izvirno znanstveno deio UDK/UDC 830-1 — 71 "1537":551.44(285.2 Cerknica) 929 Leonberger C.:830-1=7ri537 " LEONBERGERjEVA PESEM O CERKNIŠKEM KRAŠKEM JEZERU IZ LETA 1537 LEONBERGER;S 1537 POEM O N THE CERKNICA KARST LAKE Trevor R. SHAW Ph.D, O.B.E., Old Rectory Shoscombe Bath BA2 , 8NB, UK Associate Researcher of the institut of Karsi. Research ZR C SAZU, 66230 Postojna prof. do. Old Rectory Shoscombe Goth BA 2, 8NB, Velika Britanija Zunanji sodelavec inštituta za raziskovanje krasa ZR C SAZU, 66230 Postojna IZVLEČEK Leonbergerjeva pesem v latinščini o Cerkniškem polju iz L 1537 je njegov prvi opis -presihajoče jezero dobiva vodo iz podzemlja, poleti na njem kmetujejo, pozimi pa na istem mestu ribarijo. Omenjene so obrambe pred Turki. Med Leonbergerjevimi razlagami poplavnih voda najdemo tudi domnevo, da voda pod zemljo priteka iz Jadrana. UVOD Pesem, ki jo je napisal. Georg Leon berger in je bila objavljena leta 1537, je prvi znani opis presihajočega kraškega jezera pri Cerknici v Sloveniji. Starejša od nje je samo zelo kratka omemba "močvirja imenovanega Lugeum" grškega geografa Straba (Geografija, knjiga 7, poglavje 5) v zadnjih letih pred Kristusom. Pričujoči spis vsebuje to skoraj povsem neznano pesem in prinaša celovit angleški prevod, deio Jamesa Macqueena in pro­fesorja Nialla Rudda z Univerze v Bristolu. Pred nedavnim spisom {Shaw, 1992a), ki opozarja na njene specifične kraške aspekte, je edini, ki pesem ome­nja, odkar je bil leta 1574 zabeležen Gesnerjev prepis, Korošec (1970), ki je videl le iztrgane strani v knjižnici Narodnega muzeja v Ljubljani, Ker ni poznal njihovega izvora, je ni mogel datirati in je napačno sklepal, da "jo lahko postavimo v drugo polovico ali konec 17. stoletja". Vsako zimo in večji del leta pokriva jezero do dveh tretjin 38 km2 velikega Cerkniškega polja; vsako poletje skoraj celotno jezero presahne. Tak pojav samo 30 km od starodavnega mesta Ljubljana in ob stari trgovski poti od Jadrana proti povodju Donave je seveda od nekdaj zbujal pozornost. Pred 17. stoletjem so bila objavljena poročila pretež­no opisna. Najpopolnejše in najbolj znano je poročilo ABSTRACT Leonberger's Latin poem of 1537 on the Cerknica polje provides the earliest account of it and its seasonal lake supplied from underground, with farming taking place in the dry season and fishing in the same place in winter. Defences against the Turks are mentioned. Leon­berger's explanations for the flooding water include its coming underground from the Adriatic. INTRODUCTION A poem written by Georg Leonberger and published in 1537 is the earliest known description of the inter­mittent karst lake at Cerknica in Slovenia. Only the very brief mention of the "marsh called Lugeum" by the Greek geographer Strabo (Geography, bk. 7, ch. 5), in the last years BC, predates i t The present paper intro­duces this almost unknown poem and provides a com­plete English translation by James Macqueen and Professor Niall Rudd of the University of Bristol. Until a recent paper (Shaw, 1992a) drawing atten­tion to the specifically karst aspects of the poem, the only known reference to it since Cesner's copy was noted in 1574 is that of Koro{ec (1970) who saw only the torn-out pages containing the poem which exist in the library of the National Museum in Ljubljana. Being unaware of their source he was unable to date it and concluded, wrongly, that it "could be dated in the second half or at the end of the 17th century". Every winter and for much of the year the lake occupies up to two-thirds of the floor of the 38 km2 polje of Cerknica; and each summer almost the whole lake becomes dry. Such a phenomenon, only 30 km away from the ancient city of Ljubljana and on the old Trevor R. SHAW: LEON ÎIEKGERj EVA PESEM/ LEONBERGER'S 1537 POEM..., 193-206 Georga Wemhera (1551), ki opisuje, kako hitro pritekajo in odtekajo vode, in ki predpostavlja povezavo z jamami in podzemnimi tokovi. Opisna pesem v 34 vrsticah, ki jo je napisal Nikodemus Frischiin med 1582 in 1584, je znana, ker je bila natisnjena v Valvazorjevi knjigi (1689, 2:450). Nekaj kasnejših spisov o jezeru, ki skušajo pojas­niti njegovo obnašanje, je obdelanih v nadaljevanju tega spisa. Leonbergerjev opis je torej, razen Strabove omem­be, najstarejši znani. AVTO R Doslej smo mislili (npr. Shaw 1992a), daj e bil Leon­berger doktor zdravilstva. Popolni indeks nemških biog­rafskih del (Gorzny 1986) navaja zanj en sam vir, v njem avtor (Kobolt 1795) piše: Leonberger (Georg), doktor zdravilstva, rojen v Ratis­bonu (sedaj Regensberg), živel v 16. stoletju. Razen njegovih spisov o njem nisem uspel najti drugih podat­kov. Toda devetindvajset let kasneje je bi! objavljen zvezek dodatkov in popravkov tega leksikona (Kobolt 1824), v katerem je Leonberger opisan kot Rechtsgelehrter (pra­vnik). Študiral je na Univerzi v Bologni, vpisal je pravne študije in posebej kanonsko (cerkveno) pravo; Kopernik je tam študiral ob koncu predhodnega stoletja. Leonber­ger je bil v njihove sezname vnesen leta 1539 (Knod 1899, str. 298). Dne 7. marca 1553 je postal "decanus" v "Collegia Ecclesia S. Florini Confluentiae" (Cerkveni AMOENISSIMAE IV XT A ANQ^VE FER.TJLI& JlilA E I N CONVALl-IBV i SITAf i RF.GiVN * culx CirtknizaTcfcicnptio^uthor c in« gciiuo&lludiofoaduičfcemc Geor* gio Lconbergcro Ratisbonenli. sspgoifsgi; T uidcas animo non uifaro !limine fctram, Tnlhis V t docea J alios lauderis pedoredofto. cir.ltri«, fiaffižlli '-"c kn,! '»l >rxiaiimregion?carminc panda, ^info * |||ya||| J Nomin e quod Carni populi dijccre prior«, jamami Hoclictsttotiimilii carmine ferreper orbe, firfrwGrr Cofmogrjpho tgnotum utitrum momimcnta uirorum HMM«hj Volenti ptifeti intaftum nomine foil is. irf.i&fii Nobiic nunc farna muliis memoramr in oris ftfauimiU tfftf Diuc5 opum, bcllisqi potenj uberrima g!cl>a.