ὡς ἔφατο κλαίουσ': ἄλοχος δ' οὔ πω τι πέπυστο
Ἕκτορος: οὐ γὰρ γάρ οἵ τις ἐτήτυμος ἄγγελος ἐλθὼν
ἤγγειλ'. ὅττι ῥά οἱ πόσις ἔκτοθι μίμνε πυλάων:
ἂλλ' ἥ γ' ϊστὸν ὕφαινε μυχῷ δόμου ὑψηλοῖο.
δίπλακα πορφυρέην. ἒν δὲ θρόνα ποικίλ' ἔπασσε:
κέκλετο δ' ἀμφιπόλοισιν ἐϋπλοκάμοις κατα δῶμα
ἀμφι πυρὶ στῆσαι τρίποδα μέγαν: ὄφρα πέλοιτο
Ἕκτορι θερμὰ λοετρὰ ἔ́κ νοστήσαντι μά́χης
νηπίη: οὐδ' ἐνόησεν. ὅ μιν μάλα τῆλε λοετρῶν.
χερσὶν Ἀχιλλῆος δάμασσε γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη:
κωκυτοῦ δ' ἤκουσσε καὶ οἰμωγῆς ἀπὸ πύργου:
τῆς δ' ἐλελίχθη γυῖα: χαμαὶ δέ οἱ ἔκπεσε κερκίς:
ἡ δ' αὖτις δμῳῇσιν ἐϋπλοκάμοισι μετηύδα:
δεῦτε δύω μοι ἕπεσθον: ί̈δωμ' ὅτιν' ἔργα τέτυκται:
αἰδοίης ἑκυρῆς ὀπὸς ἔκλυον. ἐν δέ μοι αὐτῇ
στήθεσι πάλλεται ῆτορ ἀνα στόμα: νέρθε δὲ γοῦνα
πήγνυται: ἐγγὺς δή τι κακὸν Πριάμοιο τέκεσσιν:
αἲ γὰρ ἀπ' ούατος εἴη ἐμεῦ ἔπος: ἀλλὰ μάλ' αἰνῶς
δείδω. μὴ δή μοι θρασὺν Ἕκτορα δῖος Ἀχιλλεὺς
μοῦνον ἀποτμήξας πόλιος. πεδίον δὲ δίηται:
καὶ δή μιν καταπαύσῃ ἀγηνορίης ἀλεγεινῆς,
ἥ μιν ἔχεσκ', ἐπεὶ οὔ ποτ' ἐνι πληθύϊ μέν' ἀνδρῶν:
ἀλλα πολὺ προθέεσκε. τὸ ὃν, μένος οὐδενὶ εἴκων:
So spake she weeping; but the wife knew naught as yet the wife of Hector—for no true messenger had come to tell her that her husband abode without the gates; but she was weaving a web in the innermost part of the lofty house, a purple web of double fold, and therein was broidering flowers of varied hue. And she called to her fair-tressed handmaids through the house to set a great tripod on the fire,to the end that there should be a hot bath for Hector whenso he returned from out the battle—unwitting one, neither wist she anywise that far from all baths flashing-eyed Athene had laid him low by the hand of Achilles. But the shrieks she heard and the groanings from the wall, and her limbs reeled, and from her hand the shuttle fell to earth. Then she spake again among her fair-tressed handmaids: "Come hither two of you, and follow me, let me see what deeds have been wrought. It was the voice of my husband's honoured mother that I heard, and in mine own breast my heart leapeth to my mouth, and beneath me my knees are numbed; verily hard at hand is some evil thing for the children of Priam. Far from my ear be the word, but sorely am I afraid lest to my sorrow goodly Achilles may have cut off from the city bold Hector by himself alone, and have driven him to the plain, aye, and have by now made him to cease from the baneful valour that possessed him; seeing he would never abide in the throng of men, but would ever charge far to the front, yielding to no man in his might."
