THE FUNERAL OF SARPEDON
Zeus is deep in sorrow. Patroklos
killed Sarpedon; and now the son of Menoetios
and the Acheans charge in
to seize and humiliate the body.
But Zeus doesn’t agree with all this.
His beloved boy—whom he left
to perish; that was the Law—
he will at least honor in death.
And, look, he sends Apollo down to the plain
well briefed on what to do with the body.
With reverence and sorrow Apollo lifts
the hero’s body and carries it to the river.
He washes away the dust and the blood;
he closes the terrible wounds, not letting
any trace of them show; he pours
ambrosial perfumes; and dresses him
in gleaming Olympian garments.
He blanches the skin white; and with a pearl
comb combs the jet black hair.
He straightens and arranges the beautiful limbs.
Now he looks like a king, a charioteer—
twenty-five, or twenty-six years old—
at leisure after winning
the prize in a very famous race
with his golden chariot and fleet steeds.
Having finished his task
Apollo sends for the two brothers
Sleep and Death, and orders them
to take the body to Lykia, the rich land.
And toward that rich land, Lykia,
these two brothers Sleep and Death
walk, and when they arrive
at the door of the royal house,
they deliver the glorious body,
then return to their other labors and cares.
And when they received the body there, in the house,
with processions, and mourning, and honors,
and with abundant libations from sacred chalices,
and all things due, the sorrowful burial began.
And after that, experienced workers from the city
and famous carvers of stone came
to build the tomb and the stele.
Manolis Aligizakis 