ὲν δ' ἀγέλην ποίησε βοῶν ὀρθοκραιράων:
αἳ δὲ βόες. χρυσοῖο τετεύχατο κασσιτέρου τε:
μυκηθμῷ δ' ἀπὸ κόπρου ἐπεσσεύοντο νομὸν δὲ.
πὰρ ποταμὸν κελάδοντα, παρα ῥοδανὸν δονακῆα:
χρύσειοι δὲ νομῆες ἅμ' ἐστιχόωντο βόεσσι
τέσσαρες. ἐννέα δέ σφι κύνες πόδας ἀργοὶ έποντο:
σμερδαλέω δὲ λέοντε δύ' ἐν πρώτοισι βόεσσι
ταῦρον ἐρύγμηλον ἐχέτην: ὃ δὲ μακρὰ μεμυκὼς
ἕλκετο. τὸν δὲ κύνες μετεκΐαθον ἠδ' αἰζηοί:
τὼ μὲν ἀναρήξαντε βοὸς μεγάλοιο βοείην.
ἔγκατα καὶ μέλαν αἷμα λαφύσσετον: οἳ δὲ νομῆες
αυτως ἐνδίεσαν ταχέας κύνας ὀτρύνοντες.
οἱ δ' ήτοι δακέειν μὲν ἀπετρωπῶντο λεόντων:
ἱ̈στάμενοι δὲ μάλ' ἐγγὺς. ὑλάκτεον: ἔκ τ' ἀλέοντο:
τερπόμενοι: δοιὼ δὲ κυβιστητῆρε κατ' αὐτοὺς
And therein he wrought a herd of straight-horned kine: the kine were fashioned of gold and tin, [575] and with lowing hasted they forth from byre to pasture beside the sounding river, beside the waving reed. And golden were the herdsmen that walked beside the kine, four in number, and nine dogs swift of foot followed after them. But two dread lions amid the foremost kine were holding a loud-lowing bull, and he, bellowing mightily, was haled of them, while after him pursued the dogs and young men. The lions twain had rent the hide of the great bull, and were devouring the inward parts and the black blood, while the herdsmen vainly sought to fright them, tarring on the swift hounds. Howbeit these shrank from fastening on the lions, but stood hard by and barked and sprang aside.
