of the nature of things-第25部分

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And　our　blood　spurts　even　toward　the　spot　from　whence
The　stroke　wherewith　we　are　strook；　and　if　indeed
The　foe　be　close；　the　red　jet　reaches　him。
Thus；　one　who　gets　a　stroke　from　Venus'　shafts…
Whether　a　boy　with　limbs　effeminate
Assault　him；　or　a　woman　darting　love
From　all　her　body…　that　one　strains　to　get
Even　to　the　thing　whereby　he's　hit；　and　longs
To　join　with　it　and　cast　into　its　frame
The　fluid　drawn　even　from　within　its　own。
For　the　mute　craving　doth　presage　delight。

THE　PASSION　OF　LOVE

　　This　craving　'tis　that's　Venus　unto　us：
From　this；　engender　all　the　lures　of　love；
From　this；　O　first　hath　into　human　hearts
Trickled　that　drop　of　joyance　which　ere　long
Is　by　chill　care　succeeded。　Since；　indeed；
Though　she　thou　lovest　now　be　far　away；
Yet　idol…images　of　her　are　near
And　the　sweet　name　is　floating　in　thy　ear。
But　it　behooves　to　flee　those　images；
And　scare　afar　whatever　feeds　thy　love；
And　turn　elsewhere　thy　mind；　and　vent　the　sperm；
Within　thee　gathered；　into　sundry　bodies；
Nor；　with　thy　thoughts　still　busied　with　one　love；
Keep　it　for　one　delight；　and　so　store　up
Care　for　thyself　and　pain　inevitable。
For；　lo；　the　ulcer　just　by　nourishing
Grows　to　more　life　with　deep　inveteracy；
And　day　by　day　the　fury　swells　aflame；
And　the　woe　waxes　heavier　day　by　day…
Unless　thou　dost　destroy　even　by　new　blows
The　former　wounds　of　love；　and　curest　them
While　yet　they're　fresh；　by　wandering　freely　round
After　the　freely…wandering　Venus；　or
Canst　lead　elsewhere　the　tumults　of　thy　mind。
　　Nor　doth　that　man　who　keeps　away　from　love
Yet　lack　the　fruits　of　Venus；　rather　takes
Those　pleasures　which　are　free　of　penalties。
For　the　delights　of　Venus；　verily；
Are　more　unmixed　for　mortals　sane…of…soul
Than　for　those　sick…at…heart　with　love…pining。
Yea；　in　the　very　moment　of　possessing；
Surges　the　heat　of　lovers　to　and　fro；
Restive；　uncertain；　and　they　cannot　fix
On　what　to　first　enjoy　with　eyes　and　hands。
The　parts　they　sought　for；　those　they　squeeze　so　tight；
And　pain　the　creature's　body；　close　their　teeth
Often　against　her　lips；　and　smite　with　kiss
Mouth　into　mouth；…　because　this　same　delight
Is　not　unmixed；　and　underneath　are　stings
Which　goad　a　man　to　hurt　the　very　thing；
Whate'er　it　be；　from　whence　arise　for　him
Those　germs　of　madness。　But　with　gentle　touch
Venus　subdues　the　pangs　in　midst　of　love；
And　the　admixture　of　a　fondling　joy
Doth　curb　the　bites　of　passion。　For　they　hope
That　by　the　very　body　whence　they　caught
The　heats　of　love　their　flames　can　be　put　out。
But　nature　protests　'tis　all　quite　otherwise；
For　this　same　love　it　is　the　one　sole　thing
Of　which；　the　more　we　have；　the　fiercer　burns
The　breast　with　fell　desire。　For　food　and　drink
Are　taken　within　our　members；　and；　since　they
Can　stop　up　certain　parts；　thus；　easily
Desire　of　water　is　glutted　and　of　bread。
But；　lo；　from　human　face　and　lovely　bloom
Naught　penetrates　our　frame　to　be　enjoyed
Save　flimsy　idol…images　and　vain…
A　sorry　hope　which　oft　the　winds　disperse。
As　when　the　thirsty　man　in　slumber　seeks
To　drink；　and　water　ne'er　is　granted　him
Wherewith　to　quench　the　heat　within　his　members；
But　after　idols　of　the　liquids　strives
And　toils　in　vain；　and　thirsts　even　whilst　he　gulps
In　middle　of　the　torrent；　thus　in　love
Venus　deludes　with　idol…images
The　lovers。　Nor　they　cannot　sate　their　lust
