The Iliads of Homer Translated according to the Greek · Homer
ANOTHER ARGUMENT
This said; to try this field, First Polypœtes issuéd; next Leontëus; third Great Ajax; huge Epëus fourth, yet he was first that stirr’d That mine of iron. Up it went, and up he toss’d it so, That laughter took up all the field. The next man that did throw Was Leontëus; Ajax third, who gave it such a hand, That far past both their marks it flew. But now ’twas to be mann’d By Polypœtes, and, as far as at an ox that strays A herdsman can swing out his goad, so far did he outraise The stone past all men; all the field rose in a shout to see’t; About him flock’d his friends, and bore the royal game to fleet. For archery he then set forth ten axes edg’d two ways, And ten of one edge. On the shore, far-off, he caus’d to raise A ship-mast; to whose top they tied a fearful dove by th’ foot, At which all shot, the game put thus; He that the dove could shoot, Nor touch the string that fasten’d her, the two-edg’d tools should bear All to the fleet. Who touch’d the string, and miss’d the dove, should share The one-edg’d axes. This propos’d; king Teucer’s force arose, And with him rose Meriones.
And now lots must dispose Their shooting first; both which let fall into a helm of brass, First Teucer’s came, and first he shot, and his cross fortune was To shoot the string, the dove untouch’d; Apollo did envy His skill, since not to him he vow’d, being God of archery, A first-fall’n lamb. The bitter shaft yet cut in two the cord, That down fell, and the dove aloft up to the welkin soar’d. The Greeks gave shouts. Meriones first made a hearty vow To sacrifice a first-fall’n lamb to Him that rules the bow, And then fell to his aim, his shaft being ready nock’d before. He spy’d her in the clouds that here, there, ev’rywhere, did soar, Yet at her height he reach’d her side, strook her quite through, and down The shaft fell at his feet; the dove the mast again did crown, There hung the head, and all her plumes were ruffled, she stark dead, And there, far off from him, she fell. The people wonderéd, And stood astonish’d; th’ archer pleas’d. Æacides then shows A long lance, and a caldron new, engrail’d with twenty hues, Priz’d at an ox. These games were show’d for men at darts; and then Up rose the General of all, up rose the King of men, Up rose late-crown’d Meriones. Achilles, seeing the King Do him this grace, prevents more deed, his royal offering Thus interrupting: “King of men, we well conceive how far Thy worth superior is to all, how much most singular Thy pow’r is, and thy skill in darts! Accept then this poor prize Without contention, and (your will pleas’d with what I advise) Afford Meriones the lance.” The King was nothing slow To that fit grace. Achilles then the brass lance did bestow On good Meriones. The King his present would not save, But to renown’d Talthybius the goodly caldron gave.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.