The Cyclops' Retreat and Odysseus' Prayer — Euripides, Cyclops, lines 539–624, Greek & English

539

τί δρῶμεν, ὦ Σιληνέ; σοὶ μένειν δοκεῖ;

CYCLOPS: What should we do, Silenus? Does it seem best to you to remain?

540

δοκεῖ. τί γὰρ δεῖ συμποτῶν ἄλλων, Κύκλωψ;

SILENUS: It does. For why do we need other drinking companions, Cyclops?

καὶ μὴν λαχνῶδές τ’ οὖδας ἀνθηρᾶς χλόης....

CYCLOPS: And indeed, the ground of flowery grass is downy...

καὶ πρός γε θάλπος ἡλίου πίνειν καλόν.

SILENUS: Yes, and moreover it is beautiful to drink in the warmth of the sun.

κλίθητί νύν μοι πλευρὰ θεὶς ἐπὶ χθονός.

SILENUS: Now lean back for me, placing your ribs on the ground.

ἰδού.

CYCLOPS: There.

545

τί δῆτα τὸν κρατῆρ’ ὄπισθέ μου τίθης;

CYCLOPS: Why on earth do you place the mixing-bowl behind me?

ὡς μὴ παριών τις καταβάλῃ.

SILENUS: Lest someone passing by should knock it over.

πίνειν μὲν οὖν

CYCLOPS: No, rather

κλέπτων¹ σὺ βούλῃ· κάτθες αὐτὸν ἐς μέσον.

you wish to drink by stealth. Put it down in the middle.

σὺ δ’, ὦ ξέν’, εἰπὲ τοὔνομ’ ὅ τι σε χρὴ καλεῖν.

CYCLOPS: And you, stranger, tell me the name by which I should call you.

Οὖτιν· χάριν δὲ τίνα λαβών σ’ ἐπαινέσω;

ODYSSEUS: Outis. And receiving what favor shall I praise you?

550

πάντων σ’ ἑταίρων ὕστερον θοινάσομαι.

CYCLOPS: I will feast on you last of all your companions.

καλόν γε τὸ γέρας τῷ ξένῳ δίδως, Κύκλωψ.

SILENUS: Indeed a beautiful prize you give to the stranger, Cyclops.

οὗτος, τί δρᾷς; τὸν οἶνον ἐκπίνεις λάθρᾳ;

CYCLOPS: Hey, what are you doing? Are you drinking up the wine in secret?

οὔκ, ἀλλ’ ἔμ’ οὗτος ἔκυσεν, ὅτι καλὸν βλέπω.

SILENUS: No, but this wine kissed me, because I look handsome.

κλαύσῃ, φιλῶν τὸν οἶνον οὐ φιλοῦντά σε.

CYCLOPS: You will weep, loving the wine that does not love you.

555

ναὶ μὰ Δί’, ἐπεί μού φησ’ ἐρᾶν ὄντος καλοῦ.

SILENUS: Yes, by Zeus, since it says it loves me because I am beautiful.

ἔγχει, πλέων δὲ τὸν σκύφον. δίδου μόνον.

CYCLOPS: Pour, and fill the cup. Just give it.

πῶς οὖν κέκραται; φέρε διασκεψώμεθα.

SILENUS: How then is it mixed? Come, let us inspect.

ἀπολεῖς· δὸς οὕτως.

CYCLOPS: You will ruin it. Give it as it is.

ναὶ μὰ Δί’ οὐ πρὶν ἄν γέ σε

SILENUS: No, by Zeus, not before

στέφανον ἴδω λαβόντα γεύσωμαί τ’ ἔτι...

I see you receive a wreath, and I taste it further...

560

ὦ οἰνοχόος ἄδικος.

CYCLOPS: Oh, unjust wine-pourer!

οὐ μὰ Δί’, ἀλλ’ ὦ οἶνος γλυκύς.

SILENUS: No, by Zeus, but oh, sweet wine!

ἀπομυκτέον δέ σοί ἐστιν ὡς λήψῃ πιεῖν.

SILENUS: And you must wipe your nose so that you may take it to drink.

ἰδού, καθαρὸν τὸ χεῖλος αἱ τρίχες τέ μου.

CYCLOPS: There, my lips and my hair are clean.

θές νυν τὸν ἀγκῶν’ εὐρύθμως, κᾆτ’ ἔκπιε,

SILENUS: Place your elbow gracefully now, and then drink it up,

ὥσπερ μ’ ὁρᾷς πίνοντα—χὥσπερ οὐκ ἐμέ.

just as you see me drinking—and just as you do not see me.

565

ἆ ἆ, τί δράσεις;

CYCLOPS: Ah, ah! What will you do?

