TRANSLATION

the Earth had spoken this: neither able to tolerate the heat
nor able to say more and she withdrew into
the caverns that lie closer to the underworld:
but the all powerful father climbs to the highest summit of heaven,
from where he tends to bring forth clouds above the wide earth,
from where he shakes thunder and throws lightning
but neither was he able to bring forth and hold clouds above
the earth, nor could he send down rain from the sky
calling on the gods, especially on him who had handed over the sun chariot,
to witness that, unless he himself helps, the whole world will be overtaken by a ruinous fate.
he thunders and balances a lightning bolt in his right hand at his ear
and threw it at the charioteer, removing him
at the same moment, from the chariot and from life,
quenched fire by means of fire.
the horses were thrown into confusion and jumped in opposite directions
snatched their necks away from being yoked and abandoned the broken reins
there the reins lie, there the axle plucked from the beam
here the spokes of broken wheels
and the mangled remains of the chariot are sprinkled widely.
but Phaethon with flames ravaging his (strawberry)blonde hair
was rolled head first for a long time through the air leaving a trail as sometimes a star does
in the clear sky, appearing to fall although it does not fall.
far from the fatherland in a different part of the world
rescued by Eridanus who washed the smoke from his face.
the Hesperides bury his body, still smoking from the
triple flame [lightning], also carving this verse into a rock:
here lies Phaethon charioteer of his father’s chariot
who if he didn’t hold greatness nevertheless fell doing a great deed
Now his father, miserable and sick with grief,
hid away his face and, if we are to believe it, one
day went by without the sun: the fires gave off light
so there was a use for that evil thing
After Clymene said, whatever had been
said at such great evil, mourning and frenzied
and tearing at her breast, she traveled the whole earth
looking first for his limbs, however, she soon after discovered his bones
collected on a foreign riverbank and when she read the name
on the rock she lay her bare chest on it and bathe it in tears.
whatever can be uttered at such misfortune, grieving and frantic and tearing her breast,
wandered over the whole earth first looking for her son’s limbs,
and then failing that his bones. She found his bones already buried however,
beside the riverbank in a foreign country