οὐδ' ἔλαθ' Αἴαντα μεγαλήτορα καὶ Μενέλαον
Ζεὺς. ὅτε δὴ Τρώεσσι δίδου ἑτεραλκέα νίκην.
τοῖσι δὲ μύθων ἦρχε μέγας Τελαμώνιος Αἴᾱς:
ὦ πόποι: ήδη μέν κε, καὶ ὃς, μάλα νήπιός ἐστι.
γνοίη, ὅτι Τρώεσσι πατὴρ Ζεὺς αὐτὸς ἀρήγει:
τῶν μὲν γὰρ πάντων βέλε' ἅπτεται ὅς τις ἐφίῃ:
ἢ κακὸς, ἢ ἀγαθὸς. Ζεὺς δ' ἔμπης πάντ' ἰ̈θύνει:
ἡμῖν δ' αύτως πᾶσιν ἐτώσια πίπτει ἔραζε:
ἂλλ' άγετ' αὐτοί περ φραζώμεθα μῆτιν ἀρίστην
ἠμὲν ὅπως τὸν νεκρὸν ἐρύσσομεν. ἠδὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ
χάρμα φίλοις ἑτάροισι γενώμεθα νοστήσαντες.
οἵ που δεῦρ' ὁρόωντες ἀκηχέδατ'. οὐδέτι φασὶν
Ἕκτορος ἀνδροφόνοιο μένος καὶ χεῖρας ἀάπτους
σχήσεσθ'. ἂλλ' ἐν νηυσὶ μελαίνῃσιν πεσέεσθαι:
εἴη δ' ὅς τις ἑταῖρος ἀπαγγείλειε τάχιστα
Πηλείδῃ: ἐπεὶ οὔ μιν ὀί̈ομαι οὐδὲ πεπύσθαι
λυγρῆς ἀγγελίης. ὅτι οἱ φίλος ὤλεθ' ἑταῖρος:
ἂλλ' οὔ πῃ δύναμαι ἰ̈δέειν τοιοῦτον Ἀχαιῶν.
ἠέρι γὰρ κατέχονται ὁμῶς αὐτοί τε καὶ ἵπποι:
Ζεῦ πάτερ. ἀλλὰ σὺ ῥῦσαι ὑπ' ἠέρος υἷας Ἀχαιῶν:
ποίησον δ' αἴθρην: δὸς δ' ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἰ̈δέσθαι:
ἒν δὲ φάει καὶ ὄλεσσον: ἐπεί νύ τοι εύαδεν οὕτως:
Nor were great-hearted Aias and Menelaus unaware how that Zeus was giving to the Trojans victory to turn the tide of battle; and of them great Telamonian Aias was first to speak, saying: "Out upon it, now may any man, how foolish so ever he be, know that father Zeus himself is succouring the Trojans. For the missiles of all of them strike home, whosoever hurleth them, be he brave man or coward: Zeus in any case guideth them all aright; but for us the shafts of every man fall vainly to the ground. Nay, come, let us of ourselves devise the counsel that is best, whereby we may both hale away the corpse, and ourselves return home for the joy of our dear comrades, who methinks are sore distressed as they look hither-ward, and deem that the fury and the irresistible hands of man-slaying Hector will not be stayed, but will fall upon the black ships. But I would there were some comrade to bear word with all speed to the son of Peleus, for methinks he hath not even heard the woeful tale, that his dear comrade is slain. Howbeit, nowhere can I see such a one among the Achaeans, for in darkness are they all enwrapped, themselves and their horses withal. Father Zeus, deliver thou from the darkness the sons of the Achaeans, and make clear sky, and grant us to see with our eyes. In the light do thou e'en slay us, seeing such is thy good pleasure."
