Ancient Greek:
μῆνιν ἄειδε θεὰ Πηληϊάδεω Ἀχιλῆος
οὐλομένην, ἣ μυρί᾽ Ἀχαιοῖς ἄλγε᾽ ἔθηκε,
πολλὰς δ᾽ ἰφθίμους ψυχὰς Ἄϊδι προΐαψεν
ἡρώων, αὐτοὺς δὲ ἑλώρια τεῦχε κύνεσσιν
οἰωνοῖσί τε πᾶσι, Διὸς δ᾽ ἐτελείετο βουλή,
ἐξ οὗ δὴ τὰ πρῶτα διαστήτην ἐρίσαντε
Ἀτρεΐδης τε ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν καὶ δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς.
—

τίς τ᾽ ἄρ σφωε θεῶν ἔριδι ξυνέηκε μάχεσθαι;
Λητοῦς καὶ Διὸς υἱός: ὃ γὰρ βασιλῆϊ χολωθεὶς
νοῦσον ἀνὰ στρατὸν ὄρσε κακήν, ὀλέκοντο δὲ λαοί,
οὕνεκα τὸν Χρύσην ἠτίμασεν ἀρητῆρα
Ἀτρεΐδης: ὃ γὰρ ἦλθε θοὰς ἐπὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν
λυσόμενός τε θύγατρα φέρων τ᾽ ἀπερείσι᾽ ἄποινα,
στέμματ᾽ ἔχων ἐν χερσὶν ἑκηβόλου Ἀπόλλωνος
χρυσέῳ ἀνὰ σκήπτρῳ, καὶ λίσσετο πάντας Ἀχαιούς,
Ἀτρεΐδα δὲ μάλιστα δύω, κοσμήτορε λαῶν:
Ἀτρεΐδαι τε καὶ ἄλλοι ἐϋκνήμιδες Ἀχαιοί,
ὑμῖν μὲν θεοὶ δοῖεν Ὀλύμπια δώματ᾽ ἔχοντες
ἐκπέρσαι Πριάμοιο πόλιν, εὖ δ᾽ οἴκαδ᾽ ἱκέσθαι:
παῖδα δ᾽ ἐμοὶ λύσαιτε φίλην, τὰ δ᾽ ἄποινα δέχεσθαι,
ἁζόμενοι Διὸς υἱὸν ἑκηβόλον Ἀπόλλωνα.

Romanization:

mēnin aeide thea Pēlēiadeō Achilēos
oulomenēn, hē myri' Achaiois alge' ethēke,
pollas d' iphthimous psychas Aidi proiapsen
hērōōn, autous de helōria teuche kynessin
oiōnoisi te pasi, Dios d' eteleieto boulē,
ex hou dē ta prōta diastētēn erisante
Atreidēs te anax andrōn kai dios Achilleus.
—

tis t' ar sphōe theōn eridi xyneēke machesthai?
Lētous kai Dios huios: ho gar basilēi cholōtheis
nouson ana straton orse kakēn, olekonto de laoi,
houneka ton Chrysēn ētimasen arētēra
Atreidēs: ho gar ēlthe thoas epi nēas Achaiōn
lysomenos te thygatra pherōn t' apereisi' apoina,
stemmat' echōn en chersin hekēbolou Apollōnos
chryseō ana skēptrō, kai lisseto pantas Achaious,
Atreida de malista dyō, kosmētore laōn:
Atreidai te kai alloi euknēmides Achaioi,
hymin men theoi doien Olympia dōmat' echontes
ekpersai Priamoio polin, eu d' oikad' hikesthai:
paida d' emoi lysaite philēn, ta d' apoina dechesthai,
hazomenoi Dios huion hekēbolon Apollōna.

