§1Ἀεὶ μέν, ὦ παῖ Λαρτίου, δέδορκά σε §2πεῖράν τινʼ ἐχθρῶν ἁρπάσαι θηρώμενον· §3καὶ νῦν ἐπὶ σκηναῖς σε ναυτικαῖς ὁρῶ §4Αἴαντος, ἔνθα τάξιν ἐσχάτην ἔχει, §5πάλαι κυνηγετοῦντα καὶ μετρούμενον §6ἴχνη τὰ κείνου νεοχάραχθʼ, ὅπως ἴδῃς §7εἴτʼ ἔνδον εἴτʼ οὐκ ἔνδον.
Always, son of Lartios, have I beheld you seeking to snatch some opportunity against your enemies; and now I see you at the naval tents of Ajax, where he holds the outermost post, for a long time hunting and measuring his newly printed footsteps, so that you may see whether he is inside or not.
εὖ δέ σʼ ἐκφέρει §8κυνὸς Λακαίνης ὥς τις εὔρινος βάσις.
Well indeed does it lead you out, like that of a keen-scented Spartan hound, your course.
For the man happens to be just now within, his head dripping with sweat and his slaughtering hands as well.
§11καί σʼ οὐδὲν εἴσω τῆσδε παπταίνειν πύλης §12ἔτʼ ἔργον ἐστίν, ἐννέπειν δʼ ὅτου χάριν §13σπουδὴν ἔθου τήνδʼ, ὡς παρʼ εἰδυίας μάθῃς.
And there is no longer any need for you to peer inside this gate, but rather tell for what purpose you made this eager search, so that you may learn from one who knows.
§14ὦ φθέγμʼ Ἀθάνας, φιλτάτης ἐμοὶ θεῶν, §15ὡς εὐμαθές σου, κἂν ἄποπτος ᾖς ὅμως, §16φώνημʼ ἀκούω καὶ ξυναρπάζω φρενὶ §17χαλκοστόμου κώδωνος ὡς Τυρσηνικῆς.
O voice of Athena, dearest to me of the gods, how easily heard, even if you are out of sight, is your utterance, which I hear and grasp with my mind, like the sound of a bronze-mouthed Tyrrhenian trumpet.
And now you have well perceived that I am circling my steps against a hostile man, Ajax the shield-bearer.
§20κεῖνον γάρ, οὐδένʼ ἄλλον, ἰχνεύω πάλαι.
For him, and no other, have I been tracking for a long time.
§21νυκτὸς γὰρ ἡμᾶς τῆσδε πρᾶγος ἄσκοπον §22ἔχει περάνας, εἴπερ εἴργασται τάδε· §23ἴσμεν γὰρ οὐδὲν τρανές, ἀλλʼ ἀλώμεθα· §24κἀγὼ ʼθελοντὴς τῷδʼ ὑπεζύγην πόνῳ.
For this night he has accomplished an incomprehensible deed against us, if indeed he has done these things; for we know nothing certain, but we are wandering; and I willingly yoked myself to this toil.
§25ἐφθαρμένας γὰρ ἀρτίως εὑρίσκομεν §26λείας ἁπάσας καὶ κατηναρισμένας §27ἐκ χειρὸς αὐτοῖς ποιμνίων ἐπιστάταις.
For we have just now found ruined all the herds, slaughtered by hand, together with the guardians of the flocks themselves.
§28τήνδʼ οὖν ἐκείνῳ πᾶς τις αἰτίαν νέμει.
Therefore, everyone attributes this blame to him.
§29καί μοί τις ὀπτὴρ αὐτὸν εἰσιδὼν μόνον §30πηδῶντα πεδία σὺν νεορράντῳ ξίφει §31φράζει τε κἀδήλωσεν· εὐθέως δʼ ἐγὼ §32κατʼ ἴχνος ᾄσσω, καὶ τὰ μὲν σημαίνομαι, §33τὰ δʼ ἐκπέπληγμαι, κοὐκ ἔχω μαθεῖν ὅτου.
And a scout, having seen him alone bounding over the plains with a newly-dripping sword, told and made it clear to me; and straightway I rush on his track, and some things I can read, but at others I am bewildered, and I cannot learn whose they are.
But you have arrived in season; for in all things, both past and future, I am guided by your hand.
I knew it, Odysseus, and long ago I set out as a guardian eager on your path for this hunt.
§38ἦ καί, φίλη δέσποινα, πρὸς καιρὸν πονῶ;
Indeed, dear mistress, am I toiling to good purpose?
§39ὡς ἔστιν ἀνδρὸς τοῦδε τἄργα ταῦτά σοι.
Yes, since these deeds belong to this man.
§40καὶ πρὸς τί δυσλόγιστον ὧδʼ ᾖξεν χέρα;
And for what purpose did he direct his hand so recklessly?
§41χόλῳ βαρυνθεὶς τῶν Ἀχιλλείων ὅπλων.
Oppressed with wrath concerning the arms of Achilles.
§42τί δῆτα ποίμναις τήνδʼ ἐπεμπίπτει βάσιν;
Why then did he fall with this charge upon the flocks?
§43δοκῶν ἐν ὑμῖν χεῖρα χραίνεσθαι φόνῳ.
