The Iliad of Homer: Translated into English Blank Verse by William CowperHomer
General
The Iliad of Homer: Translated into English Blank Verse by William Cowper
Homer
Achilles (Mythological character) -- Poetry; Epic poetry, Greek -- Translations into English; Trojan War -- Poetry
Will rest a mere spectator of the field.
So spake Polydamas, whose safe advice
Pleased Hector; from his chariot down he leap’d905
All arm’d, and in wing’d accents thus replied.
Polydamas! here gather all the Chiefs;
I haste into the fight, and my commands
Once issued there, incontinent return.
He ended, and conspicuous as the height910
Of some snow-crested mountain, shouting ranged
The Trojans and confederates of Troy.
They swift around Polydamas, brave son
Of Panthus, at the voice of Hector, ran.
Himself with hasty strides the front, meantime,915
Of battle roam’d, seeking from rank to rank
Asius Hyrtacides, with Asius’ son
Adamas, and Deiphobus, and the might
Of Helenus, his royal brother bold.
Them neither altogether free from hurt920
He found, nor living all. Beneath the sterns
Of the Achaian ships some slaughter’d lay
By Grecian hands; some stricken by the spear
Within the rampart sat, some by the sword.
But leftward of the woful field he found,925
Ere long, bright Helen’s paramour his band
Exhorting to the fight. Hector approach’d,
And him, in fierce displeasure, thus bespake.
Curst Paris, specious, fraudulent and lewd!
Where is Deiphobus, and where the might930
Of royal Helenus? Where Adamas
Offspring of Asius, and where Asius, son
Of Hyrtacus, and where Othryoneus?
Now lofty Ilium from her topmost height
Falls headlong, now is thy own ruin sure!935
To whom the godlike Paris thus replied.
Since Hector! thou art pleased with no just cause
To censure me, I may decline, perchance,
Much more the battle on some future day,
For I profess some courage, even I.940
Witness our constant conflict with the Greeks
Here, on this spot, since first led on by thee
The host of Troy waged battle at the ships.
But those our friends of whom thou hast inquired
Are slain, Deiphobus alone except945
And royal Helenus, who in the hand
Bear each a wound inflicted by the spear,
And have retired; but Jove their life preserved.
Come now—conduct us whither most thine heart
Prompts thee, and thou shalt find us ardent all950
To face like danger; what we can, we will,
The best and most determined can no more.
So saying, the hero soothed his brother’s mind.
Then moved they both toward the hottest war
Together, where Polydamas the brave,955
Phalces, Cebriones, Orthæus fought,
Palmys and Polyphœtes, godlike Chief,
And Morys and Ascanius, gallant sons
Both of Hippotion. They at Troy arrived
From fair Ascania the preceding morn,960
In recompense for aid[16] by Priam lent
Erewhile to Phrygia, and, by Jove impell’d,
Now waged the furious battle side by side.
The march of these at once, was as the sound
Of mighty winds from deep-hung thunder-clouds965
Descending; clamorous the blast and wild
With ocean mingles; many a billow, then,
Upridged rides turbulent the sounding flood,
Foam-crested billow after billow driven,
So moved the host of Troy, rank after rank970
Behind their Chiefs, all dazzling bright in arms.
Before them Priameian Hector strode
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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