and the light of light is given to us again,
pertineat quicquam tamen ad nos id quoque factum, 850
even that fact would not concern us,
interrupta semel cum sit repetentia nostri.
when once our recollection has been interrupted.
et nunc nil ad nos de nobis attinet, ante
And nothing about us, who existed before, is now relevant to us,
qui fuimus, [neque] iam de illis nos adficit angor.
nor does any pain about them affect us.
nam cum respicias inmensi temporis omne
For when you look back at the whole past extent
praeteritum spatium, tum motus materiai 855
of infinite time, then at how manifold are the movements of matter,
multimodi quam sint, facile hoc adcredere possis,
you could easily believe this, that these same atoms,
semina saepe in eodem, ut nunc sunt, ordine posta
from which we now exist, have often been placed
haec eadem, quibus e nunc nos sumus, ante fuisse.
in the same order.
nec memori tamen id quimus reprehendere mente;
However, we cannot recall it with a remembering mind;
inter enim iectast vitai pausa vageque 860
for a pause of life has been cast in between and all the
deerrarunt passim motus ab sensibus omnes.
movements have wandered to and fro from the senses.
debet enim, misere si forte aegreque futurumst;
For if by chance the future holds misery and illness,
ipse quoque esse in eo tum tempore, cui male possit
the man himself, to whom misfortune can happen, must exist at that time.
accidere. id quoniam mors eximit, esseque prohibet
Since death removes this, and prevents the existence of him
illum cui possint incommoda conciliari,
on whom misfortunes can coalesce,
scire licet nobis nihil esse in morte timendum 865
we may be sure that there is nothing for us to fear in death
nec miserum fieri qui non est posse, neque hilum
and that he who cannot be made miserable or differ in the slightest
differre an nullo fuerit iam tempore natus,
from one who as at no time been born,
mortalem vitam mors cum inmortalis ademit.
since death the immortal has taken away mortal life.
'Iam iam non domus accipiet te laeta neque uxor
“Now, now the happy house will not receive you, nor your
optima, nec dulces occurrent oscula nati 895
excellent wife, nor will you sweet children run up to
praeripere et tacita pectus dulcedine tangent.
snatch the first kiss and touch your heart with silent sweetness.
non poteris factis florentibus esse tuisque
You will not be able to be a safeguard to your family, with
praesidium. misero misere' aiunt 'omnia ademit
flourishing fortunes. o unhappy man,” they say, “ one hateful day
una dies infesta tibi tot praemia vitae.'
Has taken away all the many rewards of life from you.”
illud in his rebus non addunt 'nec tibi earum 900
They do not add in these matters, “nor does longing
iam desiderium rerum super insidet una.'
for these things reside with you any longer.”
quod bene si videant animo dictisque sequantur,
But if they could see this well in their mind and follow it with their words,
dissoluant animi magno se angore metuque.
their minds would free themselves of great angst and fear.
'tu quidem ut es leto sopitus, sic eris aevi
“Indeed, as you are asleep in death, thus you will be for what is left of time
quod super est cunctis privatus doloribus aegris; 905
separated from all pain and grief;
at nos horrifico cinefactum te prope busto
but we wept insatiably nearby while you were burnt to ashes
insatiabiliter deflevimus, aeternumque
on the dreadful pyre, and no day will remove
nulla dies nobis maerorem e pectore demet.'
the everlasting sorrow from our hearts.”
illud ab hoc igitur quaerendum est, quid sit amari
Therefore you should ask of this man, what is so bitter:
tanto opere, ad somnum si res redit atque quietem, 910
if something returns to sleep and rest,
cur quisquam aeterno possit tabescere luctu.
why can anyone pine away with everlasting grief?
