Lucretius de rerum natura book 2 translation english to french

Study science in order to rid yourself of unneccesary fears, especially of the gods and death. Its earliest pu blished tran slation into any language french did not occur unt il 1650. Humphries admirable and exciting translation makes it easy to grasp the shape and the magnitude of lucretius conception. Namely, lucretius explores the principles of atomism. I enjoyed engaging with lucretius and his treatise on epicurean philosophy and science. For this edition, professor smith provides a revised translation, new introduction, headnotes and bibliography. Leonard and smith lucretius university of wisconsin press 1942 richard minadeo, the lyre of science. It is a formidable task to put 7,500 latin hexameter lines into english verse, but mr. My main goal is to understand epicurean philosophy, though of course it would be nice if it sounded good too. Stanford libraries official online search tool for books, media, journals, databases, government documents and more. On the nature of things lucretius, martin ferguson smith. Its earliest published translation into any language french did not occur. Lucretius, on the nature of things loeb classical library.

In french, lucretius has been translated several times. By the mid1600s another translation into english by puritan lucy hutchinson was. Epicureanism was a missionary philospohy, aiming to give man happiness by making him selfsufficient. Tanaquil faber proposed to read, omitting the nxm, lita sunt multis luminibus, r. On the nature of the universe penguin classics by titus. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. I added lucretius to the syllabus because he was an overlooked figure in the history of philosophy who wrote about motion. Saint jerome tells of how he became insane because of a love potion and wrote his poetry in between fits of insanity. It is the first english translation and therefore it takes time to read and understand. Hypertexte sur lucrece french site dedicated to drn 1. Only a few more english translations appeared over the next two centuries. Book i book ii book iii book iv book v book vi card.

Other than that, virtually nothing is known about lucretius other than what can be deduced from the poem itself. And since ive read it in latin and in one translation that i wasnt particularly fond of, i cant recommend any translation in particular. It is an epic philosophical work about the beliefs of epicureanism there are not any details about his life. The latin text of lucretius latin and english edition by lucretius, william ellery leonard, et al. It is sweet, when winds trouble the waters on the great sea, to behold from land the distress of others, not because it is a pleasure that any should be afflicted, but because it is sweet to see from what evils you are yourself exempt. I dont have an answer and its been ages since i read lucretius, but i can recommend the encyclopedia of literary translation into english as a possible source for an answer. Mother of aeneas and his race, darling of men and venus, aid me in my work gods, nurturing venus, a who beneath the smoothmoving heavenly signs fill with yourself the sea fullladen with ships, the earth that bears the crops, since through you every kind of living thing is conceived and rising up looks on the light of the sun. The internet classics archive on the nature of things by. In first place, if the mighty sphere of heaven revolveth round, then needs we must aver that on the upper and the under pole presses a certain air, and from without confines them and encloseth at each end. Its entries compare different translations, and there appears to be an entry for lucretius. Lucretius simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

A bibliography of work on lucretius, 19451972 jstor. No one can set about tnnslating lucretius into english. The poem, written in some 7,400 dactylic hexameters, is divided into six untitled books, and explores epicurean physics through richly poetic language and metaphors. In six books compounded of solid reasoning, brilliant imagination, and noble poetry, he expounds the scientific theories of the greek philosopher epicurus, with the aim of dispelling fear of the gods and fear of death and so enabling man to attain peace of mind and happiness. I care about clarity and ease of reading more than accuracy or aesthetics. Jerome tells how he was driven mad by a love potion and. His greatest success is in persuading the reader to see the poem as a whole, as a single, strange work of art, in which the. Lucretius regarded him as the spiritual savior of mankind. Martin ferguson smiths work on lucretius is both well known and highly regarded. Its earliest published translation into any language french did not occur until 1650. Henri bergson, the philosophy of poetry, the genius of lucretius translated and edited by. I have translated from my own text published in the bibliotheca oxoniensi.

The poem consists of six untitled books, in dactylic hexameter. The title of lucretiuss work translates that of the chief work of epicurus, peri physeos on nature. On the nature of things is a firstcentury bc didactic poem by the roman poet and philosopher lucretius c. Then throughout seas and mountains and sweeping torrents and the leafy dwellings of birds and verdant plains, striking alluring love into the breasts of all creatures, you cause them greedily to beget their generations after their kind. Texts in latin or english of lucretius and related authors. Proem tis sweet, when, down the mighty main, the winds roll up its waste of waters, from the land to watch anothers labouring anguish far, not that we joyously delight that man should thus be smitten, but because tis sweet. Readers will share our excitement in the discovery of this accurate and fluent prose rendering. It is well worth its price, since it contains the original latin text on the left page and the english translation on the right. In england, the wealthy diarist john evelyn translated the first book of lucretius poem, and isaac newton declared himself an atomist new yorker. Introduction to lucretius on the nature of things cyril baley o. Diderot went over the work with the translator prior to publication.