Delphi Complete Works of Lucretius

by Titus Lucretius Carus

  So all other pursuits and arts are seen for the most part during sleep to occupy and mock the minds of men.

  And whenever men have given during many days in succession undivided attention to games, we generally see that after they have ceased to perceive these with their senses, there yet remain passages open in the mind through which the same idols of things may enter.

  Thus for many days those same objects present themselves to the eyes, so that even when awake they see dancers as they think moving their pliant limbs, and receive into the ears the clear music of the harp and speaking strings, and behold the same spectators and at the same time the varied decorations of the stage in all their brilliancy.

  So great is the influence of zeal and inclination, so great is the influence of the things in which men have been habitually engaged, and not men only but all living creatures.

  Thus you will see stout horses, even when their bodies are lying down, yet in their sleep sweat and pant without ceasing and strain their powers to the utmost as if for the prize, or as if the barriers were thrown open.

  venantumque canes in molli saepe quiete

  iactant crura tamen subito vocisque repente

  mittunt et crebro redducunt naribus auras.

  ut vestigia si teneant inventa ferarum,

  995 expergefactique secuntur inania saepe

  cervorum simulacra, fugae quasi dedita cernant,

  donec discussis redeant erroribus ad se.

  at consueta domi catulorum blanda propago

  discutere et corpus de terra corripere instant,

  1000 iactant crura tamen subito vocisque repente

  mittunt et crebro redducunt naribus auras

  ut vestigia si teneant inventa ferarum

  expergefactique secuntur inania saepe

  proinde quasi ignotas facies atque ora tuantur.

  1005 et quo quaeque magis sunt aspera seminiorum,

  tam magis in somnis eadem saevire necessust.

  at variae fugiunt volucres pinnisque repente

  sollicitant divom nocturno tempore lucos,

  accipitres somno in leni si proelia pugnas

  1010 edere sunt persectantes visaeque volantes.

  porro hominum mentes, magnis quae motibus edunt

  magna, itidem saepe in somnis faciuntque geruntque,

  reges expugnant, capiuntur, proelia miscent,

  tollunt clamorem, quasi si iugulentur ibidem.

  1015 multi depugnant gemitusque doloribus edunt

  et quasi pantherae morsu saevive leonis

  mandantur, magnis clamoribus omnia complent.

  multi de magnis per somnum rebus loquuntur

  indicioque sui facti persaepe fuere.

  1020 multi mortem obeunt. multi, de montibus altis

  ut quasi praecipitent ad terram corpore toto,

  exterruntur et ex somno quasi mentibus capti

  vix ad se redeunt permoti corporis aestu.

  flumen item sitiens aut fontem propter amoenum

  1025 adsidet et totum prope faucibus occupat amnem.

  puri saepe lacum propter si ac dolia curta

  somno devincti credunt se extollere vestem,

  totius umorem saccatum corporis fundunt,

  cum Babylonica magnifico splendore rigantur.

  1030 tum quibus aetatis freta primitus insinuatur

  semen, ubi ipsa dies membris matura creavit,

  conveniunt simulacra foris e corpore quoque,

  nuntia praeclari voltus pulchrique coloris,

  qui ciet inritans loca turgida semine multo,

  1035 ut quasi transactis saepe omnibus rebus profundant

  fluminis ingentis fluctus vestemque cruentent.

  Sollicitatur id in nobis, quod diximus ante,

  semen, adulta aetas cum primum roborat artus.

  namque alias aliud res commovet atque lacessit;

  1040 ex homine humanum semen ciet una hominis vis.

  [991] And often during soft repose the dogs of hunters do yet all at once throw about their legs and suddenly utter cries and repeatedly snuff the air with their nostrils, as though they had found and were on the tracks of wild beasts; and after they are awake often chase the shadowy idols of stags, as though they saw them in full flight, until they have shaken off their delusions and come to themselves again.

  And the fawning brood of dogs brought up tame in the house haste to shake their body and raise it up from the ground, as if they beheld unknown faces and features.

  And the fiercer the different breeds are, the greater rage they must display in sleep.

