Metamorphoses
Ovid
Ovid. The XV bookes of P. Ouidius Naso, entytuled Metamorphosis. Golding, Arthur, translator. London: W. Seres (printer), 1567.
- Of shapes transformde to bodies straunge, I purpose to entreate,
- Ye gods vouchsafe (for you are they ywrought this wondrous feate)
- To further this mine enterprise. And from the world begunne,
- Graunt that my verse may to my time, his course directly runne.
- Before the Sea and Lande were made, and Heaven that all doth hide,
- In all the worlde one onely face of nature did abide,
- Which Chaos hight, a huge rude heape, and nothing else but even
- A heavie lump and clottred clod of seedes togither driven,
- Of things at strife among themselves, for want of order due.
- No sunne as yet with lightsome beames the shapelesse world did vew.
- No Moone in growing did repayre hir hornes with borowed light.
- Nor yet the earth amiddes the ayre did hang by wondrous slight
- Just peysed by hir proper weight. Nor winding in and out
- Did Amphitrytee with hir armes embrace the earth about.
- For where was earth, was sea and ayre, so was the earth unstable.
- The ayre all darke, the sea likewise to beare a ship unable.
- No kinde of thing had proper shape, but ech confounded other.
- For in one selfesame bodie strove the hote and colde togither,
- The moist with drie, the soft with hard, the light with things of weight.
- This strife did God and Nature breake, and set in order streight.
- The earth from heaven, the sea from earth, he parted orderly,
- And from the thicke and foggie ayre, he tooke the lightsome skie.
- Which when he once unfolded had, and severed from the blinde
- And clodded heape, he setting eche from other did them binde
- In endlesse friendship to agree. The fire most pure and bright,
- The substance of the heaven it selfe, bicause it was so light
- Did mount aloft, and set it selfe in highest place of all.
- The second roume of right to ayre, for lightnesse did befall.
- The earth more grosse drew down with it eche weighty kinde of matter,
- And set it selfe in lowest place. Againe, the waving water
- Did lastly chalenge for his place, the utmost coast and bound,
- Of all the compasse of the earth, to close the stedfast ground.
- Now when he in this foresaid wise (what God so ere he was)
- Had broke and into members put this rude confused masse,
- Then first bicause in every part, the earth should equall bee,
- He made it like a mighty ball, in compasse as we see.
- And here and there he cast in seas, to whome he gave a lawe:
- To swell with every blast of winde, and every stormie flawe.
- And with their waves continually to beate upon the shore,
- Of all the earth within their boundes enclosde by them afore.
- Moreover, Springs and mighty Meeres and Lakes he did augment,
- And flowing streames of crooked brookes in winding bankes he pent.
- Of which the earth doth drinke up some, and some with restlesse race
- Do seeke the sea: where finding scope of larger roume and space,
- In steade of bankes, they beate on shores. He did commaund the plaine
- And champion groundes to stretch out wide: and valleys to remaine
- Aye underneath: and eke the woods to hide them decently
- With tender leaves: and stonie hilles to lift themselves on hie.
- And as two Zones doe cut the Heaven upon the righter side,
- And other twaine upon the left likewise the same devide,
- The middle in outragious heat exceeding all the rest:
- Even so likewise through great foresight to God it seemed best,
- The earth encluded in the same should so devided bee,
- As with the number of the Heaven, hir Zones might full agree.
- Of which the middle Zone in heate, the utmost twaine in colde
- Exceede so farre, that there to dwell no creature dare be bolde.
- Betweene these two so great extremes, two other Zones are fixt,
- Where temprature of heate and colde indifferently is mixt.
- Now over this doth hang the Ayre, which as it is more fleightie
- Than earth or water: so againe than fire it is more weightie.
- There hath he placed mist and cloudes, and for to feare mens mindes,
- The thunder and the lightning eke, with colde and blustring windes.
- But yet the maker of the worlde permitteth not alway
- The windes to use the ayre at will. For at this present day,
- Though ech from other placed be in sundry coasts aside,
- The violence of their boystrous blasts, things scarsly can abide.
- They so turmoyle as though they would the world in pieces rende,
- So cruell is those brothers wrath when that they doe contende.
- And therefore to the morning graye, the Realme of Nabathie,
- To Persis and to other lands and countries that doe lie
- Farre underneath the Morning starre, did Eurus take his flight.
- Likewise the setting of the Sunne, and shutting in of night
- Belong to Zephyr. And the blasts of blustring Boreas raigne,
- in Scythia and in other landes set under Charles his waine.
- And unto Auster doth belong the coast of all the South,
- Who beareth shoures and rotten mistes, continuall in his mouth.
- Above all these he set aloft the cleare and lightsome skie,
- Without all dregs of earthly filth or grossenesse utterlie.
- The boundes of things were scarsly yet by him thus pointed out,
- But that appeared in the heaven, starres glistring all about,
- Which in the said confused heape had hidden bene before,
- And to th'intent with lively things eche Region for to store,
- The heavenly soyle, to Gods and Starres and Planets first he gave.
- The waters next both fresh and salt he let the fishes have.
- The suttle ayre to flickring fowles and birdes he hath assignde.
- The earth to beasts both wilde and tame of sundrie sort and kinde.
- Howbeit yet of all this while, the creature wanting was,
- Farre more devine, of nobler minde, which should the residue passe
- In depth of knowledge, reason, wit, and high capacitie,
- And which of all the residue should the Lord and ruler bee.
- Then eyther he that made the worlde, and things in order set,
- Of heavenly seede engendred Man: or else the earth as yet
- Yong, lustie, fresh, and in hir floures, and parted from the skie,
- But late before, the seede thereof as yet held inwardlie.
- The which Prometheus tempring straight with water of the spring,
- Did make in likenesse to the Gods that governe everie thing.
- And where all other beasts behold the ground with groveling eie,
- He gave to Man a stately looke replete with majestie.
- And willde him to behold the Heaven wyth countnance cast on hie,
- To marke and understand what things were in the starrie skie.
- And thus the earth which late before had neyther shape nor hew,
- Did take the noble shape of man, and was transformed new.