Human life lay foul before men's eyes, crushed to the dust beneath religion's weight.

You alone govern the nature of things. Without you nothing emerges into the light of day, without you nothing is joyous or lovely.

Those things that are in the light we behold from darkness.

Falling drops will at last wear away stone.

Since you must admit that there is nothing outside the universe, it can have no limit and is accordingly without end or measure. It makes no odds in which part of it you may take your stand; whatever spot anyone may occupy, the universe stretches away from him just the same in all directions without limit.

Continual dropping wears away a stone.

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.