Αἴθ' ὄφελες θανεῖν ἢ πανύστατον ὀρχήσασθαι
if only you had died or danced for the very last time
Translated by William Hutton22 May 2003Vetting: high4 revisions
Translation
[sc. This is said] because they lead the owl around when they take her children; and she, not having sight during the day, dances, so to speak. Or when she is dying from a blow she turns about as though she were dancing. Callimachus speaks of her in Hecale.
Greek original · Adler’s text
Αἴθ' ὄφελες θανεῖν ἢ πανύστατον ὀρχήσασθαι· ἐπειδὴ τὴν γλαῦκα ὅταν λάβωσι τὰ παιδία περιάγουσιν· ἡ δὲ μὴ βλέπουσα δι' ἡμέρας ὥσπερ ὀρχεῖται. ἢ ὅταν πληγῇ τελευτῶσα στρέφεται ὥσπερ ὀρχουμένη. Καλλίμαχος ἐν Ἑκάλῃ λέγει περὶ αὐτῆς.