By　merely　gazing　on　the　bodies；　nor
They　cannot　with　their　palms　and　fingers　rub
Aught　from　each　tender　limb；　the　while　they　stray
Uncertain　over　all　the　body。　Then；
At　last；　with　members　intertwined；　when　they
Enjoy　the　flower　of　their　age；　when　now
Their　bodies　have　sweet　presage　of　keen　joys；
And　Venus　is　about　to　sow　the　fields
Of　woman；　greedily　their　frames　they　lock；
And　mingle　the　slaver　of　their　mouths；　and　breathe
Into　each　other；　pressing　teeth　on　mouths…
Yet　to　no　purpose；　since　they're　powerless
To　rub　off　aught；　or　penetrate　and　pass
With　body　entire　into　body…　for　oft
They　seem　to　strive　and　struggle　thus　to　do；
So　eagerly　they　cling　in　Venus'　bonds；
Whilst　melt　away　their　members；　overcome
By　violence　of　delight。　But　when　at　last
Lust；　gathered　in　the　thews；　hath　spent　itself；
There　come　a　brief　pause　in　the　raging　heat…
But　then　a　madness　just　the　same　returns
And　that　old　fury　visits　them　again；
When　once　again　they　seek　and　crave　to　reach
They　know　not　what；　all　powerless　to　find
The　artifice　to　subjugate　the　bane。
In　such　uncertain　state　they　waste　away
With　unseen　wound。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　To　which　be　added　too；
They　squander　powers　and　with　the　travail　wane；
Be　added　too；　they　spend　their　futile　years
Under　another's　beck　and　call；　their　duties
Neglected　languish　and　their　honest　name
Reeleth　sick；　sick；　and　meantime　their　estates
Are　lost　in　Babylonian　tapestries；
And　unguents　and　dainty　Sicyonian　shoes
Laugh　on　her　feet；　and　（as　ye　may　be　sure）
Big　emeralds　of　green　light　are　set　in　gold；
And　rich　sea…purple　dress　by　constant　wear
Grows　shabby　and　all　soaked　with　Venus'　sweat；
And　the　well…earned　ancestral　property
Becometh　head…bands；　coifs；　and　many　a　time
The　cloaks；　or　garments　Alidensian
Or　of　the　Cean　isle。　And　banquets；　set
With　rarest　cloth　and　viands；　are　prepared…
And　games　of　chance；　and　many　a　drinking　cup；
And　unguents；　crowns　and　garlands。　All　in　vain；
Since　from　amid　the　well…spring　of　delights
Bubbles　some　drop　of　bitter　to　torment
Among　the　very　flowers…　when　haply　mind
Gnaws　into　self；　now　stricken　with　remorse
For　slothful　years　and　ruin　in　baudels；
Or　else　because　she's　left　him　all　in　doubt
By　launching　some　sly　word；　which　still　like　fire
Lives　wildly；　cleaving　to　his　eager　heart；
Or　else　because　he　thinks　she　darts　her　eyes
Too　much　about　and　gazes　at　another；…
And　in　her　face　sees　traces　of　a　laugh。
　　These　ills　are　found　in　prospering　love　and　true；
But　in　crossed　love　and　helpless　there　be　such
As　through　shut　eyelids　thou　canst　still　take　in…
Uncounted　ills；　so　that　'tis　better　far
To　watch　beforehand；　in　the　way　I've　shown；
And　guard　against　enticements。　For　to　shun
A　fall　into　the　hunting…snares　of　love
Is　not　so　hard；　as　to　get　out　again；
When　tangled　in　the　very　nets；　and　burst
The　stoutly…knotted　cords　of　Aphrodite。
Yet　even　when　there　enmeshed　with　tangled　feet；
Still　canst　thou　scape　the　danger…lest　indeed
Thou　standest　in　the　way　of　thine　own　good；
And　overlookest　first　all　blemishes
Of　mind　and　body　of　thy　much　preferred；
Desirable　dame。　For　so　men　do；
Eyeless　with　passion；　and　assign　to　them
Graces　not　theirs　in　fact。　And　thus　we　see
Creatures　in　many　a　wise　crooked　and　ugly
The　prosperous　sweethearts　in　a　high　esteem；
And　lovers　gird　each　other　and　advise
To　placate　Venus；　since　their　friends　are　smit
With　a　base　passion…　miserable　dupes
Who　seldom　mark　their　own　worst　bane　of　all。
