of the nature of things-第30部分

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Nor　need　there　be　for　men
Astonishment　that　yonder　sun　so　small
Can　yet　send　forth　so　great　a　light　as　fills
Oceans　and　all　the　lands　and　sky　aflood；
And　with　its　fiery　exhalations　steeps
The　world　at　large。　For　it　may　be；　indeed；
That　one　vast…flowing　well…spring　of　the　whole
Wide　world　from　here　hath　opened　and　out…gushed；
And　shot　its　light　abroad；　because　thuswise
The　elements　of　fiery　exhalations
From　all　the　world　around　together　come；
And　thuswise　flow　into　a　bulk　so　big
That　from　one　single　fountain…head　may　stream
This　heat　and　light。　And　seest　thou　not；　indeed；
How　widely　one　small　water…spring　may　wet
The　meadow…lands　at　times　and　flood　the　fields？
'Tis　even　possible；　besides；　that　heat
From　forth　the　sun's　own　fire；　albeit　that　fire
Be　not　a　great；　may　permeate　the　air
With　the　fierce　hot…　if　but；　perchance；　the　air
Be　of　condition　and　so　tempered　then
As　to　be　kindled；　even　when　beat　upon
Only　by　little　particles　of　heat…
Just　as　we　sometimes　see　the　standing　grain
Or　stubble　straw　in　conflagration　all
From　one　lone　spark。　And　possibly　the　sun；
Agleam　on　high　with　rosy　lampion；
Possesses　about　him　with　invisible　heats
A　plenteous　fire；　by　no　effulgence　marked；
So　that　he　maketh；　he；　the　Fraught…with…fire；
Increase　to　such　degree　the　force　of　rays。
　　Nor　is　there　one　sure　cause　revealed　to　men
How　the　sun　journeys　from　his　summer　haunts
On　to　the　mid…most　winter　turning…points
In　Capricorn；　the　thence　reverting　veers
Back　to　solstitial　goals　of　Cancer；　nor
How　'tis　the　moon　is　seen　each　month　to　cross
That　very　distance　which　in　traversing
The　sun　consumes　the　measure　of　a　year。
I　say；　no　one　clear　reason　hath　been　given
For　these　affairs。　Yet　chief　in　likelihood
Seemeth　the　doctrine　which　the　holy　thought
Of　great　Democritus　lays　down：　that　ever
The　nearer　the　constellations　be　to　earth
The　less　can　they　by　whirling　of　the　sky
Be　borne　along；　because　those　skiey　powers
Of　speed　aloft　do　vanish　and　decrease
In　under…regions；　and　the　sun　is　thus
Left　by　degrees　behind　amongst　those　signs
That　follow　after；　since　the　sun　he　lies
Far　down　below　the　starry　signs　that　blaze；
And　the　moon　lags　even　tardier　than　the　sun：
In　just　so　far　as　is　her　course　removed
From　upper　heaven　and　nigh　unto　the　lands；
In　just　so　far　she　fails　to　keep　the　pace
With　starry　signs　above；　for　just　so　far
As　feebler　is　the　whirl　that　bears　her　on；
（Being；　indeed；　still　lower　than　the　sun）；
In　just　so　far　do　all　the　starry　signs；
Circling　around；　o'ertake　her　and　o'erpass。
Therefore　it　happens　that　the　moon　appears
More　swiftly　to　return　to　any　sign
Along　the　Zodiac；　than　doth　the　sun；
Because　those　signs　do　visit　her　again
More　swiftly　than　they　visit　the　great　sun。
It　can　be　also　that　two　streams　of　air
Alternately　at　fixed　periods
Blow　out　from　transverse　regions　of　the　world；
Of　which　the　one　may　thrust　the　sun　away
From　summer…signs　to　mid…most　winter　goals
And　rigors　of　the　cold；　and　the　other　then
May　cast　him　back　from　icy　shades　of　chill
Even　to　the　heat…fraught　regions　and　the　signs
That　blaze　along　the　Zodiac。　So；　too；
We　must　suppose　the　moon　and　all　the　stars；
Which　through　the　mighty　and　sidereal　years
Roll　round　in　mighty　orbits；　may　be　sped
By　streams　of　air　from　regions　alternate。
Seest　thou　not　also　how　the　clouds　be　sped
By　contrary　winds　to　regions　contrary；
