βουλὴν δὲ πρῶτον μεγαθύμων ἵ̈ζε γερόντων
Νεστορέῃ παρὰ νηῒ πυλοιγενέος βασιλῆος:
τοὺς ὅ γε συγκαλέσας πυκινὴν ἠρτύνετο βουλήν:
κλῦτε ξιφος φίλοι: θεῖός μοι ἐνύπνιον ἦλθεν ὄνειρος
ἀμβροσίην διὰ νύκτα: μάλιστα δὲ Νέστορι δίῳ
εἶδός τε: μέγεθός τε: φυήν τ' ἄγχιστα ἐῴκει:
στῆ δ' ὰρ ὑπερ κεφαλῆς. καί με πρὸς μῦθον ἔειπεν:
εὕδεις Ἀτρέος υἱὲ δαΐφρονος ἱπποδάμοιο.
οὐ χρὴ παννύχιον εὕδειν βουληφόρον ἄνδρα.
ᾧ λαοί τ' ἐπιτετράφαται καὶ τόσσα μέμηλε:
νῦν δ' ἐμέθεν ξύνες ὦκα. Διὸς δέ τοι ἄγγελός εἰμι
ὃς σεῦ ἄνευθεν, ἐὼν μέγα κήδεται ἠδ' ἐλεαίρει:
θωρῆξαί σε, κέλευε, κάρη κομόωντας Ἀχαιοὺς
πανσυδίῃ: νῦν γάρ κεν ἕλοις πόλιν εὐρυάγυιαν
Τρώων: οὐ γὰρ ἔτ' ἀμφὶς Ὀλύμπια δώματ' ἔχοντες.
ἀθάνατοι φράζονται, ἐπέγναμψεν γὰρ ἅπαντας
Ἥρη λισσομένη: Τρώεσσι δὲ κήδε' ἐφἧπται
ἐκ Διὸς: ἀλλὰ σὺ σῇσιν ἔχε φρεσίν: ὡς ὁ μὲν εἰπὼν
ᾤχετ' ἀποπτάμενος, ἐμὲ δὲ γλυκὺς ὕπνος ἀνἧκεν.
ἀλλ' ἄγετ' αἴ κέν πως θωρήξομεν υἷας Ἀχαιῶν:
πρῶτα δ' ἐγὼν ἔπεσιν πειρήσομαι ἣ θέμις ἐστίν:
καὶ φεύγειν σὺν νηυσὶ πολυκλήϊσι κελεύσω:
ὑμεῖς δ' ἄλλοθεν ἄλλος ἐρητύειν ἐπέεσσιν:
But the king first made the council of the great-souled elders to sit down beside the ship of Nestor, the king Pylos-born. And when he had called them together, he contrived a cunning plan, and said: "Hearken, my friends, a Dream from heaven came to me in my sleep through the ambrosial night, and most like was it to goodly Nestor, in form and in stature and in build. It took its stand above my head, and spake to me, saying: ‘Thou sleepest, son of wise-hearted Atreus, the tamer of horses. To sleep the whole night through beseemeth not a man that is a counsellor, to whom a host is entrusted, and upon whom rest so many cares. But now, hearken thou quickly unto me, for I am a messenger to thee from Zeus, who, far away though he be, hath exceeding care for thee and pity. He biddeth thee arm the long-haired Achaeans with all speed, since now thou mayest take the broad-wayed city of the Trojans. For the immortals that have homes upon Olympus are no longer divided in counsel, since Hera hath bent the minds of all by her supplication, and over the Trojans hang woes by the will of Zeus. But do thou keep this in thy heart.’ So spake he, and was flown away, and sweet sleep let me go. Nay, come now, if in any wise we may, let us arm the sons of the Achaeans; but first will I make trial of them in speech, as is right, and will bid them flee with their benched ships; but do you from this side and from that bespeak them, and strive to hold them back."