^[2]

I Thee beseech, O Goddesse milde, the hatefull hate to plaine,
Whereby Achilles was so wroong, and grewe in suche disdaine,

Achilles' banefull wrath resound, O Goddesse, that imposd
Infinite sorrowes on the Greekes, and many brave soules losd

Achilles son of Peleus Goddes sing,
His baneful wrath which to the Greeks did bring
Unnumbred greifs, brave souls to hel did send

Achilles Peleus Son's destructive Rage,
Great Goddess, sing, which did the Greeks engage

O Goddess sing what woe the discontent
Of Thetis' son brought to the Greeks; what souls
Of heroes down to Erebus it sent,

The Wrath of Peleus Son, O Muse, resound;
Whose dire Effects the Grecian Army found:

Achilles' wrath, to Greece the direful spring
Of woes unnumber'd, heavenly goddess, sing!

Achilles' fatal wrath, whence discord rose,
That brought the sons of Greece unnumber'd woes,

The wrath of the son of Peleus,—O goddess of song, unfold! The deadly wrath of Achilles : To Greece the source of many woes!

Achilles sing, O Goddess! Peleus' son;
His wrath pernicious, who ten thousand woes

The stern resentment of Achilles, son
Of Peleus, Muse record,—dire source of woe;

Sing Muse the deadly wrath of Peleus' son
Achilles, source of many thousand woes

Sing, Muse, the fatal wrath of Peleus' son,
Which to the Greeks unnumb'red evils brought,

Sing, Goddess, the destructive wrath of Achilles, son of Peleus, which brought many disasters upon the Greeks,

Achillies wrath accurst, O Goddess, sing,
Which caused ten thousand sorrows to the Greeks,

Sing, O goddess, the destructive wrath of Achilles, son of Peleus, which brought countless woes upon the Greeks,

Of Peleus' son, Achilles, sing, oh goddess, the resentment
Accursed, which with countless pangs Achaia's army wounded,

Sing, O goddess, the destructive wrath of Achilles son of Peleus, which caused ten thousand thousand griefs to the Achæans

Sing, divine Muse, sing the implacable wrath of Achilleus!
Heavy with death and with woe to the banded sons of Achaia!

The wrath of Peleus' son Achilles sing,
O goddess, wrath destructive, that did on

Goddess! O sing the wrath of Pêleus' son,
Achillès' wrath,—baneful,—that on the Achaians

Of Peleus' son, Achilles, sing, O Muse,
The vengeance, deep and deadly; whence to Greece

Wrath of Achilleus, son of Peleus, sing,
O heavenly Muse, which in its fatal sway

The baneful wrath, O goddess, sing, of Peleus' son, the source
Of sorrows dire, and countless woes to all the Grecian force;

The wrath of Peleus' son, that evil wrath
Which on Achaia piled a myriad woes,

Sing, celestial Muse! the destroying wrath of Achilles,
Peleus' son: which myriad mischiefs heaped on the Grecians,

Sing, Muse, Achilles' scathing wrath, which bore
A thousand sorrows to Achaia's shore—

Sing, O heavenly goddess, the wrath of Peleides Achilles,
Ruinous wrath, whence numberless woes came down to Achaia,

Peleïdes Achilles, his anger, Goddess, sing;
Fell anger, fated on the Greeks ten thousand woes to bring;

Sing, Goddess, the pernicious wrath of Achilles the son of Peleus, which caused innumerable woes to the Greeks,

O goddess! sing the wrath of Peleus' son,
Achilles; sing the deadly wrath that brought

Sing of Achilles' wrath, oh heavenly muse,
Which brought upon the Greeks unnumbered woes,

Muse, of Pelidéan Achilles sing the resentment
Ruinous, who brought down many thousand griefs on Achaians,

Sing, goddess, the deadly wrath of Achilles, Peleus' son, which caused for the Achæans countless woes,

Sing, goddess, the wrath of Achilles Peleus' son, the ruinous wrath that brought on the Achaians woes innumerable,

Sing, goddess Muse, the wrath of Peleus' son,
The wrath of Achilleus with ruin fraught,

The wrath of Achilles, the Peleus-begotten, O Song-queen, sing,
Fell wrath, that dealt the Achaians woes past numbering;

Sing for me, goddess, the wrath, the wrath of Peleian Achilles
Ruinous wrath, which laid unnumbered woes on the Grecians;

The wrath, that rose accursèd, and that laid
Unnumbered sorrows on Achaia's host,

Sing, Goddess, how Pelides' wrath arose,
Disastrous, working Greece unnumbered woes,

Sing, O goddess, the fatal wrath of Peleus' son Achilles, which brought ten thousand troubles on the Achæans,

Goddess, sing the destroying wrath of Achilles, Peleus' son, which brought woes unnumbered on the Achæans,

Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans.