The　black…skinned　girl　is　〃tawny　like　the　honey〃；
The　filthy　and　the　fetid's　〃negligee〃；
The　cat…eyed　she's　〃a　little　Pallas；〃　she；
The　sinewy　and　wizened's　〃a　gazelle〃；
The　pudgy　and　the　pigmy　is　〃piquant；
One　of　the　Graces　sure〃；　the　big　and　bulky
O　she's　〃an　Admiration；　imposante〃；
The　stuttering　and　tongue…tied　〃sweetly　lisps〃；
The　mute　girl's　〃modest〃；　and　the　garrulous；
The　spiteful　spit…fire；　is　〃a　sparkling　wit〃；
And　she　who　scarcely　lives　for　scrawniness
Becomes　〃a　slender　darling〃；　〃delicate〃
Is　she　who's　nearly　dead　of　coughing…fit；
The　pursy　female　with　protuberant　breasts
She　is　〃like　Ceres　when　the　goddess　gave
Young　Bacchus　suck〃；　the　pug…nosed　lady…love
〃A　Satyress；　a　feminine　Silenus〃；
The　blubber…lipped　is　〃all　one　luscious　kiss〃…
A　weary　while　it　were　to　tell　the　whole。
But　let　her　face　possess　what　charm　ye　will；
Let　Venus'　glory　rise　from　all　her　limbs；…
Forsooth　there　still　are　others；　and　forsooth
We　lived　before　without　her；　and　forsooth
She　does　the　same　things…　and　we　know　she　does…
All；　as　the　ugly　creature；　and　she　scents；
Yes　she；　her　wretched　self　with　vile　perfumes；
Whom　even　her　handmaids　flee　and　giggle　at
Behind　her　back。　But　he；　the　lover；　in　tears
Because　shut　out；　covers　her　threshold　o'er
Often　with　flowers　and　garlands；　and　anoints
Her　haughty　door…posts　with　the　marjoram；
And　prints；　poor　fellow；　kisses　on　the　doors…
Admitted　at　last；　if　haply　but　one　whiff
Got　to　him　on　approaching；　he　would　seek
Decent　excuses　to　go　out　forthwith；
And　his　lament；　long　pondered；　then　would　fall
Down　at　his　heels；　and　there　he'd　damn　himself
For　his　fatuity；　observing　how
He　had　assigned　to　that　same　lady　more…
Than　it　is　proper　to　concede　to　mortals。
And　these　our　Venuses　are　'ware　of　this。
Wherefore　the　more　are　they　at　pains　to　hide
All　the…behind…the…scenes　of　life　from　those
Whom　they　desire　to　keep　in　bonds　of　love…
In　vain；　since　ne'ertheless　thou　canst　by　thought
Drag　all　the　matter　forth　into　the　light
And　well　search　out　the　cause　of　all　these　smiles；
And　if　of　graceful　mind　she　be　and　kind；
Do　thou；　in　thy　turn；　overlook　the　same；
And　thus　allow　for　poor　mortality。
Nor　sighs　the　woman　always　with　feigned　love；
Who　links　her　body　round　man's　body　locked
And　holds　him　fast；　making　his　kisses　wet
With　lips　sucked　into　lips；　for　oft　she　acts
Even　from　desire；　and；　seeking　mutual　joys；
Incites　him　there　to　run　love's　race…course　through。
Nor　otherwise　can　cattle；　birds；　wild　beasts；
And　sheep　and　mares　submit　unto　the　males；
Except　that　their　own　nature　is　in　heat；
And　burns　abounding　and　with　gladness　takes
Once　more　the　Venus　of　the　mounting　males。
And　seest　thou　not　how　those　whom　mutual　pleasure
Hath　bound　are　tortured　in　their　common　bonds？
How　often　in　the　cross…roads　dogs　that　pant
To　get　apart　strain　eagerly　asunder
With　utmost　might？…　When　all　the　while　they're　fast
In　the　stout　links　of　Venus。　But　they'd　ne'er
So　pull；　except　they　knew　those　mutual　joys…
So　powerful　to　cast　them　unto　snares
And　hold　them　bound。　Wherefore　again；　again；
Even　as　I　say；　there　is　a　joint　delight。
　　And　when　perchance；　in　mingling　seed　with　his；
The　female　hath　o'erpowered　the　force　of　male
And　by　a　sudden　fling　hath　seized　it　fast；
Then　are　the　offspring；　more　from　mothers'　seed；
More　like　their　mothers；　as；　from　fathers'　seed；
They're　like　to　fathers。　But　whom　seest　to　be
Partakers　of　each　shape；　one　equal