Ἑλληνική Transliterate

English

ὣς φάτο , γήθησεν δὲ πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς ,
χαὶρων , οὕνεχ᾽ ἑταῖρον ἐνηέα λεῦσσ᾽ ἐν ἀγῶνι .
καὶ τότε κουφότερον μετεφώνεε Φαιήκεσσιν :

‘τοῦτον νῦν ἀφίκεσθε , νέοι . τάχα δ᾽ ὕστερον ἄλλον
ἥσειν ἢ τοσσοῦτον ὀίομαι ἢ ἔτι μᾶσσον .
τῶν δ᾽ ἄλλων ὅτινα κραδίη θυμός τε κελεύει ,
δεῦρ᾽ ἄγε πειρηθήτω , ἐπεί μ᾽ ἐχολώσατε λίην ,
ἢ πὺξ ἠὲ πάλῃ ἢ καὶ ποσίν , οὔ τι μεγαίρω ,
πάντων Φαιήκων , πλήν γ᾽ αὐτοῦ Λαοδάμαντος .
ξεῖνος γάρ μοι ὅδ᾽ ἐστί : τίς ἂν φιλέοντι μάχοιτο ;
ἄφρων δὴ κεῖνός γε καὶ οὐτιδανὸς πέλει ἀνήρ ,
ὅς τις ξεινοδόκῳ ἔριδα προφέρηται ἀέθλων
δήμῳ ἐν ἀλλοδαπῷ : ἕο δ᾽ αὐτοῦ πάντα κολούει .

τῶν δ᾽ ἄλλων οὔ πέρ τιν᾽ ἀναίνομαι οὐδ᾽ ἀθερίζω ,
ἀλλ᾽ ἐθέλω ἴδμεν καὶ πειρηθήμεναι ἄντην .
πάντα γὰρ οὐ κακός εἰμι , μετ᾽ ἀνδράσιν ὅσσοι ἄεθλοι :
εὖ μὲν τόξον οἶδα ἐύξοον ἀμφαφάασθαι :
πρῶτός κ᾽ ἄνδρα βάλοιμι ὀιστεύσας ἐν ὁμίλῳ
ἀνδρῶν δυσμενέων , εἰ καὶ μάλα πολλοὶ ἑταῖροι
ἄγχι παρασταῖεν καὶ τοξαζοίατο φωτῶν .

Ἑλληνική Transliterate

English

τόν ῥα περιστρέψας ἧκε στιβαρῆς ἀπὸ χειρός ,
βόμβησεν δὲ λίθος : κατὰ δ᾽ ἔπτηξαν ποτὶ γαίῃ
Φαίηκες δολιχήρετμοι , ναυσίκλυτοι ἄνδρες ,
λᾶος ὑπὸ ῥιπῆς : ὁ δ᾽ ὑπέρπτατο σήματα πάντων
ῥίμφα θέων ἀπὸ χειρός . ἔθηκε δὲ τέρματ᾽ Ἀθήνη
ἀνδρὶ δέμας ἐικυῖα , ἔπος τ᾽ ἔφατ᾽ ἔκ τ᾽ ὀνόμαζεν :

' καί κ᾽ ἀλαός τοι , ξεῖνε , διακρίνειε τὸ σῆμα
ἀμφαφόων , ἐπεὶ οὔ τι μεμιγμένον ἐστὶν ὁμίλῳ ,
ἀλλὰ πολὺ πρῶτον . σὺ δὲ θάρσει τόνδε γ᾽ ἄεθλον :
οὔ τις Φαιήκων τόδε γ᾽ ἵξεται , οὐδ᾽ ὑπερήσει . '

φάινεταί μοι κῆνος ἴσος θέοισιν
ἔμμεν ὤνερ , ὄττις ἐναντίος τοι
ἰσδάνει καὶ πλάσιον ἆδυ φωνεί-
σας ὐπακούει

καὶ γελαίσας ἰμερόεν τό μ᾽ ἦ μάν
καρδίαν ἐν στήθεσιν ἐπτόησεν ·
ὠς γὰρ εἰσίδω βροχέως σε , φώνας
οὐδὲν ἔτ᾽ ἴκει ·

ἀλλὰ κάμ μὲν γλῶσσα ἔαγε , λέπτον
δ᾽ αὔτικα χρῷ πῦρ ὐπαδεδρόμηκεν ,
ὀππάτεσσι δ᾽ οὐδὲν ὄρημ᾽ , ἐπιρρόμ-
βεισι δ᾽ ἄκουαι .

καδ δέ μ᾽ ἴδρως κακχέεται , τρόμος δὲ
παῖσαν ἄγρει , χλωροτέρα δὲ ποίας
ἔμμι , τεθνάκην δ᾽ ὀλίγω ᾽πιδεύης
φαίνομαι [ … ] .

ἀλλὰ πᾶν τόλματον …

He seems to me equal to gods that man
whoever he is who opposite you
sits and listens close
   to your sweet speaking

and lovely laughing — oh it
puts the heart in my chest on wings
for when I look at you , even a moment , no speaking
   is left in me

no : tongue breaks and thin
fire is racing under skin
and in eyes no sight and drumming
   fills ears

and cold sweat holds me and shaking
grips me all , greener than grass
I am and dead — or almost
   I seem to me .

