Telemachus' Lament and Athena's Prophecy — Odyssey §1.155-1.224 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

ἦ τοι ὁ φορμίζων ἀνεβάλλετο καλὸν ἀείδειν.

Indeed, the lyre-player struck up a prelude to sing beautifully.

αὐτὰρ Τηλέμαχος προσέφη γλαυκῶπιν Ἀθήνην,

But Telemachus addressed flashing-eyed Athena,

ἄγχι σχὼν κεφαλήν, ἵνα μὴ πευθοίαθʼ οἱ ἄλλοι·

holding his head close, so that the others might not hear:

ξεῖνε φίλʼ, ἦ καί μοι νεμεσήσεαι ὅττι κεν εἴπω;

"Dear guest, will you indeed be angry with me for what I shall say?

τούτοισιν μὲν ταῦτα μέλει, κίθαρις καὶ ἀοιδή,

These things are the care of these men, the lyre and song,

ῥεῖʼ, ἐπεὶ ἀλλότριον βίοτον νήποινον ἔδουσιν¹,

easily, since they devour the livelihood of another without payment,

ἀνέρος, οὗ δή που λεύκʼ ὀστέα πύθεται ὄμβρῳ

of a man whose white bones, I ween, are rotting in the rain

κείμενʼ ἐπʼ ἠπείρου, ἢ εἰν ἁλὶ κῦμα κυλίνδει.

as they lie on the mainland, or the wave rolls them in the sea.

εἰ κεῖνόν γʼ Ἰθάκηνδε ἰδοίατο νοστήσαντα,

If they should see him returned to Ithaca,

πάντες κʼ ἀρησαίατʼ ἐλαφρότεροι πόδας εἶναι²

they would all pray to be swifter of foot

ἢ ἀφνειότεροι χρυσοῖό τε ἐσθῆτός τε.

rather than to be richer in gold and raiment.

νῦν δʼ ὁ μὲν ὣς ἀπόλωλε κακὸν μόρον, οὐδέ τις ἡμῖν

But now he has perished thus by an evil fate, nor is there for us

θαλπωρή, εἴ πέρ τις ἐπιχθονίων ἀνθρώπων

any comfort, even if anyone of earthly men

φῇσιν ἐλεύσεσθαι· τοῦ δʼ ὤλετο νόστιμον ἦμαρ.

should say that he will return; his day of return is lost forever.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε μοι τόδε εἰπὲ καὶ ἀτρεκέως κατάλεξον·

But come, tell me this, and declare it truly:

τίς πόθεν εἰς ἀνδρῶν; πόθι τοι πόλις ἠδὲ τοκῆες;

Who and from whence are you among men? Where is your city and your parents?

ὁπποίης τʼ ἐπὶ νηὸς ἀφίκεο· πῶς δέ σε ναῦται

And on what manner of ship did you come? How did the sailors

ἤγαγον εἰς Ἰθάκην; τίνες ἔμμεναι εὐχετόωντο;

bring you to Ithaca? Who did they claim to be?

οὐ μὲν γάρ τί σε πεζὸν ὀίομαι ἐνθάδʼ ἱκέσθαι.

For I do not think by any means that you came hither on foot.

καί μοι τοῦτʼ ἀγόρευσον ἐτήτυμον, ὄφρʼ ἐὺ εἰδῶ,

And tell me this truly, so that I may know it well,

ἠὲ νέον μεθέπεις ἦ καὶ πατρώιός ἐσσι

whether you are newly visiting, or if you are indeed a hereditary

ξεῖνος, ἐπεὶ πολλοὶ ἴσαν ἀνέρες ἡμέτερον δῶ

guest-friend; for many other men have visited our house,

ἄλλοι, ἐπεὶ καὶ κεῖνος ἐπίστροφος ἦν ἀνθρώπων.

since he too was one who mingled much with men.

τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε θεά, γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη·

And him the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena, answered then:

τοιγὰρ ἐγώ τοι ταῦτα μάλʼ ἀτρεκέως ἀγορεύσω.

"Therefore I will tell you this very truly.

