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Display text chunked by:
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Contents:
  • Book 1: Liber Primus
  • Book 2: Liber Secundus
  • Book 3: Liber Tertius
  • Book 4: Liber Quartus
  • Book 5: Liber Quintus
  • Book 6: Liber Sextus
    		•

    Lucretius, De Rerum Natura

    Liber Secundus

    Editions and translations: Latin | English (ed. William Ellery Leonard)
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    Click on the asterisks (*) for commentary notes, the crosses (+) for references from other works.

    Huc accedit uti mellis lactisque liquores
    iucundo sensu linguae tractentur in ore;
    400
    at contra taetra absinthi natura ferique
    centauri foedo pertorquent ora sapore;
    ut facile agnoscas e levibus atque rutundis
    esse ea quae sensus iucunde tangere possunt,
    at contra quae amara atque aspera cumque videntur,
    405
    haec magis hamatis inter se nexa teneri
    proptereaque solere vias rescindere nostris
    sensibus introituque suo perrumpere corpus.
    omnia postremo bona sensibus et mala tactu
    dissimili inter se pugnant perfecta figura;
    410
    ne tu forte putes serrae stridentis acerbum
    horrorem constare elementis levibus aeque
    ac musaea mele, per chordas organici quae
    mobilibus digitis expergefacta figurant;
    neu simili penetrare putes primordia forma
    415
    in nares hominum, cum taetra cadavera torrent,
    et cum scena croco Cilici perfusa recens est
    araque Panchaeos exhalat propter odores;
    neve bonos rerum simili constare colores
    semine constituas, oculos qui pascere possunt,
    420
    et qui conpungunt aciem lacrimareque cogunt
    aut foeda specie foedi turpesque videntur.
    omnis enim, sensus quae mulcet cumque,
    haut sine principiali aliquo levore creatast;
    at contra quae cumque molesta atque aspera constat,
    425
    non aliquo sine materiae squalore repertast.
    Sunt etiam quae iam nec levia iure putantur
    esse neque omnino flexis mucronibus unca,
    sed magis angellis paulum prostantibus,
    titillare magis sensus quam laedere possint,
    430
    fecula iam quo de genere est inulaeque sapores.
    Denique iam calidos ignis gelidamque pruinam
    dissimili dentata modo conpungere sensus
    corporis, indicio nobis est tactus uterque.
    tactus enim, tactus, pro divum numina sancta,
    435
    corporis est sensus, vel cum res extera sese
    insinuat, vel cum laedit quae in corpore natast
    aut iuvat egrediens genitalis per Veneris res,
    aut ex offensu cum turbant corpore in ipso,
    semina confundunt inter se concita sensum;
    440
    ut si forte manu quamvis iam corporis ipse
    tute tibi partem ferias atque experiare.
    qua propter longe formas distare necessest
    principiis, varios quae possint edere sensus.
    Denique quae nobis durata ac spissa videntur,
    445
    haec magis hamatis inter sese esse necessest
    et quasi ramosis alte compacta teneri.
    in quo iam genere in primis adamantina saxa
    prima acie constant ictus contemnere sueta
    et validi silices ac duri robora ferri+
    450
    aeraque quae claustris restantia vociferantur.
    illa quidem debent e levibus atque rutundis
    esse magis, fluvido quae corpore liquida constant.
    namque papaveris haustus itemst facilis quod aquarum;
    nec retinentur enim inter se glomeramina quaeque
    455
    et perculsus item proclive volubilis exstat.
    omnia postremo quae puncto tempore cernis
    diffugere ut fumum nebulas flammasque, necessest,
    si minus omnia sunt e levibus atque rotundis,
    at non esse tamen perplexis indupedita,
    460
    pungere uti possint corpus penetrareque saxa,
    nec tamen haerere inter se; quod cumque videmus
    sensibus dentatum, facile ut cognoscere possis
    non e perplexis, sed acutis esse elementis.
    sed quod amara vides eadem quae fluvida constant,
    465
    sudor uti maris est, minime mirabile debet
    465a
    * * *
    nam quod fluvidus est, e levibus atque rotundis
    est, sed levibus admixta doloris
    corpora. nec tamen haec retineri hamata necessust:
    scilicet esse globosa tamen, cum squalida constent,
    470
    provolvi simul ut possint et laedere sensus.
    et quo mixta putes magis aspera levibus esse
    principiis, unde est Neptuni corpus acerbum,
    est ratio secernendi seorsumque videndi,
    umor dulcis ubi per terras crebrius idem
    475
    percolatur, ut in foveam fluat ac mansuescat;
    linquit enim supera taetri primordia viri,
    aspera quo magis in terris haerescere possint.

    There are a total of 2 comments on and cross references to this page.

    Cross references from John Conington, Commentary on Vergil's Aeneid, Volume 1:
    3, 663 [LIBER TERTIUS.]

    Preferred URL for linking to this page: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Lucr.+2.398


    This text is based on the following book(s):
    Lucretius. De Rerum Natura.


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