ἂλλ' ὃς μέν θ' ἵπποισι καὶ ἅρμασιν οἷσι πεποιθὼς
ἀφραδέως ἐπι πολλὸν ἐλίσσεται ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα,
ἵπποι δὲ πλανόωνται ἀνὰ δρόμον. οὐδὲ κατίσχει:
ὃς δέ κε κέρδεα εἰδῇ. ἐλαύνων ἥσσονας ἵππους.
αἰεὶ τέρμ' ὁρόων, στρέφει ἐγγύθεν: οὐδέ ἑ λήθει
ὅππως τὸν πρῶτον τανύσῃ βοέοισιν ϊμᾶσιν:
ἂλλ' ἔχει σφαλέως. καὶ τὸν προὔχοντα δοκεύει:
σῆμα δέ τοι ἐρέω μάλ' ἀριφραδὲς. οὐδέ σε λήσει:
ἕστηκε ξύλον αὗον ὅσόν τ' ὄργυι' ὑπερ αἴης.
ἠ δρυὸς. ἠ πεύκης. τὸ μὲν οὐ καταπύθεται ὄμβρῳ:
λᾶε δὲ τοῦ ἑκάτερθεν ἐρηρέδαται δύο λευκὼ
ἐν ξυνοχῇσιν ὁδοῦ. λεῖος δ' ἱππόδρομος ἀμφίς:
ἤ τευ, σῆμα βροτοῖο πάλαι κατατεθνειῶτοςκατατεθνηῶτος,
ἢ τό γε νύσσα τέτυκται τέτυκτo ἐπι προτέρων ἀνθρώπων:
καὶ νῦν τέρματ' ἔθηκε ποδάρκης δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς:
τῷ σὺ μάλ' ἐγχρίμψας ἐλάαν σχεδὸν ἅρμα καὶ ἵππους:
αὐτὸς δὲ κλινθῆναι ἐϋπλέκτῳ ἐνι δίφρῳ
ῆκ' ἐπαριστερὰ τοῖϊν: ἀτὰρ τὸν δεξιὸν ἵππον
κένσαι ὁμοκλήσας. εῖξαι τέ οἱ ἡνία χερσίν:
ἐν νύσσῃ δέ τοι ἵππος ἀριστερὸς ἐγχριμφθήτω:
ὡς ἄν τοι πλήμνη γε δοάσσεται ἄκρον ἱ̈κέσθαι.
κύκλου ποιητοῖο: λίθου δ' ἀλέασθαι ἐπαυρεῖν.
μή πως ἵππους τε τρώσῃς. κατά θ' ἅρματα άξῃς:
χάρμα δὲ τοῖς ἄλλοισιν, ἐλεγχείη δέ σοι αὐτῷ
ἔσσεται: ἀλλὰ φίλος. φρονέων πεφυλαγμένος εἶναι:
εἰ γάρ κ' ἐν νύσσῃ γε παρὲξ ελάσῃσθα διώκων,
οὐκ έσθ' ὅς κέ σ' ἕλῃσι μετάλμενος, οὐδὲ παρέλθοι:
οὐδ' εἴ κεν μετόπισθεν ἀρίονα δῖον ἐλαύνοι.
Ἀδρήστου ταχὺν ἵππον. ὃς ἐκ θεόφιν γένος ῆεν.
ἢ τοὺς Λαομέδοντος. οἳ ἐνθάδε γ' ἔτραφεν ἐσθλοί:
"Another man, trusting in his horses and car, heedlessly wheeleth wide to this side and that, and his horses roam over the course, neither keepeth he them in hand; whereas he that hath crafty mind, albeit he drive worse horses, keepeth his eye ever on the turning-post and wheeleth close thereby, neither is unmindful how at the first to force his horses with the oxhide reins, but keepeth them ever in hand, and watcheth the man that leadeth him in the race. Now will I tell thee a manifest sign that will not escape thee. There standeth, as it were a fathom's height above the ground, a dry stump, whether of oak or of pine, which rotteth not in the rain, and two white stones on either side thereof are firmly set against it at the joinings of the course, and about it is smooth ground for driving. Haply it is a monnment of some man long ago dead, or haply was made the turning-post of a race in days of men of old; and now hath switft-footed goodly Achilles appointed it his turningpost. Pressing hard thereon do thou drive close thy chariot and horses, and thyself lean in thy well-plaited car a little to the left of the pair, and to the off horse do thou give the goad, calling to him with a shout, and give him rein from thy hand. But to the post let the near horse draw close, that the nave of the well-wrought wheel seem to graze the surface thereof—but be thou ware of touching the stone, lest haply thou wound thy horses and wreck thy car; so should there be joy for the rest, but reproach it for thyself. Nay, dear son, be thou wise and on thy guard; for if at the turning-post thou shalt drive past the rest in thy course, there is no man that shall catch thee by a burst of speed, neither pass thee by, nay, not though in pursuit he were driving goodlyArion, the swift horse of Adrastus, that was of heavenly stock, or those of Laomedon, the goodly breed of this land."
