ῆ ῥα: καὶ ἀμφίπολον ταμίην ὄτρυν' ὁ γεραιὸς
χερσὶν ὕδωρ ἐπιχεῦαι ἀκήρατον: ἡ δὲ παρέστη
χέρνιβον ἀμφίπολος πρόχοόν θ' ἅμα χερσὶν ἔχουσα:
νιψάμενος δὲ. κύπελλον ἐδέξατο ἧς ἀλόχοιο:
εὔχετ' ἔπειτα στὰς, μέσῳ ἕρκεϊ. λεῖβε δὲ οἶνον.
οὐρανὸν εἰσανιδών: καὶ φωνήσας. ἔπος ηύδᾱ:
Ζεῦ πάτερ. ἴ̈δηθεν μεδέων: κύδιστε. μέγιστε:
δός μ' ἐς Ἀχιλλῆος φίλον ἐλθεῖν. ἠδ' ἐλεεινόν:
πέμψον δ' οἰωνὸν ταχὺν ἄγγελον. ὅς τε σοὶ αὐτῷ
φίλτατος οἰωνῶν: καί εὑ κράτος ἐστι μάλιστα:
δεξιὸν. ὄφρά μιν αὐτὸς ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖσι νοήσας.
τῷ πίσυνος. ἐπὶ νῆας ἴ̈ω Δαναῶν ταχυπώλων:
Thus spake the old man, and bade the housewife that attended pour over his hands water undefiled; and the handmaid drew nigh bearing in her hands alike basin and ewer. Then, when he had washed his hands, he took the cup from his wife and then made prayer, standing in the midst of thie court, and poured forth the wine, with a look toward heaven, and spake ahoud, saying: "Father Zeus, that rulest from Ida, most glorious, most great, grant that I may come unto Achilles' hut as one to be welcomed and to be pitied; and send a bird of omen, even the swift messenger that to thyself is dearest of birds and is mightiest in strength; let him appear upon my right hand, to the end that, marking the sign with mine own eyes, I may have trust therein, and go my way to the ships of the Danaans of fleet steeds."
