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第15章

the georgics-第15章

小说: the georgics 字数: 每页4000字

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  From whom flocks; herds; men; beasts of every kind;

  Draw each at birth the fine essential flame;

  Yea; and that all things hence to Him return;

  Brought back by dissolution; nor can death

  Find place: but; each into his starry rank;

  Alive they soar; and mount the heights of heaven。

    If now their narrow home thou wouldst unseal;

  And broach the treasures of the honey…house;

  With draught of water first toment thy lips;

  And spread before thee fumes of trailing smoke。

  Twice is the teeming produce gathered in;

  Twofold their time of harvest year by year;

  Once when Taygete the Pleiad uplifts

  Her comely forehead for the earth to see;

  With foot of scorn spurning the ocean…streams;

  Once when in gloom she flies the watery Fish;

  And dips from heaven into the wintry wave。

  Unbounded then their wrath; if hurt; they breathe

  Venom into their bite; cleave to the veins

  And let the sting lie buried; and leave their lives

  Behind them in the wound。 But if you dread

  Too rigorous a winter; and would fain

  Temper the coming time; and their bruised hearts

  And broken estate to pity move thy soul;

  Yet who would fear to fumigate with thyme;

  Or cut the empty wax away? for oft

  Into their comb the newt has gnawed unseen;

  And the light…loathing beetles crammed their bed;

  And he that sits at others' board to feast;

  The do…naught drone; or 'gainst the unequal foe

  Swoops the fierce hornet; or the moth's fell tribe;

  Or spider; victim of Minerva's spite;

  Athwart the doorway hangs her swaying net。

  The more impoverished they; the keenlier all

  To mend the fallen fortunes of their race

  Will nerve them; fill the cells up; tier on tier;

  And weave their granaries from the rifled flowers。

    Now; seeing that life doth even to bee…folk bring

  Our human chances; if in dire disease

  Their bodies' strength should languish… which anon

  By no uncertain tokens may be told…

  Forthwith the sick change hue; grim leanness mars

  Their visage; then from out the cells they bear

  Forms reft of light; and lead the mournful pomp;

  Or foot to foot about the porch they hang;

  Or within closed doors loiter; listless all

  From famine; and benumbed with shrivelling cold。

  Then is a deep note heard; a long…drawn hum;

  As when the chill South through the forests sighs;

  As when the troubled ocean hoarsely booms

  With back…swung billow; as ravening tide of fire

  Surges; shut fast within the furnace…walls。

  Then do I bid burn scented galbanum;

  And; honey…streams through reeden troughs instilled;

  Challenge and cheer their flagging appetite

  To taste the well…known food; and it shall boot

  To mix therewith the savour bruised from gall;

  And rose…leaves dried; or must to thickness boiled

  By a fierce fire; or juice of raisin…grapes

  From Psithian vine; and with its bitter smell

  Centaury; and the famed Cecropian thyme。

  There is a meadow…flower by country folk

  Hight star…wort; 'tis a plant not far to seek;

  For from one sod an ample growth it rears;

  Itself all golden; but girt with plenteous leaves;

  Where glory of purple shines through violet gloom。

  With chaplets woven hereof full oft are decked

  Heaven's altars: harsh its taste upon the tongue;

  Shepherds in vales smooth…shorn of nibbling flocks

  By Mella's winding waters gather it。

  The roots of this; well seethed in fragrant wine;

  Set in brimmed baskets at their doors for food。

    But if one's whole stock fail him at a stroke;

  Nor hath he whence to breed the race anew;

  'Tis time the wondrous secret to disclose

  Taught by the swain of Arcady; even how

  The blood of slaughtered bullocks oft has borne

  Bees from corruption。 I will trace me back

  To its prime source the story's tangled thread;

  And thence unravel。 For where thy happy folk;

  Canopus; city of Pellaean fame;

  Dwell by the Nile's lagoon…like overflow;

  And high o'er furrows they have called their own

  Skim in their painted wherries; where; hard by;

