Nature
Shorter Poems 35: On a Crystal enclosing a Drop of Water
Translated by Maurice Platnauer (1922) · From Shorter Poems
Alpine ice was becoming so hard that the sun could not melt it, and this excess of cold was like to make it precious as diamond. But it could not imitate that stone in its entirety for at its heart lay a drop of water which betrayed its nature. As crystal its value is enhanced, for this liquid rock is accounted a miracle and the water enclosed within it increases its rarity.
This translation is printed as prose in its source edition.
Cite this poem
MLA
Claudian. “Shorter Poems 35: On a Crystal enclosing a Drop of Water.” Translated by Maurice Platnauer. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/claudian/63/.
Chicago
Claudian. “Shorter Poems 35: On a Crystal enclosing a Drop of Water.” Translated by Maurice Platnauer. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/claudian/63/.
Read this poem with the Codex →