ἡδέως ἠμύστισα.

SILENUS: I took a sweet deep draught.

λάβ’, ὦ ξέν’, αὐτὸς οἰνοχόος τέ μοι γενοῦ.

CYCLOPS: Take it, stranger, and you become my wine-pourer.

γιγνώσκεται γοῦν ἡ ἄμπελος τἠμῇ χερί.

ODYSSEUS: At any rate, the vine is well known to my hand.

φέρ’ ἔγχεόν νυν.

CYCLOPS: Come, pour now.

ἐγχέω, σίγα μόνον.

ODYSSEUS: I pour, only be silent.

χαλεπὸν τόδ’ εἶπας, ὅστις ἂν πίνῃ πολύν.

CYCLOPS: A difficult thing you ask, for whoever drinks much.

570

ἰδοὺ λαβὼν ἔκπιθι καὶ μηδὲν λίπῃς.

ODYSSEUS: There, take and drink it up, and leave nothing.

συνεκθανεῖν² δὲ σπῶντα χρὴ τῷ πώματι.

And one must die together with the drink while taking a deep draught.

παπαῖ, σοφόν γε τὸ ξύλον τῆς ἀμπέλου.

CYCLOPS: Papai! Indeed wise is the wood of the vine.

κἂν μὲν σπάσῃς γε δαιτὶ πρὸς πολλῇ πολύν,

ODYSSEUS: And if indeed you take a deep draught of much wine at a great feast,

τέγξας ἄδιψον νηδύν, εἰς ὕπνον βαλεῖ,

having moistened your thirstless belly, it will cast you into sleep;

575

ἢν δ’ ἐλλίπῃς τι, ξηρανεῖ σ’ ὁ Βάκχιος.

but if you leave anything behind, Bacchus will dry you up.

ἰοὺ ἰού,

CYCLOPS: Hurrah, hurrah!

ὡς ἐξένευσα³ μόγις· ἄκρατος ἡ χάρις.

How I barely swam out! The pleasure is unmixed.

ὁ δ’ οὐρανός μοι συμμεμιγμένος δοκεῖ

And the heaven seems to me mixed up

τῇ γῇ φέρεσθαι, τοῦ Διός τε τὸν θρόνον

with the earth to be carried along, and the throne of Zeus

580

λεύσσω, τὸ πᾶν τε δαιμόνων ἁγνὸν σέβας.

I behold, and all the holy majesty of the gods.

—οὐκ ἂν φιλήσαιμ’·—αἱ Χάριτες πειρῶσί με.—

—I would not kiss them!—The Graces are tempting me.

ἅλις Γανυμήδην τόνδ’ ἔχων⁴ ἀναπαύσομαι.

Having this Ganymede here is enough, I will rest.

κάλλιστα, νὴ τὰς Χάριτας. —ἥδομαι δέ πως

Most beautifully, by the Graces! —And somehow I enjoy

τοῖς παιδικοῖσι μᾶλλον ἢ τοῖς θήλεσιν.

boys more than females.

585

ἐγὼ γὰρ ὁ Διός εἰμι Γανυμήδης, Κύκλωψ;

SILENUS: For am I the Ganymede of Zeus, Cyclops?

ναὶ μὰ Δί’, ὃν ἁρπάζω γ’ ἐγὼ’κ τοῦ Δαρδάνου.

CYCLOPS: Yes, by Zeus, whom I snatch from the house of Dardanus.

ἀπόλωλα, παῖδες· σχέτλια πείσομαι κακά.

SILENUS: I am undone, children! I shall suffer cruel evils.

μέμφῃ τὸν ἐραστὴν κἀντρυφᾷς πεπωκότι;

CYCLOPS: Do you blame your lover, and mock him when he is drunk?

οἴμοι· πικρότατον οἶνον ὄψομαι τάχα.

SILENUS: Alas! I shall soon see a most bitter wine.

590

ἄγε δή, Διονύσου παῖδες, εὐγενῆ τέκνα,

ODYSSEUS: Come now, sons of Dionysus, noble children,

ἔνδον μὲν ἁνήρ· τῷ δ’ ὕπνῳ παρειμένος

the man is inside; and relaxed in sleep,

τάχ’ ἐξ ἀναιδοῦς φάρυγος ὠθήσει κρέα.

soon from his shameless throat he will push out meat.

δαλὸς δ’ ἔσωθεν αὐλίων ὠθεῖ καπνὸν

And the brand inside the halls pushes out smoke,

παρευτρέπισται· κοὐδὲν ἄλλο πλὴν πυροῦν

it is prepared; and nothing else remains except to burn

595

Κύκλωπος ὄψιν· ἀλλ’ ὅπως ἀνὴρ ἔσῃ.

the Cyclops’ eye. But see that you be men.

