Πάντες δ’ αὖτ’ εἰσῆλθον ἀολλέες εἰς ἕνα χῶρον·
καὶ τότε κώνωπες μεγάλας σάλπιγγας ἔχοντες
δεινὸν ἐσάλπιγξαν πολέμου κτύπον· οὐρανόθεν δέ
Ζεὺς Κρονίδης βρόντησε, τέρας πολέμοιο κακοῖο.
πρῶτος δ’ Ὑψιβόας Λειχήνορα οὔτασε δουρί
ἑσταότ’ ἐν προμάχοις κατὰ γαστέρα ἐς μέσον ἦπαρ·
κὰδ δ’ ἔπεσε πρηνής, ἁπαλὰς δ’ ἐκόνισεν ἐθείρας.
Τρωγλοδύτης δὲ μετ’ αὐτὸν ἀκόντισε Πηλείωνος,
πῆξεν δ’ ἐν στέρνῳ στιβαρὸν δόρυ· τὸν δὲ πεσόντα
εἷλε μέλας θάνατος, ψυχὴ δ’ ἐκ σώματος ἔπτη·
Σευτλαῖον δ’ ἄρ’ ἔπεφνε βαλὼν κέαρ Ἐμβασίχυτρος.
Ὠκιμίδην δ’ ἄχος εἷλε, καὶ ἤλασεν ὀξέϊ σχοίνῳ
Τρωγλοδύτην ἁπαλοῖο δι’ αὐχένος, ἤριπε δ’ εὐθύς/
οὐδ ἐξέσπασεν ἔγχος, ἐναντίβιον δ’ ἐνόησεν
Κρουστοφάγον φεύγοντα· βαθείαις δ’ ἔμπεσεν ὄχθαις,
ἀλλ οὐδ ὣς ἀπέληγεν ἐν ὕδασιν· ἤλασε δ’ αὐτόν.
κάππεσε δ’, οὐδ’ ἀνένευσεν, ἐβάπτετο δ’ αἵματι λίμνη
πορφυρέῳ· αὐτὸς δὲ παρ’ ἠϊόν’ ἐξετανύσθη.
(Pseudo-Homer, Batrachomyomachia 198-221)
All the combatants came in together to one place, and then mosquitoes with big trumpets sounded the signal for the dread battle clash, while from heaven Zeus the son of Kronos thundered as a portent of woeful war.
First Loudhaylor hit Lickhart with his spear as he stood in the front line, getting him in the belly, right in the liver, and he fell headlong, defiling his gentle whiskers in the dust.
After him, Creephole aimed a lance at MacMudd, and fixed his stout spear in his chest: he fell, the darkness of death seized him, and his soul flew forth from his body. And Mangelwurzel was hit in the heart and killed by Paddlepot.
MacBasil was seized by grief, and with his sharp reed he struck Creephole through his tender neck, and he collapsed at once. He had not pulled his spear out again, when he saw Pastrygobble running towards him in flight: he had fallen down the steep banks, but he kept going even in the water. He struck him, and he fell down, he did not swim up again, and the pool was tinged with his crimson blood, while his body was stretched out on the strand.
(tr. Martin L. West)
Crambe Repetita 