Delphi Poetry Anthology: The World's Greatest Poems (Delphi Poets Series Book 50) by William Shakespeare, Homer

arrived    580 Seeking Tiresias, from his lips to learn,Perchance, how I might safe regain the coastOf craggy Ithaca; for tempest-toss’dPerpetual, I have neither yet approach’dAchaia’s shore, or landed on my own.But as for thee, Achilles! never manHath known felicity like thine, or shall,Whom living we all honour’d as a God,And who maintain’st, here resident, supremeControul among the dead; indulge not then,    590 Achilles, causeless grief that thou hast died.   I ceased, and answer thus instant received.Renown’d Ulysses! think not death a themeOf consolation; I had rather liveThe servile hind for hire, and eat the breadOf some man scantily himself sustain’d,Than sov’reign empire hold o’er all the shades.But come — speak to me of my noble boy;Proceeds he, as he promis’d, brave in arms,Or shuns he war? Say also, hast thou heard    600 Of royal Peleus? shares he still respectAmong his num’rous Myrmidons, or scornIn Hellas and in Phthia, for that agePredominates in his enfeebled limbs?For help is none in me; the glorious sunNo longer sees me such, as when in aidOf the Achaians I o’erspread the fieldOf spacious Troy with all their bravest slain.Oh might I, vigorous as then, repairFor one short moment to my father’s house,    610 They all should tremble; I would shew an arm,Such as should daunt the fiercest who presumesTo injure him , or to despise his age.   Achilles spake, to whom I thus replied.Of noble Peleus have I nothing heard;But I will tell thee, as thou bidd’st, the truthUnfeign’d of Neoptolemus thy son;For him, myself, on board my hollow barkFrom Scyros to Achaia’s host convey’d.Oft as in council under Ilium’s walls    620 We met, he ever foremost was in speech,Nor spake erroneous; Nestor and myselfExcept, no Greecian could with him compare.Oft, too, as we with battle hemm’d aroundTroy’s bulwarks, from among the mingled crowdThy son sprang foremost into martial act,Inferior in heroic worth to none.Beneath him num’rous fell the sons of TroyIn dreadful fight, nor have I pow’r to nameDistinctly all, who by his glorious arm    630 Exerted in the cause of Greece, expired.Yet will I name Eurypylus, the sonOf Telephus, an Hero whom his swordOf life bereaved, and all around him strew’dThe plain with his Cetean warriors, wonTo Ilium’s side by bribes to women giv’n.Save noble Memnon only, I beheldNo Chief at Ilium beautiful as he.Again, when we within the horse of woodFramed by Epeüs sat, an ambush chos’n    640 Of all the bravest Greeks, and I in trustWas placed to open or to keep fast-closedThe hollow fraud; then, ev’ry Chieftain thereAnd Senator of Greece wiped from his cheeksThe tears, and tremors felt in ev’ry limb;But never saw I changed to terror’s hue His ruddy cheek, no tears wiped he away,But oft he press’d me to go forth, his suitWith pray’rs enforcing, griping hard his hiltAnd his brass-burthen’d spear, and dire revenge    650 Denouncing, ardent, on the race of Troy.At length, when we had sack’d the lofty townOf Priam, laden with abundant spoilsHe safe embark’d, neither by spear or shaftAught hurt, or in close fight by faulchion’s edge,As oft in war befalls, where wounds are dealtPromiscuous at the will of fiery Mars.   So I; then striding large, the spirit thenceWithdrew of swift Æacides, alongThe hoary mead pacing, with joy elate    660 That I had blazon’d bright his son’s renown.   The other souls of men by death dismiss’dStood mournful by, sad uttering each his woes;The soul alone I saw standing remoteOf Telamonian Ajax, still incensedThat in our public contest for the armsWorn by Achilles, and by Thetis thrownInto dispute, my claim had strongest proved,Troy and Minerva judges of the cause.Disastrous victory! which I could wish    670 Not to have won, since for that armour’s sakeThe earth hath cover’d Ajax, in his formAnd martial deeds superior far to allThe Greecians, Peleus’ matchless son except.I,