English 
Translation

Hippomenes says, “Cytherea,” and “I implore you 

for you daring to be present” and “that she help our side and grant what she has given, help with the flames”. 

The breeze carried the charming and not hostile prayers to me: 

I, having been moved, confess but with long delay my power was being given. 

There is a field, the natives call by name Tamasenus, 

the best part of the Cyprian land that to me

the ancient elders dedicated and approached 

these temples with gifts: they ordered this to my followers. In the middle of the field, 

a tree shines, with golden leaves, with golden branches rattling; 

here by chance while I was coming (to him) and was bringing 

three having been plucked golden apples by hand and about to be seen by no one except himself, 

I approached Hippomenes and taught (him) what use was for those things. 

The trumpets had given the sign, when each of the two, leaning forward, darts out from the starting gate and skims the very top of the sand with swift feet; 

you might think that they were able to skim the seas with a dry step and to run over the standing white ears of grain.

The shout and the support and the words of those speaking add courage to the young man,

‘Now, now is the time to press on!

Hippomenes, hurry! Now use your whole strength! Drive away delay, you will win!’

It is uncertain whether the Megarian hero may rejoice or the Schoenian maiden more at these words. 

Oh, how often, when she could have passed him, she delayed and unwillingly left behind the expressions she had looked at for a long time!

A dry breath was coming out of his tired mouth and the end was far away.

Then at last the descendent of Neptune* threw one of the three tree-born fruits 

The maiden was stunned because of her desire for the shining apple, and turns away from the course and lifts the rolling gold (apple)

and Hippomenes passes by, the spectators echo/resound with applause.

But she makes up the delay and lost time with a swift run and again leaves the man behind.

And again, delayed by the throw of the second apple, she catches up to the man and passes him.

The final part of the course remained,

‘Now,’ he said, ‘be near, goddess who gave the gift!’

To the side of the field, where she may return late, he throws the shining gold at an angle with a youthful force.

If she should seek it, the maiden seemed to hesitate: I compelled her

To pick it up and I added weight to the apple once lifted

and I hindered her equally by the heaviness of the weight and the delay,

And so that my telling may not be slower than the race itself, 

the maiden was passed: the victor carried off his prize.