-Hosticctadfincs ingentis fernere rcrras, Carncolam, Sdauos,Styros, & Dainuta regna . Stytia Circknitij diTiunge/is ruribus arua, Finiitpa »allisrapidum dtciiuis ad AuitrumJ Sufdpit intrantes Alp « Aquilottis ad axes. Pjnnoniain cer nit defirxum foiis ad onus . Illud pairitur geminas conualiis in oras, Qaas tameticxtretniis conncLlit Icjininustjnus» Hhic atep intlc finus rigHis ionglflimus agris', Hitic uaftasrupcs cern is > rig idifcg minantur Iti mibcs fcopuli, quorum ilib umit e late Pinguia mra/acroslbntcj.fi: fiumina nota Accola miratur dtlicis diriffirnus agri, f>toa(ur populos armis opibust^ fuperbos, cc » Rdigiipne SI,/Fig. 1. Illustration masters HIPPOCRATI S COI MEDICINAS ET MEDI» CCRV M OH'SIV H FRINCiPi J APHO » rifmorum&fcmcííaru m Mediearumlíbriíéptem , i n eu m ordinem , i n que m ant e ha c nunej j diípofuí s qiiífqj,digeíí» . Iux! a que m farile quiuí s materiarr í quaiKÍíq s medica m qua m ínquirer e cupiueri t ex * íempl o ímicniei : a d !cifra ínfupe r eriarration e fentencíaru m flngularum percj; famili * arí atq; compendióla. Acccdun t ad harc quída m alia eíufdrm Hippocratfe, quoru m inferipttones uertk pagin a docebit- Durt u Sí aisfpícrjs Io;vmiís Agrícol a AmroorejMe « {Skinarum profenorís. KIKOM H AH S EÍ.Z I íl flOK P ATHN » lTWf!,«Tltí íieOc'Jl'fítfí^HV.W SzJíTV L3(1«, W Hnuorií oxritíii «V . Latine. Luxm t Hippocrates homfnum.populosí p refertiautt? Raríora d Siyg!asuenít3L umbr a domos» H, ». XXXVII, Sl./Fig.2. Hippocrates Aphorisms. trade route from the Adriatic to the Danube basin, naturally attracted attention from an early date, Before the 17th century, published accounts were mainly descriptive. That of Georg Wernher (1551) is the fullest and best-known, describing the rapidity of the water's arrival and retreat and postulating connection with caves and underground streams. A descriptive poem of 34 lines written by Nikodemus Frischiin about 1582-84 is known because it was printed in Valvasor's book (1689, 2:450). Some subsequent writings on the lake, which attempt to explain its behaviour, are considered in a later section of this paper. Thus Leonberger's description is the earliest known, apart from Strabo's reference to it THE AUTHOR Until recently it was thought (e.g. Shaw 1992a) that Leonberger had been a medical doctor. The comprehen­sive index of German biographical publications (Gorzny 1986) lists only one source for him, and in this the author (Kobolt 1795) writes: "Leonberger (Georg) a medical doctor who was born at Ratisbon (now Regensberg) and lived in the 16th century. Apart from his writings ! have not been able to find any more information about him." Twenty-nine years later, however, a volume of additions and corrections to this lexicon appeared (Kobolt 1824) in which Leonberger is described as a Rechtsgelehrter (law­yer). He trained at the University of Bologna, noted for law studies and particularly canon (church) law; Copernicus Trevor R. SHAW : LF.ONBERCERJEVA PESEM/EEONBERCER' S 1537 POEM..., M3-20 6 kolegij Svetega Florijana v Koblenzu). Protestantska cer­kev Svetega Florijanatamše vedno obstaja. Očitno je bil višji profesor ali dekan prava v kolegiju, ki je bil nekdaj v zvezi s to cerkvijo. Umrl je 7. julija 1560 (Brower in Masen 1855). Kdaj je bil Leonberger rojen, ni znano. Že leta 1532 je zabeležen kot "famulus" (določen kot pomočnik, posebno učenjakov) Henryja iz Pfeftenhausna pri Ingol­stadtu ali blizu njega (Knod 1899, str. 684). To bi bil položaj za mladega moža, star bi bi! lahko torej 20 let ali morda manj. Datum njegovega rojstva bi bi! potemta­kem okoli 1512. Očitno je, da je bil Leonberger v času, ko je napisal svojo pesem o Cerkniškem jezeru, kar mlad, saj še ni bil pričel svojih pravniških študij. Če je bi! resnično rojen šeta 1512, bi bil takrat star 25 let Edino njegovo drugo poznano delo je o Vergilu, leta 1542, ieta 1539 pa je uredil tudi knjigo o grškem zdravniku Gaienu. PESEM Naslov pesmi (si. 1) je "Amoenissimae iuxta anque fertilissimae in convallibus sitae regiunculae Cirknizae descriptio" ("Opis najlepšega in najrodovitnejšega pre­dela Cerknice, kise nahajavzaprti kotlini"). Njen latinski tekst v 226 vrsticah obsega zadnjih osem, nenumeriranih strani, ki sledijo glavnemu tekstu leta 1537 obavljene izdaje Hippokratovih Aforizrnov (si. 2). En izvod je na seznamu vsebine knjižnice naravoslov­ca Conrada Cesnerja (1574), toda zdi se, da Vaivazor zanjo ni vedel. Samo dejstvo, da ni omenjena v njegovi vplivni knjigi iz leta 1689, morda razfaga, zakaj je bila odtlej skoraj povsem prezrta. Ne skušam našteti vseh znanih izvodov pesmi. Poleg že omenjenih iztrganih strani v Ljubljani in izvoda v Britanski knjižnici, po katerem sem delal, vemo za obstoj dveh izvodov v Oxfordu in treh v ZDA . Nedvomno je v Evropi Še več izvodov. Če upoštevamo zgolj njeno leposlovno vrednost, je pesem precej revna, zanimiva je iz drugih razlogov, posebno zaradi podatkov o gibanju in opravilih kmetov in ribičev. Leonberger omeni dejstvo, da se voda dviga iz podzemnih prehodov in ponovno izginevanje, napos­led poda nekaj razlag za poplavljanje. VSEBINA PESMI Po 33 vrsticah uvoda pisec opisuje dogodke in opra­vila na jezeru, kakor si sledijo iz enega letnega časa v naslednjega. Bistveni poudarki Loenbergerjevega neka­ko diskurzivnega teksta so povzeti spodaj; ko je primer-no, so opremljeni z opombami. Njegove ideje o izvoru poplavljajoče vode kasneje obravnavam v posebnem delu. (Uvod) Glavna pot skozi Cerknico vodi severno proti Alpam. Druga pot vodi vzhodno proti Panonski nižini. had studied there at the end of the previous century. Leonberger was entered in their records in 1539 (Knod 1899, p. 298). On 7 March 1553 he became "decanus" at the "College of Saint Fbrinus in Koblenz). St, Florinus protestant church still exists there. Evidently he was a senior lecturer or dean of law at the college formerly associated with that church, He died on 7 juiy 1560 (Brower and Masen 1855). When Leonberger was born is not known. As early as 1532 he was recorded as being a 'famulus' (defined as an attendant, especially on a scholar) of Henry of Pfeftenha­usen at or near Ingolstadt (Knod 1899, p. 684). This would have been a position for a young man, so he might have been about 20 years old or perhaps less. That would make his date of birth around 1512. It is evident that Leonberger was stil! quite a young man when he wrote his Cerknica poem, for he had not yet commenced his legal studies. If he was indeed born in 1512, he would have been 25 at the time. His only other known writing was on Virgil in 1542 and he also edited a book by Galen, the Greek physician, in 1539. THE POEM The title of the poem (Fig. 1) is "Amoenissimae iuxta anque fertilissimae in convallibus sitae regiunculae Circkni­zae