αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ πόσιος καὶ ἐδητύος ἐξ ἔρον ἕντο:
νεῦσ' Αἴας Φοίνικι: νόησε δὲ δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς.
πλησάμενος δ' οἴνοιο δέπας. δείδεκτ' Ἀχιλῆα:
χαῖρ' Ἀχιλεῦ: δαιτὸς μὲν ἐΐσης οὐκ ἐπιδευῆς
ἠμὲν ἐνι κλισίῃ Ἀγαμέμνονος Ἀτρείδαο
ἠδὲ καὶ ἐνθάδε νῦν. πάρα γὰρ μενοεικέα πολλὰ
δαίνυσθ'. ἀλλ' οὐ δαιτὸς ἐπηράτου ἔργα μέμηλεν:
ἀλλὰ λίην μέγα πῆμα διοτρεφὲς εἰσορόωντες
δείδιμεν: ἐν δοιῇ δὲ σαωσέμεν ἢ ἀπολέσθαι
νῆας ἐϋσσέλμους. εἰ μὴ σύ γε δύσεαι ἀλκήν:
ἐγγὺς γὰρ νηῶν καὶ τείχεος αὖλιν ἔθεντο
Τρῶες ὑπέρθυμοι. τηλεκλειτοί τ' ἐπίκουροι.
κειάμενοι πυρὰ πολλὰ κατα στρατόν: οὐδ' ἔτι φασὶ
σχήσεσθ', ἀλ'λ' ἐν νηυσὶ μελαίνῃσιν πεσέεσθαι.
Ζεὺς δέ σφι Κρονίδης ἐνδέξια σήματα φαίνων
ἀστράπτει: Ἕκτωρ δὲ μέγα, σθένεϊ βλεμεαίνων
μαίνεται ἐκπάγλως. πίσυνος Διῒ, οὐδέ τι τίει
ἀνέρας. οὐδὲ θεούς: κρατερὴ δέ ἑ λύσσα δέδυκεν.
ἀρᾶται δὲ τάχιστα φανήμεναι Ἠῶ δῖαν:
στεῦται γὰρ νηῶν ἀποκόψειν ἄκρα κόρυμβα:
αὐτάς τ' ἐμπρήσειν μαλεροῦ πυρός: αὐτὰρ Ἀχαιοὺς
δῃώσειν παρὰ τῇσιν ὀρινομένους ὑπὸ καπνοῦ.
ταῦτ' αἰνῶς δείδοικα κατα φρένα: μή οἱ ἀπειλὰς
ἐκτελέσωσι θεοὶ: ἡμῖν δὲ δὴ αἴσιμον εἴη
φθίσθαι ἐνὶ Τροίῃ, ἑκὰς Ἄργεος ἱπποβότοιο:
ἀλλ`' ἄνα: εἰ μέμονάς γε καὶ ὀψέ περ υἷας Ἀχαιῶν
τειρομένους ἐρύεσθαι ὑπὸ Τρώων ὀρυμαγδοῦ
αὐτῷ τοι μετόπισθ' ἄχος ἔσσεται: οὐδέ τι μῆχος.
ῥεχθέντος κακοῦ ἔστ' ἄκος εὑρεῖν: ἀλλὰ πολὺ πρὶν
φράζευ, ὅπως Δαναοῖσιν ἀλεξήσηις κακὸν ἦμαρ:
ὦ πέπον: ῆ μὲν σοί γε πατὴρ ἐπετέλλετο Πηλεὺς
ἤματι τῷ: ὅτε σ' ἐκ Φθίης Ἀγαμέμνονι πέμπε:
τέκνον ἐμὸν. κάρτος μὲν Ἀθηναίη τὲ καὶ Ἥρη
δώσουσ' αἴ κ' ἐθέλωσι. σὺ δὲ μεγαλήτορα θυμὸν
ἴ̈σχειν ἐν στήθεσσι: φιλοφροσύνη γὰρ ἀμείνων:
ληγέμεναι δ' ἔριδος κακομηχάνου. ὄφρά σε μᾶλλον:
τίωσ' Ἀργείων ἠμὲν νέοι ἠδὲ γέροντες:
ὡς ἐπέτελλ' ὁ γέρων. σὺ δὲ λήθεαι: ἀλλ' τι καὶ νῦν
But when they had put from them the desire of food and drink, Aias nodded to Phoenix; and goodly Odysseus was ware thereof, and filling a cup with wine he pledged Achilles: "Hail, O Achilles, of the equal feast have we no stinting, either in the hut of Agamemnon, son of Atreus, or now in thine; for here is abundance that satisfies the heart to feast withal. Yet matters of the delicious feast are not in our thoughts, nay, Zeus-nurtured one, it is utter ruin that we behold, and are afraid; for it is in doubt whether we save the benched ships or they perish, except thou clothe thee in thy might. Hard by the ships and the wall have the Trojans, high of heart, and their far-famed allies set their bivouac, and kindled many fires throughout the host, and they deem that they shall no more be stayed, but will fall upon our black ships. And Zeus, son of Cronos, shows them signs upon the right with his lightnings, and Hector exulting greatly in his might rageth furiously, trusting in Zeus, and recketh not of men nor gods, for mighty madness hath possessed him. His prayer is that with all speed sacred Dawn may appear, for he declareth that he will hew from the ships' sterns the topmost ensigns, and burn the very hulls with consuming fire, and amidst them make havoc of the Achaeans, distraught by reason of the smoke. This then is the great fear of my heart, lest the gods fulfill for him his boastings, and it be our fate to perish here in Troy, far from horse-pasturing Argos. Nay, up then, if thou art minded even at the last to save from the war-din of the Trojans the sons of the Achaeans, that are sore bested. To thine own self shall sorrow be hereafter, nor can healing be found for ill once wrought—nay, rather, ere it be too late bethink thee how thou mayest ward from the Danaans the day of evil. Good friend, surely it was to thee that thy father Peleus gave command on the day when he sent thee to Agamemnon forth from Phthia: ‘My son, strength shall Athene and Hera give thee if they be so minded, but do thou curb thy proud spirit in thy breast, for gentle-mindedness is the better part; and withdraw thee from strife, contriver of mischief, that so the Argives both young and old may honour thee the more.’ On this wise did that old man charge thee, but thou forgettest. Yet do thou lease even now, and put from thee thy bitter wrath.
