Would that I might see Helen; for through her beautiful eyes she most shamefully destroyed prosperous Troy.
§444αὔρα, ποντιὰς αὔρα, §445ἅτε ποντοπόρους κομί- §446ζεις θοὰς ἀκάτους ἐπʼ οἶδμα λίμνας, §447ποῖ με τὰν μελέαν πορεύ- §448σεις;
Breeze, sea-breeze, who conveyest the swift-going, sea-crossing boats over the swelling of the deep, whither wilt thou carry me, wretched as I am?
τῷ δουλόσυνος πρὸς οἶ- §449κον κτηθεῖσʼ ἀφίξομαι;
To whose house shall I come, acquired as a slave?
ἢ §450Δωρίδος ὅρμον αἴας; §451ἢ Φθιάδος, ἔνθα τὸν §452καλλίστων ὑδάτων πατέρα §454φασὶν Ἀπιδανὸν πεδία λιπαίνειν;
Shall it be to a harbor of the Dorian land, or of Phthia, where they say Apidanus, the father of the fairest waters, fertilizes the plains?
§455ἢ νάσων, ἁλιήρει §456κώπᾳ πεμπομέναν τάλαι- §457ναν, οἰκτρὰν βιοτὰν ἔχουσαν οἴκοις, §458ἔνθα πρωτόγονός τε φοῖ- §459νιξ δάφνα θʼ ἱεροὺς ἀνέ- §460σχε πτόρθους Λατοῖ φίλᾳ ὠ- §461δῖνος ἄγαλμα Δίας;
Or to the islands, sent by the sea-rowing oar, wretched one, to have a pitiable life in the house, where both the first-born palm and the laurel held up their sacred branches for beloved Leto, a proud ornament of the divine childbirth of Zeus?
And shall I, with the Delian maidens, praise the golden headband and the bow of the goddess Artemis?
§466ἢ Παλλάδος ἐν πόλει §467τὰς καλλιδίφρους Ἀθα- §468ναίας ἐν κροκέῳ πέπλῳ §469ζεύξομαι ἆρα πώλους ἐν §470δαιδαλέαισι ποικίλλουσʼ §471ἀνθοκρόκοισι πήναις, ἢ §472Τιτάνων γενεὰν §473τὰν Ζεὺς ἀμφιπύρῳ κοιμί- §474ζει φλογμῷ Κρονίδας;
Or in the city of Pallas, shall I yoke the horses of Athena, who rides in beautiful chariots, on her saffron robe, embroidering them in intricate, flower-woven threads on the loom, or the race of Titans, whom Zeus, the son of Kronos, lulls to sleep with his all-consuming flame?
§475ὤ μοι τεκέων ἐμῶν,
Alas for my children!
Alas for my ancestors and my land, which is falling in ruins, smoldering in smoke, won by the spear of the Argives!
ἐγὼ δʼ ἐν ξεί- §480νᾳ χθονὶ δὴ κέκλημαι δού- §481λα, λιποῦσʼ Ἀσίαν, §482Εὐρώπας θεραπνᾶν ἀλλά- §483ξασʼ Ἅιδα θαλάμους.
But I am called a slave in a foreign land, leaving Asia behind, having exchanged it for the servile chambers of Europe, taking Hades' chambers in place of the bridal bed.
Where, Trojan maidens, might I find Hecuba, who was once the queen of Ilium?
Talthybius, she lies near you, with her back on the ground, wrapped in her robes.
§488ὦ Ζεῦ, τί λέξω;
Oh Zeus, what shall I say?
πότερά σʼ ἀνθρώπους ὁρᾶν; §489ἢ δόξαν ἄλλως τήνδε κεκτῆσθαι μάτην, §491τύχην δὲ πάντα τἀν βροτοῖς ἐπισκοπεῖν;
That you look upon men, or that we hold this opinion in vain, for nothing, while chance governs all things among mortals?
§492οὐχ ἥδʼ ἄνασσα τῶν πολυχρύσων Φρυγῶν,
Is this not the queen of the wealthy Phrygians?
§493οὐχ ἥδε Πριάμου τοῦ μέγʼ ὀλβίου δάμαρ;
Is this not the wife of Priam, who was once so greatly blessed?
§494καὶ νῦν πόλις μὲν πᾶσʼ ἀνέστηκεν δορί, §495αὐτὴ δὲ δούλη γραῦς ἄπαις ἐπὶ χθονὶ §496κεῖται, κόνει φύρουσα δύστηνον κάρα.