descriptio" ("A description of the most beautiful and fertile district of Cerkica, situated in an enclosed basin"), lis latin text of 226 lines occupies the last eight, unnumbered, pages after the main text of the 1537 Latin edition of Hippocrates's Aphorisms (Fig. 2). A copy was listed among the contents of the library of the naturalist Conrad Gesner (1574), but it was apparently not known to Valvasor. The very fact that it was not mentioned in his influential book of 1689 probably explains its having been almost ignored since. I have not attempted to list all known copies of the poem. Apart from the separated pages in Ljubljana already mentioned, and the British Library copy from which I worked, two copies are known to exist: in Oxford and three in USA. No doubt there are several more in Europe. In terms of literary merit the poem is a poor one, but it is full of interest for other reasons, particularly for the information it gives about the movements and activities of the farmers and fishermen. The fact the waters rise from underground passages and disappear into them again is mentioned, and finally some explanations of the flooding are given. THE CONTENT OF THE POEM After 33 lines of introduction, the events and activities occurring at the lake are described season by season. The main points in Leonberger's somewhat discursive text are summarized below, with comment where appropriate. His ideas on the source of the flood water are discussed separately later. Trevor S . SHAW : LEON8EKCERJEV A PESEM/1E O MERGER' S 1537 POEM..., 193-206 (Poletje) Na okoliških gričih so pašniki za ovce. Živali, ki jih najdemo na ravnih površinah polja, so krave (za mleko) in ovce (za mleko in volno) in koze. Travo kosijo s kosami. Krave poleti pasejo, torej je trava za seno. Pridelek koruze je dober. Vaivazor (1687) natančneje opredeli, da je bilo to v njegovem času proso. Oranje ni nujno, uporabljajo zgolj motiko ( kopačo s širokim rezilom). Najverjetneje sta razloga zat o blato in rodovitnost, ki jo povzroča poplavna voda. VVerhner (1551) pravi, da je ta del jezerske kotanje tako rodoviten, da lahko pridelek požanjejo fe dvajset dni po tem, ko so ga posejali. Pridelujejo med. (Jesen) Jesen prinese orehe, hruške in jabolka. Sliv ne omenja Voda privre prav izpod temeljev koč, ki so bile tam zgrajene. To bi lahko nakazovalo, da so na poplavljanih območjih vsako poletje zgradili začasne koče, ki jih je voda jeseni odplavila. Po drugi strani pa bi se Leonber­ (Introduction) The main route through Cerknica runs north to the Alps. Another route goes east to the Pannonian plain. (Summer) Ewes pasture in the hills round about. Animals kept on the flat bed of the polje are cows (for milk), sheep (for milk and wool) and goats. Grass is cut with scythes. As the cows graze in summer, tliis must be for hay. There is a good crop of corn. Valvasor (1687) specifies that in his time this was millet Ploughing is not necessary; only the mattock (a broad-bladed pick) is used. Presumably the silt and the fertility from the flood water is the reason for this. Wernher (1551) says that part: of the lake bed is sofertilethatitcan be reaped 20 days after sowing. Honey is produced. (Autumn) Autumn produces chestnuts, pears and apples. No mention of plums. SI./Fig. 3, Trevor R. SHAW : LEONBERGERJEVA PESEM/ l.EONSERCER'S 1537 POEM..., 193-206 gerjevo poročilo lahko navezovalo na škodo zaradi iz­jemno visoke vode. Kranjc (1986) poroča, da take pop-lave, ki ponavadi dosežejo 552,5 nadmorske višine, v primerjavi s 550 metri običajnih poplav povzročajo škodo. O b najvišjih vodah je vas Dolenje Jezero popol­noma poplavljena, pravtako deli Dolenje vasi. Če so bile koče iz 16. stoletja krhke lesene zgradbe, je prav mogo­če, da so bile "izkoreninjene". Jezerska voda prihaja iz razširjenih strug in iz podzem­nih prehodov. Ne omenja hitrosti poplavljanja, kasnejši pisci temu namenjajo precej prostora. Divji prašiči in srnjad bežijo pred poplavami. Kmetje "se čudijo živim mejam, ograjam in ribam pod vodo". Ta opazka spominja na slavno Wernherjevo izja­vo (1551): "Prav tam, kjer so možje nedavno ribarili, lahko zdaj požanjete pridelek, celo posejete za nasled­njega, ga prodate, ob obratu leta pa lahko greste spet ribarit." Kmetje se preselijo na višja območja ("griči") s "svoji­mi čredami, hlevi in vsem" in s svojim zrnjem. To najbrž pomeni, da se preselijo iz začasnih koč v sedanja naselja prav nad poplavnim nivojem (npr, Dolenje jezero) ali v višje ležeče vasi na robu polja. Možno pa je tudi, da so imeli kmete s polja za nomade, ki niso bili dobrodošli v vaseh, torej so bili prisiljeni zimo preživeti višje na po­bočjih gričev, CZima) iz svojih zimskih prebivališč gledajo na "utrjene polo­žaje visoko zgoraj" - "utrjene citadele na višavah" ..., (z) vrati, stolpi in narejenimi cestami...., (in) oboroženimi vojaki" ki varujejo kmete pred turško nevarnostjo. V času, ko je bila pesem objavljena, so bili turški vpadi v Evropo na višku. Zasedli so Budimpešto in večino osrednje Madžarske in v 15. in 16. stoletju večkrat zaporedno napadli slovenska ozemlja. Staro naselje na Babnem polju je bilo leta 1528 popolnoma uničeno, približno v tem času pa je bila begunjska cerkev nad Cerknico utrjenna kot tabor z zidovi in stolpi. Omembe vredno je, da se je v naslednjih stoletjih (1663-64 in 1683) proti Turkom boril Valvazor, čeprav ne na območju današnje Slovenije (Reisp, 1987:13,14). Tudi "domačini z veliko vnemo gradijo obrambne zidove". To nakazuje obrambne objekte na nižjem.zem­Ijišču kot "utrjene citadele", mogoče kot tabori okrog cerkev v vaseh. Utrdbe okrog cerkve v mestu Cerknica so bile zgrajene med 1472 in 1482. Z a ribarjenje uporabljajo mreže, možje gredo na jezero tudi v čolnih. To pomeni, da so ribiške mreže polagali z bregov jezera. Možno je, da gre pri tem za nekaj zmede glede skupnega lova rib, ko je voda odtekla, ki ga opisujejo Wernher (1551) in kasnejši avtorji, ni pa omenjen v tej pesmi. Lovijo divje svinje in srnjad. Brown (1669) dodaja zajce in Valvazor (1687) medvede. The flood "uproots from their very foundations the cottages which have been built there". This may indicate thattemporary huts were built in the regularly flooded areas each summer and were washed away every autumn. Alter­natively, Leonberger may