ἦ ῥ', Ἀχιλεὺς δ' ἑτάροισιν ἰ̈δὲ δμῳῇσι κέλευσε
δέμνι' ὑπ αἰθούσῃ θέμεναι, καὶ ῥήγεα καλὰ
πορφύρε' ἐμβαλέειν. στορέσαι τ' ἐφύπερθε τάπητας:
χλαίνας τ' ἐνθέμεναι οὔλας. καθύπερθεν ἕασασθαι:
αἳ δ' ἴ̈σαν ἐκ μεγάροιο δά̆ος μετα χερσὶν ἔχουσαι:
αῖψα δ' ἄρα στόρεσαν δοιὼ λέχε' ἐγκονέουσαι:
τὸν δ' ἐπικερτομέων προσέφη πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεύς:
ἐκτὸς μὲν δὴ λέξο γέρον φίλε: μή τις Ἀχαιῶν
ἐνθάδ' ἐπέλθῃσιν βουληφόρος: οἵ τέ μοι αἰεὶ
βουλὰς βουλεύουσι παρήμενοι ἡ θέμις ἐστί:
τῶν εἴ τίς σε ἴ̈δοιτο θοὴν δια νύκτα μέλαιναν.
αὐτίκ' ἂν ἐξείποι Ἀγαμέμνονι ποιμένι λαῶν:
καί κεν ἀνάβλησις λύσιος νεκροῖο γένηται:
ἂλλ ἄγε μοι τόδε εἰπὲ καὶ ἀτρεκέως κατάλεξον:
ποσσῆμαρ μέμονας κτερεϊζέμεν Ἕκτορα δῖον
ὄφρα τέως αὐτός τε μένω καὶ λαὸν ἐρύκω:
He spake, and Achilles bade his comrades and the handmaids set bedsteads beneath the portico, and to lay on them fair purple blankets, and to spread thereover coverlets, and on these to put fleecy cloaks for clothing. So the maids went forth from the hall with torches in their hands, and straightway spread two beds in busy haste. Then mockingly spake unto Priam Achilles, swift of foot: "Without do thou lay thee down, dear old sire, lest there come hither one of the counsellors of the Achaeans, that ever sit by my side and take counsel, as is meet. If one of these were to have sight of thee through the swift black night, forthwith might he haply tell it to Agamemnon, shepherd of the host, and so should there arise delay in the giving back of the body. But come, tell me this, and declare it truly: for how many days' space thou art minded to make funeral for goodly Hector, to the end that for so long I may myself abide, and may keep back the host."
