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" Though she thou lovest now be far away,
Yet idol-images of her are near
And the sweet name is floating in thy ear.
But it behooves to flee those images;
And scare afar whatever feeds thy love;
And turn elsewhere thy mind; and vent the sperm,
Within thee gathered, into sundry bodies,
Nor, with thy thoughts still busied with one love,
Keep it for one delight, and so store up
Care for thyself and pain inevitable.
For, lo, the ulcer just by nourishing
Grows to more life with deep inveteracy,
And day by day the fury swells aflame,
And the woe waxes heavier day by day-
Unless thou dost destroy even by new blows
The former wounds of love, and curest them
While yet they're fresh, by wandering freely round
After the freely-wandering Venus, or
Canst lead elsewhere the tumults of thy mind. "

Lucretius , De Rerum Natura 4 (Classical Texts)


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Lucretius quote : Though she thou lovest now be far away,<br />Yet idol-images of her are near<br />And the sweet name is floating in thy ear.<br />But it behooves to flee those images;<br />And scare afar whatever feeds thy love;<br />And turn elsewhere thy mind; and vent the sperm,<br />Within thee gathered, into sundry bodies,<br />Nor, with thy thoughts still busied with one love,<br />Keep it for one delight, and so store up<br />Care for thyself and pain inevitable.<br />For, lo, the ulcer just by nourishing<br />Grows to more life with deep inveteracy,<br />And day by day the fury swells aflame,<br />And the woe waxes heavier day by day-<br />Unless thou dost destroy even by new blows<br />The former wounds of love, and curest them<br />While yet they're fresh, by wandering freely round<br />After the freely-wandering Venus, or<br />Canst lead elsewhere the tumults of thy mind.