Ἕκτορα δ' ἀσπερχὲς κλονέων ἔφεπ' ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεύς:
ὡς δ' ὅτε νεβρὸν ὄρεσφι κύων ἐλάφοιο δίηται.
όρσας ἐξ εὐνῆς, διά τ' ἄγκεα, καὶ διὰ βήσσᾱς.
τὸν δ' εἴ πέρ τε λάθῃσι καταπτήξας ὑπο θάμνῳ:
ἀλλά τ' ἀνιχνεύων θέει ἔμπεδον, ὄφρά κεν εὕρῃ.
ὡς Ἕκτωρ οὐ λῆθε ποδώκεα Πηλείωνα:
ὁσσάκι δ' ὁρμήσειε πυλάων Δαρδανιάων
ἀντίον ἀΐξασθαι. ἐϋδμήτους ὑπὸ πύργους,
εἴ πως οἱ καθύπερθεν ἀλάλκοιεν βελέεσσι.
τοσσάκι μιν προπάροιθεν ἀποστρέψασκε παραφθὰς
πρὸς πεδίον: αὐτὸς δὲ ποτι πτόλιος πέτετ' αἰεί:
ὡς δ' ἐν ὀνείρῳ οὐ δύναται φεύγοντα διώκειν:
οὔτ' ὰρ, ὃ τὸν δύναται ὑποφεύγειν: οὔθ' ὃ διώκειν:
ὡς ῥα τὸν οὐ δύνατο μάρψαι ποσίν, οὐδ' ὃς, ἀλύξαι:
πῶς δέ κεν Ἕκτωρ κῆρας ὑπεξέφυγεν θανάτοιο.
εἰ μή οἱ πύματόν τε καὶ ὕστατον ἤντετ' Ἀπόλλων
ἐγγύθεν, ὅς οἱ ἐπῶρσε μένος. λαιψηρά τε γοῦνα:
ἄλλοισιν δ' ἀνένευε καρήατι δῖος Ἀχιλλεὺς.
οὐδ' ἔα, ϊέμεναι ἐπὶ Ἕκτορι πικρὰ βέλεμνα.
μή τις κῦδος ἄροιτο βαλών: ὁ δὲ δεύτερος ἔλθοι:
But hard upon Hector pressed swift Achilles in ceaseless pursuit. And as when on the mountains a hound rouseth from his covert the fawn of a deer and chaseth him through glens and glades, and though he escape for a time, cowering beneath a thicket, yet doth the hound track him out and run ever on until he find him; even so Hector escaped not the swift-footed son of Peleus. Oft as he strove to rush straight for the Dardanian gates to gain the shelter of the well-built walls, if so be his fellows from above might succour him with missiles, so oft would Achilles be beforehand with him and turn him back toward the plain, but himself sped on by the city's walls. And as in a dream a man availeth not to pursue one that fleeth before him—the one availeth not to flee, nor the other to pursue—even so Achilles availed not to overtake Hector in his fleetness, neither Hector to escape. And how had Hector escaped the fates of death, but that Apollo, albeit for the last and latest time, drew nigh him to rouse his strength and make swift his knees? And to his folk goodly Achilles made sign with a nod of his head, and would not suffer them to hurl at Hector their bitter darts, lest another might smite him and win glory, and himself come too late.