Sing, O goddess, the accursèd wrath of Achilles, son of Peleus, the wrath which brought countless sorrows unto the Achaians

The wrath sing, goddess, of Peleus' son, Achilles, that destructive wrath which brought the countless woes upon the Achaeans,

Sing, O goddess, the Wrath of Achilleus, son of king Peleus—
Wrath accursèd, the source of unnumbered woes to the Achaioi,

An angry man—there is my story: the bitter rancour of Achillês, prince of the house of Peleus, which brought a thousand troubles upon the Achaian host.

The Wrath of Achilles is my theme, that fatal wrath which, in fulfillment of the will of Zeus, brought the Achaeans so much suffering and sent the gallant souls of many noblemen to Hades

Sing, O Goddess, of the wrath of Peleus' son Achilles, the deadly wrath that brought upon the Achaeans countless woes

Sing, goddess, the anger of Peleus' son Achilleus
and its devastation, which put pains thousandfold upon the Achaians,

Sing, Goddess, the wrath of Achilles Pelëides,
The ruinous anger that woes on the Danaans brought

Sing, MOUNTAIN GODDESS, sing through me
That anger which most ruinously

Sing, O goddess, the ruinous wrath of Achilles,
Son of Peleus, the terrible curse that brought

Anger be now your song, immortal one,
Akhilleus' anger, doomed and ruinous,

Sing, goddess, of the anger of Achilleus, son of Peleus, the accursed anger which brought uncounted anguish on the Achaians

Rage—Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus' son Achilles,
murderous, doomed, that cost the Achaeans countless losses,

Sing, Goddess, Achilles' maniac rage:
ruinous thing! it roused a thousand sorrows

Rage:
  Sing, Goddess, Achilles' rage,
Black and murderous, that cost the Greeks

Sing, Goddess, sing of the rage of Achilles, son of Peleus—
that murderous anger which condemned Achaeans

Anger—sing, goddess, the anger of Achilles son of Peleus, that accursed anger, which brought the Greeks endless sufferings

Sing now, goddess, the wrath of Achilles the scion of Peleus,
ruinous rage which brought the Achaians uncounted afflictions;

Sing, goddess, of Peleus' son Achilles' anger,
ruinous, that caused the Greeks untold ordeals,

Goddess, sing me the anger, of Achilles Peleus' son, that fatal anger that brought countless sorrows on the Greeks,

The rage of Achilles—sing it now, goddess, sing through me
the deadly rage that caused the Achaeans such grief

Sing, goddess, the anger of Achilles, Peleus' son,
the accursed anger which brought the Achaeans countless

Sing of rage, Goddess, that bane of Akhilleus,
Peleus' son, which caused untold pain for Akhaians,

Muse, sing the rage of Peleus’ son Akhilleus,
deadly rage that brought the Akhaians endless pain,

The rage sing, O goddess, of Achilles the son of Peleus,
the destructive anger that brought ten-thousand pains to the

Wrath—sing, goddess, of the ruinous wrath of Peleus' son Achilles,
that inflicted woes without number upon the Achaeans,

Sing, goddess, of the wrath of Achilles Peleusson, the ruinous wrath that brought immense pain to the Acheans

Wrath, goddess, sing of Achilles Pēleus' son's
calamitous wrath, which hit the Achaians with countless ills—

Goddess, sing of the cataclysmic wrath of great Achilles, son of Peleus, which caused the Greeks immeasurable pain and sent so many noble souls of heroes to Hades,

Ancient Greek:

