Greek: The Odyssey: 184-297 Flashcards
184-189
Moreover after they’d made libation and drunk as much as hearts desired,
Alcinous spoke and said among them:
“Hear me, Phaecian leaders and commanders
so that I might say what the heart in my chest commands me.
Now that you’ve dined, go home to rest
and in the morning after we have called more elders here,
190-195
we will host the stranger in the palace, and
make fine sacrifices to the gods and then deliberate about an escort,
so that the stranger, without stress and toil,
may quickly come to his fatherland with our escort,
rejoicing even though he is very far away,
and not suffer evil and pain in the meantime
196-201
before he sets foot on his land: then, there
he will suffer whatever fate and the heavy spinners
spun for him when his mother bore him
but if he is some immortal who has comedown from heaven,
then this is something different that the gods are contriving.
For always before did the gods appear clearly
202-206
to us when we make famous hecatombs
and they dine amongst us, sitting here as we do.
If then someone even meets them going alone as a traveller,
they do not conceal themselves at all, since we are close to them,
just as the Cyclopes and the savage races of the giants.”
207-211
And crafty Odysseus answered him in response
“Alcinous, let something else be a concern to your mind, for I am not
like the immortals, those who hold wide heaven,
neither in form nor in nature, but I am like mortals who die.
Whatever men you know that most bear a burden
those I would equal in my pains.
212-218
and I could describe even more evils,
yes indeed, all the many things that I suffered due to the will of the gods
but allow me to have dinner, though I am troubled,
for nothing is more doglike than a hateful belly
which commands to be remembered by necessity
especially by one greatly afflicted and having sorrow in his heart,
219-225
just as I have sorrow in my heart, which always and ever
bids me to eat and to drink, causes me to forget
all the things I have suffered and demands to be filled.
You, when the dawn appears, stir yourselves
so that you may take me, unlucky one, to my fatherland
though I have suffered many things. May life leave me
when I have seen my property, my slave girls, and my high roofed house.”
226-232
So he spoke and all praised him and commanded
that they convey the stranger, since he had spoken properly.
Then after they’d made libation and drunk as much as hearts desired,
each man went home to rest
but noble Odysseus was left in the hall
besides him sat Arete and godlike Alkinoos
as handmaids cleared away the dishes of the feast.
233-239
White armed Arete began speaking to them,
for she recognized the cloak and the tunic, when she saw
the fine clothing, which she herself had made with her handmaiden women,
and, voicing winged words, she said to him.
“Stranger, first, I myself will ask you
where did you come from? Who are you amongst men? Who gave you this clothing?
Did you not say you reached here, wandering upon the sea?”
240-244
And crafty Odysseus, answering her, said:
“It is hard, queen, to speak at length
my troubles since the gods in heaven have given many to me.
But I will tell you this, since you ask and question me.
There is a certain island, Ogygia, which lies far off in the sea.
245-250
There Atlas’s daughter, devious, fair haired Calypso
dwells. A terrible goddess! No one mixes with her,
neither gods, nor mortal men.
But some god drove me, wretched one, to her hearth
alone, since Zeus impeded me and split my swift ship with his flashing thunderbolt, in the middle of the wine dark sea.
251-257
All the rest of my good companions perished there, but I seized in my arms the keel of the twice curved ship,
and for 9 days I was carried. On the tenth dark night,
the gods brough me to the island Ogygia. There
dwells fair haired Calypso, a terrible goddess, who, having taken me,
loved me kindly and cared for me and promised to
make me immortal and unageing for all my days,
258-263
but she never persuaded the heart in my chest.
There I remained stuck for 7 years, always wetting with my tears the immortal clothes Calypso gave me.
But when the 8th year came round for me,
then she, urging, ordered me to go
by order of Zeus, or because her mind had changed.
264-270
She sent me off on a tightly corded raft and gave many things to me,
food, and sweet wine, and immortal clothes to wear,
and she sent forth a wind, both gentle and warm,
I sailed for 17 days, traversing the sea,
and on the 18th the shadowy mountains
of your land appeared, and my dear heart rejoiced,
ill fated me! For indeed I would yet meet with much misery,
271-277
which earth-shaker Poseidon has sent against me,
he who roused the winds against me and hindered my way,
and stirred up the unspeakable sea. And no wave allowed
me to be borne on my raft, as I groaned incessantly.
Then the sea storm scattered the raft: but I,
swimming, crossed the expanse, until wind
and water bore and brought me to your land.
