From the very fountain of delights rises something bitter that troubles us amid the flowers.
Genuine
Yes. In On the Nature of Things (55 BC), Book IV, lines 1133–1134; Leonard, Book IV, “The Passion of Love”.
Found word for word by program in the Latin original and in William Ellery Leonard’s English translation (1916).
The wording people share comes from a later translation; Leonard’s words are underlined below.
- Work
- On the Nature of Things (De rerum natura), 55 BC
- Where
- Book IV, lines 1133–1134; Leonard, Book IV, “The Passion of Love”
- Found at
- Paragraph 122 of the Latin text, 229 of the English
- Translation
- William Ellery Leonard, 1916
Researched by AI; checked by program against the full text on 31 October 2026. Editorial review: pending. How we check
On the page
[…] In such uncertain state they waste away With unseen wound.
Nec Veneris fructu caret is qui vitat amorem, sed potius quae sunt sine poena commoda sumit; nam certe purast sanis magis inde voluptas quam miseris; etenim potiundi tempore in ipso fluctuat incertis erroribus ardor amantum nec constat quid primum oculis manibusque fruantur. quod petiere, premunt arte faciuntque dolorem corporis et dentes inlidunt saepe labellis osculaque adfigunt, quia non est pura voluptas et stimuli subsunt, qui instigant laedere id ipsum, quod cumque est, rabies unde illaec germina surgunt. sed leviter poenas frangit Venus inter amorem blandaque refrenat morsus admixta voluptas. namque in eo spes est, unde est ardoris origo, restingui quoque posse ab eodem corpore flammam. quod fieri contra totum natura repugnat; unaque res haec est, cuius quam plurima habemus, tam magis ardescit dira cuppedine pectus. nam cibus atque umor membris adsumitur intus; quae quoniam certas possunt obsidere partis, hoc facile expletur laticum frugumque cupido. ex hominis vero facie pulchroque colore nil datur in corpus praeter simulacra fruendum tenvia; quae vento spes raptast saepe misella. ut bibere in somnis sitiens quom quaerit et umor non datur, ardorem qui membris stinguere possit, sed laticum simulacra petit frustraque laborat in medioque sitit torrenti flumine potans, sic in amore Venus simulacris ludit amantis, nec satiare queunt spectando corpora coram nec manibus quicquam teneris abradere membris possunt errantes incerti corpore toto. denique cum membris conlatis flore fruuntur aetatis, iam cum praesagit gaudia corpus atque in eost Venus ut muliebria conserat arva, adfigunt avide corpus iunguntque salivas oris et inspirant pressantes dentibus ora, ne quiquam, quoniam nihil inde abradere possunt nec penetrare et abire in corpus corpore toto; nam facere inter dum velle et certare videntur. usque adeo cupide in Veneris compagibus haerent, membra voluptatis dum vi labefacta liquescunt. tandem ubi se erupit nervis coniecta cupido, parva fit ardoris violenti pausa parumper. inde redit rabies eadem et furor ille revisit, cum sibi quod cupiant ipsi contingere quaerunt, nec reperire malum id possunt quae machina vincat. usque adeo incerti tabescunt volnere caeco.
[…] And banquets, set With rarest cloth and viands, are prepared— And games of chance, and many a drinking cup, And unguents, crowns and garlands. All in vain, Since from amid the well-spring of delights Bubbles some drop of bitter to torment Among the very flowers1—when haply mind Gnaws into self, now stricken with remorse For slothful years and ruin in baudels, Or else because she’s left him all in doubt By launching some sly word, which still like fire Lives wildly, cleaving to his eager heart; Or else because he thinks she darts her eyes Too much about and gazes at another,— And in her face sees traces of a laugh.
Adde quod absumunt viris pereuntque labore, adde quod alterius sub nutu degitur aetas, languent officia atque aegrotat fama vacillans. labitur interea res et Babylonia fiunt unguenta et pulchra in pedibus Sicyonia rident, scilicet et grandes viridi cum luce zmaragdi auro includuntur teriturque thalassina vestis adsidue et Veneris sudorem exercita potat. et bene parta patrum fiunt anademata, mitrae, inter dum in pallam atque Alidensia Ciaque vertunt. eximia veste et victu convivia, ludi, pocula crebra, unguenta, coronae, serta parantur, ne quiquam, quoniam medio de fonte leporum surgit amari aliquid, quod in ipsis floribus angat, aut cum conscius ipse animus se forte remordet desidiose agere aetatem lustrisque perire, aut quod in ambiguo verbum iaculata reliquit, quod cupido adfixum cordi vivescit ut ignis, aut nimium iactare oculos aliumve tueri quod putat in voltuque videt vestigia risus.
