ὡς εἰπὼν.ἐν χερσὶ τίθει. ὁ δ'ἐδέξατο χαίρων.
καί μιν φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα:
ναὶ δὴ ταῦτά γε πάντα τέκος κατα μοῖραν ἔειπες.
οὐ γὰρ ἔτ' ἔμπεδα γυῖα φίλος, πόδες. οὐδέ τι χεῖρες
ὤμων ἀμφοτέρωθεν ἐπαΐσσονται ἐλαφραί:
εἴθ', ὡς, ἡβώοιμι, βίη τέ μοι ἔμπεδος εἴη:
ὡς ὁπότε κρείοντ' Ἀμαρυγκέα θάπτον Ἐπειοὶ
Βουπρασίῳ. παῖδες δ' ἔθεσαν βασιλῆος ἄεθλα.
ἔνθ' οὔ τίς μοι ὁμοῖος νὴρ γένετ'. οὔτ' ὰρ' Ἐπειῶν.
οὔτ' αὐτῶν Πυλίων. οὔτ' Αἰτωλῶν μεγαθύμων:
πὺξ μὲν ἐνίκησα Κλυτομήδεα Ἤνοπος υἱόν,
Ἀγκαῖον δὲ πάλῃ Πλευρώνιον, ὅς μοι νέστη:
Ἴφικλον δὲ πόδεσσι παρέδραμον ἐσθλὸν ἐόντα,
δουρὶ δ' ὑπειρέβαλον Φυλῆά τε καὶ Πολύδωρον.
οἴοισίν μ' ἵπποισι παρήλασαν Ἀκτορίωνε
πλήθει πρόσθε βαλόντες γασσάμενοι περὶ νίκης,
οὕνεκα δὴ τὰ μέγιστα παρ' αὐτόφι λείπετ' ἄεθλα.
οἱ δ' ἄρ' ἔσαν δίδυμοι: ὁ μὲν ἔμπεδον ἡνιόχευεν,
ἔμπεδον ἡνιόχευ', ὁ δ' ἄρα μάστιγι κέλευεν.
ὡς ποτ' ἔον: νῦν αὖτε νεώτεροι ντιοώντων
ἔργων τοιούτων: ἐμὲ δὲ χρὴ γήραϊ λυγρῷ
πείθεσθαι, τότε δ' αὖτε μετέπρεπον ἡρώεσσιν.
λλ' ἴθι καὶ σὸν ἑταῖρον έθλοισι κτερέϊζε.
τοῦτο δ' ἐγὼ πρόφρων δέχομαι, χαίρει δέ μοι ἦτορ,
ὥςμεῦ εὶ μέμνησαι ἐνηέος, οὐδέ σε λήθω,
τιμῆς ἧς τέ μ' ἔοικε τετιμῆσθαι μετ' Ἀχαιοῖς.
σοὶ δὲ θεοὶ τῶνδ' ντὶ χάριν μενοεικέα δοῖεν.
So saying he placed the urn in his arms, and Nestor received it gladly, and spake, and addressed him with winged words: "Aye, verily, my son, all this hast thou spoken aright, for my limbs, even my feet, are no more firm, O my friend, as of old, nor do my arms as of old dart out lightly from my shoulders on either side. Would that I were young, and my strength were firm as on the day when the Epeians were burying lord Amarynceus at Buprasium, and his sons appointed prizes in honour of the king. Then was there no man that proved himself my peer, neither of the Epeians nor of Pylians themselves nor of the great-souled Aetolians. In boxing I overcame Clytomedes, son of Enops, and in wrestling Ancaeus of Pleuron, who stood up against me; Iphiclus I outran in the foot-race, good man though he was; and in casting the spear I outthrew Phyleus and Polydorus. In the chariot race alone the twain sons of Actor outstripped me by force of numbers crowding their horses to the front, being exceeding jealous for victory, for that the goodliest prize abode yet there in the lists. Twin brethren were they—the one drave with sure hand, drave with sure hand, while the other plied the goad. Thus was I on a time, but now let men that be younger face such-like tasks; me it behoveth to yield to grievous old age, but then was I pre-eminent among warriors. But come, for thy comrade too hold thou funeral rites with contests. For this gift, I receive it wlth gladness, and my heart rejoiceth that thou rememberest me, thy friend, neither am I forgotten of thee, and the honour wherewith it beseemeth that I be honoured among the Achaeans. And to thee may the gods in requital thereof grant grace to satisfy thy heart."