Μέντης Ἀγχιάλοιο δαΐφρονος εὔχομαι εἶναι

I declare myself to be Mentes, the son of wise Anchialus,

υἱός, ἀτὰρ Ταφίοισι φιληρέτμοισιν ἀνάσσω.

and I rule over the oar-loving Taphians.

νῦν δʼ ὧδε ξὺν νηὶ κατήλυθον ἠδʼ ἑτάροισιν

And now I have come hither with my ship and companions,

πλέων ἐπὶ οἴνοπα πόντον ἐπʼ ἀλλοθρόους ἀνθρώπους,

sailing over the wine-dark sea to men of strange speech,

ἐς Τεμέσην μετὰ χαλκόν, ἄγω δʼ αἴθωνα σίδηρον.

to Temese for bronze, and I carry flashing iron.

νηῦς δέ μοι ἥδʼ ἕστηκεν ἐπʼ ἀγροῦ νόσφι πόληος,

And my ship stands here, away from the city, in the country,

ἐν λιμένι Ῥείθρῳ ὑπὸ Νηίῳ ὑλήεντι.

in the harbor of Rheithron, beneath wooded Neion.

ξεῖνοι δʼ ἀλλήλων πατρώιοι εὐχόμεθʼ εἶναι

And guest-friends of one another from our fathers' day we declare ourselves to be

ἐξ ἀρχῆς, εἴ πέρ τε γέροντʼ εἴρηαι ἐπελθὼν

from the beginning, if you should go and ask the old

Λαέρτην ἥρωα, τὸν οὐκέτι φασὶ πόλινδε

hero Laertes, who they say no longer comes

ἔρχεσθʼ, ἀλλʼ ἀπάνευθεν ἐπʼ ἀγροῦ πήματα πάσχειν

to the city, but far away in the country suffers woes,

γρηὶ σὺν ἀμφιπόλῳ, ἥ οἱ βρῶσίν τε πόσιν τε

with an old handmaid, who sets before him food and drink,

παρτιθεῖ, εὖτʼ ἄν μιν κάματος κατὰ γυῖα λάβῃσιν

whensoever weariness seizes his limbs,

ἑρπύζοντʼ ἀνὰ γουνὸν ἀλωῆς οἰνοπέδοιο.

as he creeps along the slope of his vineyard land.

νῦν δʼ ἦλθον· δὴ γάρ μιν ἔφαντʼ ἐπιδήμιον εἶναι,

And now I have come; for they said indeed that he was at home,

σὸν πατέρʼ· ἀλλά νυ τόν γε θεοὶ βλάπτουσι κελεύθου.

even your father; but now the gods are hindering him from his way.

οὐ γάρ πω τέθνηκεν ἐπὶ χθονὶ δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς,

For not yet has noble Odysseus died upon the earth,

ἀλλʼ ἔτι που ζωὸς κατερύκεται εὐρέι πόντῳ

but is still, I ween, kept alive on the wide sea,

νήσῳ ἐν ἀμφιρύτῃ, χαλεποὶ δέ μιν ἄνδρες ἔχουσιν

on a sea-girt island, and harsh men hold him,

ἄγριοι, οἵ που κεῖνον ἐρυκανόωσʼ ἀέκοντα.

savage men, who, I ween, keep him there against his will.

αὐτὰρ νῦν τοι ἐγὼ μαντεύσομαι, ὡς ἐνὶ θυμῷ

But now I will prophesy to you, as in my heart

ἀθάνατοι βάλλουσι καὶ ὡς τελέεσθαι ὀίω,

the immortals put it, and as I think it will be fulfilled,

οὔτε τι μάντις ἐὼν οὔτʼ οἰωνῶν σάφα εἰδώς.

though I am in no way a prophet, nor clear in the knowledge of birds.

οὔ τοι ἔτι δηρόν γε φίλης ἀπὸ πατρίδος αἴης

Not for long now will he be far from his dear native land,

ἔσσεται, οὐδʼ εἴ πέρ τε σιδήρεα δέσματʼ ἔχῃσιν·

no, not even if iron bonds should hold him.

φράσσεται ὥς κε νέηται, ἐπεὶ πολυμήχανός ἐστιν.

