Many animals even now spring out of the soil, Coalescing from the rains and the heat of the sun. Small wonder, then, if more and bigger creatures, Full-formed, arose from the new young earth and sky. The breed, for instance, of the dappled birds Shucked off their eggshells in the springtime, as Crickets in summer will slip their slight cocoons All by themselves, and search for food and life. Earth gave you, then, the first of mortal kinds, For all the fields were soaked with warmth and moisture.

You may complete as many generations as you please during your life; none the less will that everlasting death await you.

The water hollows out the stone, not by force but drop by drop.

Constant dripping hollows out a stone.

The nature of the universe has by no means been made through divine power, seeing how great are the faults that mar it.

For fools admire and love those things they see hidden in verses turned all upside down, and take for truth what sweetly strokes the ears and comes with sound of phrases fine imbued.

Air, I should explain, becomes wind when it is agitated.