  But the various kinds of birds flee and suddenly in the night time trouble with their wings the groves of the gods, when in gentle sleep hawks and pursuing birds have appeared to show fight and offer battle.

  Again the minds of men which pursue great aims under great emotions, often during sleep pursue and carry on the same in like manner; kings take by storm, are taken, join battle, raise aloud cry as if stabbed on the spot.

  Many struggle hard and utter groans in pain, and as if gnawed by the bite of panther or cruel lion fill all the place with loud cries.

  Many during sleep speak of important affairs and have often and often disclosed their own guilt.

  Many meet death; many as if tumbling down from high precipices to the ground with their whole body, are scared with terror and after sleep as if out of their judgment scarce come to themselves again, quite disordered by their body’s turmoil.

  Again a thirsty man sits down beside a river or a pleasant spring and gulps down well-nigh all the stream.

  Cleanly people often, when sound asleep, believing that they are lifting their dress beside a urinal or the public vessels, pour forth the filtered liquid of their whole body, and the Babylonian coverlets of surpassing brilliancy are drenched.

  Then too those into the boiling currents of whose age seed is for the first time passing, when the ripe fulness of days has produced it in their limbs, idols encounter from without from what body soever harbingers of a glorious face and a beautiful bloom, which stir and excite the frame.

  That seed we have spoken of before is stirred up in us, as soon as ripe age fortifies the frame.

  For as different causes set in motion and excite different things, so from man the sole influence of man draws forth human seed.

  quod simul atque suis eiectum sedibus exit,

  per membra atque artus decedit corpore toto,

  in loca conveniens nervorum certa cietque

  continuo partis genitalis corporis ipsas.

  1045 inritata tument loca semine fitque voluntas

  eicere id quo se contendit dira lubido,

  incitat inritans loca turgida semine multo

  idque petit corpus, mens unde est saucia amore;

  namque omnes plerumque cadunt in vulnus et illam

  1050 emicat in partem sanguis, unde icimur ictu,

  et si comminus est, hostem ruber occupat umor.

  sic igitur Veneris qui telis accipit ictus,

  sive puer membris muliebribus hunc iaculatur

  seu mulier toto iactans e corpore amorem,

  1055 unde feritur, eo tendit gestitque coire

  t iacere umorem in corpus de corpore ductum;

  namque voluptatem praesagit muta cupido.

  Haec Venus est nobis; hinc autemst nomen Amoris,

  hinc illaec primum Veneris dulcedinis in cor

  1060 stillavit gutta et successit frigida cura;

  nam si abest quod ames, praesto simulacra tamen sunt

  illius et nomen dulce obversatur ad auris.

  sed fugitare decet simulacra et pabula amoris

  absterrere sibi atque alio convertere mentem

  1065 et iacere umorem coniectum in corpora quaeque

  nec retinere semel conversum unius amore

  et servare sibi curam certumque dolorem;

  ulcus enim vivescit et inveterascit alendo

  inque dies gliscit furor atque aerumna gravescit,

  1070 si non prima
novis conturbes volnera plagis

  volgivagaque vagus Venere ante recentia cures

  aut alio possis animi traducere motus.

  Nec Veneris fructu caret is qui vitat amorem,

  sed potius quae sunt sine poena commoda sumit;

  1075 nam certe purast sanis magis inde voluptas

  quam miseris; etenim potiundi tempore in ipso

  fluctuat incertis erroribus ardor amantum

  nec constat quid primum oculis manibusque fruantur.

  quod petiere, premunt arte faciuntque dolorem

  1080 corporis et dentes inlidunt saepe labellis

  osculaque adfigunt, quia non est pura voluptas

  et stimuli subsunt, qui instigant laedere id ipsum,

  quod cumque est, rabies unde illaec germina surgunt.

  [1041] As soon then as it has been forced out from and quits its proper seats throughout the limbs and frame, it withdraws itself from the whole body and meets together in appropriate places and rouses forthwith the appropriate parts of the body.

  The places are excited and swell with seed, !and the inclination arises to emit the seed towards that to which the fell desire all tends, and the body seeks that object from which the mind is wounded by love; for all as a rule fall towards their wound and the blood spurts out in that direction whence comes the stroke by which we are struck; and if he is at close quarters, the red stream covers the foe.

