Book IV VI

Si uis celsi iura tonantisPura sollers cernere mente,Aspice summi culmina caeli.Illic iusto foedere rerumVeterem seruant sidera pacem.Non sol rutilo concitus igneGelidum Phoebes impedit axemNec quae summo uertice mundiFlectit rapidos Vrsa meatus.Numquam occiduo lota profundoCetera cernens sidera mergiCupit oceano tingere flammas.Semper uicibus temporis aequisVesper seras nuntiat umbrasReuehitque diem Lucifer almum.Sic aeternos reficit cursusAlternus amor, sic astrigerisBellum discors exulat oris.Haec concordia temperat aequisElementa modis, ut pugnantiaVicibus cedant umida siccisIungantque fidem frigora flammisPendulus ignis surgat in altumTerraeque graues pondere sidant.Isdem causis uere tepentiSpirat florifer annus odores,Aestas Cererem feruida siccat,Remeat pomis grauis autumnus,Hiemem defluus inrigat imber.Haec temperies alit ac profertQuidquid uitam spirat in orbe.Eadem rapiens condit et aufertObitu mergens orta supremo.Sedet interea conditor altusRerumque regens flectit habenasRex et dominus fons et origoLex et sapiens arbiter aequiEt quae motu concitat ire,Sistit retrahens ac uaga firmat.Nam nisi rectos reuocans itusFlexos iterum cogat in orbes,Quae nunc stabilis continet ordoDissaepta suo fonte fatiscant.Hic est cunctis communis amorRepetuntque boni fine teneri,Quia non aliter durare queant,Nisi conuerso rursus amoreRefluant causae quae dedit esse.

If thou would'st seeGod's laws with purest mind,Thy sight on heaven must fixéd be,Whose settled course the stars in peace doth bind.The sun's bright fireStops not his sister's team,Nor doth the northern bear desireWithin the ocean's wave to hide her beam.Though she beholdThe other stars there couching,Yet she uncessantly is rolledAbout high heaven, the ocean never touching.The evening lightWith certain course doth showThe coming of the shady night,And Lucifer before the day doth go.This mutual loveCourses eternal makes,And from the starry spheres aboveAll cause of war and dangerous discord takes.This sweet consentIn equal bands doth tieThe nature of each element,So that the moist things yield unto the dry,The piercing coldWith flames doth friendship keep,The trembling fire the highest place doth hold,And the gross earth sinks down into the deep.The flowery yearBreathes odours in the springThe scorching summer corn doth bear,The autumn fruit from laden trees doth bring.The falling rainDoth winter's moisture give.These rules thus nourish and maintainAll creatures which we see on earth to live.And when they die,These bring them to their end,While their Creator sits on high,Whose hand the reins of the whole world doth bend.He as their KingRules them with lordly might.From Him they rise, flourish, and spring,He as their law and judge decides their right.Those things whose courseMost swiftly glides awayHis might doth often backward force,And suddenly their wandering motion stay.Unless His strengthTheir violence should bound,And them which else would run at length,Should bring within the compass of a round,That firm decreeWhich now doth all adornWould soon destroyed and broken be,Things being far from their beginning borne.This powerful loveIs common unto all,Which for desire of good do moveBack to the springs from whence they first did fall.No worldly thingCan a continuance haveUnless love back again it bringUnto the cause which first the essence gave.