Beloved Artemis

Stag-like golden antlers with hooves of bronze
Sacred to Artemis, this Ceryneian Doe

The anger of Hera and King Eurystheus
For killing the Lion and Hydra
This third task for me will be full of doom
“Thou shall not kill this beast, nor shall thou skin
Thou will feel the suffering when it’s dead”

Stag-like golden antlers with hooves of bronze
Sacred to Artemis, this Ceryneian Doe

After my awakening from the travels way up North
I spotted this heavenly creature
With antlers which gleamed in the sun
Afraid of Artemis’ anger I will not slay
Bare-footedly I’ll chase it down
On the mountain slopes of Ceryneia

And for the length of thirteen full moons
I bare-footedly chased this Hind
We ran from North to South, from East to West
Throughout Thrace, Istria and the land beyond the North Wind
It was not to be captured during sleep
Not to be caught with mesh
It could outrun my light-speeding arrows
This beautiful, beloved and sacred creature of Artemis

Artemis, forgive me from this desecration
It’s part of my penance, my forever guilt

On the last full moon I passed the gates of Artemis’ Temple
The Ceryneian Hind laid down before the shrine

Stag-like golden antlers with hooves of bronze
The Hind returned to the Goddess as it flees from the King