These ills are found in prospering love and true; But in crossed love and helpless there be such As through shut eyelids thou canst still take in— Uncounted ills; so that ‘tis better far To watch beforehand, in the way I’ve shown, And guard against enticements. […]
Atque in amore mala haec proprio summeque secundo inveniuntur; in adverso vero atque inopi sunt, prendere quae possis oculorum lumine operto. innumerabilia; ut melius vigilare sit ante, qua docui ratione, cavereque, ne inliciaris. nam vitare, plagas in amoris ne iaciamur, non ita difficile est quam captum retibus ipsis exire et validos Veneris perrumpere nodos. et tamen implicitus quoque possis inque peditus effugere infestum, nisi tute tibi obvius obstes et praetermittas animi vitia omnia primum aut quae corporis sunt eius, quam praepetis ac vis. nam faciunt homines plerumque cupidine caeci et tribuunt ea quae non sunt his commoda vere. multimodis igitur pravas turpisque videmus esse in deliciis summoque in honore vigere. atque alios alii inrident Veneremque suadent ut placent, quoniam foedo adflictentur amore, nec sua respiciunt miseri mala maxima saepe. nigra melichrus est, inmunda et fetida acosmos, caesia Palladium, nervosa et lignea dorcas, parvula, pumilio, chariton mia, tota merum sal, magna atque inmanis cataplexis plenaque honoris. balba loqui non quit, traulizi, muta pudens est; at flagrans, odiosa, loquacula Lampadium fit. ischnon eromenion tum fit, cum vivere non quit prae macie; rhadine verost iam mortua tussi. at nimia et mammosa Ceres est ipsa ab Iaccho, simula Silena ac Saturast, labeosa philema. cetera de genere hoc longum est si dicere coner. sed tamen esto iam quantovis oris honore, cui Veneris membris vis omnibus exoriatur; nempe aliae quoque sunt; nempe hac sine viximus ante; nempe eadem facit et scimus facere omnia turpi et miseram taetris se suffit odoribus ipsa, quam famulae longe fugitant furtimque cachinnant. at lacrimans exclusus amator limina saepe floribus et sertis operit postisque superbos unguit amaracino et foribus miser oscula figit; quem si iam ammissum venientem offenderit aura una modo, causas abeundi quaerat honestas et meditata diu cadat alte sumpta querella stultitiaque ibi se damnet, tribuisse quod illi plus videat quam mortali concedere par est. nec Veneres nostras hoc fallit; quo magis ipsae omnia summo opere hos vitae poscaenia celant, quos retinere volunt adstrictosque esse in amore, ne quiquam, quoniam tu animo tamen omnia possis protrahere in lucem atque omnis inquirere risus et, si bello animost et non odiosa, vicissim praetermittere et humanis concedere rebus.
And when perchance, in mingling seed with his, The female hath o’erpowered the force of male And by a sudden fling hath seized it fast, Then are the offspring, more from mothers’ seed, More like their mothers; as, from fathers’ seed, They’re like to fathers. […]
Nec mulier semper ficto suspirat amore, quae conplexa viri corpus cum corpore iungit et tenet adsuctis umectans oscula labris; nam facit ex animo saepe et communia quaerens gaudia sollicitat spatium decurrere amoris. nec ratione alia volucres armenta feraeque et pecudes et equae maribus subsidere possent, si non, ipsa quod illarum subat, ardet abundans natura et Venerem salientum laeta retractat. nonne vides etiam quos mutua saepe voluptas vinxit, ut in vinclis communibus excrucientur, in triviis cum saepe canes discedere aventis divorsi cupide summis ex viribus tendunt, quom interea validis Veneris compagibus haerent? quod facerent numquam, nisi mutua gaudia nossent, quae iacere in fraudem possent vinctosque tenere. quare etiam atque etiam, ut dico, est communis voluptas.
The scene
From the end of Book IV, on the madness of passion. Lovers waste money and strength on perfumes, jewels and parties, but, Lucretius says, the pleasure always has a pang in it: conscience gnaws at the idle man, or a careless word stings. The line is often detached as a general truth about pleasure.
What it means
Even the sweetest pleasures bring bitterness, because the mind is never at rest when it chases them.
Often misread
Taken as a general saying about pleasure. It belongs to Lucretius’ warning against sexual passion in particular (the lines that follow list the remorse and jealousy of lovers), not to an attack on enjoyment as such: the Epicurean allows the pleasure that does not trouble the mind. Latin ‘leporum’ means charms or graces; ‘delights’ is Leonard’s.
Topics
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- Nothing is sweeter than to dwell in the serene temples of the wise.
Sources
Cite it
Lucretius, On the Nature of Things (55 BC), Book IV, lines 1133–1134; Leonard, Book IV, “The Passion of Love”, translated by William Ellery Leonard (1916). Checked at Quotogeny, https://quotogeny.com/q/a-bitter-drop-in-the-fountain-of-delights/ (31 October 2026).
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