He will devise how he may return, since he is of many devices.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε μοι τόδε εἰπὲ καὶ ἀτρεκέως κατάλεξον,

But come, tell me this, and declare it truly,

εἰ δὴ ἐξ αὐτοῖο τόσος πάϊς εἰς Ὀδυσῆος.

if indeed you are, tall as you are, the very son of Odysseus.

αἰνῶς μὲν κεφαλήν τε καὶ ὄμματα καλὰ ἔοικας

Wondrously like him in head and beautiful eyes you are,

κείνῳ, ἐπεὶ θαμὰ τοῖον ἐμισγόμεθʼ ἀλλήλοισιν,

since we were wont to meet with one another very often,

πρίν γε τὸν ἐς Τροίην ἀναβήμεναι, ἔνθα περ ἄλλοι

before he embarked for Troy, whither also others,

Ἀργείων οἱ ἄριστοι ἔβαν κοίλῃς ἐνὶ νηυσίν·

the best of the Argives, went in their hollow ships.

ἐκ τοῦ δʼ οὔτʼ Ὀδυσῆα ἐγὼν ἴδον οὔτʼ ἔμʼ ἐκεῖνος.

But from that time forth I have not seen Odysseus, nor he me."

τὴν δʼ αὖ Τηλέμαχος πεπνυμένος ἀντίον ηὔδα·

And to him wise Telemachus answered in turn:

τοιγὰρ ἐγώ τοι, ξεῖνε, μάλʼ ἀτρεκέως ἀγορεύσω.

"Therefore, guest, I will speak to you very truly.

μήτηρ μέν τέ μέ φησι τοῦ ἔμμεναι, αὐτὰρ ἐγώ γε

My mother indeed says that I am his, but for my part

οὐκ οἶδʼ· οὐ γάρ πώ τις ἑὸν γόνον αὐτὸς ἀνέγνω.

I do not know; for no man yet has known his own parentage of himself.

ὡς δὴ ἐγώ γʼ ὄφελον μάκαρός νύ τευ ἔμμεναι υἱὸς³

Would that I had been the son of some fortunate

ἀνέρος, ὃν κτεάτεσσιν ἑοῖς ἔπι γῆρας ἔτετμε.

man, whom old age overtook amid his own possessions.

νῦν δʼ ὃς ἀποτμότατος γένετο θνητῶν ἀνθρώπων,

But now of him who has become the most ill-fated of mortal men,

τοῦ μʼ ἔκ φασι γενέσθαι, ἐπεὶ σύ με τοῦτʼ ἐρεείνεις.

of him they say I am born, since you ask me of this."

τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε θεά, γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη·

And him the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena, answered then:

οὐ μέν τοι γενεήν γε θεοὶ νώνυμνον ὀπίσσω

"Surely indeed your lineage hereafter the gods have not made

θῆκαν, ἐπεὶ σέ γε τοῖον ἐγείνατο Πηνελόπεια.

nameless, since Penelope has borne you such a son.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε μοι τόδε εἰπὲ καὶ ἀτρεκέως κατάλεξον·

But come, tell me this, and declare it truly:"

Syntax notes3 items

1.160ῥεῖʼ, ἐπεὶ ἀλλότριον βίοτον νήποινον ἔδουσιν
The adverb ῥεῖα ("easily," "lightly") modifies the entire clause, illustrating the carefree and arrogant attitude of the suitors who devour another's estate without paying any retribution (νήποινον).
1.164ἐλαφρότεροι πόδας εἶναι
The adjective ἐλαφρότεροι ("lighter") is followed by the accusative of specification πόδας ("with respect to feet"), meaning "swifter of foot." This is contrasted with the subsequent comparative ἀφνειότεροι ("richer"), showing that they would rather escape than obtain riches when faced with the master's return.
1.217ὡς δὴ ἐγώ γʼ ὄφελον μάκαρός νύ τευ ἔμμεναι υἱὸς
The combination of ὡς ὄφελον with the infinitive ἔμμεναι (Homeric form of εἶναι) is an idiomatic construction used to express an unrealizable wish in past or present time ("would that I had been..."). The particles δὴ and γʼ add emphasis to Telemachus's deep regret.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:1.155-1.224