Of　The　Nature　of　Things
  by　Lucretius　　＇Titus　Lucretius　Carus＇
  Translated　by　William　Ellery　Leonard
  BOOK　I
  PROEM
  Mother　of　Rome；　delight　of　Gods　and　men；
  Dear　Venus　that　beneath　the　gliding　stars
  Makest　to　teem　the　many…voyaged　main
  And　fruitful　lands…　for　all　of　living　things
  Through　thee　alone　are　evermore　conceived；
  Through　thee　are　risen　to　visit　the　great　sun…
  Before　thee；　Goddess；　and　thy　coming　on；
  Flee　stormy　wind　and　massy　cloud　away；
  For　thee　the　daedal　Earth　bears　scented　flowers；
  For　thee　waters　of　the　unvexed　deep
  Smile；　and　the　hollows　of　the　serene　sky
  Glow　with　diffused　radiance　for　thee！
  For　soon　as　comes　the　springtime　face　of　day；
  And　procreant　gales　blow　from　the　West　unbarred；
  First　fowls　of　air；　smit　to　the　heart　by　thee；
  Foretoken　thy　approach；　O　thou　Divine；
  And　leap　the　wild　herds　round　the　happy　fields
  Or　swim　the　bounding　torrents。　Thus　amain；
  Seized　with　the　spell；　all　creatures　follow　thee
  Whithersoever　thou　walkest　forth　to　lead；
  And　thence　through　seas　and　mountains　and　swift　streams；
  Through　leafy　homes　of　birds　and　greening　plains；
  Kindling　the　lure　of　love　in　every　breast；
  Thou　bringest　the　eternal　generations　forth；
  Kind　after　kind。　And　since　'tis　thou　alone
  Guidest　the　Cosmos；　and　without　thee　naught
  Is　risen　to　reach　the　shining　shores　of　light；
  Nor　aught　of　joyful　or　of　lovely　born；
  Thee　do　I　crave　co…partner　in　that　verse
  Which　I　presume　on　Nature　to　compose
  For　Memmius　mine；　whom　thou　hast　willed　to　be
  Peerless　in　every　grace　at　every　hour…
  Wherefore　indeed；　Divine　one；　give　my　words
  Immortal　charm。　Lull　to　a　timely　rest
  O'er　sea　and　land　the　savage　works　of　war；
  For　thou　alone　hast　power　with　public　peace
  To　aid　mortality；　since　he　who　rules
  The　savage　works　of　battle；　puissant　Mars；
  How　often　to　thy　bosom　flings　his　strength
  O'ermastered　by　the　eternal　wound　of　love…
  And　there；　with　eyes　and　full　throat　backward　thrown；
  Gazing；　my　Goddess；　open…mouthed　at　thee；
  Pastures　on　love　his　greedy　sight；　his　breath
  Hanging　upon　thy　lips。　Him　thus　reclined
  Fill　with　thy　holy　body；　round；　above！
  Pour　from　those　lips　soft　syllables　to　win
  Peace　for　the　Romans；　glorious　Lady；　peace！
  For　in　a　season　troublous　to　the　state
  Neither　may　I　attend　this　task　of　mine
  With　thought　untroubled；　nor　mid　such　events
  The　illustrious　scion　of　the　Memmian　house
  Neglect　the　civic　cause。
  Whilst　human　kind
  Throughout　the　lands　lay　miserably　crushed
  Before　all　eyes　beneath　Religion…　who
  Would　show　her　head　along　the　region　skies；
  Glowering　on　mortals　with　her　hideous　face…
  A　Greek　it　was　who　first　opposing　dared
  Raise　mortal　eyes　that　terror　to　withstand；
  Whom　nor　the　fame　of　Gods　nor　lightning's　stroke
  Nor　threatening　thunder　of　the　ominous　sky
  Abashed；　but　rather　chafed　to　angry　zest
  His　dauntless　heart　to　be　the　first　to　rend
  The　crossbars　at　the　gates　of　Nature　old。
  And　thus　his　will　and　hardy　wisdom　won；
  And　forward　thus　he　fared　afar；　beyond
  The　flaming　ramparts　of　the　world；　until
  He　wandered　the　unmeasurable　All。
  Whence　he　to　us；　a　conqueror；　reports
