ἔσπετε νῦν μοι Μοῦσαι Ὀλύμπια δώματ' ἔχουσαι:
ὑμεῖς γὰρ θεαί ἐστε πάρεστέ τε ἴστε τε πάντα:
ἡμεῖς δὲ κλέος οἶον ἀκούομεν οὐδέ τι ἴδμεν:
οἵ τινες ἡγεμόνες Δαναῶν καὶ κοίρανοι ἦσαν:
πληθὺν δ' οὐκ ἂν ἐγὼ μυθήσομαι οὐδ' ὀνομήνω
οὐδ' εἴ μοι δέκα μὲν γλῶσσαι: δέκα δὲ στόματ' εἶεν:
φωνὴ δ' ἄρρηκτος. χάλκεον δέ μοι ἦτορ ἐνείη:
εἰ μὴ Ὀλυμπιάδες Μοῦσαι. Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο
θυγατέρες. μνησαίαθ' ὅσοι ὑπὸ Ἴλιον ἦλθον:
ἀρχοὺς αὖ νηῶν ἐρέω νῆάς τε προπάσας ⁑
Tell me now, ye Muses that have dwellings on Olympus -- for ye are goddesses and are at hand and know all things, whereas we hear but a rumour and know not anything—who were the captains of the Danaans and their lords. But the common folk I could not tell nor name, nay, not though ten tongues were mine and ten mouths and a voice unwearying, and though the heart within me were of bronze, did not the Muses of Olympus, daughters of Zeus that beareth the aegis, call to my mind all them that came beneath Ilios. Now will I tell the captains of the ships and the ships in their order.
