THE TRANSLATOR

small woodcut ornament of a winged cherub head

You, whose soul is filled with sweet desire
To follow the works and the art of Minerva The Roman goddess of wisdom, handicrafts, and strategic warfare.,
Take up these industrious papers of a man dear to her,
Which were once pressed by deep silence and shadow.

There they were born, where the Nile empties
Into the sea, and floods and divides the rich soil,
In the noble city of the Greek Mars Likely referring to Alexandria, Egypt, founded by Alexander the Great and a center of Hellenistic science.,
Whose splendor outshines a thousand other lights.

Let a new Achilles now arise; we shall see
Another Vulcan The god of fire and metalworking, known for creating living automata in mythology., who in a glorious circle
Gives human likeness and motion to metal.

Oh, how I admire the imitative art,
Whereby, in an unusual and strange manner,
The wood moves itself, and man hangs upon it motionless? This likely refers to the wonder of the viewer being transfixed while witnessing an automaton or mechanical device move.

woodcut tailpiece with a grotesque mask and scrollwork