§681ἐμοὶ γὰρ οὐδʼ ὃ πᾶσι λείπεται βροτοῖς §682ξύνεστιν ἐλπίς, οὐδὲ κλέπτομαι φρένας §683πράξειν τι κεδνόν· ἡδὺ δʼ ἐστὶ καὶ δοκεῖν.
: For to me not even that which is left to all mortals is present, hope, nor am I deceived in my mind I shall fare well; though it is sweet even to imagine it.
: You have come to the same point of misfortune; and by lamenting own lot, you teach me where I stand in my sufferings.
myself have not yet boarded the hull of a ship, I know of it from seeing it in pictures and from hearing of it.
§688ναύταις γὰρ ἢν μὲν μέτριος ᾖ χειμὼν φέρειν, §689προθυμίαν ἔχουσι σωθῆναι πόνων, §690ὁ μὲν παρʼ οἴαχʼ, ὁ δʼ ἐπὶ λαίφεσιν βεβώς, §691ὁ δʼ ἄντλον εἴργων ναός· ἢν δʼ ὑπερβάλῃ §692πολὺς ταραχθεὶς πόντος, ἐνδόντες τύχῃ §693παρεῖσαν αὑτοὺς κυμάτων δρομήμασιν.
when a storm is moderate for sailors to bear, have the eagerness to be saved from their troubles, standing by the rudder, another going to the sails, another keeping the bilge-water out of the ship; but if the great turbulent sea prevails, yielding to fortune, commit themselves to the courses of the waves.
§694οὕτω δὲ κἀγὼ πόλλʼ ἔχουσα πήματα §695ἄφθογγός εἰμι καὶ παρεῖσʼ ἐῶ στόμα· §696νικᾷ γὰρ οὑκ θεῶν με δύστηνος κλύδων.
so I too, having many sufferings, voiceless and, letting my mouth relax, I remain silent; the miserable wave sent by the gods overcomes me.
, dear child, let the fate of Hector; your tears will never save him.
honor your present master, to your husband the sweet bait of your obedient ways.
§701κἂν δρᾷς τάδʼ, ἐς τὸ κοινὸν εὐφρανεῖς φίλους §702καὶ παῖδα τόνδε παιδὸς ἐκθρέψειας ἂν §703Τροίᾳ μέγιστον ὠφέλημʼ, ἵνʼ — εἴ ποτε — §704ἐκ σοῦ γενόμενοι παῖδες Ἴλιον πάλιν §705κατοικίσειαν, καὶ πόλις γένοιτʼ ἔτι.
if you do this, you will gladden our common friends, you may rear this child of my child a greatest benefit to Troy, so that — if ever — born of you might again inhabit, and a city might still exist.
§706ἀλλʼ ἐκ λόγου γὰρ ἄλλος ἐκβαίνει λόγος, §707τίνʼ αὖ δέδορκα τόνδʼ Ἀχαιϊκὸν λάτριν §708στείχοντα καινῶν ἄγγελον βουλευμάτων;
since from one word another word arises, do I see here, this Achaean servant, as a messenger of new decrees?
: Wife of Hector, once the best of the Phrygians, not hate me; for I do not announce this willingly.
bring the common announcements of the Danaans and the sons of Pelops —: What is it?
ὥς μοι φροιμίων ἄρχῃ κακῶν.
How you begin with an evil prelude!
§713ἔδοξε τόνδε παῖδα πῶς εἴπω λόγον;
: It has been decreed that this child — how shall I speak the word?
§714μῶν οὐ τὸν αὐτὸν δεσπότην ἡμῖν ἔχειν;
: Surely he does not have the same master as we do?
§715οὐδεὶς Ἀχαιῶν τοῦδε δεσπόσει ποτέ.
: No one of the Achaeans shall ever rule over him.
§716ἀλλʼ ἐνθάδʼ αὐτοῦ λείψανον Φρυγῶν λιπεῖν;
: But is he to be left here as the remnant of the Phrygians?
§717οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅπως σοι ῥᾳδίως εἴπω κακά.
: I do not know how to tell you the bad news easily.
§718ἐπῄνεσʼ αἰδῶ, πλὴν ἐὰν λέγῃς καλά.
: I praise your reluctance, unless indeed you are speaking good things.
§719κτενοῦσι σὸν παῖδʼ, ὡς πύθῃ κακὸν μέγα.
: They will kill your child, that you may know the great evil.
§720οἴμοι, γάμων τόδʼ ὡς κλύω μεῖζον κακόν.
: Alas, how I hear of an evil greater than my marriage!
: And Odysseus wins the day, speaking among all the Hellenes —: Alas indeed!
οὐ γὰρ μέτρια πάσχομεν κακά.
For we suffer no moderate evils.
