Lucretius - De Rerum Natura (Iphiana**a) lyrics

Lucretius One thing I fear now is that you may think There's something impious in philosophy And that you are entering on a path of sin. Not so. More often has religion itself Given birth to deeds both impious and criminal: As once at Aulis the leaders of the Greeks, Lords of the host, patterns of chivalry, The altar of the virgin goddess stained Most foully with the blood of Iphiana**a. The braiding band around her maiden locks Dropped down in equal length on either cheek; She saw her father by the altar stand In sorrow, the priests beside him hiding knives, And all the people weeping when they saw her; Then dumb with fear she sank down on her knees. Nor could it help, poor girl, at such a time That she first gave the king the name of father. For men's hands lifted her and led her on Pale, trembling, to the altar, not indeed That in fulfillment of the ancient rite The brilliant wedding hymns should be her escort, But that a stainless victim foully stained, At the very age of wedlock, sorrowing, She should be slaughtered by a father's blade, So that a fleet might gain a favoring wind. So great the power religion had for evil. You yourself, overcome at times by words Of terror from the priests, will seek to abandon us. How many dreams indeed they even now Invent, to upset the principles of life And all your happiness confound with fear. And rightly so. For if men could but see A sure end to their woes, somehow they'ld find the strength To defy the priests and all their dark religion. But as it is, men have no way, no power To stand against them, since they needs must fear In d**h a never-ending punishment. They do not know the nature of the soul, Whether it is born, or on the contrary Makes its way into us at birth, and whether It perishes with us, when d**h dissolves it, Or goes to Hades' glooms and desolate chasms, Or into other creatures finds its way By power divine.