Birds of Hate

Heading North to cross the Corinthian border
To the sweet Lake of Stymphalia
Her marshes infested by the pets of the Goddess
“Artemis, Agrotera, Potnia Theron”

Birds of hate
Bronze beaked and feathers of metal arrows
Birds of hate
With toxic excrements and sacred to Ares

Breeding quickly and swarming all over the lands
Destroying the harvest of men, shooting arrows through hearts
I went down to the marshes, sinking knee-deep down
The ground could not support my weight

(Sinking knee-deep down)

Athena, watching me from the sky
Noticing my struggles to get through the marshes
Gave the order to Hephaestus, the God of Craftsmen
To make me bronze krotalas

Light-speeding arrows
Kill them all
Light-speeding arrows
All shall fall

The rattling krotalas made them flee
With arrows in hand dipped in Hydra’s blood
Shooting them one by one out of the sky
Some flew far away never to plague this lake again

Light-speeding arrows
Kill them all
Light-speeding arrows
All shall fall

With this heroic endeavor I safeguarded the lands
And returned to the wretched King
As proof of my success I brought him the slain beasts
The King hid in this pithos dug in the ground

Birds of hate
Bronze beaked and feathers of metal arrows
Birds of hate
With toxic excrements and sacred to Ares