  The quivered Persian presses; and that flood

  Which from the swart…skinned Aethiop bears him down;

  Swift…parted into sevenfold branching mouths

  With black mud fattens and makes Aegypt green;

  That whole domain its welfare's hope secure

  Rests on this art alone。 And first is chosen

  A strait recess; cramped closer to this end;

  Which next with narrow roof of tiles atop

  'Twixt prisoning walls they pinch; and add hereto

  From the four winds four slanting window…slits。

  Then seek they from the herd a steer; whose horns

  With two years' growth are curling; and stop fast;

  Plunge madly as he may; the panting mouth

  And nostrils twain; and done with blows to death;

  Batter his flesh to pulp i' the hide yet whole;

  And shut the doors; and leave him there to lie。

  But 'neath his ribs they scatter broken boughs;

  With thyme and fresh…pulled cassias: this is done

  When first the west winds bid the waters flow;

  Ere flush the meadows with new tints; and ere

  The twittering swallow buildeth from the beams。

  Meanwhile the juice within his softened bones

  Heats and ferments; and things of wondrous birth;

  Footless at first; anon with feet and wings;

  Swarm there and buzz; a marvel to behold;

  And more and more the fleeting breeze they take;

  Till; like a shower that pours from summer…clouds;

  Forth burst they; or like shafts from quivering string

  When Parthia's flying hosts provoke the fray。

    Say what was he; what God; that fashioned forth

  This art for us; O Muses? of man's skill

  Whence came the new adventure? From thy vale;

  Peneian Tempe; turning; bee…bereft;

  So runs the tale; by famine and disease;

  Mournful the shepherd Aristaeus stood

  Fast by the haunted river…head; and thus

  With many a plaint to her that bare him cried:

  〃Mother; Cyrene; mother; who hast thy home

  Beneath this whirling flood; if he thou sayest;

  Apollo; lord of Thymbra; be my sire;

  Sprung from the Gods' high line; why barest thou me

  With fortune's ban for birthright? Where is now

  Thy love to me…ward banished from thy breast?

  O! wherefore didst thou bid me hope for heaven?

  Lo! even the crown of this poor mortal life;

  Which all my skilful care by field and fold;

  No art neglected; scarce had fashioned forth;

  Even this falls from me; yet thou call'st me son。

  Nay; then; arise! With thine own hands pluck up

  My fruit…plantations: on the homestead fling

  Pitiless fire; make havoc of my crops;

  Burn the young plants; and wield the stubborn axe

  Against my vines; if there hath taken the

  Such loathing of my greatness。〃 But that cry;

  Even from her chamber in the river…deeps;

  His mother heard: around her spun the nymphs

  Milesian wool stained through with hyaline dye;

  Drymo; Xantho; Ligea; Phyllodoce;

  Their glossy locks o'er snowy shoulders shed;

  Cydippe and Lycorias yellow…haired;

  A maiden one; one newly learned even then

  To bear Lucina's birth…pang。 Clio; too;

  And Beroe; sisters; ocean…children both;

  Both zoned with gold and girt with dappled fell;

  Ephyre and Opis; and from Asian meads

  Deiopea; and; bow at length laid by;

  Fleet…footed Arethusa。 But in their midst

  Fair Clymene was telling o'er the tale

  Of Vulcan's idle vigilance and the stealth

  Of Mars' sweet rapine; and from Chaos old

  Counted the jostling love…joys of the Gods。

  Charmed by whose lay; the while their woolly tasks

  With spindles down they drew; yet once again

  Smote on his mother's ears the mournful plaint

  Of Aristaeus; on their glassy thrones

  Amazement held them all; but Arethuse

  Before the rest put forth her auburn head;

  Peering above the wave…top; and from far

  Exclaimed; 〃Cyrene; sister; not for naught

  Scared by a groan so deep; behold! 'tis he;

  Even Aristaeus; thy heart's fondest care;

  Here by the b

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