William Cowper- Collected Poetical Works
Page 144
May’st thou revisit safe thy native shore! 700
To whom Achilles, lowering, and in wrath.
Urge me no longer, at a time like this,
With that harsh note; I am already inclin’d
To loose him. Thetis, my own mother came
Herself on that same errand, sent from Jove. 705
Priam! I understand thee well. I know
That, by some God conducted, thou hast reach’d
Achaia’s fleet; for, without aid divine,
No mortal even in his prime of youth,
Had dared the attempt; guards vigilant as ours 710
609 He should not easily elude, such gates,
So massy, should not easily unbar.
Thou, therefore, vex me not in my distress,
Lest I abhor to see thee in my tent,
And, borne beyond all limits, set at nought 715
Thee, and thy prayer, and the command of Jove.
He said; the old King trembled, and obey’d.
Then sprang Pelides like a lion forth,
Not sole, but with his two attendant friends
Alcimus and Automedon the brave, 720
For them (Patroclus slain) he honor’d most
Of all the Myrmidons. They from the yoke
Released both steeds and mules, then introduced
And placed the herald of the hoary King.
They lighten’d next the litter of its charge 725
Inestimable, leaving yet behind
Two mantles and a vest, that, not unveil’d,
The body might be borne back into Troy.
Then, calling forth his women, them he bade
Lave and anoint the body, but apart, 730
Lest haply Priam, noticing his son,
Through stress of grief should give resentment scope,
And irritate by some affront himself
To slay him, in despite of Jove’s commands.
They, therefore, laving and anointing first 735
The body, cover’d it with cloak and vest;
Then, Peleus’ son disposed it on the bier,
Lifting it from the ground, and his two friends
Together heaved it to the royal wain.
Achilles, last, groaning, his friend invoked. 740
610 Patroclus! should the tidings reach thine ear,
Although in Ades, that I have released
The noble Hector at his father’s suit,
Resent it not; no sordid gifts have paid
His ransom-price, which thou shalt also share. 745
So saying, Achilles to his tent return’d,
And on the splendid couch whence he had risen
Again reclined, opposite to the seat
Of Priam, whom the hero thus bespake.
Priam! at thy request thy son is loosed, 750
And lying on his bier; at dawn of day
Thou shalt both see him and convey him hence
Thyself to Troy. But take we now repast;
For even bright-hair’d Niobe her food
Forgat not, though of children twelve bereft, 755
Of daughters six, and of six blooming sons.
Apollo these struck from his silver bow,
And those shaft-arm’d Diana, both incensed
That oft Latona’s children and her own
Numbering, she scorn’d the Goddess who had borne 760
Two only, while herself had twelve to boast.
Vain boast! those two sufficed to slay them all.
Nine days they welter’d in their blood, no man
Was found to bury them, for Jove had changed
To stone the people; but themselves, at last, 765
The Powers of heaven entomb’d them on the tenth.
Yet even she, once satisfied with tears,
Remember’d food; and now the rocks among
And pathless solitudes of Sipylus,
The rumor’d cradle of the nymphs who dance 770
On Acheloüs’ banks, although to stone
Transform’d, she broods her heaven-inflicted woes.
Come, then, my venerable guest! take we
Refreshment also; once arrived in Troy
With thy dear son, thou shalt have time to weep 775
Sufficient, nor without most weighty cause.
So spake Achilles, and, upstarting, slew
A sheep white-fleeced, which his attendants flay’d,
611 And busily and with much skill their task
Administ’ring, first scored the viands well, 780
Then pierced them with the spits, and when the roast
Was finish’d, drew them from the spits again.
And now, Automedon dispensed around
The polish’d board bread in neat baskets piled,
Which done, Achilles portion’d out to each 785
His share, and all assail’d the ready feast.
But when nor hunger more nor thirst they felt,
Dardanian Priam, wond’ring at his bulk
And beauty (for he seem’d some God from heaven)
Gazed on Achilles, while Achilles held 790
Not less in admiration of his looks
Benign, and of his gentle converse wise,
Gazed on Dardanian Priam, and, at length
(The eyes of each gratified to the full)
The ancient King thus to Achilles spake. 795
Hero! dismiss us now each to our bed,
That there at ease reclined, we may enjoy
Sweet sleep; for never have these eyelids closed
Since Hector fell and died, but without cease
I mourn, and nourishing unnumber’d woes, 800
Have roll’d me in the ashes of my courts.
But I have now both tasted food, and given
Wine to my lips, untasted till with thee.
So he, and at his word Achilles bade
His train beneath his portico prepare 805
With all dispatch two couches, purple rugs,
And arras, and warm mantles over all.
