Iliad 22 Lines 66-110 GREEK IB HL

αὐτὸν δ᾽ ἂν πύματόν με κύνες πρώτῃσι θύρῃσινὠμησταὶ ἐρύουσιν,

and as for me, last of all the dogs at the outer gates who eat raw meat will tear me apart,

ἐπεί κέ τις ὀξέϊ χαλκῷτύψας ἠὲ βαλὼν ῥεθέων ἐκ θυμὸν ἕληται,

when after striking me with the sharp bronze or hitting me (with a spear) someone takes my spirit from my limbs,

οὓς τρέφον ἐν μεγάροισι τραπεζῆας θυραωρούς,οἵ κ᾽ ἐμὸν αἷμα πιόντες ἀλύσσοντες περὶ θυμῷ

dogs whom I reared in my halls as table dogs and guard dogs who, after drinking my blood, will be restless in their hearts

κείσοντ᾽ ἐν προθύροισι.

and will lie in the gateway.

νέῳ δέ τε πάντ᾽ ἐπέοικεν ἄρηϊ κταμένῳ δεδαϊγμένῳ ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ

for a young man all is decent when he is killed in battle, brought down by the sharp bronze;

κεῖσθαι· πάντα δὲ καλὰ θανόντι περ ὅττι φανήῃ·

though he is dead, all that is revealed of him is beautiful.

ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε δὴ πολιόν τε κάρη πολιόν τε γένειοναἰδῶ τ᾽ αἰσχύνωσι κύνες κταμένοιο γέροντος,

but when indeed the grey head and grey beard and private parts of an old man who has been killed are defiled by dogs,

τοῦτο δὴ οἴκτιστον πέλεται δειλοῖσι βροτοῖσιν.

this indeed is the most pitiable thing for wretched mortals."

ἦ ῥ᾽ ὃ γέρων, πολιὰς δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἀνὰ τρίχας ἕλκετο χερσὶτίλλων ἐκ κεφαλῆς· οὐδ᾽ Ἕκτορι θυμὸν ἔπειθε.

so spoke the old man, and with his hands he pulled out the grey hair tearing it from his head; yet he did not persuade the spirit of Hector.

μήτηρ δ᾽ αὖθ᾽ ἑτέρωθεν ὀδύρετο δάκρυ χέουσακόλπον ἀνιεμένη, ἑτέρηφι δὲ μαζὸν ἀνέσχε·

then his mother on her side lamented weeping tears and lifting up the folds of her dress, and with one hand she held up her breast,

καί μιν δάκρυ χέουσ᾽ ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

and shedding tears she spoke winged words to him:

'Ἕκτορ τέκνον ἐμὸν τάδε τ᾽ αἴδεο καί μ᾽ ἐλέησοναὐτήν, εἴ ποτέ τοι λαθικηδέα μαζὸν ἐπέσχον·

"Hector, my child, have respect for this and take pity on me myself, if ever indeed I gave you the breast which drives away cares,

τῶν μνῆσαι φίλε τέκνον ἄμυνε δὲ δήϊον ἄνδρατείχεος ἐντὸς ἐών, μὴ δὲ πρόμος ἵστασο τούτῳσχέτλιος·

remember those times dear son, and fight off that terrible man from inside the walls, do not take your stand in the front line against him, you wretched man:

εἴ περ γάρ σε κατακτάνῃ, οὔ σ᾽ ἔτ᾽ ἔγωγεκλαύσομαι ἐν λεχέεσσι φίλον θάλος, ὃν τέκον αὐτή,

for if he kills you I who bore you will no longer be able to lament my dear son on a bier,

οὐδ᾽ ἄλοχος πολύδωρος· ἄνευθε δέ σε μέγα νῶϊνἈργείων παρὰ νηυσὶ κύνες ταχέες κατέδονται.

nor will your richly dowried wife; but far away from both of us by the ships of the Argives the swift dogs will feed upon your body."

ὣς τώ γε κλαίοντε προσαυδήτην φίλον υἱὸνπολλὰ λισσομένω· οὐδ᾽ Ἕκτορι θυμὸν ἔπειθον,

so these two called to their dear son in tears, imploring him again and again. but they did not persuade the heart of Hector,

ἀλλ᾽ ὅ γε μίμν᾽ Ἀχιλῆα πελώριον ἆσσον ἰόντα.

but he awaited the mighty Achilles as he came nearer.

ὡς δὲ δράκων ἐπὶ χειῇ ὀρέστερος ἄνδρα μένῃσιβεβρωκὼς κακὰ φάρμακ᾽, ἔδυ δέ τέ μιν χόλος αἰνός,

as when a snake in the mountains waits for a man in its lair, having eaten poisonous herbs, and a terrible anger comes over it,

σμερδαλέον δὲ δέδορκεν ἑλισσόμενος περὶ χειῇ·

and it glares out malevolently coiled around its hole,

ὣς Ἕκτωρ ἄσβεστον ἔχων μένος οὐχ ὑπεχώρειπύργῳ ἔπι προὔχοντι φαεινὴν ἀσπίδ᾽ ἐρείσας·

so Hector, keeping his fury unabated, did not retreat, leaning his shining shield on the projecting tower,

ὀχθήσας δ᾽ ἄρα εἶπε πρὸς ὃν μεγαλήτορα θυμόν·ὤ μοι ἐγών, εἰ μέν κε πύλας καὶ τείχεα δύω,

and in great turmoil he spoke out his own great heart: "alas if I go into the gates and the city walls,

Πουλυδάμας μοι πρῶτος ἐλεγχείην ἀναθήσει,ὅς μ᾽ ἐκέλευε Τρωσὶ ποτὶ πτόλιν ἡγήσασθαι

Poulydamas will be the first to lay blame on me, who told me to lead the Trojans into the city

νύχθ᾽ ὕπο τήνδ᾽ ὀλοὴν ὅτε τ᾽ ὤρετο δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς·

during this fateful night when godlike Achilles bestirred himself.

ἀλλ᾽ ἐγὼ οὐ πιθόμην· ἦ τ᾽ ἂν πολὺ κέρδιον ἦεν.

But I did not listen to him: it would have been much better for me if I had.

νῦν δ᾽ ἐπεὶ ὤλεσα λαὸν ἀτασθαλίῃσιν ἐμῇσιν,αἰδέομαι Τρῶας καὶ Τρῳάδας ἑλκεσιπέπλους,

But as it is, since I have brought ruin on my people through my own recklessness, I feel shame before the men of Troy and the women with trailing garments,

μή ποτέ τις εἴπῃσι κακώτερος ἄλλος ἐμεῖο·Ἕκτωρ ἧφι βίηφι πιθήσας ὤλεσε λαόν.

lest at some moment another man, a worse man than me, may say "Hector trusted in his own strength and destroyed his people."

ὣς ἐρέουσιν· ἐμοὶ δὲ τότ᾽ ἂν πολὺ κέρδιον εἴηἄντην ἢ Ἀχιλῆα κατακτείναντα νέεσθαι,

that is what they will say; then it would be much better for me to face him and either kill Achilles and return to the city,

ἠέ κεν αὐτῷ ὀλέσθαι ἐϋκλειῶς πρὸ πόληος.

or to die at his hands with glory in front of the city.