Βωλοτόμοι μύρμηκες, ὁ γῆς στρατός, ἡνίκ᾽ ἔτενδε
γειομόρου μελιχρὴν σμηνοδόκου χάριτα,

μηνίσας ὁ πρέσβυς, ἐς ὕδατα κρωσσὸν ἔβαψεν,
ἐνθάδε τοὺς ἀπὸ γῆς οὐ δοκέων πελάσειν.

οἱ δὲ νέας κάρφας ἀχυρίτιδας ἀντιφέροντες,
αὐτοκυβερνῆται πρὸς κύτος ἐτρόχασαν.
ἦ ῥα φίλη γαστὴρ καὶ βαιοτάτους ἀνέπεισεν
ἐκ χθονὸς εἰς Νύμφας καινοτάτους ἐρέτας.

— Paton edition

When the burrowing ants, the army of the earth,
nibbled at the rustic bee-keeper's sweet dainty, the
old man in anger set the jar in a dish of water,
thinking that, being creatures of the land, they
would not get to it. But they, setting up fresh
stalks of straw against it, quickly found their way,
without anyone to steer them, to the vessel. So
their dear belly induced even these tiny creatures to
migrate from earth to water, the very newest variety
of boatmen.

— Paton edition

When the burrowing ants, the army of the earth,
nibbled at the rustic bee-keeper's sweet dainty, the
old man in anger set the jar in a dish of water,
thinking that, being creatures of the land, they
would not get to it. But they, setting up fresh
stalks of straw against it, quickly found their way,
without anyone to steer them, to the vessel. So
their dear belly induced even these tiny creatures to
migrate from earth to water, the very newest variety
of boatmen.

— Paton edition

Βωλοτόμοι μύρμηκες, ὁ γῆς στρατός, ἡνίκ᾽ ἔτενδε
γειομόρου μελιχρὴν σμηνοδόκου χάριτα,

μηνίσας ὁ πρέσβυς, ἐς ὕδατα κρωσσὸν ἔβαψεν,
ἐνθάδε τοὺς ἀπὸ γῆς οὐ δοκέων πελάσειν.

οἱ δὲ νέας κάρφας ἀχυρίτιδας ἀντιφέροντες,
αὐτοκυβερνῆται πρὸς κύτος ἐτρόχασαν.
ἦ ῥα φίλη γαστὴρ καὶ βαιοτάτους ἀνέπεισεν
ἐκ χθονὸς εἰς Νύμφας καινοτάτους ἐρέτας.

— Paton edition