ὡς φάτο. τὸν δ' ἄχεος νεφέλη ἐκάλυψε μέλαινα:
ἀμφοτέρῃσι δὲ χερσὶν ἑλὼν κόνιν αἰθαλόεσσαν
χεύατο κακ κεφαλῆς: χαρίεν δ' ήσχυνε πρόσωπον:
νεκταρέῳ δὲ χιτῶνι μέλαιν' ἀμφίζανε τέφρη.
αὐτὸς δ' ἐν κονίῃσι μέγας μεγαλωστὶ τανυσθεὶς
κεῖτο: φίλῃσι δὲ χερσὶ κόμην ᾔσχυνε δαΐζων:
δμωαῖ δμωαὶ δ' ἃς Ἀχιλεὺς ληΐσσατο Πάτροκλος τε:
θυμὸν ἀκηχέμεναι, μεγάλ' ΐαχον. ἐκ δὲ θύραζε
ἔδραμον ἀμφ' Ἀχιλῆα δαΐφρονα: χερσὶ δὲ πᾶσαι
στήθεα πεπλήγοντο, λύθεν δ' ὑπο γυῖα ἑκάστης:
Ἀντίλοχος δ' ἑτέρωθεν ὀδύρετο δάκρυα λείβων,
χεῖρας ἔχων Ἀχιλῆος. ὃ δ' ἔστενε κυδάλιμον κῆρ:
δείδιε γὰρ, μὴ λαιμὸν ἀποτμήξειε σιδήρῳ:
τερπόμενοι: δοιὼ δὲ κυβιστητῆρε κατ' αὐτοὺς
So spake he, and a black cloud of grief enwrapped Achilles, and with both his hands he took the dark dust and strewed it over his head and defiled his fair face, and on his fragrant tunic the black ashes fell. And himself in the dust lay outstretched, mighty in his mightiness, and with his own hands he tore and marred his hair. And the handmaidens, that Achilles and Patroclus had got them as booty, shrieked aloud in anguish of heart, and ran forth around wise-hearted Achilles, and all beat their breasts with their hands, and the knees of each one were loosed be-neath her. And over against them Antilochus wailed and shed tears, holding the hands of Achilles, that in his noble heart was moaning mightily; for he feared lest he should cut his throat asunder with the knife.