It seems to me that man is equal to the gods
Whoever sits facing you
And closely listens to him sweetly murmuring

And charmingly laughing . This truly
Fluttered my heart in my chest .
For when I briefly looked at you , nothing of a voice
Yet comes .

But as my tongue has entirely broken , and a fine
fire has now run under my skin .
And I see nothing with my eyes , and my ears are buzzing .

And my sweat pours out , down on me and a shiver seizes all of me .
And I am greener than grass ,
And I seem to have nearly died .

But everything must be taken to heart .

μῆνιν ἄειδε θεὰ Πηληϊάδεω Ἀχιλῆος
οὐλομένην , ἣ μυρί᾽ Ἀχαιοῖς ἄλγε᾽ ἔθηκε ,
πολλὰς δ᾽ ἰφθίμους ψυχὰς Ἄϊδι προΐαψεν
ἡρώων , αὐτοὺς δὲ ἑλώρια τεῦχε κύνεσσιν

5 οἰωνοῖσί τε πᾶσι , Διὸς δ᾽ ἐτελείετο βουλή ,
ἐξ οὗ δὴ τὰ πρῶτα διαστήτην ἐρίσαντε
Ἀτρεΐδης τε ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν καὶ δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς .
τίς τ᾽ ἄρ σφωε θεῶν ἔριδι ξυνέηκε μάχεσθαι ;
Λητοῦς καὶ Διὸς υἱός : ὃ γὰρ βασιλῆϊ χολωθεὶς

10 νοῦσον ἀνὰ στρατὸν ὄρσε κακήν , ὀλέκοντο δὲ λαοί ,
οὕνεκα τὸν Χρύσην ἠτίμασεν ἀρητῆρα
Ἀτρεΐδης : ὃ γὰρ ἦλθε θοὰς ἐπὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν
λυσόμενός τε θύγατρα φέρων τ᾽ ἀπερείσι᾽ ἄποινα ,
στέμματ᾽ ἔχων ἐν χερσὶν ἑκηβόλου Ἀπόλλωνος

15 χρυσέῳ ἀνὰ σκήπτρῳ , καὶ λίσσετο πάντας Ἀχαιούς ,
Ἀτρεΐδα δὲ μάλιστα δύω , κοσμήτορε λαῶν :
Ἀτρεΐδαι τε καὶ ἄλλοι ἐϋκνήμιδες Ἀχαιοί ,
ὑμῖν μὲν θεοὶ δοῖεν Ὀλύμπια δώματ᾽ ἔχοντες
ἐκπέρσαι Πριάμοιο πόλιν , εὖ δ᾽ οἴκαδ᾽ ἱκέσθαι :

20 παῖδα δ᾽ ἐμοὶ λύσαιτε φίλην , τὰ δ᾽ ἄποινα δέχεσθαι ,
ἁζόμενοι Διὸς υἱὸν ἑκηβόλον Ἀπόλλωνα .

Sing , O goddess , the anger [ mênis ] of Achilles son of Peleus , that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans . Many a brave soul [ psukhê ] did it send hurrying down to Hades , and many a hero did it yield a prey to dogs

and vultures , for so was the will of Zeus fulfilled from the day on which the son of Atreus , king of men , and great Achilles , first fell out with one another . And which of the gods was it that set them on to quarrel ? It was the son of Zeus and Leto ; for he was angry with the king

and sent a pestilence upon the host to plague the people , because the son of Atreus had dishonored Chryses his priest . Now Chryses had come to the ships of the Achaeans to free his daughter , and had brought with him a great ransom : moreover he bore in his hand the scepter of Apollo wreathed with a suppliant ' s wreath

and he besought the Achaeans , but most of all the two sons of Atreus , who were their chiefs . " Sons of Atreus , " he cried , " and all other Achaeans , may the gods who dwell in Olympus grant you to sack the city of Priam , and to reach your homes in safety ;

but free my daughter , and accept a ransom for her , in reverence to Apollo , son of Zeus . "

Goddess , sing about the rage of Achilles , son of Peleus .
The cursed [ rage ] , which put many pains on the Achaeans .
And he sent many stout souls of heroes to Hades
And made them spoils for dogs

And all the birds . The will of Zeus happened ,
From when already both the son of Atreus , king of men , and godly Achilles set apart the first things although already quarreling .
Who of the gods put them together to fight ?
The son of Leto and Zeus ; for he having been angered by the king

Started an evil plague throughout the army , and people died
Because the son of Atreus dishonored the priest Chryses .
For he [ Chryses ] came on the swift ships of the Achaeans
Both to free his daughter and bearing countless ransoms ,
Having the wreaths of far-shooting Apollo on a golden sceptre in his hands .

And he begged all the Achaeans ,
But most of all the two sons of Atreus , the commanders of the people .
" Both the sons of Atreus and the other well-equipped Achaeans ,
May the gods having houses on Olympus grant to you
To sack the city of Priam , and to go home well .

However , free my beloved daughter and accept the ransoms ,
Honoring with fear far-shooting Apollo , the son of Zeus . "