οὐ βριαρόν τινα θῆρα, καὶ οὔ τινα πόντιον ἰχθύν,
οὐ πτερὸν ἀγρεύω πλέγμασιν ἡμετέροις,
ἀλλὰ βροτοὺς ἐθέλοντας: ἀλεξήτειρα δὲ τέχνη
ἀνέρα μυιάων κέντρον ἀλευόμενον

ἐκ θαλίης ἀβρῶτα μεσημβριάοντα φυλάσσει,
οὐδὲν ἀφαυροτέρη τείχεος ἀστυόχου.
ὕπνου δ᾽ ἀστυφέλικτον ἄγω χάριν ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοὺς
δμῶας μυιοσόβου ῥύομαι ἀτμενίης.

— Paton edition

No powerful beast, or fish of the sea, or bird do I
catch in my meshes, but men willing to be caught.
My defensive art, in no wise inferior to a city's wall,
keeps a man who would avoid the sting of flies
uneaten as he takes his siesta after the midday meal.
I bring him the gift of undisturbed slumber, and
save the slaves themselves from their service of
chasing the flies away.

— Paton edition