And now her entire city is laid low by the spear, while she herself, a childless, old slave, lies on the ground, defiling her wretched head with dust.
§497φεῦ φεῦ·
Alas, alas!
γέρων μέν εἰμʼ, ὅμως δέ μοι θανεῖν §498εἴη πρὶν αἰσχρᾷ περιπεσεῖν τύχῃ τινί.
Old though I am, may death be mine before I fall into any shameful fortune.
Arise, unhappy one, and raise your body, lift up your snow-white head.
§501ἔα·
Ha!
τίς οὗτος σῶμα τοὐμὸν οὐκ ἐᾷ §502κεῖσθαι;
Who is this who does not allow my body to lie?
τί κινεῖς μʼ, ὅστις εἶ, λυπουμένην;
Why do you disturb me, whoever you are, in my grief?
I am Talthybius, the herald of the Danaans, sent by Agamemnon to fetch you, lady.
Oh dearest friend, have you come because it has seemed good to the Achaeans to slaughter me too at the tomb?
ὡς φίλʼ ἂν λέγοις.
How welcome would be your words!
§507σπεύδωμεν, ἐγκονῶμεν· ἡγοῦ μοι, γέρον.
Let us hasten, let us make speed; lead me on, old man.
§508σὴν παῖδα κατθανοῦσαν ὡς θάψῃς, γύναι, §509ἥκω μεταστείχων σε· πέμπουσιν δέ με §510δισσοί τʼ Ἀτρεῖδαι καὶ λεὼς Ἀχαιικός.
Lady, I have come to fetch you so that you may bury your dead daughter; I am sent by the two sons of Atreus and the Achaean host.
§511οἴμοι, τί λέξεις;
Alas, what will you say?
οὐκ ἄρʼ ὡς θανουμένους §512μετῆλθες ἡμᾶς, ἀλλὰ σημανῶν κακά;
Did you not come to fetch us to die, but to announce evils?
You are undone, my child, snatched away from your mother; and we are childless as far as you are concerned.
ὦ τάλαινʼ ἐγώ.
Oh wretched me!
§515πῶς καί νιν ἐξεπράξατʼ; ἆρʼ αἰδούμενοι;
How did you dispatch her?
Was it with reverence, or did you proceed to the dreadful deed as if killing an enemy, old man?
εἰπέ, καίπερ οὐ λέξων φίλα.
Speak, even though you will not speak words of joy.
You demand that I win double tears, lady, in pity for your child.
νῦν τε γὰρ λέγων κακὰ §520τέγξω τόδʼ ὄμμα, πρὸς τάφῳ θʼ ὅτʼ ὤλλυτο.
For both now, as I speak of her woes, I shall wet this eye, and also when she was dying at the tomb.
The entire crowd of the Achaean army was present, full before the mound, for the slaughter of your girl.
The son of Achilles, taking Polyxena by the hand, placed her on the top of the mound, and I stood nearby.
And chosen youth, selected from the Achaeans, to hold back the leaps of your calf with their hands, followed.
πλῆρες δʼ ἐν χεροῖν λαβὼν δέπας §528πάγχρυσον αἴρει χειρὶ παῖς Ἀχιλλέως §529χοὰς θανόντι πατρί· σημαίνει δέ μοι §530σιγὴν Ἀχαιῶν παντὶ κηρῦξαι στρατῷ.
Taking a full, all-golden cup in his hands, the son of Achilles raised it with his hand to pour libations to his dead father; and he signaled to me to proclaim silence to the whole Achaean host.
And I, standing in their midst, spoke these words: "Be silent, Achaeans!
§533σίγα σιώπα·
Let the whole host be quiet!
νήνεμον δʼ ἔστησʼ ὄχλον.
Silent, hush!" And I made the crowd stand still as a windless calm.
§534ὃ δʼ εἶπεν· Ὦ παῖ Πηλέως, πατὴρ δʼ ἐμός, §535δέξαι χοάς μοι τάσδε κηλητηρίους, §536νεκρῶν ἀγωγούς· ἐλθὲ δʼ, ὡς πίῃς μέλαν §537κόρης ἀκραιφνὲς αἷμʼ, ὅ σοι δωρούμεθα
And he said: "Oh son of Peleus, and my father, receive these placating libations from me, which draw the dead; come, that you may drink the pure, black blood of the maiden, which we present to you."