ἄνδρα μοι ἔννεπε, μοῦσα, πολύτροπον, ὃς μάλα πολλὰ
πλάγχθη, ἐπεὶ Τροίης ἱερὸν πτολίεθρον ἔπερσεν
πολλῶν δ᾽ ἀνθρώπων ἴδεν ἄστεα καὶ νόον ἔγνω,
πολλὰ δ᾽ ὅ γ᾽ ἐν πόντῳ πάθεν ἄλγεα ὃν κατὰ θυμόν,
ἀρνύμενος ἥν τε ψυχὴν καὶ νόστον ἑταίρων.
ἀλλ᾽ οὐδ᾽ ὣς ἑτάρους ἐρρύσατο, ἱέμενός περ:
αὐτῶν γὰρ σφετέρῃσιν ἀτασθαλίῃσιν ὄλοντο,
νήπιοι, οἳ κατὰ βοῦς Ὑπερίονος Ἠελίοιο
ἤσθιον: αὐτὰρ ὁ τοῖσιν ἀφείλετο νόστιμον ἦμαρ.
τῶν ἁμόθεν γε, θεά, θύγατερ Διός, εἰπὲ καὶ ἡμῖν.

Romanization:

andra moi ennepe, mousa, polytropon, hos mala polla
planchthē, epei troiēs hieron ptoliethron epersen:
pollōn d' anthrōpōn iden astea kai noon egnō,
polla d' ho g' en pontō pathen algea hon kata thymon,
arnymenos hēn te psychēn kai noston hetairōn.
all' oud' hōs hetarous errysato, hiemenos per:
autōn gar spheterēsin atasthaliēsin olonto,
nēpioi, ohi kata bous Hyperionos Ēelioio
ēsthion: autar ho toisin apheileto nostimon ēmar.
tōn hamothen ge, thea, thygater Dios, eipe kai hēmin.

^[101]

The man, O Muse, inform, that many a way
Wound with his wisdom to his wished stay;

That prudent Hero's wandering, Muse, rehearse,
Who (Troy b'ing sack'd) coasting the Universe,

Tell me, O Muse, th’ adventures of the man
That having sack’d the sacred town of Troy,

The man for wisdom’s various arts renown’d,
Long exercised in woes, O Muse! resound;

Muse make the man thy theme, for shrewdness famed
And genius versatile, who far and wide

O Muse, inspire me to tell of the crafty
man, who wandered very much after he

Muse! sing the Man by long experience tried,
Who, fertile in resources, wander'd wide,

O Muse, sing to me of the man full of
resources, who wandered very much

Sing me, O Muse, that all-experienced Man,
Who, after he Troy's sacred town o'erthrew,

Tell of the man, thou Muse, much versed, who widely
Wandered, when he had sacked Troy’s sacred fortress;

Sing me. O Muse, that hero wandering,
Who of men's minds did much experience reap,

Εννεπε declare μοιI to me, Мουσα Muse,
ανδρα the man πολυτροπον of many

The travelled Man of many a turn,—driven far,
Far wandering, when he had sacked Troy’s sacred Town;

Tell me, O Muse, declare to me that man
Tost to and fro by fate, who, when his arms

Tell me, oh Muse, of-the-many-sided man,
Who wandered far and wide full sore bestead,

Sing, Muse, of that deep man, who wander'd much,
 When he had raz'd the walls of sacred Troy,

Tell me, O Muse, of that sagacious man
Who, having overthrown the sacred town

Muse! tell me of the man with much resource,
Who wandered far, when sacred Troy he sacked;

  — Note: not a translation, per se, but the
Greek text with commentary —

O Muse! inspire me to tell of the man,
skilled in expedients, who wandered

Tell me, Muse, of that man, so ready at need,
who wandered far and wide, after he had sacked

Sing Muse the hero versatile, who roved
So far, so long, after he overthrew

Muse! of that hero versatile indite to me the song,
Doomed, when he sacred Troy had sacked, to wander far and long.

