this world

At times the solitary One
grows out of the Many, at times
the Many out of the One:
Water, Fire, Earth
and the steeps of Air ...

The circle revolves
and the elements have their turn into power
fade into each other and grow in their places ...

It is through earth we perceive earth,
water through water, through aether
bright aether, consuming fire through fire,
love through love, and hate through grim
hate ...

a perfect sphere
in precise equipose
eternal
and exulting in its circling solitude.

-- Empedocles On Nature
Translated by Stanley Lombardo