have been referring to the dama­ge done by exceptionally high flood levels. Kranjc (1986) states that such floods, which usually reach 552,5 m above sea level compared with 550 m of the usual floods, cause damage. In the highest floods the village of Dolenje Jezero becomes completely flooded and so do parts of Dolenja Vas. if the 16th century cottages were flimsy wooden structures, they might well have been "uprooted". The lake water comes from enlarged streams and from underground passages. No mention is made of the rapidity offlooding, of which much is made by later writers. Wild boar and deer move away from the floods. The farmers "marvel at hedges, fences and fish under the water". This observation is reminiscent of the famous statement of Wernher (1551): "where not long ago men were fishing, you may now bring in a harvest, and even sow for the next one, and trade in the produce; and at the turn of the year go fishing again". The farmers move to higher land ("the hills"), with "their herds, stalls and all" and their grain. This must mean that they move from the temporary huts to the present villages just above the normal flood level (e. g. Dolenje jezero), or to higher villages at the side of the polje. Alternatively, perhaps the farmers of the plain were regarded as wande­rers, not welcome in the villages, and forced therefore to spend the winter higher on the hillsides. (Winter) From their winter quarters they look "at fortified stro­ngholds high above" - "fortified citadels in the heights..,, (with) gates, tower and made-up roads..., (and) with armed soldiers" protecting the farmers from fear of the Turks. At the time the poem was published the Turkish incursion into Europe was at its greatest. Budapest and most of central Hungary were occupied by them and Slovenia was re­peatedly invaded in the 15th and 16th centuries. The old settlement of Babno Polje was completely destroyed in 1528, and about this period the church of Begunje, above Cerknica, was fortified as a tabor with walls and towers. It is notable that in the following century Valvasor fought against the Turks in 1663-64 and 1683, though not in what is now Slovenia (Reisp, 1987; 13, 14). Also "the local people build warlike walls with great energy". This implies some defences on lower ground than the "fortified citadels" above, perhaps like the tabors around churches in the villages. The fortifications round the church in the town of Cerknica were built between 1472 and 1482. Fishing is done with nets, and also men go out in boats. This suggests that the nets were spread from shore. There may be some confusion here with the communal fishing Trevor R. SHAW : tEO N BERCER] EVA PESEM/ LEONBERGER'S 5537 POEM..., 193-206 (Pomlad) Voda se umakne v šestem mesecu poplav. Noben dejanski mesec ni naveden, kot junij pri Brovvnu (1669) in junij ali julij, pa celo tako pozno kot avgust pri Valva­zorju (1687). "Vode odnašajo dolinsko zemljo s sabo" in jo odlaga­jo, kar povzroča rodovitnost, ki omogoča hitro rast pri­delka, ki soj o opazili VVernher in ostali. Voda "izginja skozi skrite vdolbine", to je skozi pod­zemne odprtine, iz katerih je privrela jeseni. Ribe ostanejo na suhi zemlji. Kmetje in njihove živali se vrnejo na planoto, mladi možje igrajo igre na ravnini. Tako pesem opisuje mnoge od nenavadnih značil­nosti presihajočega jezera in vpliv le-teh na prebivalstvo in njihovo kmetijstvo. Ni nenavadno, da ne podaja natančnejših informacij, ki jih vsebujejo bolj znanstvena VVemherjeva (1551), Brownova {1669; 1673; 1674) in Valvazorjeva (1687; 1689) poročila. Ne zmeni se za pomembno dejstvo, da voda ponikne na dnu kotanj v tleh, ne omeni jih in ne opiše; hitrost poplavljanja in sušenja zemljišča nista omenjeni, ne opiše vrst rib, ki jih lovijo v jezeru, niti ne pove, da se pojavijo z vodo, ki pride iz podzemlja. Vsi ti podatki so bili objavljeni v naslednjih stoletjih in očitno je, da ta precej površna pesem ni nameravala govoriti o njih. Vseeno je presenetljivo, da pesem niti ne omenja, da so vaščani ob z a to določenem času na organiziran način brodili v umikajočo se vodo, da bi ujeli goste koncentra­cije rib, ki so se nakopičile tam. Možno pa je tudi, da ta običaj v Leonbergerjevem času še ni bil v navadi, čeprav je treba reči, da bi bilo to izjemno neverjetno, saj je VVerhner le 14 let kasneje (1551) poročal o navadi, da ko se voda umika, ribe lovijo cele vaške skupnosti, moški in ženske, dokler ni kotanja skoraj gola, nekaj rib, pravi, nasolijo z a izvoz. Dejstvo, da je Leonberger izpustil organizirano ribar­jenje, daje misliti, da Cerknice ni poznal dobro in je mogoče napisal pesem po zgolj enem obisku (ne v Času ribarjenja) ali celo po poročilih, ki so mu jih posredovali drugi. Če je temu tako, je možno, da so nekatera najbolj čudna "dejstva", ki jih navaja, izkoreninjanje hiš in selitve kmetov na griče, na primer, zmotna. OBNAŠANJE KRAŠKEGA JEZERA Pojavljanje jezera v določenih letnih časih, dejstvo, da leži v kotanji brez površinskega odtoka vode, njegovo napajanje tako iz podzemnih prehodov kot iz površi­nskih tokov, ponovni odtok v podzemne prehode, vse to izhaja iz dejstva, da leži na kraškem terenu s topnim in razpokanim apnencem pod seboj in poleg sebe. Razlog za poplavljanje ni nič drugega kotvzdigovanje krajevne vodne površine zaradi dežja, toda razsežno območje bolj ali manj ploskega polja, poplavljenega ob done as the water receded, described by Wernher (1551) and later authors but not mentioned at all in this poem. Wild boar and deer are hunted. Brown (1669) adds hares, and Valvasor (1687) bears. (Spring) The water withdraws in the sixth month of flooding. No actual month is given, as June by Brown (1669) and June or July, or even as late as August, by Valvasor (1687). The waters "roll the valley-soil along" and deposit it, thus causing the fertility which allows the rapid growth of crops noted by Wernher and others. The water "disappears though hidden recesses", i.e. though the underground passages from which it rose in autumn. Fishes are abandoned on dry land. Farmers and their animals return to the plain; young men play games on the level ground. Thus the poem describes many of the unusual charac­teristics of the seasonal lake and the effect that these have on the population and their