ῆ ῥ' ὁ γέρων: πολιὰς δ' ὰρ ἀνα τρίχας ἕλκετο χερσὶ
τίλλων ἐκ κεφαλῆς. οὐδ' Ἕκτορι θυμὸν ἔπειθε:
μήτηρ δ' αὖθ' ἑτέρωθεν ὀδύρετο δακρυχέουσα.
κόλπον ἀνῐεμένη. ἑτέρηφι δὲ μαζὸν ἀνέσχε.
καί μιν δακρυχέουσ'. ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα:
Ἕκτορ τέκνον ἐμόν. τάδε τ' αἴδεο. καί μ' ἐλέησον
αὐτήν. εἴ ποτέ τοι λαθικηδέα μαζὸν ἐπέσχον.
τῶν μνῆσαι φίλε τέκνον. ἄμυνε δὲ δήϊον ἄνδρα:
τείχεος ἐντὸς ἐών. μὴ δὲ πρόμος ἵστασο τούτῳ:
σχέτλιος: εἴ περ γάρ σε κατακτάνῃ. οὔ σ' ἔτ' ἔγωγε
κλαύσομαι ἐν λεχέεσσι φίλον τέκος. ὃν τέκον αὐτὴν:
οὐδ' ἄλοχος πολύδωρος: ἄνευθε δέ σε μέγα, νῶϊν.
Ἀργείων παρὰ νηυσὶ κύνες ταχέες κατέδονται:
Thus spake the old man, and with his hands he plucked and tore the hoary hairs from his head; but he could not persuade the heart of Hector. And over against him the mother in her turn wailed and shed tears, loosening the folds of her robe, while with the other hand she showed her breast, and amid shedding of tears she spake unto him winged words: "Hector, my child, have thou respect unto this and pity me, if ever I gave thee the breast to lull thy pain. Think thereon, dear child, and ward off yon foemen from within the wall, neither stand thou forth to face him. Cruel is he; for if so be he shay thee, never shall I lay thee on a bier and bewail thee, dear plant, born of mine own self, nay, nor shall thy bounteous wife; but far away from us by the ships of the Argives shall swift dogs devour thee."