The Hero of craft-renown, O Song-goddess, chant me his fame,
Who, when low he had laid Troy town, unto many a far land came,

  — Note: not a translation, per se, but the
Greek text with "marginal references, various
readings, notes and appendices." —

  — Note: Not a translation, per se,
but a commentary. Edition inclusive
of Books 11 – 24 —

Speak to me, Muse, of the adventurous man who wandered long after he sacked the sacred

Tell me, O Muse, of the Shifty, the man who wandered afar.
After the Holy Burg, Troy town, he had wasted with war;

Tell me, O Muse, of the man of many resources, who many
Ills was made to endure, when he Troy's sacred city had wasted;

Sing through my lips, O Goddess, sing the man
Resourceful, who, storm-buffeted far and wide,

Tell me, O muse, of that ingenious hero who
travelled far and wide after he had sacked the

— Note: translation inclusive of Books 13–24 —

O Muse, instruct me of the man who drew
His changeful course through wanderings not a few

Sing, O Muse, of the man so wary and wise, who in far lands
Wandered whenas he had wasted the sacred town of the Trojans.

Tell me, O Muse, of the man of many devices,
who wandered full many ways after he had

Sing me the Restless Man, O Muse, who roamed the world over,
When, by his wondrous guile, he had sacked Troy's sacred fortress.

Tell me, O Muse, of that Great Traveller
Who wandered far and wide when he had sacked

Tell me, O Muse, of that clever hero
who wandered far after capturing the

Tell me the tale, Muse, of that man
Of many changes, he who went

O divine poesy
Goddess-daughter of Zeus

This is the story of a man, one who
was never at a loss. He had travelled

The hero of the tale which I beg the
Muse to help me tell is that resourceful

Tell me, O muse, of the hero fated to roam
So long and so far when Ilion's keep he had sack'd,

Tell me, Muse, of the man of many ways,
who was driven far journeys, after he had

Of that versatile man, O Muse, tell me the story,
How he wandered both long and far after sacking

Sing in me, Muse, and through me tell the story
of that man skilled in all ways of contending,

Tell me, Muse, about the man of many turns, who many
Ways wandered when he had sacked Troy's holy citadel;

Goddess of song, teach me the story of a hero.
      This was the man of wide-ranging spirit who had sacked the sacred town of Troy and who wandered afterwards long and far.

  Muse, tell me of a man – a man of much resource, who was made

Muse, tell me of the man of many wiles,
the man who wandered many paths of exile

Tell me, Muse of that resourceful
man who was driven to wander far

Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns
driven time and again off course, once he had plundered

Tell me, O Muse, of a man of resourceful spirit who wandered
Far, having taken by storm Troy's sacred city and sacked it.

Tell me, Muse, of the versatile man who was driven off course many times after he had sacked the holy citadel of Troy.

  Speak, Memory –
                                   Of the cunning hero
The wanderer, blown off course time and again
After he plundered Troy's sacred heights.

Sing, Muse, of that wanderer who sundered
The sacred walls of Troy and traveled

Muse, speak to me now of that resourceful man
who wandered far and wide after ravaging

Tell me, Muse, of the man versatile and resourceful, who wandered
many a sea-mile after he ransacked Troy’s holy city.

Tell me, Muse, of that man of many resources, who wandered far and wide, after sacking the holy citadel of Troy.

The man, my Muse, resourceful, driven a long way
after he sacked the holy city of Trojans:

Speak through me, O Muse,
of that man of many devices

Sing to me, Muse, of that endlessly cunning man
who was blown off course to the ends of the earth, in the years

Sing to me of the resourceful man, O Muse, who wandered
far after he had sacked the sacred city of Troy. He saw

Tell me, Muse, of the man of many turns, who was driven
far and wide after he had sacked the sacred city of Troy.

Tell me, Muse, of that resourceful man who trekked
far and wide, when he’d sacked Troy’s holy place;

Tell me about a complicated man.
Muse, tell me how he wandered and was lost
when he had wrecked the holy town of Troy,

The man, Muse—tell me about that resourceful man, who wandered
far and wide, when he'd sacked Troy's sacred citadel: