ὣς φάτο: κώκυσεν δὲ γυνὴ, καὶ ἀμείβετο μύθῳ:
ωίμοι πῇ δή τοι φρένες οἴχονθ'. ᾗς τὸ πάρος περ
ἔκλε'ἔκλo'. ἐπ ἀνθρώπους ξείνους, ἠδ' οἷσιν ἀνάσσεις:
πῶς ἐθέλεις ἐπὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν ἐλθέμεν οἶος
ἀνδρὸς ἐς ὀφθαλμοὺς. ὅς τοι πολέας τε καὶ ἐσθλοὺς
υἱέας ἐξενάριξε. σιδήρειόν νύ τοι ῆτορ:
εἰ γάρ σ' αἱρήσει καὶ ἐσόψεται ὀφθαλμοῖσιν.
ὠμηστὴς καὶ ἄπιστος ἀνὴρ ὅ δεγε οὔ σ' ἐλεήσει.
οὐδέ τι σ' αἰδέσεται: νῦν δε κλαίωμεν ἄνευθεν
ἥμενοι ἐν μεγάρῳ: τῷ δ' ὥς ποθι Μοῖρα κραταιὴ
γεινομένῳ ἐπένησε λίνῳ, ὅτε μιν τέκον αὐτὴ,
ἀργίποδας κύνας ᾶσαι ἑῶν ἀπάνευθε τοκήων
ἀνδρὶ παρα κρατερῷ, τοῦ ἐγὼ μέσον ἧπαρ ἔχοιμι
ἐσθέμεναι προσφῦσα, τότ' ἄντιτα ἔργα γένοιτο
παιδὸς ἐμοῦ. ἐπεὶ οὔ, ἑ, κακιζόμενόν γε κατέκτα,
ἀλλὰ πρὸ Τρώων καὶ Τρωϊάδων βαθυκόλπων
ἑσταότ'. οὔτε φόβου μεμνημένον. οὔτ' ἀλεωρῆς:
So spake he, but his wife uttered a shrill cry, and spake in answer: "Ah, woe is me, whither now is gone the wisdom for the which of old thou wast famed among stranger folk and among them thou rulest? How art thou fain to go alone to the ships of the Achaeans to meet the eyes of the man who hath slain thy sons, many and valiant? Of iron verily is thy heart. For if so be he get thee in his power and his eyes behold thee, so savage and faithless is the man, he will neither pity thee nor anywise have reverence. Nay, let us now make our lament afar from him we mourn, abiding here in the hall. On this wise for him did mighty Fate spin with her thread at his birth, when myself did bear him, that he should glut swift-footed dogs far from his parents, in the abode of a violent man, in whose inmost heart I were fain to fix my teeth and feed thereon; then haply might deeds of requital be wrought for my son, seeing in no wise while playing the dastard was he slain of him, but while standing forth in defence of the men and deep-bosomed women of Troy, with no thought of shelter or of flight."
