αὐτὰρ ὃ διογενὴς δόρυ μὲν λίπεν αὐτοῦ ἐπ' ὄχθῃ
κεκλιμένον μυρίκῃσιν: ὁ δ' έσθορε δαίμονι ἶσος:
φάσγανον οἶον ἔχων, κακὰ δὲ φρεσὶ μήδετο ἔργα:
τύπτε δ' ἐπιστροφάδην: τῶν δὲ στόνος ὤρνυτ' ἀεικὴς
ἄορι θεινομένων. ἐρυθαίνετο δ' αἵματι ὕδωρ:
ὡς δ' ὑπο δελφῖνος μεγακήτεος ἰ̈χθύες ἄλλοι
φεύγοντες, πιμπλᾶσι μυχοὺς λιμένος εὐόρμου,
δειδιότες. μάλα γάρ τε κατεσθίει ὅν κε λάβῃσιν:
ὡς Τρῶες ποταμοῖο κατὰ δινοῖο ῥέεθρα
πτῶσσον ὑπὸ κρημνούς: ὁ δ' ἐπεὶ κάμε χεῖρας ἐναίρων.
ζωοὺς ἐκ ποταμοῖο δυώδεκα λέξατο κούρους
ποινὴν Πατρόκλοιο Μενοιτιάδαο θανόντος:
τοὺς ἐξῆγε θύραζε τεθηπότας ἠΰτε νεβρούς:
δῆσε δ' ὀπίσσω χεῖρας ἐϋτμήτοισιν ϊμᾶσι
τοὺς αὐτοὶ φορέεσκον ἐπὶ στρεπτοῖσι χιτῶσι:
δῶκε δ' ἑταίροισιν κατάγειν κοίλας ἐπὶ νῆας:
αὐτὰρ, ὁ ἀψ, ἐπόρουσε δαϊζέμεναι μενεαίνων:
But the Zeus-begotten left there his spear upon the bank, leaning against the tamarisk bushes, and himself leapt in like a god with naught but his sword; and grim was the work he purposed in his heart, and turning him this way and that he smote and smote; and from them uprose hideous groaning as they were anchorage in their terror, for greedily doth he devour whatsoever one he catcheth; even so cowered the Trojans in the streams of the dread river beneath the steep banks. And he, when his hands grew weary of slaying, chose twelve youths alive from out the river as blood-price for dead Patroclus, son of Menoetius. These led he forth dazed like fawns, and bound their hands behind them with shapely thongs, which they themselves wore about their pliant tunics, and gave them to his comrades to lead to the hollow ships. Then himself he sprang back again, full eager to slay.
