ὡς ἔφατ', ὦρτο δ' ἔπειτα μέγας Τελαμώνιος Αἴας,
ἂν δ' Ὀδυσεὺς πολύμητις ἀνίστατο, κέρδεα εἰδώς:
ζωσαμένω δ' ἄρα τώ γε βάτην ἐς μέσσον ἀγῶνα:
ἀγκὰς δ' ἀλλήλων λαβέτην χερσὶ στιβαρῇσιν
ὡς ὅτ'δ'ἀμείβοντες, τούς τε κλυτὸς ἤραρε τέκτων:
δώματος ὑψηλοῖο, βίας ἀνέμων ἀλεείνων:
τετρίγει δ' ἄρα νῶτα, θρασειάων ἀπὸ χειρῶν
ἑλκόμενα στερεῶς. κατὰ δὲ νότιος ῥέεν ἱδρώς:
πυκναὶ δὲ σμώδιγγες ἀνὰ πλευράς τε καὶ ὤμους
αἵματι φοινικόεσσαι ἀνέδραμον: οἱ δὲ μάλ' αἰεὶ
νίκης ϊέσθην. τρίποδος περι ποιητοῖο:
οὔτ' Ὀδυσεὺς δύνατο σφῆλαι. οὔδει τε πελάσσαι:
οὔτ' Αἴας δύνατο. κρατερὴ δ' ἔχεν, ῒς,Ὀδυσῆος:
ἂλλ' ὅτε δή ῥ' ἀνίαζον ἐϋκνήμιδας ἀχαιούς.
δὴ τότε μιν προσέειπε μέγας Τελαμώνιος Αἴας:
διογενὲς Λαερτιάδη, πολυμήχαν' Ὀδυσσεῦ.
ἤ μ' ἀνάειρ’. ἢ ἐγώ σε: τὰ δ' αὖ Διϊ πάντα μελήσει:
So spake he, and thereat arose great Telamonian Aias, and up stood Odysseus of many wiles, he of guileful mind. Then the twain, when they had girded themselves, stepped into the midst of the place of gathering, and laid hold each of the other in close grip with their mighty hands, even as the gable-rafters of a high house, which some famous craftsman joineth together, that he may have shelter from the might of the winds. And their backs creaked beneath the violent tugging of bold hands, and the sweat flowed down in streams; and many a weal, red with blood, sprang up along their ribs and shoulders; and ever they strove amain for victory, to win the fashioned tripod. Neither might Odysseus avail to trip Aias and throw him to the ground, nor Aias him, for the mighty strength of Odysseus held firm. But when at the last they were like to weary the well-greaved Achaeans, then unto Odysseus spake great Telamonian Aias, saying: "Zeus-born, son of Laertes, Odysseus of many wiles, lift thou me, or let me lift thee; but the issue shall rest with Zeus."
