Diktua

Ἔρος αὖτέ με κυανέοισιν ὑπὸ
βλεφάροις τακέρ’ ὄμμασι δερκόμενος
κηλήμασι παντοδαποῖς ἐς ἄπει-
ρα δίκτυα Κύπριδος ἐσβάλλει·
ἦ μὰν τρομέω νιν ἐπερχόμενον,
ὥστε φερέζυγος ἵππος ἀεθλοφόρος ποτὶ γήρᾳ
ἀέκων σὺν ὄχεσφι θοοῖς ἐς ἅμιλλαν ἔβα.
(Ibycus fr. 287)

Eros once again from beneath dark
eyelids darting me a melting glance
with spells of all sorts casts me
into the inextricable nets of the Cyprian.
How I tremble at his onslaught,
just as the yoke-bearing horse, contest winner,
near old age, unwillingly goes with swift
chariot back into the race.
(tr. Marguerite Johnson & Terry Ryan)