Slaying of the Stag and Eurylochus' Mission — Odyssey §10.146-10.217 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

καρπαλίμως παρὰ νηὸς ἀνήιον ἐς περιωπήν,

Quickly I went up from the ship to a lookout point,

εἴ πως ἔργα ἴδοιμι¹ βροτῶν ἐνοπήν τε πυθοίμην.

in the hope that I might see the works of mortals and hear their voice.

ἔστην δὲ σκοπιὴν ἐς παιπαλόεσσαν ἀνελθών,

And I stood, having climbed up to a rugged lookout-point,

καί μοι ἐείσατο καπνὸς ἀπὸ χθονὸς εὐρυοδείης,

and there appeared to me smoke rising from the wide-wayed earth,

Κίρκης ἐν μεγάροισι, διὰ δρυμὰ πυκνὰ καὶ ὕλην.

in the halls of Circe, through the thick brush and the wood.

μερμήριξα δʼ ἔπειτα κατὰ φρένα καὶ κατὰ θυμὸν

Then I pondered in my mind and in my heart

ἐλθεῖν ἠδὲ πυθέσθαι, ἐπεὶ ἴδον αἴθοπα καπνόν.

whether to go and find out, since I had seen the bright smoke.

ὧδε δέ μοι φρονέοντι δοάσσατο κέρδιον εἶναι²,

And as I was pondering thus, it seemed to me to be better

πρῶτʼ ἐλθόντʼ ἐπὶ νῆα θοὴν καὶ θῖνα θαλάσσης

first to go to the swift ship and the shore of the sea,

δεῖπνον ἑταίροισιν δόμεναι προέμεν τε πυθέσθαι.

to give a meal to my companions, and then to send them forth to find out.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ σχεδὸν ἦα κιὼν νεὸς ἀμφιελίσσης,

But when I was already near as I went to the curved ship,

καὶ τότε τίς με θεῶν ὀλοφύρατο μοῦνον ἐόντα,

then indeed some one of the gods took pity on me being alone,

ὅς ῥά μοι ὑψίκερων ἔλαφον μέγαν εἰς ὁδὸν αὐτὴν

who sent a great high-horned stag right into my very path.

ἧκεν. ὁ μὲν ποταμόνδε κατήιεν ἐκ νομοῦ ὕλης

He was coming down to the river from his pasture in the wood

πιόμενος· δὴ γάρ μιν ἔχεν μένος ἠελίοιο.

to drink; for indeed the heat of the sun was oppressing him.

τὸν δʼ ἐγὼ ἐκβαίνοντα κατʼ ἄκνηστιν μέσα νῶτα

And as he was coming out, I struck him on the spine, in the middle of his back,

πλῆξα· τὸ δʼ ἀντικρὺ δόρυ χάλκεον ἐξεπέρησε,

and the bronze spear passed straight through;

κὰδ δʼ ἔπεσʼ ἐν κονίῃσι μακών, ἀπὸ δʼ ἔπτατο θυμός.

and he fell moaning in the dust, and his life flew away.

τῷ δʼ ἐγὼ ἐμβαίνων δόρυ χάλκεον ἐξ ὠτειλῆς

And stepping upon him, I drew the bronze spear out of the wound;

εἰρυσάμην· τὸ μὲν αὖθι κατακλίνας ἐπὶ γαίῃ

and laying it down there on the ground I let it lie;

εἴασʼ· αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ σπασάμην ῥῶπάς τε λύγους τε,

but I myself broke off twigs and willow-shoots,

πεῖσμα δʼ, ὅσον τʼ ὄργυιαν, ἐυστρεφὲς ἀμφοτέρωθεν

and having woven a well-twisted rope, about a fathom long,

πλεξάμενος συνέδησα πόδας δεινοῖο πελώρου,

I bound together the feet of the dread monster,

βῆν δὲ καταλοφάδεια φέρων ἐπὶ νῆα μέλαιναν

and went carrying it across my neck to the black ship,

ἔγχει ἐρειδόμενος, ἐπεὶ οὔ πως ἦεν ἐπʼ ὤμου

leaning on my spear, since there was no way to carry it on my shoulder

χειρὶ φέρειν ἑτέρῃ· μάλα γὰρ μέγα θηρίον ἦεν.

with one hand; for it was indeed a very great beast.

