Tartarus, out-belching from his mouth the surge 
Of horrible heat- the which are nowhere, nor 
Indeed can be: but in this life is fear 
Of retributions just and expiations 
For evil acts: the dungeon and the leap 
From that dread rock of infamy, the stripes, 
The executioners, the oaken rack, 
The iron plates, bitumen, and the torch. 
And even though these are absent, yet the mind, 
With a fore-fearing conscience, plies its goads 
And burns beneath the lash, nor sees meanwhile 
What terminus of ills, what end of pine 
Can ever be, and feareth lest the same 
But grow more heavy after death. Of truth, 
The life of fools is Acheron on earth. 
This also to thy very self sometimes 
Repeat thou mayst: "Lo, even good Ancus left 
The sunshine with his eyes, in divers things 
A better man than thou, O worthless hind; 
And many other kings and lords of rule 
Thereafter have gone under, once who swayed 
O'er mighty peoples. And he also, he- 
Who whilom paved a highway down the sea, 
And gave his legionaries thoroughfare 
Along the deep, and taught them how to cross 
The pools of brine afoot, and did contemn, 
Trampling upon it with his cavalry, 
The bellowings of ocean- poured his soul 
From dying body, as his light was ta'en. 
And Scipio's son, the thunderbolt of war, 
Horror of Carthage, gave his bones to earth, 
Like to the lowliest villein in the house. 
Add finders-out of sciences and arts; 
Add comrades of the Heliconian dames, 
Among whom Homer, sceptered o'er them all 
Now lies in slumber sunken with the rest. 
Then, too, Democritus, when ripened eld 
Admonished him his memory waned away, 
Of own accord offered his head to death. 
Even Epicurus went, his light of life 
Run out, the man in genius who o'er-topped 
The human race, extinguishing all others, 
As sun, in ether arisen, all the stars. 
Wilt thou, then, dally, thou complain to go?- 
For whom already life's as good as dead, 
Whilst yet thou livest and lookest?- who in sleep 
Wastest thy life- time's major part, and snorest 
Even when awake, and ceasest not to see 
The stuff of dreams, and bearest a mind beset 
By baseless terror, nor discoverest oft 
What's wrong with thee, when, like a sotted wretch, 
Thou'rt jostled along by many crowding cares, 
And wanderest reeling round, with mind aswim." 
If men, in that same way as on the mind 
They feel the load that wearies with its weight, 
Could also know the causes whence it comes, 
And why so great the heap of ill on heart, 
O not in this sort would they live their life, 
As now so much we see them, knowing not 
What 'tis they want, and seeking ever and ever 
A change of place, as if to drop the burden. 
The man who sickens of his home goes out, 
Forth from his splendid halls, and straight- returns, 
Feeling i'faith no better off abroad. 
He races, driving his Gallic ponies along, 
Down to his villa, madly,- as in haste 
To hurry help to a house afire.- At once 
He yawns, as soon as foot has touched the threshold, 
Or drowsily goes off in sleep and seeks 
Forgetfulness, or maybe bustles about 
And makes for town again. In such a way 
Each human flees himself- a self in sooth, 
As happens, he by no means can escape; 
And willy-nilly he cleaves to it and loathes, 
Sick, sick, and guessing not the cause of ail. 
Yet should he see but that, O chiefly then, 
Leaving all else, he'd study to divine 
The nature of things, since here is in debate 
Eternal time and not the single hour, 
Mortal's estate in whatsoever remains 
After great death. 
And too, when all is said, 
What evil lust of life is this so great 
Subdues us to live, so dreadfully distraught 
In perils and alarms? one fixed end 
Of life abideth for mortality; 
Death's not to shun, and we must go to meet. 
Besides we're busied with the same devices, 
Ever and ever, and we are at them ever, 
And there's no new delight that may be forged 
By living on. But whilst the thing we long for 
Is lacking, that seems good above all else; 
Thereafter, when we've touched it, something else 
We long for; ever one equal thirst of life 
Grips us agape. And doubtful 'tis what fortune 
The future times may carry, or what be 
That chance may bring, or what the issue next 
Awaiting us. Nor by prolonging life 
Take we the least away from death's own time, 
Nor can we pluck one moment off, whereby 
To minish the aeons of our state of death. 
Therefore, O man, by living on, fulfil 
As many generations as thou may: 
Eternal death shall there be waiting still; 
And he who died with light of yesterday 
Shall be no briefer time in death's No-more 
Than he who perished months or years before.