Book 1, Chapter 8
Original Latin
13 Mirari licet, quae sint animadversa a medicis herbarum genera, quae radicum ad morsus bestiarum, ad oculorum morbos, ad vulnera, quorum vim atque naturam ratio numquam explicavit, utilitate et ars est et inventor probatus. Age ea, quae quamquam ex alio genere sunt, tamen divinationi sunt similiora, videamus:
Atque etiam ventos praemonstrat saepe futurosInflatum mare, cum subito penitusque tumescit,Saxaque cana salis niveo spumata liquoreTristificas certant Neptuno reddere voces,Aut densus stridor cum celso e vertice montisOrtus adaugescit scopulorum saepe repulsus.
Atque his rerum praesensionibus Prognostica tua referta sunt. Quis igitur elicere causas praesensionum potest? etsi video Boëthum Stoicum esse conatum, qui hactenus aliquid egit, ut earum rationem rerum explicaret, quae in mari caelove fierent.
14 Illa vero cur eveniant, quis probabiliter dixerit?
Cana fulix itidem fugiens e gurgite pontiNuntiat horribilis clamans instare procellasHaud modicos tremulo fundens e gutture cantus.Saepe etiam pertriste canit de pectore carmenEt matutinis acredula vocibus instat,Vocibus instat et adsiduas iacit ore querellas,Cum primum gelidos rores aurora remittit.Fuscaque non numquam cursans per litora cornixDemersit caput et fluctum cervice recepit.
Musean translation
Complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the Latin in separate source-only tasks and reviewed throughout against it. Both books, all 130 chapters and 282 numbered sections; no historical English translation used. Latin transcription credited to the Perseus Project under CC BY-SA 4.0, Müller’s 1915 Teubner edition.
13 “We may well marvel at the kinds of herbs and roots physicians have discovered to treat animal bites, diseases of the eyes, and wounds. Reason has never explained their power and nature, yet their usefulness has vindicated both the art and its discoverer. Come, let us consider things that, though belonging to another field, bear a closer resemblance to divination:
“‘Often the swelling sea foretells the winds to come,When suddenly it heaves and swells from deep within,And rocks, white with the snowy foam of salt water,Strive to send mournful voices back to Neptune;Or when a thick, shrill sound, rising from a mountain’sLofty summit, grows, echoed again and again from the cliffs.’
“Your Weather Signs is full of such foreknowledge. Who, then, can draw out the causes of these intimations? I see that Boëthus the Stoic has tried, though his achievement went only so far as to explain the workings of events that occur in sea or sky.
14 “But who could give a plausible reason for the following?
“‘So too the gray coot, fleeing from the sea’s deep swell,Cries out to warn that dreadful storms are near,Pouring loud, abundant cries from its quivering throat.Often a deeply mournful song rises from the breastOf the acredula bird, pressing on with morning calls,Presses on with calls, its mouth pouring complaint on complaint,As soon as dawn releases the chill dew.And sometimes the dark crow, running along the shore,Has plunged its head and let the wave wash over its neck.’
Plain English translation
Complete machine-assisted Plain English translation, made independently and directly from the Latin, never from the Musean edition. Both books and every numbered section; a separate Latin-source model review covered the entire text. No human specialist review is claimed.
13 “We may wonder at the kinds of plants and roots doctors have discovered for animal bites, eye diseases, and wounds. Reason has never explained their natural power. But their usefulness has proved the worth of the skill and of its discoverer. Now let's look at things which belong to another category but are more like divination:
“‘The swelling sea often gives advance warning of winds,When it suddenly rises in a deep surge,And rocks, white with salt and foaming with snowy spray,Compete to send Neptune their sounds of sorrow;Or a loud whistling starts high on a mountain peakAnd grows as it echoes again and again from the cliffs.’
“Your Weather Signs is full of forecasts like these. Who can work out the causes of such foreknowledge? I know that Boëthus the Stoic tried. But he got only as far as explaining the causes of things that happen in the sea or sky.
14 “But who could give a likely explanation for the following?
“‘The gray coot too, fleeing the sea's swirling depths,Cries out to announce the approach of terrible storms,Pouring loud calls from its trembling throat.Often the acredula sings a very sad song from its breastAnd keeps up its cries in the early morning,Keeps up its cries, and pours endless complaints from its beak,As soon as dawn releases the cold dew.And sometimes a dark crow, running along the shore,Dips its head and takes the waves over its neck.’
About this section
Book 1, Chapter 8 is part of On Divination by Marcus Tullius Cicero. This page sets the Latin original beside 2 direct-source translations, so any line can be checked against the source. It is chapter 8 of 130 in the work, which is kept in the Roman tradition.
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