  What　things　can　rise　to　being；　what　cannot；
  And　by　what　law　to　each　its　scope　prescribed；
  Its　boundary　stone　that　clings　so　deep　in　Time。
  Wherefore　Religion　now　is　under　foot；
  And　us　his　victory　now　exalts　to　heaven。
  I　know　how　hard　it　is　in　Latian　verse
  To　tell　the　dark　discoveries　of　the　Greeks；
  Chiefly　because　our　pauper…speech　must　find
  Strange　terms　to　fit　the　strangeness　of　the　thing；
  Yet　worth　of　thine　and　the　expected　joy
  Of　thy　sweet　friendship　do　persuade　me　on
  To　bear　all　toil　and　wake　the　clear　nights　through；
  Seeking　with　what　of　words　and　what　of　song
  I　may　at　last　most　gloriously　uncloud
  For　thee　the　light　beyond；　wherewith　to　view
  The　core　of　being　at　the　centre　hid。
  And　for　the　rest；　summon　to　judgments　true；
  Unbusied　ears　and　singleness　of　mind
  Withdrawn　from　cares；　lest　these　my　gifts；　arranged
  For　thee　with　eager　service；　thou　disdain
  Before　thou　comprehendest：　since　for　thee
  I　prove　the　supreme　law　of　Gods　and　sky；
  And　the　primordial　germs　of　things　unfold；
  Whence　Nature　all　creates；　and　multiplies
  And　fosters　all；　and　whither　she　resolves
  Each　in　the　end　when　each　is　overthrown。
  This　ultimate　stock　we　have　devised　to　name
  Procreant　atoms；　matter；　seeds　of　things；
  Or　primal　bodies；　as　primal　to　the　world。
  I　fear　perhaps　thou　deemest　that　we　fare
  An　impious　road　to　realms　of　thought　profane；
  But　'tis　that　same　religion　oftener　far
  Hath　bred　the　foul　impieties　of　men：
  As　once　at　Aulis；　the　elected　chiefs；
  Foremost　of　heroes；　Danaan　counsellors；
  Defiled　Diana's　altar；　virgin　queen；
  With　Agamemnon's　daughter；　foully　slain。
  She　felt　the　chaplet　round　her　maiden　locks
  And　fillets；　fluttering　down　on　either　cheek；
  And　at　the　altar　marked　her　grieving　sire；
  The　priests　beside　him　who　concealed　the　knife；
  And　all　the　folk　in　tears　at　sight　of　her。
  With　a　dumb　terror　and　a　sinking　knee
  She　dropped；　nor　might　avail　her　now　that　first
  'Twas　she　who　gave　the　king　a　father's　name。
  They　raised　her　up；　they　bore　the　trembling　girl
  On　to　the　altar…　hither　led　not　now
  With　solemn　rites　and　hymeneal　choir；
  But　sinless　woman；　sinfully　foredone；
  A　parent　felled　her　on　her　bridal　day；
  Making　his　child　a　sacrificial　beast
  To　give　the　ships　auspicious　winds　for　Troy：
  Such　are　the　crimes　to　which　Religion　leads。
  And　there　shall　come　the　time　when　even　thou；
  Forced　by　the　soothsayer's　terror…tales；　shalt　seek
  To　break　from　us。　Ah；　many　a　dream　even　now
  Can　they　concoct　to　rout　thy　plans　of　life；
  And　trouble　all　thy　fortunes　with　base　fears。
  I　own　with　reason：　for；　if　men　but　knew
  Some　fixed　end　to　ills；　they　would　be　strong
  By　some　device　unconquered　to　withstand
  Religions　and　the　menacings　of　seers。
  But　now　nor　skill　nor　instrument　is　theirs；
  Since　men　must　dread　eternal　pains　in　death。
  For　what　the　soul　may　be　they　do　not　know；
  Whether　'tis　born；　or　enter　in　at　birth；
  And　whether；　snatched　by　death；　it　die　with　us；
  Or　visit　the　shadows　and　the　vasty　caves
  Of　Orcus；　or　by　some　divine　decree
  Enter　the　brute　herds；　as　our　Ennius　sang；
