Nowwasittheascentnohindrancebrooked,
Becausethesunhadhismeridiancircle
ToTaurusleft, andnighttoScorpio;
Whereforeasdothamanwhotarriesnot,
Butgoeshisway, whate'ertohimappear,
Ifofnecessitythestingtransfixhim,
Inthiswisedidweenterthroughthegap,
Takingthestairway, onebeforetheother,
Whichbyitsnarrownessdividestheclimbers.
Andasthelittlestorkthatliftsitswing
Withadesiretofly, anddoesnotventure
Toleavethenest, andletsitdownwarddroop,
EvensuchwasI, withthedesireofasking
Kindledandquenched, untothemotioncoming
Hemakeswhodothaddresshimselftospeak.
Notforourpace, thoughrapiditmightbe,
Myfathersweetforbore, butsaid: "Letfly
Thebowofspeechthoutothebarbhastdrawn."
WithconfidenceIopenedthenmymouth,
AndIbegan: "Howcanonemeagregrow
Therewheretheneedofnutrimentappliesnot?"
"IfthouwouldstcalltomindhowMeleager
Waswastedbythewastingofabrand,
Thiswouldnot," saidhe, "betotheesosour;
Andwouldstthouthinkhowateachtremulousmotion
Trembleswithinamirroryourownimage;
Thatwhichseemshardwouldmellowseemtothee.
Butthatthoumaystcontenttheeinthywish
LoStatiushere; andhimIcallandpray
Henowwillbethehealerofthywounds."
"IfIunfoldtohimtheeternalvengeance,"
RespondedStatius, "wherethoupresentart,
BemyexcusethatIcannaughtdenythee."
Thenhebegan: "Son, ifthesewordsofmine
Thyminddothcontemplateanddothreceive,
They'llbethylightuntotheHowthousayest.
Theperfectblood, whichneverisdrunkup
Intothethirstyveins, andwhichremaineth
Likefoodthatfromthetablethouremovest,
Takesintheheartforallthehumanmembers