κὰδʼ δʼ ἔβαλον προπάροιθε νεός, ἀνέγειρα δʼ ἑταίρους

And I threw it down before the ship, and aroused my companions

μειλιχίοις ἐπέεσσι παρασταδὸν ἄνδρα ἕκαστον·

with gentle words, standing by each man:

ὦ φίλοι, οὐ γάρ πω καταδυσόμεθʼ³ ἀχνύμενοί περ

'O friends, for we shall not yet descend, despite our grieving,

εἰς Ἀίδαο δόμους, πρὶν μόρσιμον ἦμαρ ἐπέλθῃ·

to the house of Hades, before the day of destiny comes upon us.

ἀλλʼ ἄγετʼ, ὄφρʼ ἐν νηὶ θοῇ βρῶσίς τε πόσις τε,

But come, while there is food and drink in the swift ship,

μνησόμεθα βρώμης, μηδὲ τρυχώμεθα λιμῷ.

let us think of food, and not be worn out with hunger.'

ὣς ἐφάμην, οἱ δʼ ὦκα ἐμοῖς ἐπέεσσι πίθοντο,

So I spoke, and they quickly hearkened to my words,

ἐκ δὲ καλυψάμενοι παρὰ θῖνʼ ἁλὸς ἀτρυγέτοιο

and throwing off their cloaks on the shore of the barren sea,

θηήσαντʼ ἔλαφον· μάλα γὰρ μέγα θηρίον ἦεν.

they gazed at the stag; for it was indeed a very great beast.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ τάρπησαν ὁρώμενοι ὀφθαλμοῖσιν,

But when they had satisfied their eyes with gazing,

χεῖρας νιψάμενοι τεύχοντʼ ἐρικυδέα δαῖτα.

they washed their hands and prepared a glorious feast.

ὣς τότε μὲν πρόπαν ἦμαρ ἐς ἠέλιον καταδύντα

So then for the whole day until the going down of the sun

ἥμεθα δαινύμενοι κρέα τʼ ἄσπετα καὶ μέθυ ἡδύ·

we sat feasting on abundant meat and sweet wine.

ἦμος δʼ ἠέλιος κατέδυ καὶ ἐπὶ κνέφας ἦλθε,

But when the sun went down and darkness came on,

δὴ τότε κοιμήθημεν ἐπὶ ῥηγμῖνι θαλάσσης.

then indeed we lay down to sleep on the beach of the sea.

ἦμος δʼ ἠριγένεια φάνη ῥοδοδάκτυλος Ἠώς,

And when early-born, rosy-fingered Dawn appeared,

καὶ τότʼ ἐγὼν ἀγορὴν θέμενος μετὰ πᾶσιν ἔειπον·

then indeed I called an assembly and spoke among them all:

κέκλυτέ μευ μύθων, κακά περ πάσχοντες ἑταῖροι·

'Hearken to my words, my companions, though you suffer evils.

ὦ φίλοι, οὐ γάρ τʼ ἴδμεν, ὅπῃ ζόφος οὐδʼ ὅπῃ ἠώς,

O friends, for we do not know where the darkness is, nor where the dawn,

οὐδʼ ὅπῃ ἠέλιος φαεσίμβροτος εἶσʼ ὑπὸ γαῖαν,

nor where the sun that gives light to mortals goes beneath the earth,

οὐδʼ ὅπῃ ἀννεῖται· ἀλλὰ φραζώμεθα θᾶσσον

nor where he rises; but let us quickly consider

εἴ τις ἔτʼ ἔσται μῆτις. ἐγὼ δʼ οὔκ οἴομαι εἶναι.

if any counsel shall yet be ours; but I do not think there is.

εἶδον γὰρ σκοπιὴν ἐς παιπαλόεσσαν ἀνελθὼν

For I saw, having climbed up to a rugged lookout-point,

νῆσον, τὴν πέρι πόντος ἀπείριτος ἐστεφάνωται·

the island, around which the boundless sea is wreathed like a crown;

αὐτὴ δὲ χθαμαλὴ κεῖται· καπνὸν δʼ ἐνὶ μέσσῃ

and the island itself lies low; and in the midst of it

ἔδρακον ὀφθαλμοῖσι διὰ δρυμὰ πυκνὰ καὶ ὕλην.