  Who　first　from　lovely　Helicon　brought　down
  A　laurel　wreath　of　bright　perennial　leaves；
  Renowned　forever　among　the　Italian　clans。
  Yet　Ennius　too　in　everlasting　verse
  Proclaims　those　vaults　of　Acheron　to　be；
  Though　thence；　he　said；　nor　souls　nor　bodies　fare；
  But　only　phantom　figures；　strangely　wan；
  And　tells　how　once　from　out　those　regions　rose
  Old　Homer's　ghost　to　him　and　shed　salt　tears
  And　with　his　words　unfolded　Nature's　source。
  Then　be　it　ours　with　steady　mind　to　clasp
  The　purport　of　the　skies…　the　law　behind
  The　wandering　courses　of　the　sun　and　moon；
  To　scan　the　powers　that　speed　all　life　below；
  But　most　to　see　with　reasonable　eyes
  Of　what　the　mind；　of　what　the　soul　is　made；
  And　what　it　is　so　terrible　that　breaks
  On　us　asleep；　or　waking　in　disease；
  Until　we　seem　to　mark　and　hear　at　hand
  Dead　men　whose　bones　earth　bosomed　long　ago。
  SUBSTANCE　IS　ETERNAL
  This　terror；　then；　this　darkness　of　the　mind；
  Not　sunrise　with　its　flaring　spokes　of　light；
  Nor　glittering　arrows　of　morning　can　disperse；
  But　only　Nature's　aspect　and　her　law；
  Which；　teaching　us；　hath　this　exordium：
  Nothing　from　nothing　ever　yet　was　born。
  Fear　holds　dominion　over　mortality
  Only　because；　seeing　in　land　and　sky
  So　much　the　cause　whereof　no　wise　they　know；
  Men　think　Divinities　are　working　there。
  Meantime；　when　once　we　know　from　nothing　still
  Nothing　can　be　create；　we　shall　divine
  More　clearly　what　we　seek：　those　elements
  From　which　alone　all　things　created　are；
  And　how　accomplished　by　no　tool　of　Gods。
  Suppose　all　sprang　from　all　things：　any　kind
  Might　take　its　origin　from　any　thing；
  No　fixed　seed　required。　Men　from　the　sea
  Might　rise；　and　from　the　land　the　scaly　breed；
  And；　fowl　full　fledged　come　bursting　from　the　sky；
  The　horned　cattle；　the　herds　and　all　the　wild
  Would　haunt　with　varying　offspring　tilth　and　waste；
  Nor　would　the　same　fruits　keep　their　olden　trees；
  But　each　might　grow　from　any　stock　or　limb
  By　chance　and　change。　Indeed；　and　were　there　not
  For　each　its　procreant　atoms；　could　things　have
  Each　its　unalterable　mother　old？
  But；　since　produced　from　fixed　seeds　are　all；
  Each　birth　goes　forth　upon　the　shores　of　light
  From　its　own　stuff；　from　its　own　primal　bodies。
  And　all　from　all　cannot　become；　because
  In　each　resides　a　secret　power　its　own。
  Again；　why　see　we　lavished　o'er　the　lands
  At　spring　the　rose；　at　summer　heat　the　corn；
  The　vines　that　mellow　when　the　autumn　lures；
  If　not　because　the　fixed　seeds　of　things
  At　their　own　season　must　together　stream；
  And　new　creations　only　be　revealed
  When　the　due　times　arrive　and　pregnant　earth
  Safely　may　give　unto　the　shores　of　light
  Her　tender　progenies？　But　if　from　naught
  Were　their　becoming；　they　would　spring　abroad
  Suddenly；　unforeseen；　in　alien　months；
  With　no　primordial　germs；　to　be　preserved
  From　procreant　unions　at　an　adverse　hour。
  Nor　on　the　mingling　of　the　living　seeds
  Would　space　be　needed　for　the　growth　of　things
  Were　life　an　increment　of　nothing：　then
  The　tiny　babe　forthwith　would　walk　a　man；
  And　from　the　turf　would　leap　a　branching　tree…
  Wonders　unheard