
Vita irrequieta.
Restless life
India fert apodes,[1] quas tantùm sustinet aër,
Nusquam considunt, perpetuò error agit.
Parturiunt intra ventrem, si credere fas est,
Ingens divini muneris istud opus.
Hic certent miras vates evolvere causas,
Ne sileant, σοφίαν qui profitentur, habent.
Qui requiete caret, curis nec edacibus unquam
Proficit, hunc avibus dic similem esse novis.
India brings (news of) the feetless bird, which only the air supports, they never sit down, a continuous wandering around drives it forth. They give birth inside the womb, if it is right to believe in this momentous work of divine quality. Let poets here contend to unfold the remarkable causes; those who lay claim to wisdom have this not in order to keep silent. Who lacks rest, and never makes progress because of consuming worries, call him similar to these new birds.
1. This seems to refer to the bird of paradise, referred to in the sixteenth century as Apus indica (“the footless bird of India”), but also alludes to Pliny’s descriptions of swifts (Natural History, 10.55.114), which, as the martlet, is used in heraldry as a footless bird.
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- arm or hand held in front of the body (+ holding something) [31A2516(+933)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- carrying something in basket, bag, rucksack, etc. [46C1211] Search | Browse Iconclass
- clouds [26A] Search | Browse Iconclass
- groups of plants (herbs) [25G13] Search | Browse Iconclass
- groups of trees [25G11] Search | Browse Iconclass
- looking over the shoulder [31A247] Search | Browse Iconclass
- ornamental birds: bird of paradise (+ postures, positions of animal(s)) [25F35(BIRD OF PARADISE)(+53)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- pedlar [46B222] Search | Browse Iconclass
- plain [25H16] Search | Browse Iconclass
- rural housing, e.g. country-house, villa, cottage [41A16] Search | Browse Iconclass
- trees (+ stem, trunk) [25G3(+21)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- village [25I2] Search | Browse Iconclass
- walking [31A2711] Search | Browse Iconclass
- water-birds: swan (+ animals eating and drinking) [25F36(SWAN)(+45)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- water-birds: swan (+ postures of the head ~ animal) [25F36(SWAN)(+54)] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- air (one of the four elements) [21A] Search | Browse Iconclass
- geographical names of countries, regions, mountains, rivers, etc. (names of cities and villages excepted) (with NAME) [61D(INDIA)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Human Life; 'Vita humana', 'Vita inquieta', 'Vita e l'animo' (Ripa) [58B21] Search | Browse Iconclass
- monsters with parts missing [25F94] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Motion [51L1] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Reason; 'Ragione' (Ripa) [52B51] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Rest, Immobility, Stasis [51LL1] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Taciturnity; 'Secretezza', 'Secretezza overo Taciturnità' (Ripa) [52DD3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Unrest, Restlessness, Inquietude; 'Inquietudine' (Ripa) [54AA46] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Wisdom; 'Sapienza', 'Sapienza humana', 'Sapienza vera' (Ripa) [52A51] Search | Browse Iconclass
- writer, poet, author [48C91] Search | Browse Iconclass
- young animal «« KEY (21) TO 25F animals [25F(+21)] Search | Browse Iconclass
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