  Thus then he who gets a hurt from the weapons of Venus, whatever be the object that hits him, inclines to the quarter whence he is wounded, and yearns to unite with it and join body with body; for a mute desire gives a presage of the pleasure.

  This pleasure is for us Venus; from that desire is the Latin name of love, from that desire has first trickled into the heart yon drop of Venus’ honeyed joy, succeeded soon by chilly care; for though that which you love is away, yet idols of it are at hand and its sweet name is present to the ears.

  But it is meet to fly idols and scare away all that feeds love and turn your mind on another object, distract your passion elsewhere and not keep it, with your thoughts once set on one object by love of it, and so lay up for yourself care and unfailing pain.

  For the sore gathers strength and becomes inveterate by feeding, and every day the madness grows in violence and the misery becomes aggravated, unless you erase the first wounds by new blows and first heal them when yet fresh, roaming abroad after Venus the pandemian, or transfer to something else the emotions of your mind.

  Nor is he who shuns love without the fruits of Venus, but rather enjoys those blessings which are without any pain: doubtless the pleasure from such things is more unalloyed for the healthy-minded than for the love-sick; for in the very moment of enjoying the burning desire of lovers wavers and wanders undecided, and they cannot tell what first to enjoy with eyes and hands.

  What they have sought, they tightly squeeze and cause pain of body and often imprint their teeth on the lips and clash mouth to mouth in kissing, because the pleasure is not pure and there are hidden stings which stimulate to hurt, even that whatever it is from which spring those germs of frenzy.

  sed leviter poenas frangit Venus inter amorem

  1085 blandaque refrenat morsus admixta voluptas.

  namque in eo spes est, unde est ardoris origo,

  restingui quoque posse ab eodem corpore flammam.

  quod fieri contra totum natura repugnat;

  unaque res haec est, cuius quam plurima habemus,

  1090 tam magis ardescit dira cuppedine pectus.

  nam cibus atque umor membris adsumitur intus;

  quae quoniam certas possunt obsidere partis,

  hoc facile expletur laticum frugumque cupido.

  ex hominis vero facie pulchroque colore

  1095 nil datur in corpus praeter simulacra fruendum

  tenvia; quae vento spes raptast saepe misella.

  ut bibere in somnis sitiens quom quaerit et umor

  non datur, ardorem qui membris stinguere possit,

  sed laticum simulacra petit frustraque laborat

  1100 in medioque sitit torrenti flumine potans,

  sic in amore Venus simulacris ludit amantis,

  nec satiare queunt spectando corpora coram

  nec manibus quicquam teneris abradere membris

  possunt errantes incerti corpore toto.

  1105 denique cum membris conlatis flore fruuntur

  aetatis, iam cum praesagit gaudia corpus

  atque in eost Venus ut muliebria conserat arva,

  adfigunt avide corpus iunguntque salivas

  oris et inspirant pressantes dentibus ora,

  1110 ne quiquam, quoniam nihil inde abradere possunt

  nec penetrare et abire in corpus corpore toto;

  nam facere inter dum velle et certare videntur.

  usque adeo cupide in Veneris compagibus haerent,

  membra voluptatis dum vi labefacta liquescunt.

  1115 tandem ubi se erupit nervis coniecta cupido,

  parva fit ardoris violenti pausa parumper.

  inde redit rabies eadem et furor ille revisit,

  cum sibi quod cupiant ipsi contingere quaerunt,

  nec reperire malum id possunt quae machina vincat.

  1120 usque adeo incerti tabescunt volnere caeco.

  Adde quod absumunt viris pereuntque labore,

  adde quod alterius sub nutu degitur aetas,

  languent officia atque aegrotat fama vacillans.

  [1084] But Venus with light hand breaks the force of these pains during love, and the fond pleasure mingled therein reins in the bites.

  For in this there is hope, that from the same body whence springs their burning desire, their flame may likewise be quenched; though nature protests that the very opposite is the truth; and this is the one thing of all in which, when we have most of it, then all the more the breast burns with fell desire.

