With caution bind, for bold their breed, And eager for the prey. The time will come when their baying loud Through the hollow rocks shall echo; now Let them snuff the air with nostrils keen, And with lowered muzzles seek the tracks 40 Of beasts, while yet the dawn is dim, And while the dewy earth still holds The marks of treading feet. Let some On burdened necks the wide nets bear, And others haste to bring the snares 45 Of smooth-wrought cords. Let feathers, dyed With crimson, hedge the timid deer With terrors vain. Do thou use darts Of Crete, and thou the heavy spear By both hands wielded. Thou shalt sit 50 In hiding and with clamors loud Drive out the frightened beasts; and thou, When all is done, with curving blade Shalt break the victims. And thou, be with thy worshiper, O goddess of the chase, whose rule 55 Extends o'er all the secret haunts Of earth; whose darts unerring pierce The flying prey; whose thirst is quenched By cool Araxes' distant stream, Or for whose sport the Ister spreads His frozen waves. Thy hand pursues 60 Gaetulian lions, Cretan deer; And now the swiftly fleeing does With lighter stroke are pierced. To thee The spotted tigers yield, to thee The bisons, shaggy backed, and the wild, Broad-hornéd oxen of the woods. 65 Whatever feeds upon the plains In desert pasture lands; whate'er The needy Garamantian knows, Whate'er the Arab rich in woods, Or wild Sarmatian, wandering free Across the lonely wilderness; 70 Whate'er the rugged Pyrenees Or deep Hyrcanian glades conceal: All fear thy bow, thou huntress queen. If any worshiper of thine Takes to the hunt thy favoring will, His nets hold fast the struggling prey; 75 No birds break from his snares; for him The groaning wagons homeward come With booty rich; the hounds come back With muzzles deeply dyed in blood, And all the rustic throng returns In shouting triumph home. 80 But lo, the goddess hears. The hounds Are baying loud and clear to announce The start. I'm summoned to the woods. Here, here I'll hasten where the road Most quickly leads away. [_Exit._] * * * * *