My mother have suitors beset against her will, the sons of those men who are here the noblest. They shrink from going to the house of her father, Icarius, that he may himself exact the bride-gifts for his daughter, and give her to whom he will, even to him who meets his favour,
μητέρι μοι μνηστῆρες ἐπέχραον οὐκ ἐθελούσῃ , τῶν ἀνδρῶν φίλοι υἷες , οἳ ἐνθάδε γ' εἰσὶν ἄριστοι , οἳ πατρὸς μὲν ἐς οἶκον ἀπερρίγασι νέεσθαι Ἰκαρίου , ὥς κ' αὐτὸς ἐεδνώσαιτο θύγατρα , δοίη δ' ᾧ κ' ἐθέλοι καί οἱ κεχαρισμένος ἔλθοι ·
μήτηρ ἐγώ μνηστήρ ἐπιχράω οὐ ἐθέλω , ὁ ἀνήρ φίλος υἱός , ὅς ἐνθάδε γε εἰμί ἄριστος , ὅς πατήρ μέν εἰς οἶκος ἀπορριγέω νέομαι Ἰκάριος , ὡς ἄν αὐτός ἑδνόω θυγάτηρ , δίδωμι δέ ὅς ἄν ἐθέλω καί ἕ χαρίζομαι ἔρχομαι ·