Forth went the women bearing lights, and spread
A couch for each, when feigning needful fear,
Achilles thus his speech to Priam turn’d. 810
My aged guest beloved; sleep thou without;
612 Lest some Achaian chief (for such are wont
Ofttimes, here sitting, to consult with me)
Hither repair; of whom should any chance
To spy thee through the gloom, he would at once 815
Convey the tale to Agamemnon’s ear,
Whence hindrance might arise, and the release
Haply of Hector’s body be delay’d.
But answer me with truth. How many days
Wouldst thou assign to the funereal rites 820
Of noble Hector, for so long I mean
Myself to rest, and keep the host at home?
Then thus the ancient King godlike replied.
If thou indeed be willing that we give
Burial to noble Hector, by an act 825
So generous, O Achilles! me thou shalt
Much gratify; for we are shut, thou know’st,
In Ilium close, and fuel must procure
From Ida’s side remote; fear, too, hath seized
On all our people. Therefore thus I say. 830
Nine days we wish to mourn him in the house;
To his interment we would give the tenth,
And to the public banquet; the eleventh
Shall see us build his tomb; and on the twelfth
(If war we must) we will to war again. 835
To whom Achilles, matchless in the race.
So be it, ancient Priam! I will curb
Twelve days the rage of war, at thy desire.
He spake, and at his wrist the right hand grasp’d
Of the old sovereign, to dispel his fear. 840
Then in the vestibule the herald slept
And Priam, prudent both, but Peleus’ son
In the interior tent, and at his side
Brisëis, with transcendent beauty adorn’d.
613 Now all, all night, by gentle sleep subdued, 845
Both Gods and chariot-ruling warriors lay,
But not the benefactor of mankind,
Hermes; him sleep seized not, but deep he mused
How likeliest from amid the Grecian fleet
He might deliver by the guard unseen 850
The King of Ilium; at his head he stood
In vision, and the senior thus bespake.
Ah heedless and secure! hast thou no dread
Of mischief, ancient King, that thus by foes
Thou sleep’st surrounded, lull’d by the consent 855
And sufferance of Achilles? Thou hast given
Much for redemption of thy darling son,
But thrice that sum thy sons who still survive
Must give to Agamemnon and the Greeks
For thy redemption, should they know thee here. 860
He ended; at the sound alarm’d upsprang
The King, and roused his herald. Hermes yoked
Himself both mules and steeds, and through the camp
Drove them incontinent, by all unseen.
Soon as the windings of the stream they reach’d, 865
Deep-eddied Xanthus, progeny of Jove,
Mercury the Olympian summit sought,
And saffron-vested morn o’erspread the earth.
They, loud lamenting, to the city drove
Their steeds; the mules close follow’d with the dead. 870
Nor warrior yet, nor cinctured matron knew
Of all in Ilium aught of their approach,
Cassandra sole except. She, beautiful
As golden Venus, mounted on the height
Of Pergamus, her father first discern’d, 875
Borne on his chariot-seat erect, and knew:
The herald heard so oft in echoing Troy;
Him also on his bier outstretch’d she mark’d,
Whom the mules drew. Then, shrieking, through the streets
She ran of Troy, and loud proclaim’d the sight. 880
Ye sons of Ilium and ye daughters, haste,
614 Haste all to look on Hector, if ye e’er
With joy beheld him, while he yet survived,
From fight returning; for all Ilium erst
In him, and all her citizens rejoiced. 885
She spake. Then neither male nor female more
In Troy remain’d, such sorrow seized on all.
Issuing from the city-gate, they met
Priam conducting, sad, the body home,
And, foremost of them all, the mother flew 890
And wife of Hector to the bier, on which
Their torn-off tresses with unsparing hands
They shower’d, while all the people wept around.
All day, and to the going down of day
They thus had mourn’d the dead before the gates, 895
Had not their Sovereign from his chariot-seat
Thus spoken to the multitude around.
Fall back on either side, and let the mules
Pass on; the body in my palace once
Deposited, ye then may weep your fill. 900
He said; they, opening, gave the litter way.
Arrived within the royal house, they stretch’d
The breathless Hector on a sumptuous bed,
And singers placed beside him, who should chant
The strain funereal; they with many a groan 905
The dirge began, and still, at every close,
The female train with many a groan replied.
Then, in the midst, Andromache white-arm’d
Between her palms the dreadful Hector’s head
Pressing, her lamentation thus began. 910
My hero! thou hast fallen in prime of life,
Me leaving here desolate, and the fruit
Of our ill-fated loves, a helpless child,
Whom grown to manhood I despair to see.
For ere that day arrive, down from her height 915
615 Precipitated shall this city fall,
Since thou hast perish’d once her sure defence,
Faithful protector of her spotless wives,
And all their little ones. Those wives shall soon
In Grecian barks capacious hence be borne, 920
And I among the rest. But thee, my child!