Atque ea nimirum quae cumque Acherunte profundo
And without doubt whatever things have been said to exist
prodita sunt esse, in vita sunt omnia nobis.
in deep Acheron are all present in life for us.
nec miser inpendens magnum timet aëre saxum 980
And wretched Tantalus does not fear a great rock hanging in the air,
Tantalus, ut famast, cassa formidine torpens;
as the story goes, numb with futile fear;
sed magis in vita divom metus urget inanis
but rather in life empty fear of the gods oppresses
mortalis casumque timent quem cuique ferat fors.
mortals, and they fear the downfall that fate may bring to each man.
nec Tityon volucres ineunt Acherunte iacentem
Nor do birds go into Tityos as he lies in Acheron
nec quod sub magno scrutentur pectore quicquam 985
nor are they really able to find anything at all for them to probe
perpetuam aetatem possunt reperire profecto.
within his massive chest for the whole of time.
quam libet immani proiectu corporis exstet,
However much he may extend with the huge frame of his body,
qui non sola novem dispessis iugera membris
so that he not only occupies nine iugera (six acres) with his stretched out limbs
optineat, sed qui terrai totius orbem,
but the circle of the whole earth,
non tamen aeternum poterit perferre dolorem 990
he will not, however, be able to bear the eternal pain
nec praebere cibum proprio de corpore semper.
nor provide food from his own body for ever.
sed Tityos nobis hic est, in amore iacentem
But Tityos is here with us, whom the birds tear to pieces as he lies in love,
quem volucres lacerant atque exest anxius angor
and whom anxious torment devours,
aut alia quavis scindunt cuppedine curae.
or whom cares rip apart with some other passion.
Sisyphus in vita quoque nobis ante oculos est, 995
Sisyphus is also in life before our eyes,
qui petere a populo fasces saevasque secures
who thirsts to seek from the people rods and savage axes
imbibit et semper victus tristisque recedit.
and always returns, defeated and sad.
nam petere imperium, quod inanest nec datur umquam,
For to seek power, which is worthless and is never granted,
atque in eo semper durum sufferre laborem,
and in this always to suffer hard labour,
hoc est adverso nixantem trudere monte 1000
this is to push a rock with a great effort up a steep mountain,
saxum, quod tamen e summo iam vertice rursum
which however from right at the very top rolls back again,
volvitur et plani raptim petit aequora campi.
And hurriedly makes for the flat levels of the plain.
deinde animi ingratam naturam pascere semper
Then again, always to feed the ungrateful nature of the mind
atque explere bonis rebus satiareque numquam,
and to I fill it up with good things but never satisfy it,
quod faciunt nobis annorum tempora, circum 1005
which the seasons of the year do for us, when they come
cum redeunt fetusque ferunt variosque lepores,
back round and bring births and various charms,
nec tamen explemur vitai fructibus umquam,
and yet we are never filled up with the fruits of life,
hoc, ut opinor, id est, aevo florente puellas
this, as I think, is the same as those girls in the flower of life
quod memorant laticem pertusum congerere in vas,
who, as they say, pile water into a jar full of holes,
quod tamen expleri nulla ratione potestur. 1010
which however can in no way be filled.
Cerberus et Furiae iam vero et lucis egestas,
Cerberus and indeed the Furies and the lack of light,
Tartarus horriferos eructans faucibus aestus!
and Tartarus belching out abominable fumes from its jaws,
qui neque sunt usquam nec possunt esse profecto;
which neither exist anywhere nor indeed ever can exist ;
sed metus in vita poenarum pro male factis
but there is in life remarkable fear of punishments in life for
est insignibus insignis scelerisque luella, 1015
for remarkably bad deeds and atonement for crime,
carcer et horribilis de saxo iactus deorsum,
prison and the terrifying thrwoing downwards from a rock,
verbera carnifices robur pix lammina taedae;
beatings, executioners, the rack, pitch, metal plates and torches ;
quae tamen etsi absunt, at mens sibi conscia factis
Although these are not here, nevertheless the guilty mind,
praemetuens adhibet stimulos torretque flagellis,
fearing in advance applies goads to itself and scorches itself with whips,
nec videt interea qui terminus esse maloru 1020
and in the meantime does not see what end there can be of misfortunes
possit nec quae sit poenarum denique finis,
what finish there may be of punishments,
atque eadem metuit magis haec ne in morte gravescant.
and fears these things more, in case they gorw worse in death.
hic Acherusia fit stultorum denique vita.
Here on earth the life of fools at last becomes hellish.