The　lower　clouds　diversely　from　the　upper？
Then；　why　may　yonder　stars　in　ether　there
Along　their　mighty　orbits　not　be　borne
By　currents　opposite　the　one　to　other？
　　But　night　o'erwhelms　the　lands　with　vasty　murk
Either　when　sun；　after　his　diurnal　course；
Hath　walked　the　ultimate　regions　of　the　sky
And　wearily　hath　panted　forth　his　fires；
Shivered　by　their　long　journeying　and　wasted
By　traversing　the　multitudinous　air；
Or　else　because　the　self…same　force　that　drave
His　orb　along　above　the　lands　compels
Him　then　to　turn　his　course　beneath　the　lands。
Matuta　also　at　a　fixed　hour
Spreadeth　the　roseate　morning　out　along
The　coasts　of　heaven　and　deploys　the　light；
Either　because　the　self…same　sun；　returning
Under　the　lands；　aspires　to　seize　the　sky；
Striving　to　set　it　blazing　with　his　rays
Ere　he　himself　appear；　or　else　because
Fires　then　will　congregate　and　many　seeds
Of　heat　are　wont；　even　at　a　fixed　time；
To　stream　together…　gendering　evermore
New　suns　and　light。　Just　so　the　story　goes
That　from　the　Idaean　mountain…tops　are　seen
Dispersed　fires　upon　the　break　of　day
Which　thence　combine；　as　'twere；　into　one　ball
And　form　an　orb。　Nor　yet　in　these　affairs
Is　aught　for　wonder　that　these　seeds　of　fire
Can　thus　together　stream　at　time　so　fixed
And　shape　anew　the　splendour　of　the　sun。
For　many　facts　we　see　which　come　to　pass
At　fixed　time　in　all　things：　burgeon　shrubs
At　fixed　time；　and　at　a　fixed　time
They　cast　their　flowers；　and　Eld　commands　the　teeth；
At　time　as　surely　fixed；　to　drop　away；
And　Youth　commands　the　growing　boy　to　bloom
With　the　soft　down　and　let　from　both　his　cheeks
The　soft　beard　fall。　And　lastly；　thunder…bolts；
Snow；　rains；　clouds；　winds；　at　seasons　of　the　year
Nowise　unfixed；　all　do　come　to　pass。
For　where；　even　from　their　old　primordial　start
Causes　have　ever　worked　in　such　a　way；
And　where；　even　from　the　world's　first　origin；
Thuswise　have　things　befallen；　so　even　now
After　a　fixed　order　they　come　round
In　sequence　also。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Likewise；　days　may　wax
Whilst　the　nights　wane；　and　daylight　minished　be
Whilst　nights　do　take　their　augmentations；
Either　because　the　self…same　sun；　coursing
Under　the　lands　and　over　in　two　arcs；
A　longer　and　a　briefer；　doth　dispart
The　coasts　of　ether　and　divides　in　twain
His　orbit　all　unequally；　and　adds；
As　round　he's　borne；　unto　the　one　half　there
As　much　as　from　the　other　half　he's　ta'en；
Until　he　then　arrives　that　sign　of　heaven
Where　the　year's　node　renders　the　shades　of　night
Equal　unto　the　periods　of　light。
For　when　the　sun　is　midway　on　his　course
Between　the　blasts　of　northwind　and　of　south；
Heaven　keeps　his　two　goals　parted　equally；
By　virtue　of　the　fixed　position　old
Of　the　whole　starry　Zodiac；　through　which
That　sun；　in　winding　onward；　takes　a　year；
Illumining　the　sky　and　all　the　lands
With　oblique　light…　as　men　declare　to　us
Who　by　their　diagrams　have　charted　well
Those　regions　of　the　sky　which　be　adorned
With　the　arranged　signs　of　Zodiac。
Or　else；　because　in　certain　parts　the　air
Under　the　lands　is　denser；　the　tremulous
Bright　beams　of　fire　do　waver　tardily；
Nor　easily　can　penetrate　that　air
Nor　yet　emerge　unto　their　rising…place：
For　this　it　is　that　nights　in　winter　time
Do　linger　long；　ere　comes　the　many…rayed
Round　Badge　of　the　day。　Or　else　because；　as　said；
In　alternating　seasons　of　the　year
Fires；　now　more　quick；　and　now　more　slow；　are　wont
