Τῶν δ`' ὥς τ' ὀρνίθων πετεηνῶν ἔθνεα πολλὰ.
χηνῶν ἢ γεράνων ἢ κύκνων δουλιχοδείρων
Ἀσίω ἐν λειμῶνι καϋστρίουκαϋστρίω̈ ἀμφὶ ῥέεθρα
ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα ποτῶνται: ἀγαλλόμενα πτερύγεσσιν:
κλαγγηδὸν προκαθιζόντων, σμαραγεῖ δέ τε λειμών,
ὡς τῶν ἔθνεα πολλὰ νεῶν ἄπο καὶ κλισιάων
ἐς πεδίον προχέοντο Σκαμάνδριον: αὐτὰρ ὑπο χθὼν
σμερδαλέον κονάβιζε ποδῶν. αὐτῶν τὲ καὶ ἵ̈ππων.
ἔσταν δ' ἐν λειμῶνι Σκαμανδρίω ἀνθεμόεντι
μυρίοι, ὅσσα τε φύλλα καὶ ἄνθεα γίνεται ὥρῃ:
ἠΰτε μυιάων ἁδινάων ἔθνεα πολλὰ.
αἵ τε κατα σταθμὸν ποιμνήϊον ἠλάσκουσιν
ὥρῃ ἐν εἰαρινῇ ὅτε τε γλάγος ἄγγεα δεύει:
τόσσοι ἐπὶ Τρώεσσι κάρη κομόωντες Ἀχαιοὶ
ἐν πεδίῳ ἵσταντο διαρραῖσαι μεμαῶτες:
And as the many tribes of winged fowl, wild geese or cranes or long-necked swans on the Asian mead by the streams of Caystrius, fly this way and that, glorying in their strength of wing, and with loud cries settle ever onwards, and the mead resoundeth; even so their many tribes poured forth from ships and huts into the plain of Scamander, and the earth echoed wondrously beneath the tread of men and horses. So they took their stand in the flowery mead of Scamander, numberless, as are the leaves and the flowers in their season. Even as the many tribes of swarming flies that buzz to and fro throughout the herdsman's farmstead in the season of spring, when the milk drenches the pails, even in such numbers stood the long-haired Achaeans upon the plain in the face of the men of Troy, eager to rend them asunder.
