ἦμαρ δ' ὀρφανικὸν παναφήλικα παῖδα τίθησι:
πάντα δ' ὑπεμνήμυκε. δεδάκρυνται δὲ παρειαί:
δευόμενος δέ τ' ἄνεισι πάϊς ἐς πατρὸς ἑταίρους.
ἄλλον μὲν χλαίνης ἐρύων. ἄλλον δὲ χιτῶνος.
τῶν δ' ἐλεησάντων. κοτύλην τις τυτθὸν ἐπέσχε:
χείλεα μέν τ' ἐδίην'. ὑπερώην δ' οὐκ ἐδίηνε:
τὸν δὲ καὶ ἀμφιθαλῆς ἀμφιθαλὴς ἐκ δαιτύος ἐστυφέλιξε
χερσὶν πεπληγὼν. καὶ ὀνειδείοισιν ἐνίσσων:
ἔρρ' οὕτως. οὐ, σός γε πατὴρ μετὰ δαίνυται ἡμῖν:
δακρυόεις δέ τ' ἄνεισι πάϊς ἐς μητέρα χήρην
Ἀστυάναξ: ὃς, πρὶν μὲν ἑοῦ ἐπὶ γούνασιγούνατα πατρὸς
μυελὸν οἶον ἔδεσκε, καὶ οἰῶν πίονα δημόν:
αὐτὰρ ὅθ' ὕπνος ἕλοι. παύσαιτό τε νηπιαχεύων:
εὕδεσκ' ἐν λέκτροισιν. ἐν ἀγκαλίδεσσι τιθήνης:
εὐνῇ ἐνι μαλακῇ. θαλέων ἐμπλησάμενος κῆρ:
νῦν δ' ἂνδὴ πολλὰ πάθῃσι. φίλου ἀπο πατρὸς ἁμαρτὼν
Ἀστυάναξ. ὃν, Τρῶες ἐπίκλησιν καλέουσιν:
οἶος γάρ σφιν ἔρυσο πύλας καὶ τείχεα μακρά:
νῦν δὲ σὲ μὲν παρα νηυσὶ κορωνίσι, νόσφι τοκήων.
αἰόλαι εὐλαὶ ἔδονται ἐπείἐπην κε κύνες κορέσωνται:
γυμνὸν: ἀτάρ τοι είματ' ἐνι μεγάροισι κέονται
λεπτά τε καὶ χαρίεντα τετυγμένα χερσὶ γυναικῶν
ἂλλ' ἤτοι τάδε πάντα καταφλέξω πυρὶ κηλέῳ:
οὐδὲν σοί γ' ὄφελος. ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἐγκείσεαι αὐτοῖς.
ἀλλὰ προς Τρώων καὶ Τρωϊάδων κλέος εἶναι:
"The day of orphanhood cutteth a child off from the friends of his youth; ever is his head bowed how, and his cheeks are bathed in tears, and in his need the child hieth him to his father's friends, plucking one by the cloak and another by the tunic; and of them that are touched with pity, one holdeth forth his cup for a moment: his hips he wetteth, but his palate he wetteth not. And one whose father and mother yet live thrusteth him from the feast with smiting of the hand, and chideth him with words of reviling: ‘Get thee gone, even as thou art! No father of thine feasteth in our company.’ Then in tears unto his widowed mother cometh back the child—Astyanax, that aforetime on his father's knees ate only marrow and the rich fat of sheep; and when sleep came upon him and he ceased from his childish play, then would he slumber on a couch in the arms of his nurse in his soft bed, his heart satisfied with good things. But now, seeing he has lost his dear father, he will suffer ills full many—my Astyanax, whom the Trojans call by this name for that thou alone didst save their gates and their high walls. But now by the beaked ships far from thy parents shall writhing worms devour thee, when the dogs have had their fill, as thou liest a naked corpse; yet in thy halls lieth raiment, finely-woven and fair, wrought by the hands of women. Howbeit all these things will I verily burn in blazing fire—in no wise a profit unto thee, seeing thou shalt not lie therein, but to be an honour unto thee from the men and women of Troy."