: Saying that they should not rear the child of the noblest father —: May he win such victories concerning his own children!
§725ῥῖψαι δὲ πύργων δεῖν σφε Τρωικῶν ἄπο.
: And that they must cast him down from the Trojan towers.
§726ἀλλʼ ὣς γενέσθω, καὶ σοφωτέρα φανῇ· §727μήτʼ ἀντέχου τοῦδʼ, εὐγενῶς δʼ ἄλγει κακοῖς, §728μήτε σθένουσα μηδὲν ἰσχύειν δόκει.
let it be so, and you will appear wiser; cling to him, but bear your griefs nobly,, having no strength, think that you are powerful.
§729ἔχεις γὰρ ἀλκὴν οὐδαμῇ.
you have no defense anywhere.
σκοπεῖν δὲ χρή· §730πόλις τʼ ὄλωλε καὶ πόσις, κρατῇ δὲ σύ, §731ἡμεῖς δὲ πρὸς γυναῖκα μάρνασθαι μίαν §732οἷοί τε.
And you must consider: city has perished, and your husband, and you are controlled, we are able to fight against single woman.
τούτων οὕνεκʼ οὐ μάχης ἐρᾶν §733οὐδʼ αἰσχρὸν οὐδὲν οὐδʼ ἐπίφθονόν σε δρᾶν, §734οὐδʼ αὖ σʼ Ἀχαιοῖς βούλομαι ῥίπτειν ἀράς.
Therefore, do not desire battle, do anything shameful or bring reproach upon yourself, again do I wish you to cast curses upon the Achaeans.
if you say anything that angers the army, child will neither be buried nor obtain pity.
§737σιγῶσα δʼ εὖ τε τὰς τύχας κεκτημένη §738τὸν τοῦδε νεκρὸν οὐκ ἄθαπτον ἂν λίποις §739αὐτή τʼ Ἀχαιῶν πρευμενεστέρων τύχοις.
by keeping silent and bearing your fortunes well, would not leave this child's corpse unburied, you yourself would find the Achaeans more well-disposed.
§740ὦ φίλτατʼ, ὦ περισσὰ τιμηθεὶς τέκνον, §741θανῇ πρὸς ἐχθρῶν μητέρʼ ἀθλίαν λιπών, §742ἡ τοῦ πατρὸς δέ σʼ εὐγένειʼ ἀποκτενεῖ, §743ἣ τοῖσιν ἄλλοις γίγνεται σωτηρία, §744τὸ δʼ ἐσθλὸν οὐκ ἐς καιρὸν ἦλθε σοὶ πατρός.
: O dearest, O too highly honored child, will die by the hands of enemies, leaving your wretched mother; the noble birth of your father will kill you, to others becomes a salvation, the excellence of your father did not come to you at the right time.
§745ὦ λέκτρα τἀμὰ δυστυχῆ τε καὶ γάμοι, §746οἷς ἦλθον ἐς μέλαθρον Ἕκτορός ποτε, §747οὐ σφάγιον υἱὸν Δαναΐδαις τέξουσʼ ἐμόν, §748ἀλλʼ ὡς τύραννον Ἀσιάδος πολυσπόρου.
my ill-fated bed and marriage, which I once came into the palace of Hector, to bear my son as a victim for the Danaans, as a ruler of fertile Asia!
§749ὦ παῖ, δακρύεις· αἰσθάνῃ κακῶν σέθεν;
child, you weep; do you perceive your own evils?
have you grasped me with your hands and cling to my robes, a fledgling falling under my wings?
§752οὐκ εἶσιν Ἕκτωρ κλεινὸν ἁρπάσας δόρυ §753γῆς ἐξανελθὼν σοὶ φέρων σωτηρίαν, §754οὐ συγγένεια πατρός, οὐκ ἰσχὺς Φρυγῶν· §755λυγρὸν δὲ πήδημʼ ἐς τράχηλον ὑψόθεν §756πεσὼν ἀνοίκτως, πνεῦμʼ ἀπορρήξεις σέθεν.
will not come, grasping his famous spear, up from the earth to bring salvation to you, any kinsman of your father, nor strength of the Phrygians; a miserable leap down onto your neck from on high, pitilessly, will break your breath.
young embrace, dearest to your mother, sweet breath of your skin!
διὰ κενῆς ἄρα §759ἐν σπαργάνοις σε μαστὸς ἐξέθρεψʼ ὅδε, §760μάτην δʼ ἐμόχθουν καὶ κατεξάνθην πόνοις.
In vain then this breast nurse you in swaddling clothes, in vain did I toil and was worn out with labors.
§761νῦν — οὔποτʼ αὖθις — μητέρʼ ἀσπάζου σέθεν,
— never again hereafter — embrace your mother.