Togail na Tebe = The Thebiad of Statius : the Irish text

;THE THEBAIDNow great thirst seized the Greeks, so that they were unableto hold up their shields, or to carry their flaming corslets; andtheir horses could not endure to carry those soldiers from theburning of an intense thirst that assailed them both horse andman. And Adrastus sent speculators in every direction to seekwater, to wit, to the river of Amymone, and to meanderingever-cool Syene [a town], and they found not a drop of waterin a channel of them. And they besought the gods for water,and they did not hope for water to spring from, or rain upon,the earth for ever ; and there, as they were wandering throughthe. wood, they beheld a beautifulwoman of many charms ingloom and dejection, to wit, Hypsipyle, holding her distinguishedfosterling in her hand, to wit, Archemorus, son of Lycurgusbut Opheltes is another name for that boy. And queenly wasthe stately form of that maiden, though her dressing and herattire were bad. And Adrastus remained silent beholding her,and he said " : Fair and mighty goddess," said he, " for we thinkthy form is not human but, as it were, a divine brilliancy, giveus succour in finding water, since Jove does not assist us.Andwe are going to sack Thebes, and it is not war that slays us butweakness from thirst. And we deem it sufficient of Jove thatthou shouldest succour us with water.And do thou strengthenour bodies unto the war, and gifts of a cattle foray will be giventhee, and sacrifices of every tribe shall be offered thee." Andthe very great and intolerable thirst did not allow the kingAdrastus speech beyond that, and all the Greeks were pale andtroubled by the violence of that thirst.And Hypsipyle bent downher face, and said : " I shall be a goddess to you, O Greeks, andindeed," said she, " I have a relationship with the gods, and I havea good father and fatherland originally; and not mine own isthis little boy you see in my hand ; and I am not to delay youlonger, but come ye with me quickly to the potable ever-flowingstream, to wit, Langia, that ebbs not for thirst or for heatc.i i38