Keepदिनैः कतिपयैरेव स्फुरिता धरणीतले ।वराकास्तेन ते नष्टा मशकाः कुहरेष्विवIn plain wordsHaving merely glinted upon the surface of the earth for a few days, those poor wretches perished by that very fact -- like gnats vanishing into their holes.