To　stream　together；…　the　fires　which　make　the　sun
To　rise　in　some　one　spot…　therefore　it　is
That　those　men　seem　to　speak　the　truth　＇who　hold
A　new　sun　is　with　each　new　daybreak　born＇。
　　The　moon　she　possibly　doth　shine　because
Strook　by　the　rays　of　sun；　and　day　by　day
May　turn　unto　our　gaze　her　light；　the　more
She　doth　recede　from　orb　of　sun；　until；
Facing　him　opposite　across　the　world；
She　hath　with　full　effulgence　gleamed　abroad；
And；　at　her　rising　as　she　soars　above；
Hath　there　observed　his　setting；　thence　likewise
She　needs　must　hide；　as　'twere；　her　light　behind
By　slow　degrees；　the　nearer　now　she　glides；
Along　the　circle　of　the　Zodiac；
From　her　far　place　toward　fires　of　yonder　sun；…
As　those　men　hold　who　feign　the　moon　to　be
Just　like　a　ball　and　to　pursue　a　course
Betwixt　the　sun　and　earth。　There　is；　again；
Some　reason　to　suppose　that　moon　may　roll
With　light　her　very　own；　and　thus　display
The　varied　shapes　of　her　resplendence　there。
For　near　her　is；　percase；　another　body；
Invisible；　because　devoid　of　light；
Borne　on　and　gliding　all　along　with　her；
Which　in　three　modes　may　block　and　blot　her　disk。
Again；　she　may　revolve　upon　herself；
Like　to　a　ball's　sphere…　if　perchance　that　be…
One　half　of　her　dyed　o'er　with　glowing　light；
And　by　the　revolution　of　that　sphere
She　may　beget　for　us　her　varying　shapes；
Until　she　turns　that　fiery　part　of　her
Full　to　the　sight　and　open　eyes　of　men；
Thence　by　slow　stages　round　and　back　she　whirls；
Withdrawing　thus　the　luminiferous　part
Of　her　sphered　mass　and　ball；　as；　verily；
The　Babylonian　doctrine　of　Chaldees；
Refuting　the　art　of　Greek　astrologers；
Labours；　in　opposition；　to　prove　sure…
As　if；　forsooth；　the　thing　for　which　each　fights；
Might　not　alike　be　true；…　or　aught　there　were
Wherefore　thou　mightest　risk　embracing　one
More　than　the　other　notion。　Then；　again；
Why　a　new　moon　might　not　forevermore
Created　be　with　fixed　successions　there
Of　shapes　and　with　configurations　fixed；
And　why　each　day　that　bright　created　moon
Might　not　miscarry　and　another　be；
In　its　stead　and　place；　engendered　anew；
'Tis　hard　to　show　by　reason；　or　by　words
To　prove　absurd…　since；　lo；　so　many　things
Can　be　create　with　fixed　successions：
Spring…time　and　Venus　come；　and　Venus'　boy；
The　winged　harbinger；　steps　on　before；
And　hard　on　Zephyr's　foot…prints　Mother　Flora；
Sprinkling　the　ways　before　them；　filleth　all
With　colours　and　with　odours　excellent；
Whereafter　follows　arid　Heat；　and　he
Companioned　is　by　Ceres；　dusty　one；
And　by　the　Etesian　Breezes　of　the　north；
Then　cometh　Autumn　on；　and　with　him　steps
Lord　Bacchus；　and　then　other　Seasons　too
And　other　Winds　do　follow…　the　high　roar
Of　great　Volturnus；　and　the　Southwind　strong
With　thunder…bolts。　At　last　earth's　Shortest…Day
Bears　on　to　men　the　snows　and　brings　again
The　numbing　cold。　And　Winter　follows　her；
His　teeth　with　chills　a…chatter。　Therefore；　'tis
The　less　a　marvel；　if　at　fixed　time
A　moon　is　thus　begotten　and　again
At　fixed　time　destroyed；　since　things　so　many
Can　come　to　being　thus　at　fixed　time。
Likewise；　the　sun's　eclipses　and　the　moon's
Far　occultations　rightly　thou　mayst　deem
　　As　due　to　several　causes。　For；　indeed；
Why　should　the　moon　be　able　to　shut　out
Earth　from　the　light　of　sun；　and　on　the　side
To　earthward　thrust　her　high　head　under　sun；
Opposing　dark　orb　to　his　glowing　beams…
And　yet；　at　same　time；　one　suppose　the　effect
Could　not　result　f