The Complete Poems by John Milton

Author:John Milton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Group USA, Inc.
Published: 2010-10-25T04:00:00+00:00

Naturam non pati senium

Heu quam perpetuis erroribus acta fatiscit

Avia mens hominum, tenebrisque immersa profundis

Oedipodioniam volvit sub pectore noctem!

Quae vesana suis metiri facta deorum

5 Audet, et incisas leges adamante perenni

Assimilare suis, nulloque solubile saeclo

Consilium fati perituris alligat horis.

Ergone marcescet sulcantibus obsita rugis

Naturae facies, et rerum publica mater

10 Omniparum contracta uterum sterilescet ab aevo?

Et se fassa senem male certis passibus ibit

Sidereum tremebunda caput? num tetra vetustas

Annorumque aeterna fames, squalorque situsque

Sidera vexabunt? An et insatiabile Tempus

15 Esuriet Caelum, rapietque in viscera patrem?

Heu, potuitne suas imprudens Iupiter arces

Hoc contra munisse nefas, et Temporis isto

Exemisse malo, gyrosque dedisse perennes?

Ergo erit ut quandoque sono dilapsa tremendo

20 Convexi tabulata ruant, atque obvius ictu

Stridat uterque polus, superaque ut Olympius aula

Decidat, horribilisque retecta Gorgone Pallas.

Qualis in Aegaeam proles Iunonia Lemnon

Deturbata sacro cecidit de limine caeli.

25 Tu quoque Phoebe tui casus imitabere nati

Praecipiti curru, subitaque ferere ruina

Pronus, et extincta fumabit lampade Nereus,

Et dabit attonito feralia sibila ponto.

Tunc etiam aerei divulsis sedibus Haemi

30 Dissultabit apex, imoque allisa barathro

Terrebunt Stygium deiecta Ceraunia Ditem

In superos quibus usus erat, fraternaque bella.

At Pater omnipotens fundatis fortius astris

Consuluit rerum summae, certoque peregit

35 Pondere fatorum lances, atque ordine summo

Singula perpetuum iussit servare tenorem.

Volvitur hinc lapsu mundi rota prima diurno,

Raptat, et ambitos socia vertigine caelos.

Tardior haud solito Saturnus, et acer ut olim

40 Fulmineum rutilat cristata casside Mavors.

Floridus aeternum Phoebus iuvenile coruscat,

Nec fovet effetas loca per declivia terras

Devexo temone deus; sed semper amica

Luce potens eadem currit per signa rotarum.

45 Surgit odoratis pariter formosus ab Indis

Aethereum pecus albenti qui cogit Olympo

Mane vocans, et serus agens in pascua coeli;

Temporis et gemino dispertit regna colore.

Fulget, obitque vices alterno Delia cornu,

50 Caeruleumque ignem paribus complectitur ulnis.

Nec variant elementa fidem, solitoque fragore

Lurida perculsas iaculantur fulmina rupes.

Nec per inane furit leviori murmure Corus,

Stringit et armiferos aequali horrore Gelonos

55 Trux Aquilo, spiratque hiemem, nimbosque volutat.

Utque solet, Siculi diverberat ima Pelori

Rex maris, et rauca circumstrepit aequora concha

Oceani tubicen, nec vasta mole minorem

Aegaeona ferunt dorso Balearica cete.

60 Sed neque Terra tibi saecli vigor ille vetusti

Priscus abest; servatque suum Narcissus odorem,

Et puer ille suum tenet et puer ille decorem

Phoebe tuusque et Cypri tuus, nec ditior olim

Terra datum sceleri celavit montibus aurum

65 Conscia, vel sub aquis gemmas. Sic denique in aevum

Ibit cunctarum series iustissima rerum,

Donec flamma orbem populabitur ultima, late

Circumplexa polos, et vasti culmina caeli,

Ingentique rogo flagrabit machina mundi.

That Nature does not suffer from old age

Alas! How persistent are the errors which drive man’s straying mind to exhaustion. How profound the darkness that swallows him when he broods in his heart over Oedipean night.3 In his madness he dares to measure the gods’ deeds by his own, and to liken his own laws to those carved in everlasting adamant. He binds to his own perishing hours the decree of Fate that cannot be undone by passing ages.

Will then the face of Nature wither and be furrowed with wrinkles? Will our common mother9 contract her all-producing womb and become barren with age? Will she confess herself old and move along with uncertain steps, her starry head doddering? Will the stars be vexed by loathsome old age, the eternal hunger of the

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