John Tzetzes (Ἰωάννης Τζέτζης) was a byzantine poet from the XII century.
Text[]
Chiliades, vol. V, ver. 399[]
Greek original[]
ΠΕΡΙ ΜΟΝΟΚΕΡΩΤΟΣ.
Θηρίων ὁ μονόκερως τυγχάνει φιλευῶδες,
Ἒν κέρας μόνον ἄνωθι φέρων τοῦ οφοῦ μετώτου.
Οἅτω δ' αὐτὸν θηρεύουσιν ἐντέχνως εὐωδίαις.
Νεόν τινα τῶν κρατερῶν στολίσαντες ώς κόρην,
Πρώτως ἀρωματίζοναιν ἀσμαῖς εὐωδεστάταις,
(cont.)
English translation (Konstantinos Ramiotis)[]
Concerning the Unicorn
The unicorn is a scent loving animal
And has a horn on its forehead.
They hunt it down by luring it with nice odors.
They dress up one of the most handsome your lads as a woman
And smear him with the most wondrous perfumes.
They place him just outside the beast's lair
And then hide. When the wind blows
It draws the beast out.
The young man opens his arms wide
And the splendid odor emanates; he then embraces the animal.
While it is stunned by the scent,
The hunters emerge and cut off its horn,
Which induces resistance to poison
And the beast then runs off half-horned.