HAPPY THE MAN WHO STUDYING NATURE'S LAWS

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YESTERDAY MARCO BROUGHT ME WILD FLOWERS THAT HE PICKED ON HIS MORNING RUN

AND PLACED THEM IN A GLASS

THIS MADE ME THINK OF THE POEM BY VIRGIL CELEBRATING SPRINGTIME

Alla selve, alle foglie dei boschi è dolce primavera;
a primavera gonfia la terra avida di semi.
Allora il Cielo, padre onnipotente, scende
Con piogge fertili
E accende ogni suo germe. Gli arbusti risuonano
Del canto degli uccelli, i prati rinverdiscono.
E i campi si aprono: si sparge la tenera acqua;
ora al nuovo sole si affidano i nuovi germogli.

VIRGIL’S FACE ON A ROOFTOP IN NAPOLI

VIRGIL’S FACE ON A ROOFTOP IN NAPOLI

FELIX QUI POTUIT RERUM

COGNOSCERE CAUSAS

HAPPY THE MAN WHO STUDYING NATURE’S LAWS

THROUGH KNOWN EFFECTS CAN TRACE THE SECRET CAUSE




John Dryden’s English translation of 1697

The Spring adorns the Woods, renews the Leaves;

The Womb of Earth the genial Seed receives.

For then Almighty Jove descends, and pours

Into his buxom Bride his fruitful Show'rs.

And mixing his large Limbs with hers, he feeds

Her Births with kindly Juice, and fosters teeming Seeds.

Then joyous Birds frequent the lonely Grove,

And Beasts, by Nature stung, renew their Love.

Then Fields the Blades of bury'd Corn disclose,

And while the balmy Western Spirit blows,

Earth to the Breath her Bosom dares expose.

With kindly Moisture then the Plants abound,

The Grass securely springs above the Ground;

The tender Twig shoots upward to the Skies,

And on the Faith of the new Sun relies.

VIRGIL’S ORIGINAL LATIN FROM 30 B.C. (GEORGICON LIB 2, VER 323)

VER ADEO FRONDI NEMORUM, VER UTILE SILVIS;

VERE TUMENT TERRAE ET GENITALIA SEMINA POSCUNT.

TUM PATER OMNIPOTENS FECUNDUS IMBRIBUS AETHER

CONIUGIS IN GERMIUM LAETAE DESCENDIT, ET OMNIS

MAGNIS ALIT MAGNO COMMIXTUS CORPORE FETUS.

AVIA TUM RESONANT AVIBUS VIRGULTA CANORIS

ET VENERUM CERTIS REPETUNT ARMENTA DIEBUS;

PARTURIT ALMUS AGER ZEPHYRIQUE TEPENTIBUS AURIS

LAXANT ARVA SINUS; SUPOERAT TENER OMNIBUS UMOR,

INQUE NOVOS SOLES AUDENT SE GERMINA TUTO

CREDERE, NEC METUIT SURGENTIS PAMPINUS AUSTROS

AUT ACTUM CAELO MAGNIS AQUILONIBUS IMBREM,

SED TRUDIT GEMMAS ET FRONDES EXPLICAT OMNIS.

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mark simmonds