Thinking that he was staining his hand with your blood.
§44ἦ καὶ τὸ βούλευμʼ ὡς ἐπʼ Ἀργείοις τόδʼ ἦν;
Was this design indeed aimed at the Argives?
§45κἂν ἐξέπραξεν, εἰ κατημέλησʼ ἐγώ.
And he would have accomplished it, if I had been negligent.
§46ποίαισι τόλμαις ταῖσδε καὶ φρενῶν θράσει;
By what daring deeds and with what boldness of mind?
§47νύκτωρ ἐφʼ ὑμᾶς δόλιος ὁρμᾶται μόνος.
By night, deceitful, he set out against you alone.
§48ἦ καὶ παρέστη κἀπὶ τέρμʼ ἀφίκετο;
Did he indeed stand close and arrive at the goal?
§49καὶ δὴ ʼπὶ δισσαῖς ἦν στρατηγίσιν πύλαις.
He was indeed at the double gates of the generals.
§50καὶ πῶς ἐπέσχε χεῖρα μαιμῶσαν φόνου;
And how did he restrain his hand, eager for slaughter?
§51ἐγώ σφʼ ἀπείργω, δυσφόρους ἐπʼ ὄμμασι §52γνώμας βαλοῦσα, τῆς ἀνηκέστου χαρᾶς, §53καὶ πρός τε ποίμνας ἐκτρέπω σύμμεικτά τε §54λείας ἄδαστα βουκόλων φρουρήματα· §55ἔνθʼ εἰσπεσὼν ἔκειρε πολύκερων φόνον §56κύκλῳ ῥαχίζων, κἀδόκει μὲν ἔσθʼ ὅτε §57δισσοὺς Ἀτρείδας αὐτόχειρ κτείνειν ἔχων, §58ὅτʼ ἄλλοτʼ ἄλλον ἐμπίτνων στρατηλατῶν.
I kept him back, casting troublesome illusions upon his eyes, from that incurable joy, and I turned him aside toward the flocks and the mingled unguarded herds of the herdsmen; falling upon them there, he slaughtered the many-horned beasts, cleaving them in a circle; and he thought at one time that he was slaying the two sons of Atreus with his own hand, and at another time that he was falling upon some other of the generals.
And I, while the man was raving with mad sicknesses, urged him on, casting him into evil snares.
§61κἄπειτʼ ἐπειδὴ τοῦδʼ ἐλώφησεν πόνου, §62τοὺς ζῶντας αὖ δεσμοῖσι συνδήσας βοῶν §63ποίμνας τε πάσας εἰς δόμους κομίζεται, §64ὡς ἄνδρας, οὐχ ὡς εὔκερων ἄγραν ἔχων.
And then, when he rested from this toil, binding the living oxen with cords and all the flocks, he brought them to his dwelling, as if he had men, not horned prey.
§65καὶ νῦν κατʼ οἴκους συνδέτους αἰκίζεται.
And now, bound together in his house, he tortures them.
But I will show you also this conspicuous madness, so that having seen it, you may proclaim it to all the Argives.
§68θαρσῶν δὲ μίμνε μηδὲ συμφορὰν δέχου §69τὸν ἄνδρʼ· ἐγὼ γὰρ ὀμμάτων ἀποστρόφους §70αὐγὰς ἀπείρξω σὴν πρόσοψιν εἰσιδεῖν.
Stand firm and do not fear the man; for I will turn away the beams of his eyes, so that he cannot see your face.
§71οὗτος, σὲ τὸν τὰς αἰχμαλωτίδας χέρας §72δεσμοῖς ἀπευθύνοντα προσμολεῖν καλῶ· §73Αἴαντα φωνῶ· στεῖχε δωμάτων πάρος.
You there, who are binding the captive hands with cords, I call you to come forth; Ajax, I call you; come before the dwelling.
§74τί δρᾷς, Ἀθάνα;
What are you doing, Athena?
μηδαμῶς σφʼ ἔξω κάλει.
By no means call him outside.
§75οὐ σῖγʼ ἀνέξῃ μηδὲ δειλίαν ἀρῇ
Will you not keep silent and not harbor cowardice?
§76μὴ πρὸς θεῶν·
By the gods, do not!
ἀλλʼ ἔνδον ἀρκείτω μένων.
Let it suffice for him to remain within.
§77τί μὴ γένηται;
What might happen?
πρόσθεν οὐκ ἀνὴρ ὅδʼ ἦν;
Was this man not a hero before?
§78ἐχθρός γε τῷδε τἀνδρὶ καὶ τανῦν ἔτι.
Yes, a foe to this man, and even now still.
§79οὔκουν γέλως ἥδιστος εἰς ἐχθροὺς γελᾶν;
Is it not, then, the sweetest laughter to laugh at enemies?
§80ἐμοὶ μὲν ἀρκεῖ τοῦτον ἐν δόμοις μένειν.
For my part, it is enough for him to remain in the tents.
§81μεμηνότʼ ἄνδρα περιφανῶς ὀκνεῖς ἰδεῖν;
Are you afraid to see a man who is clearly mad?
§82φρονοῦντα γάρ νιν οὐκ ἂν ἐξέστην ὄκνῳ.
If he were in his right mind, I would not have shrunk from him in fear.