I saw with my eyes smoke rising through the thick brush and the wood.'

ὣς ἐφάμην, τοῖσιν δὲ κατεκλάσθη φίλον ἦτορ

So I spoke, and their dear heart was broken

μνησαμένοις ἔργων Λαιστρυγόνος Ἀντιφάταο

as they remembered the deeds of Laestrygonian Antiphates

Κύκλωπός τε βίης μεγαλήτορος, ἀνδροφάγοιο.

and the violence of the great-hearted, man-eating Cyclops.

κλαῖον δὲ λιγέως θαλερὸν κατὰ δάκρυ χέοντες·

And they wept aloud, shedding big tears;

ἀλλʼ οὐ γάρ τις πρῆξις ἐγίγνετο μυρομένοισιν⁴.

but indeed no profit came to them as they wailed.

αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ δίχα πάντας ἐυκνήμιδας ἑταίρους

But I numbered all my well-greaved companions into two parties,

ἠρίθμεον, ἀρχὸν δὲ μετʼ ἀμφοτέροισιν ὄπασσα·

and appointed a leader for each:

τῶν μὲν ἐγὼν ἦρχον, τῶν δʼ Εὐρύλοχος θεοειδής.

of one party I was the leader, and of the other godlike Eurylochus.

κλήρους δʼ ἐν κυνέῃ χαλκήρεϊ πάλλομεν ὦκα·

And quickly we shook lots in a bronze-bound helmet,

ἐκ δʼ ἔθορε κλῆρος μεγαλήτορος Εὐρυλόχοιο.

and out leapt the lot of great-hearted Eurylochus.

βῆ δʼ ἰέναι, ἅμα τῷ γε δύω καὶ εἴκοσʼ ἑταῖροι

And he went on his way, and with him two and twenty companions,

κλαίοντες· κατὰ δʼ ἄμμε λίπον γοόωντας ὄπισθεν.

weeping; and they left us behind making lamentation.

εὗρον δʼ ἐν βήσσῃσι τετυγμένα δώματα Κίρκης

And they found in the forest glades the built house of Circe,

ξεστοῖσιν λάεσσι, περισκέπτῳ ἐνὶ χώρῳ·

of polished stones, in an open place.

ἀμφὶ δέ μιν λύκοι ἦσαν ὀρέστεροι ἠδὲ λέοντες,

And all around it were mountain wolves and lions,

τοὺς αὐτὴ κατέθελξεν, ἐπεὶ κακὰ φάρμακʼ ἔδωκεν.

whom she herself had bewitched, since she gave them evil drugs.

οὐδʼ οἵ γʼ ὡρμήθησαν ἐπʼ ἀνδράσιν, ἀλλʼ ἄρα τοί γε

And they did not rush upon the men, but rather

οὐρῇσιν μακρῇσι περισσαίνοντες ἀνέσταν.

they stood up, fawning upon them with their long tails.

ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ἂν ἀμφὶ ἄνακτα κύνες δαίτηθεν ἰόντα

And just as when dogs fawn about their master as he comes from a feast,

σαίνωσʼ, αἰεὶ γάρ τε φέρει μειλίγματα θυμοῦ,

for he always brings them morsels to please their hearts,

Syntax notes4 items

10.147εἴ πως ἔργα ἴδοιμι
The conjunction εἴ followed by the optative ἴδοιμι expresses an indirect question or a tentative condition implying purpose or expectation ('in the hope that I might see').
10.153δοάσσατο κέρδιον εἶναι
The infinitive εἶναι functions as the subject of the verb δοάσσατο ('it seemed to be better'). The dative participle phrase μοι φρονέοντι limits the verb, meaning 'to me as I was pondering thus.'
10.174οὐ γάρ πω καταδυσόμεθʼ
The verb καταδυσόμεθα is a future indicative (or a short-vowel aorist subjunctive), expressing a confident denial about the future ('for we shall not yet descend').
10.202μυρομένοισιν
A present participle in the dative, functioning as a dative of disadvantage (or dative of reference), indicating 'for them, as they wept, (no progress was made).'

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:10.146-10.217