farming. Not unnaturally, it does not provide the more specific information contained in the subsequent more scientific accounts by Wernher (1551), Brown (1669; 1673; 1674) and Valvasor (1687; 1689). It ignores the important fact that the water sinks in the bottom of depressions in the ground and it does not name or describe these; the rapidity of the flooding and draining is not mentioned; the kinds offish caught are not described and the fact that they emerge with the water from underground is not stated. Ail this information was publis­hed in the following century and it was clearly not the intention of this rather slight poem to cover them. Nevertheless it is surprising that no mention is made of the organized way in which the villagers, at an authorized period, waded into the retreatingwaters to catch the dense concentrations offish there. Unless, that is, such a practice had not developed in Leonberger'stime. This is exceedin­gly unlikely, though, for only 14 years later Wernher {1551) wrote that fish were caught by entire village communities, men and women, as the water receded until stocks were almost denuded; some fish, he said, were salt-cured for export. Leonberger's omission of this organized fishing suggests that he did not know Cerknica well and perhaps wrote his poem after only one visit (not at the time of the fishing), or even as a result of reports from others. If this was so, some of the more puzzling 'facts' that he records, such as the uprooting of cottages and the farmers moving to the hills, may be erroneous. THE BEHAVIOUR OF THE KARST LAKE The seasonal appearance of the lake, its presence in a basin with no surface outlet for the water, its supply from underground passages as well as surface streams, and its draining away into these passages are all due to its presence Trevor R. 5HAW : LEONBERCERfEV A PESEM / LEONBERGER'S 1537 POEM..., 193-206 istem času, prikaže dogodek v dramatični luči. Ni čudno, da je vzbudilo pozornost popotnikov. Samo na kratko bomo obravnavali Leonbergerjeve poskuse, da bi razložil obnašanje jezera. Samo nekaj let kasneje je Wernher predlagal, da bi se jezero lahko povezalo z duplinami z a skladiščenje v skalah. Kasneje, od Kirchnerja (1665) dalje, srečamo vrsto poskusov, da bi razložili obnašanje jezera, pogosto s pomočjo vrste podvodnih rezervoarjev in sifonov. Zapletene teorije Valvazorja (1687; 1689), Steinberga {1758) in sodobnej­šega Gruberja (1781) so bile zbrane in primerjane dru­god (Shaw, 1984). Leonbergerjeva pesem se nanaša na "čudovito jeze­ro, ki se dviga iz dolinskega dna" in nato voda izgine skozi skrite vdolbine, skrivne prostore, o katerih prebivalci ne vedo ničesar, prostore, ki so domači le vodnim nimfam. Poleg pozivanja vodnih nimf, naj govorijo (kajti one poznajo razlog in smer gibanja vod), Leonberger posku­sno ponudi štiri možne razlage. a) Poplave temeljijo v padanju Jadranskega morja v podzemlje, narašča z vročo in se umika z mrzlo vodo. To idejo obravnavam v nadaljevanju. b)Voda iz zemlje privre zaradi vroči ne. Ni jasno, zakaj naj bi se to dogajalo jeseni, ne poleti. c) Vodo vleče kvišku nebo, tako kot oblaki dvigajo paro/vlago iz stoječih vod. d) Razlog je neopredeljena nebeška sila. Leonbergerjeva domneva, da bi poplavljanje lahko povzročala voda iz Jadranskega morja, si zasluži nekaj pripomb, Z znanjem in znanstvenimi idejami izpred več kot 450 let ta v nobenem primeru ni bila smešna. Da bi domnevo lahko postavili v časovni kontekst, bi bilo treba opozoriti na dvoje. Pivič: ena od mnogih razlag izvora vrelcev, ki so se pojavljale v 16. stoletju, je vsebovala pronicanje morske vode skozi zemljo, spotoma naj bi se sol izfiltrirala (Shaw, 1992b), Drugič: zemljevidi tistega časa ne označujejo nadmorske višine. Zalteriusov zemljevid iz leta 1569, reproducirán na si. 3, tako kaže griče in drevesa, ki se dvigajo iz navidezno ravne planote, le-ta poteka od morja v notranjost. Čeprav bi nekdo, ki živi v Cerknici, o pravi nadmorski višini (550 m) lahko sklepa! iz zimskih temperatur, bi bil obiskovalec na potovanju po hribih in dolinah bolj odvisen od zemljevidov. ZAHVALE Profesorju Ruddu in g. Macqueenu sem hvaležen, da sta mi vtem spisu dovolila objaviti svoj prevod Leonber­gerjeve pesmi. Prav tako se zahvaljujem Dr. Michaelu Druckerju, direktoju Državne knjižnice (Staatliche Bibliothek) v Re­gensbergu, ki sta mi povedala, da je bil Leonberger pravnik, in me opozorila na dodatno biografsko gradivo. in karst terrain, with soluble and fissured limestone be­neath and beside it. The reason for theflooding is no more than the rising of the local water table due to rainfall, but the large area of more or less level polje floor flooding at one time makes the effect dramatic. No wonder it caught the attention of travellers. Leonberger's attempts to explain its behaviour will be considered shortly. Only a few years later Wernher (1551) suggested that the lake might connect with "storage cavities in the rocks". Then, from Kircher (1665) on attempts were made to explain the behaviour of the lake, often by means of series of underground reservoirs and siphons. The com­plicated theories of Valvasor (1687; 1689) and Steinberg (1758), and the more up-to-date one of Gruber (1781) have been summarized and compared elsewhere (Shaw, 1984). Leonberger's poem refers to "the marvellous lake rising from the valley bottom" and to "the winding passage-ways and the watery channels". Then the "water disappears through hidden recesses, hiding-places of which the inha­bitants know nothing, places familiar only to the water-nymphs". Apart from appealing to these water-nymphs to speak (for they "know the cause, and the movements of the waters"), Leonberger does tentatively offer four alternative explanations: (a) The floods result from water from the Adriatic Sea flowing underground, increasing with cold and receding with warm weather. This idea is discussed further below. (b) Heat produces the water from the ground. It is not clear why this should occur in autumn, not summer. (c) The sky raises the water, as clouds raise moisture from standing water. (d) Unspecified divine power is responsible. Leonberger's suggestion that water from the Adriatic might cause the flooding deserves some comment. With the knowledge and scientific ideas of 450 years ago, this way by no means ridiculous. Two points should be made, to put the suggestion in the context of the period. Firstly, one of the several explanations for the origin of springs current in the 16th century included seepage of sea water through the land, filtering out the salt en route (Shaw, 1992b). Secondly, contemporary maps do not give indica­tion of overall altitude. Thus the 1569 map by Zalterius reproduced in Fig. 3 shows hills and trees rising from an apparently flat plain running inland from the sea. Although someone living at Cerknica would suspect the true altitude (550 m) from the winter temperatures, a visitor would depend more on maps and on his impressions of uphill and downhill when travelling. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS t am grateful to Professor Rudd and Mr. Macqueen for allowing their translation of Leonberger's poem to be pri­nted in this paper. Trevor R. SHAW : I EON BERCER) EVA PQSEM/ lEONSERCER' S 1537 POEM..., 193-206 I thank aiso Dr. Michael Drucker, Director of the Staat­liche Bibliothek Regensberg, who pointed out that Leon­berger was a lawyer and drew my attention to additional biographical material. RIASSUNTO ta poesía in latino di Leonberger del 1537 e la prima descrizione de! campo di Cerknica - il lago intermittente viene alimentato da/ sottosuolo, d'estate i! suo letto viene coltivato mentre d'inverno vi si pratica la pesca. Sono menzioriate le d'rfese contro i turchi. Ira le spiegazioni suH'origine delle acque che alimentano !I lago, Leonberger avanza pure i'ipotesi che provenissero dall'Adriático. UTERATURA/REFERENCES Brower, C. and J. Masen. 1855. Metropolis ecclesiae Trevericae ... Brown, E. 1669: An accompt concerning an vn-common lake, called the Zirchnitzer-Sea, in Car­niola. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. 54:1083-1085. Brown, E. 1673: A brief account of some travels in Hungaria, Servia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Thessaly, Austria, Styria, Carinthia, Carniola, and Friuli. London, Tooke. Brown, E. 1674: Some queries and answers, relating to an account given in numb. 54, of a strange lake in Carniola, call'd the Zirchnitz-Sea. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. 109; 194-197. Gesner, C 1574: Bibliotheca instituta et coüecta pri­mvm ... Zürich, Frosch {p. 229). Gorzny, W. 1986: Deutscher biographischer Index, 3. München, Saur. Gruber, T. 1781: Briefe hydrographischen und physika­lischen. Inhalts aus Krain. Wien, Krauss. Hippocrates. 1537: Aphorismorum & sententiarum ... Ingolstadt, Weissenborn. Kircher, A. 1665: Mundus subterraneus. Amsterdam, Jansson. Knod, G. C. 1899. Deutsche Studenten in Bologna (1289-1562). Biographischer Index zurden Acta nationis Germanicae universitatis Bonontensis. Berlin. Kobolt, A. M. 1795: Baierisches gelehrtervlexikon ... Landshut, Hagert'schen Buchhandlung. Kobolt, A.M. 1824. Ergänzungen und Berichtigungen zum Baierischen Gelehrten-Lexikon. Landshut. Korošec, B. 1970: Cerkniško jezero v opisih domačih in tujih avtorjev, pp. 237-265 in 1970 Ljubljana reprint of Steinberg, 1758. Kranjc, A. 1986. Cerkniško jezero in njegove poplave. Acta Geographica 25 (2) for 1985: 71-123. Reisp, B. 1987: Korespondenca Janeza Vajkarda Valva­sorja z Royal Society. Ljubljana, Slovenska akademija znanosti in umetnosti. (Korespondence pomembnih Slo­vencev, 8). Shaw, T.R. 1984: The intermittent karst lake at Cerknica (Slovenia): investigations 1551 to 1781 and their role in the development of the water table concept. Akten des internationalen Symposiums zur Geschichte der Höhle­nforschung Wien 1979: 68-70. (Wissenschaftliche Beihefte sur Zeitschrift "Die Höhle",31 ). Shaw, T.R. 1992a, Leonberger's 1537 poem on the Cerknica karst lake. Proc. of the ALCADi '92 Interna­tional Conference on Speleo History, Budapest, Karszt és Barlang: 99-102. Shaw, T.R. 1992b. History of cave science. The explo­ration and study of limestone caves, to 1900. Sydney, Sydney Speleological Society, 2nd edn. Steinberg, F.A. von. 1758: Gründliche Nachricht von dem in dem Inner-Crain gelegenen Czirknitzer-See ... Ljubljana, Reichhardtin. Valvasor, J.W. 1687: An extract of a letter written to the Royal Society out of Carniola, being a fuli and accurate description of the wonderful lake of Zirknitz in that country. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. 191: 411-(427). Valvasor, J.W. 1689: Die Ehre dess Herzogthums Grain ... Ljubljana, Nuremburg, Endter. Wernher, G. 1551: De admirandis Hvngariae aqvis hypomnemation. Wien, Aquila. (Zalterius, B.) 1569: Ducatus Carniolae una cum Marcha Windorum. Venice (8rit.Lib.: Maps K. 90.67). Trevor R. SHAW : LEONBERCERJEVA PESEM / lEONBERCER' S 1537 POEM..., 193-206 OPIS V KOTLINI LEŽEČEGA CERKNIŠKEGA POLJA, RAVNO TAKO PREČUDOVITEGA KAKOR ZELO RODOVITNEGA. SPESNIL PLEMENITI !N PRIZADEVNI MLADI MOŽ GEORGij LEONBERGER IZ REGENSBURGA. Da bi v duhu zagledal deželo, ki je s svojimi očmi se nisi videl, in da bi o njej poučil še druge ter si tako prislužil hvalo zaradi učenega duha, bom v pesmi govoril o cerkniškem vodnatem polju in uporabljal ime, s kakršnim so ga poimenovali prejšnji prebivalci Kami. Naj mi bo dovoljeno, da to ime s pesmijo ponesem po celem svetu, ime, nepoznano opisovalcu sveta, ki se je ukvarjal s pismenimi poročili starih mož; ime, ki ga slava v prejšnjih stoletjih ni povzdignila. Zdaj pa ga, znanega in zname­nitega, omenjajo v mnogih deželah kot bogato območje, močno v vojnah in zelo rodovitne prsti. O b teh mejah lahko zreš na prostrane pokrajine: na Karniolo, Slovane, Stirijce in na dalmatinska kraljestva. Stirija, ki ločuje svojo orno zemljo od cerkniških polj, se končuje tam, kjer strma dolina, ki se spušča proti jugu, prestreže Alpe, ki zavijejo proti severu. Panonijo vidi, kdor se obrne proti vzhodu. V oni smeri se kotlina razdeli na dva pasova, ki ju na koncu vendar spet združi ena meja. Z obeh strani zreš na zelo široke planjave z navlaženimi njivami. O d tod vidiš prostrane globeli; proti oblakom grozijo kvišku štrleči vrhovi, pod katerimi se daleč in na Široko raztezajo rodovitna zemlja, sveti izviri in prijazne reke, ki jih kmet, ki ima obilo prijetnih njiv, občuduje. Občuduje ljudstva, odlična v vojaštvu in delu, ki so bila pred davnim časom