The Argonautica

they crowded close and struck their shields; all at once

countless birds rose, fleeing in panic this way and that.

When Cronus' son sends down a driving hailstorm

from massed clouds over town and homes; the dwellers below

hear their roof timbers resounding loudly overhead

and sit in silence; winter storms brought no surprise,

for beforehand they reinforced strong rafters and the whole roof;

so the birds launched a dense shower of feathers at the heroes,

darting high over the sea toward the opposite land's mountains.

What purpose moved seer Phineus to bid the godlike

expedition of heroes land here? What help thereafter

was destined there to meet the heroes' eager longing?

The sons of Phrixus were sailing toward the city Orchomenus

leaving Aea and Cytaean Aeetes far behind,

aboard a Colchian ship, to claim their father's boundless wealth,

for dying Phrixus charged his sons to make this journey.

And now, on that same day, they had drawn near the island.

But Zeus stirred Boreas' strength, and drove the wind to blowing,

marking Arcturus' watery road with driving rain.

Throughout the day Boreas stirred leaves in the mountains,

breathing a light breath through the highest mountain branches;

but at night he rushed seaward in giant might and raised

a wave with shrieking blasts; black mist wrapped heaven,

and nowhere could the clear stars be seen through the clouds;