Χορός

ἦ ῥά σε Ταυροπόλα Διὸς Ἄρτεμις—
ὦ μεγάλα φάτις , ὦ
μᾶτερ αἰσχύνας ἐμᾶς—
ὥρμασε πανδάμους ἐπὶ βοῦς ἀγελαίας ,
ἦ πού τινος νίκας ἀκάρπωτον χάριν ,
ἤ ῥα κλυτῶν ἐνάρων
ψευσθεῖσ᾽ , ἀδώροις , εἴτ᾽ ἐλαφαβολίας ;
ἢ χαλκοθώραξ μή τιν᾽ Ἐνυάλιος
μομφὰν ἔχων ξυνοῦ δορὸς ἐννυχίοις
μαχαναῖς ἐτίσατο λώβαν ;

οὔ ποτε γὰρ φρενόθεν γ᾽ ἐπ᾽ ἀριστερά ,
παῖ Τελαμῶνος , ἔβας
τόσσον , ἐν ποίμναις πίτνων :
ἥκοι γὰρ ἂν θεία νόσος : ἀλλ᾽ ἀπερύκοι
καὶ Ζεὺς κακὰν καὶ Φοῖβος Ἀργείων φάτιν .
εἰ δ᾽ ὑποβαλλόμενοι
κλέπτουσι μύθους οἱ μεγάλοι βασιλῆς
ἢ τᾶς ἀσώτου Σισυφιδᾶν γενεᾶς ,
μὴ μή , ἄναξ , ἔθ᾽ ὧδ᾽ ἐφάλοις κλισίαις
ὄμμ᾽ ἔχων κακὰν φάτιν ἄρῃ .

Chorus :

Was it Artemis Taropola , daughter of Zeus ,
O Great Rumor , O Mother of my shame ,
who spurred you on against the cattle herds of all our people ?
Was it perhaps for the sake of some victory that yielded no fruit ,
whether from her being cheated of glorious spoils ,
or whether from the giftless shooting of a deer ?
Or did bronze-plated Enyalius ,
having cause for anger from a common spear
avenge the outrage with contrivances in the night ?

For never of your own mind , son of Telamon ,
would you have gone so far along the sinister ,
falling onto the flocks .
For a divine sickness may have come ,
but may Zeus and Phoebus keep away the evil rumor of the Argives .
But if the great kings , making false suggestions ,
whisper tales ,
or he of the fatal race of Sisyphus ,
don’t , don’t , my lord , raise up an evil rumor ,
keeping your face in the huts by the sea in this way .

Chorus :

Was it Artemis Bull-Ruler , daughter of Zeus ,
O Great Rumor , O mother of my shame ,
who spurred you on against the cattle herds of all our people ?
Was it because of some unthanked victory ,
whether she was cheated of glorious spoils
or whether it was from the shooting of a deer that brought her no gifts ?
Or was it the bronze-plated War God who had cause for anger from an alliance of spears ,
take vengeance for the outrage by way of machinations during the night ?

For never in your right mind , son of Telamon ,
would you have strayed so far as to attack the flocks .
A divine sickness must have come ,
but may Zeus and Phoebus Apollo keep back the evil rumor of the Argives .
But if the great kings whisper false tales ,
or he of the ruinous race of Sisyphus ,
Don’t , my lord , don’t support an evil rumor
by hiding your face in your hut by the sea .