uvedena v vero očetov. Ti potomci nameravajo vztrajati v pravi veri, dokler bo Filip, frizinški knez, znan po plemenitosti, vladar, mimo katerega ni večjega pravični­ka, škof, kakršnega po bogaboječnosti še ni bilo, in človek, od katerega ni na svetu nihče odličnejši, vladal večnemu kraljestvu, popuščal in zategoval vajeti, držal deželo v popolni oblasti, dajal možem postave in zakone ter nagrade pravičnim. O, srečni vladar, ki poseduješ rodovitno polje, od katerega imajo naši ljudje izdatnejši dobiček in srečne domove! Kakšna množica drobnice! Tisoč ovac se pase po gorah, vsepovsod po poljih vidiš dobro rejene črede govedi, kozji zarod, ki trga travo na poljih in planjavah in se skoraj brez pastirjev potepa po pašnikih. Kmet pase volnate ovce in molze njihova vime­na; pastir se čudi nabreklim vimenom krav. Ko kmet gleda svoje kraljestvo, občuduje polno klasje; začuden je nad žetvami, nad blagimi jesenskimi sadeži, nad kos­tanji in orehi ter nad potoki svežega mleka. Najade so ljudem podarile jesen, polno jabolk in hiblejskega medu ter poobedke Cererinih hrušk. Tu bogati rog izobilja vse prinaša bolj radodarno, čeprav kmetje ne obdelujejo zemlje s plugom in orač biku ne nadeva jarma. Lemež se oglajen navadno ne blešči v brazdi in dobro rejeni bik se ne boji na steni obešenega pluga. Vendar tej nezorani zemlji ne manjka hvaležnosti, saj kmetz motikami drobi A DESCRIPTION OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND FERTILE DISTRICT OF CERKNICA, SITUATED IN AN ENCLOSED BASIN, WRITTEN BY GEOR C LEONBERGER OF RATISBON, A MOST UPRIGHT AN D ZEALOUS YOUN G MAN. So that you may see in your mind a land which you have not seen in the light of day, so that you can tell others and be praised for your learning, I will reveal in song the watery region of Cerknica, using the name which its former inha­bitants, the Carni, gave to it. May I be allowed to carry this name by my song through all the world, a name unknown to geographers, untouched by fame in former centuries, to judge from my inspection of the records of earlier men. Now, well known by its reputation, it is spoken of in many lands, rich in wealth, powerful in war and very fertile in its soil. One can see extensive lands stretching to these boun­daries; Carneóla, the Slavs, the Styrians and the lands of Daimatia. Styria, separating its plough lands from the country of Cerknica, forms its boundary where a valley sloping to the gusty south receives those who are entering the Alps on their wayto the north. A side-route to the east opens onto Pannonia. An enclosed valley divides it into two regions; Howevera single boundary-line unites them atthe end. O n either side the valley is lengthy, with well-watered fields. Here you can see huge roete, and harsh crags rise threateningly to the clouds, beneath whose peaks those who live there, very rich in pleasant land, look in wonder on productivefieldsspread farand wide, sacred springs and familiar streams, and look in wonder on peoples proud in arms and in wealth, who since distant times have been engaged in the religion of their fathers. And their descen­dants still continue in the true religion, as long as Philip, Bishop of Frisingen, famed for his noble qualities anda ruler than whom no other is more just, nor has there been a bishop greater in piety, nor will one ever reign on earth by his everlasting commands, controls the reins and holds the lands with total authority, and dispenses laws and justice, and rewards to men who lead upright lives. O happy ruler, who possess such happy farm-land, from which our people gain more bounteous profit and blessed homes! How rich in flocks it is! A thousand ewe-lambs wander in the moun­tains, and everywhere in the plains happy herds of cattle are seen, and goats wander with scarcely a goat-herd through the pastures, grazing the plain and the grass of the countryside, while the fields feed wool-bearing flocks, whose udders the people milk. The herdsman is amazed at the swollen udders of the cows, and the local farmer, looking at his kingdom, marvels at his ears of corn and marvels at his harvest, the ripe fruits of autumn, the che­stnuts, and the streams of fresh milk. The Naiads have granted to men autumn rich with fruits and Hyblaean honey, and the pears of Ceres as a second course. Here the rich horn of plenty produces all things more freely, while the farmers work the land without the need for a plough, Trevor R. SHAW : LEO N BERCER] EVA PESEM/ LEONBERGER'S 1537 POEM..., 193-206 grudasto prst. Napeljal je dovolj potokov in vodnih jar­kov, tako da bi tedaj, ko izsušeno polje buhti od posu­šene trave, ublažil žareče poljane z izdatno količino vode. Po neizmernih gorah se vali velika reka, z vodo namaka polja in se končuje v mirnem tolmunu. Umetno izpeljan jarek vode moči ljubke griče; tamkaj stoji samot­na vodna kotanja. V oddaljeni dolini je še ena reka, ki teče skozi tihe vrtove; okrog nje prebivajo številni rodovi in ljudstva. Semkaj, kjer je kmet zaščitil redke izvire z drobnim trstjem, kjer bežeča rekašumi po travi, prihajajo junci po poljih pit vodo. Še druga reka od daleč pogle­duje na to; njena ljubka, bistra voda teče neugnano od tam po skalah, obraslih z mahom. Vendar naposled vsa rumena od obilnega peska ponikne. Žitno polje nato polagoma porumeni od bogatega klasja; kmetje ga po­žanjejo in z žitom napolnijo kaŠČe. Zdaj bom v pesmi opeval dobo jeseni: poplavo v položni dolini; vodovje, ki se vsako leto pojavi v Cerkni­ci; valove, ki se odbijajo na neznani obali; vsega obču­dovanja vredno jezero, ki vzraste z dna doline. Najade in nimfe, božanstva, ki ste v pomoč pesnikom, govorite (saj namreč poznate vzrok in plimovanje vodovja), vodi­and the ploughmen dispenses with the yoke for his ox. The ploughshare is not accustomed to shine, polished by the furrow, nor does the sleek bull fear the plough, which hangs unused on the wall. Yet no return is lacking from this unploughed land, though the farmer merely breaks up the sluggish clods with a mattock. And he lets the river and its flowing streams onto the crops, so that when the grass is parched and the dried-up land is burning hot, then he may cool the burning fields by spreading large amounts of water. A very large river glides through the vast mountains, irrigates