Either thy fate shall with thy mother send
Captive into a land where thou shalt serve
In sordid drudgery some cruel lord,
Or haply some Achaian here, thy hand 925
Seizing, shall hurl thee from a turret-top
To a sad death, avenging brother, son,
Or father by the hands of Hector slain;
For he made many a Grecian bite the ground.
Thy father, boy, bore never into fight 930
A milky mind, and for that self-same cause
Is now bewail’d in every house of Troy.
Sorrow unutterable thou hast caused
Thy parents, Hector! but to me hast left
Largest bequest of misery, to whom, 935
Dying, thou neither didst thy arms extend
Forth from thy bed, nor gavest me precious word
To be remember’d day and night with tears.
So spake she weeping, whom her maidens all
With sighs accompanied, and her complaint 940
Mingled with sobs Hecuba next began.
Ah Hector! dearest to thy mother’s heart
Of all her sons, much must the Gods have loved
Thee living, whom, though dead, they thus preserve.
What son soever of our house beside 945
Achilles took, over the barren deep
To Samos, Imbrus, or to Lemnos girt
With rocks inhospitable, him he sold;
But thee, by his dread spear of life deprived,
He dragg’d and dragg’d around Patroclus’ tomb, 950
As if to raise again his friend to life
Whom thou hadst vanquish’d; yet he raised him not.
But as for thee, thou liest here with dew
616 Besprinkled, fresh as a young plant, and more
Resemblest some fair youth by gentle shafts 955
Of Phœbus pierced, than one in battle slain.
So spake the Queen, exciting in all hearts
Sorrow immeasurable, after whom
Thus Helen, third, her lamentation pour’d.
Ah dearer far than all my brothers else 960
Of Priam’s house! for being Paris’ spouse,
Who brought me (would I had first died!) to Troy,
I call thy brothers mine; since forth I came
From Sparta, it is now the twentieth year,
Yet never heard I once hard speech from thee, 965
Or taunt morose, but if it ever chanced,
That of thy father’s house female or male
Blamed me, and even if herself the Queen
(For in the King, whate’er befell, I found
Always a father) thou hast interposed 970
Thy gentle temper and thy gentle speech
To soothe them; therefore, with the same sad drops
Thy fate, oh Hector! and my own I weep;
For other friend within the ample bounds
Of Ilium have I none, nor hope to hear 975
Kind word again, with horror view’d by all.
So Helen spake weeping, to whom with groans
The countless multitude replied, and thus
Their ancient sovereign next his people charged.
Ye Trojans, now bring fuel home, nor fear 980
Close ambush of the Greeks; Achilles’ self
Gave me, at my dismission from his fleet,
Assurance, that from hostile force secure
617 We shall remain, till the twelfth dawn arise.
All, then, their mules and oxen to the wains 9
85
Join’d speedily, and under Ilium’s walls
Assembled numerous; nine whole days they toil’d,
Bringing much fuel home, and when the tenth
Bright morn, with light for human kind, arose,
Then bearing noble Hector forth, with tears 990
Shed copious, on the summit of the pile
They placed him, and the fuel fired beneath.
But when Aurora, daughter of the Dawn,
Redden’d the east, then, thronging forth, all Troy
Encompass’d noble Hector’s pile around. 995
The whole vast multitude convened, with wine
They quench’d the pile throughout, leaving no part
Unvisited, on which the fire had seized.
His brothers, next, collected, and his friends,
His white bones, mourning, and with tears profuse 1000
Watering their cheeks; then in a golden urn
They placed them, which with mantles soft they veil’d
Mæonian-hued, and, delving, buried it,
And overspread with stones the spot adust.
Lastly, short time allowing to the task, 1005
They heap’d his tomb, while, posted on all sides,
Suspicious of assault, spies watch’d the Greeks.
The tomb once heap’d, assembling all again
Within the palace, they a banquet shared
Magnificent, by godlike Priam given. 1010
Such burial the illustrious Hector found.
[I cannot take my leave of this noble poem, without expressing how much I am struck with this plain conclusion of it. It is like the exit of a great man out of company whom he has entertained magnificently; neither pompous nor familiar; not contemptuous, yet without much ceremony. I recollect nothing, among the works of mere man, that exemplifies so strongly the true style of great antiquity.] — Tr.
The Odyssey
CONTENTS
BOOK I
BOOK II
BOOK III
BOOK IV
BOOK V
BOOK VI
BOOK VII
BOOK VIII
BOOK IX
BOOK X
BOOK XI
BOOK XII
BOOK XIII
BOOK XIV
BOOK XV
BOOK XVI
BOOK XVII
BOOK XVIII
BOOK XIX
BOOK XX
BOOK XXI