  Meat and drink are taken into the body; and as they can fill up certain fixed parts, in this way the craving for drink and bread is easily satisfied; but from the face and beautiful bloom of man nothing is given into the body to enjoy save flimsy idols; a sorry hope which is often snatched off by the wind.

  As when in sleep a thirsty man seeks to drink and water is not given to quench the burning in his frame, but he seeks the idols of waters and toils in vain and thirsts as he drinks in the midst of the torrent stream, thus in love Venus mocks lovers with idols, nor can bodies satisfy them by all their gazing upon them nor can they with their hands rub aught off the soft limbs, wandering undecided over the whole body.

  At last when they have united and enjoy the flower of age, when the body now has a presage of delights and Venus is in the mood to sow the fields of woman, they greedily clasp each other’s body and suck each other’s lips and breathe in, pressing meanwhile teeth on each other’s mouth; all in vain, since they can rub nothing off nor enter and pass each with his whole body into the other’s body; for so sometimes they seem to will and strive to do: so greedily are they held in the chains of Venus, while their limbs melt overpowered by the might of the pleasure.

  At length when the gathered desire has gone forth, there ensues for a brief while a short pause in the burning passion; and then returns the same frenzy, then comes back the old madness, when they are at a loss to know what they really desire to get, and cannot find what device is to conquer that mischief; in such utter uncertainty they pine away by a hidden wound.

  Then too they waste their strength and ruin themselves by the labor, then too their life is passed at the beck of another.

  Meanwhile their estate runs away and is turned into Babylonian coverlets;

  labitur interea res et Babylonia fiunt

  1125 unguenta et pulchra in pedibus Sicyonia rident,

  scilicet et grandes viridi cum luce zmaragdi

  auro includuntur teriturque thalassina vestis

  adsidue et Veneris sudorem exercita potat.

  et bene parta patrum fiunt anademata, mitrae,

  1130 inter dum
in pallam atque Alidensia Ciaque vertunt.

  eximia veste et victu convivia, ludi,

  pocula crebra, unguenta, coronae, serta parantur,

  ne quiquam, quoniam medio de fonte leporum

  surgit amari aliquid, quod in ipsis floribus angat,

  1135 aut cum conscius ipse animus se forte remordet

  desidiose agere aetatem lustrisque perire,

  aut quod in ambiguo verbum iaculata reliquit,

  quod cupido adfixum cordi vivescit ut ignis,

  aut nimium iactare oculos aliumve tueri

  1140 quod putat in voltuque videt vestigia risus.

  Atque in amore mala haec proprio summeque secundo

  inveniuntur; in adverso vero atque inopi sunt,

  prendere quae possis oculorum lumine operto.

  innumerabilia; ut melius vigilare sit ante,

  1145 qua docui ratione, cavereque, ne inliciaris.

  nam vitare, plagas in amoris ne iaciamur,

  non ita difficile est quam captum retibus ipsis

  exire et validos Veneris perrumpere nodos.

  et tamen implicitus quoque possis inque peditus

  1150 effugere infestum, nisi tute tibi obvius obstes

  et praetermittas animi vitia omnia primum

  aut quae corporis sunt eius, quam praepetis ac vis.

  nam faciunt homines plerumque cupidine caeci

  et tribuunt ea quae non sunt his commoda vere.

  1155 multimodis igitur pravas turpisque videmus

  esse in deliciis summoque in honore vigere.

  atque alios alii inrident Veneremque suadent

  ut placent, quoniam foedo adflictentur amore,

  nec sua respiciunt miseri mala maxima saepe.

  1160 nigra melichrus est, inmunda et fetida acosmos,

  caesia Palladium, nervosa et lignea dorcas,

  parvula, pumilio, chariton mia, tota merum sal,

  magna atque inmanis cataplexis plenaque honoris.

  [1124] duties are neglected and their good name staggers and sickens.

  On her feet laugh elastic and beautiful Sicyonian shoes, yes, and large emeralds with green light are set in gold and the sea-colored dress is worn constantly and much used drinks in the sweat.