the plain with its waters, and come to an end in a calm pool. An artificial channel of water moistens the pleasant hills; there isa secluded lake, and in a remote valley there is another quiet river which flows into gardens. Around this countless numbers of peoples and communities live. Hither too young cattle come through the countryside to drink, where the local people have covered the shallow springs with slender reeds, and where the river murmurs as it flows through the grass. There too another river with its pleasant waters looks over this one; from there it flows in its course, running over mossy rocks. At last it empties itself, yellow with much Notranji ustroj in vodne poti Cerkniškega jezera po J.V. Valvazorju, Slava vojvodine Kranjske> 1689. Trevor R. SHAW : LEO N BERCERj EVA PESEM/ LEONBERCER' S 1537 POEM..., 193-206 te me po zavitih skrivnih prehodih, po vodnih jarkih; pokažite mi pot, pokažite mi dviganje in upadanje vo­dovja ter vaiove, ki se kar naprej razbijajo ob obaii, vsakokrat ko zlati Fojbos z rdečkasto svetlobo razsvetli ozvezdje Device in hiti proti ozvezdju Tehtnice, ko krajšemu dnevu stopi nasproti daljša noč. Rodovitna jesen izliva plodove iz prebogatega roga. Povsod pod drevesi ležijo na tla padla sladka jabolka. Nad čim torej morajo možje bedeti? V čem je zemlja neizprosna? V jesenskih mesecih privre na dan penasta reka, ki presto-pa bregove; zvrtinčasto vodo podre nasproti postavljene nasipe in v temne oblake vklene kotlino in kmetije, Z vodo, ki bruha iz zemlje, že napaja vedno žejni pesek; blatni rogoz se prepoji z bistro vodo. Hitri tok izje votle jame, prekrije polja, lahko stmisče in plešoče bilke ter poruši koče, zgrajene na gorskih vznožjih, jarki se polni­jo, reke, ki tečejo v globoki strugi, naraščajo: prestopajo bregove, se razlivajo po prisojnih ornicah in udarjajo ob porušene nasipe vse do vznožja gore. Razlite reke bob­neče drvijo po golih brazdah. Ravno take čase {saj imamo navado majhne reči primerjati z velikimi) sta videla Devkaiion in njegova žena Pira, ko med morjem in kopnim ni bilo nobene meje. Tako voda vsepovsod prekriva polja in njive vdolini: kamorkoli pogledaš, vidiš le goro in nebo, vsepovsod pa široko vodno poljano. Ta zaseda grič, oni sedi na ukrivljenih čolnih; tretji vesla tam, kjer je prej z motiko obdeloval polje. Pod gorskimi slemeni se merjasec, škripajoč z zobmi, hiti umikat valo­vom; jelen sredi vodovja išče zemljo, na katero bi lahko stopil. Poplava od obrežja odganja pregnane kmete; bežijo v gore in kličejo svoja božanstva; z vsem srcem in pripravljeni s pripomočki se lotijo dela: iz hlevov gonijo črede, nekateri rešujejo pridelek, drugi si nalagajo bre­mena in tečejo tja, kamor jim kaže steza; spet drugi vztrajno z rameni potiskajo tovore moke. Nekateri gra­jajo zamudnike, drugi zbirajo razkropljene množice; nekateri spodbujajo tovariše, utrujene zaradi k tlom tiščočega bremena. Barbarski krik se dviga od bučeče bitke. Tisti, ki so prej stali v globoki vodi, so se že povzpeli na gore; od zgoraj gledajo na utrjene trdnjave. Čudijo se gmotam jezera in velikanski množini voda. Čudijo se plotovom, ograjam in ribam pod vodo. in prav tam, kjer so kmetje kosili travo s koso, polagajo božanske nimfe nereide svoja telesa. Ljudje medtem pod goro uživajo poleti pridobljen živež ter se veseli med sabo družijo ob pojedinah. Pri­vablja jih radostna zima in jih rešuje žalosti. Dokler leži globok sneg, dokler reke bijuvajo kose ledu, je srce osvobojeno strahu in ljudje se mastijo ob obilnih pojedi­nah. Ko si potolažijo lakoto z gostijami in s tolsto divja­čino, občudujejo plodove, pospravljene še ob toplem soncu. Obsojajo nedelavnost in hvalijo Cererine darove. Delo na soncu zaposluje tudi čebele na cvetovih rosnega polja, ko obletavajo rastoče rastline. Živijo od rosnih kapelj in sladkega nektarja, napolnjujejo celice v satovju soil, and there the harvest gradually grows yellow with plump ears of corn. The grain is winnowed and fills the granaries with produce. Now I shall tell in song of the season of autumn, the flooding of the sloping valley and the lake of Cerknica which appears every year, the waves that break on a shore that does not know them, and the marvelous lake rising from the valley bottom. O nymphs of the waters, present deities of poets, speak {for you know the cause, and the move­ments of the waters). Lead me through the winding passa­ge-ways and the watery channels, show me the route, show me the rise and fall of the water, and the waves breaking again and again on the shore, when golden Phoebus with his dawn light traverses the constellation of the Virgin and hurries towards the constellation of the Scales, when day­light is shorter, and its delay keeps back long nights. The season of fruitfulness pours forth its produce from her rich horn. Everywhere honey-sweet apples tie strewn under the tree. What should men watch out for then? What great merciiessness of the earth should they expect when in the months of autumn the foaming river flows out in spate, and with its whirling waters overwhelms great boulders which stand in its path, and as the rain-clouds gather overhead it takes possession of the valley and the farms? Now it pours outitswaterand nourishes the thirsty soil. The muddy sedge is drenched with clear water, and the swift wave, fed by underground passages, covers thefields and the light corn­stalks and the flying straw, and uproots from their very foundations the cottages which have been built there. The ditches are filled, the trenches and deep-channelled rivers swell. They overflow their banks, spread over the sunny lands, break down the dykes and strike as far as the foothills of the mountains. Spreading far and wide they rush with a roar through the open furrows, and (we often compare great things with small) just as Deucalion with his wife Pyrrha saw an age in which sea and land were no different, so when the lake occupies the plain and the acres of the valley, wherever you turn your eyes there is mountain, sky, and on all sides - sea. One man takes possession of a hilt, another sits in a curved boat. Another rows himself where recently he tilled the land with a mattock. Beneath the mountain ridges the wild boar, gnashing its teeth, rushes away from the waves; the stag seel