πέτρας τὸ λῆμα κἀδάμαντος ἕξομεν.

CHORUS: We shall have the resolve of rock and adamant.

χώρει δ’ ἐς οἴκους, πρίν τι τὸν πατέρα παθεῖν

But go into the house, before our father suffers

ἀπάλαμνον· ὥς σοι τἀνθάδ’ ἐστὶν εὐτρεπῆ.

something helpless; since things here are prepared for you.

Ἥφαιστ’, ἄναξ Αἰτναῖε, γείτονος κακοῦ

ODYSSEUS: Hephaestus, lord of Etna, having burned the bright eye

600

λαμπρὸν πυρώσας ὄμμ’ ἀπαλλάχθηθ’ ἅπαξ,

of your evil neighbor, rid us of him once and for all,

σύ τ’, ὦ μελαίνης Νυκτὸς ἐκπαίδευμ’, Ὕπνε,

and you, Sleep, child of black Night,

ἄκρατος ἐλθὲ θηρὶ τῷ θεοστυγεῖ,

come unmixed upon the beast hated by the gods,

καὶ μὴ’πὶ καλλίστοισι Τρωικοῖς πόνοις

and do not, after the most beautiful Trojan labors,

αὐτόν τε ναύτας τ’ ἀπολέσητ’⁵ Ὀδυσσέα

destroy Odysseus himself and his sailors

605

ὑπ’ ἀνδρός, ᾧ θεῶν οὐδὲν ἢ βροτῶν μέλει.

by a man who cares nothing for gods or mortals.

ἢ τὴν τύχην μὲν δαίμον’ ἡγεῖσθαι χρεών,

Otherwise, one must consider Chance to be a god,

τὰ δαιμόνων δὲ τῆς τύχης ἐλάσσονα.

and the things of the gods to be inferior to Chance.

λήψεται τὸν τράχηλον

CHORUS: The pincers will grasp the neck

ἐντόνως ὁ καρκίνος

firmly

610

τοῦ ξενοδαιτυμόνος· πυρὶ γὰρ τάχα

of the host-eater; for soon with fire

φωσφόρους ὀλεῖ κόρας.

he will destroy his light-bearing pupil.

ἤδη

Already

δαλὸς ἠνθρακωμένος

the brand turned to coal

615

κρύπτεται ἐς σποδιάν, δρυὸς ἄσπετον

is hidden in the ashes, a vast branch

ἔρνος· ἀλλ’ ἴτω Μάρων·

of oak. But let Maron go forth!

πρασσέτω·

Let him act!

μαινομένου’ξελέτω βλέφαρον Κύ-

Let him pluck out the eyelid of the mad

κλωπος, ὡς πίῃ κακῶς.

Cyclops, so that he may drink to his misery.

κἀγὼ

And I too

620

τὸν φιλοκισσοφόρον Βρόμιον πο-

wish to behold longed-for Bromius

θεινὸν εἰσιδεῖν θέλω,

who loves ivy-bearing,

Κύκλω-

leaving the Cyclops’

πος λιπὼν ἐρημίαν·

desolation;

ἆρ’ ἐς τοσόνδ’ ἀφίξομαι;

shall I ever arrive at such a state?

σιγᾶτε πρὸς θεῶν, θῆρες, ἡσυχάζετε,

ODYSSEUS: Be silent, by the gods, beasts, keep quiet!

Syntax notes5 items

547κλέπτων
The present participle κλέπτων expresses manner or means, meaning 'by stealth' or 'secretly', qualifying the main verb βούλῃ (2nd person singular present middle indicative of βούλομαι).
571συνεκθανεῖν
Aorist infinitive of συνεκθνῄσκω (to die together with). It hyperbolically describes the act of drinking in a single breath, as if 'dying together with' the drink.
577ἐξένευσα
1st person singular aorist indicative of ἐκνέω (to swim out, escape). It metaphorically refers to surviving or managing to drain the massive drink, as if swimming out of a rough sea.
582ἔχων
The present participle ἔχων expresses attendant circumstance or condition ('having' or 'clasping'), qualifying the main verb ἀναπαύσομαι.
604ἀπολέσητ’
The 2nd person plural aorist active subjunctive of ἀπόλλυμι, elided from -ητε. The subjects are Hephaestus (Ἥφαιστε, 599) and Sleep (Ὕπνε, 601), and with the negative particle μή (603), it expresses a prayerful entreaty: 'do not destroy'.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)

2026-09-21 AI review — translation 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0006.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:539-624