　torpor。

FOLLY　OF　THE　FEAR　OF　DEATH

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Therefore　death　to　us
Is　nothing；　nor　concerns　us　in　the　least；
Since　nature　of　mind　is　mortal　evermore。
And　just　as　in　the　ages　gone　before
We　felt　no　touch　of　ill；　when　all　sides　round
To　battle　came　the　Carthaginian　host；
And　the　times；　shaken　by　tumultuous　war；
Under　the　aery　coasts　of　arching　heaven
Shuddered　and　trembled；　and　all　humankind
Doubted　to　which　the　empery　should　fall
By　land　and　sea；　thus　when　we　are　no　more；
When　comes　that　sundering　of　our　body　and　soul
Through　which　we're　fashioned　to　a　single　state；
Verily　naught　to　us；　us　then　no　more；
Can　come　to　pass；　naught　move　our　senses　then…
No；　not　if　earth　confounded　were　with　sea；
And　sea　with　heaven。　But　if　indeed　do　feel
The　nature　of　mind　and　energy　of　soul；
After　their　severance　from　this　body　of　ours；
Yet　nothing　'tis　to　us　who　in　the　bonds
And　wedlock　of　the　soul　and　body　live；
Through　which　we're　fashioned　to　a　single　state。
And；　even　if　time　collected　after　death
The　matter　of　our　frames　and　set　it　all
Again　in　place　as　now；　and　if　again
To　us　the　light　of　life　were　given；　O　yet
That　process　too　would　not　concern　us　aught；
When　once　the　self…succession　of　our　sense
Has　been　asunder　broken。　And　now　and　here；
Little　enough　we're　busied　with　the　selves
We　were　aforetime；　nor；　concerning　them；
Suffer　a　sore　distress。　For　shouldst　thou　gaze
Backwards　across　all　yesterdays　of　time
The　immeasurable；　thinking　how　manifold
The　motions　of　matter　are；　then　couldst　thou　well
Credit　this　too：　often　these　very　seeds
（From　which　we　are　to…day）　of　old　were　set
In　the　same　order　as　they　are　to…day…
Yet　this　we　can't　to　consciousness　recall
Through　the　remembering　mind。　For　there　hath　been
An　interposed　pause　of　life；　and　wide
Have　all　the　motions　wandered　everywhere
From　these　our　senses。　For　if　woe　and　ail
Perchance　are　toward；　then　the　man　to　whom
The　bane　can　happen　must　himself　be　there
At　that　same　time。　But　death　precludeth　this；
Forbidding　life　to　him　on　whom　might　crowd
Such　irk　and　care；　and　granted　'tis　to　know：
Nothing　for　us　there　is　to　dread　in　death；
No　wretchedness　for　him　who　is　no　more；
The　same　estate　as　if　ne'er　born　before；
When　death　immortal　hath　ta'en　the　mortal　life。
　　Hence；　where　thou　seest　a　man　to　grieve　because
When　dead　he　rots　with　body　laid　away；
Or　perishes　in　flames　or　jaws　of　beasts；
Know　well：　he　rings　not　true；　and　that　beneath
Still　works　an　unseen　sting　upon　his　heart；
However　he　deny　that　he　believes。
His　shall　be　aught　of　feeling　after　death。
For　he；　I　fancy；　grants　not　what　he　says；
Nor　what　that　presupposes；　and　he　fails
To　pluck　himself　with　all　his　roots　from　life
And　cast　that　self　away；　quite　unawares
Feigning　that　so