Circe's Hospitality and the Restoration of the Crew — Odyssey §10.356-10.427 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

ἡ δὲ τρίτη κρητῆρι μελίφρονα οἶνον ἐκίρνα

And the third mixed the sweet-minded wine in a silver bowl,

ἡδὺν ἐν ἀργυρέῳ, νέμε δὲ χρύσεια κύπελλα·

sweet wine, and distributed the golden cups.

ἡ δὲ τετάρτη ὕδωρ ἐφόρει καὶ πῦρ ἀνέκαιε

And the fourth carried water and kindled a great

πολλὸν ὑπὸ τρίποδι μεγάλῳ· ἰαίνετο δʼ ὕδωρ.

fire beneath the large tripod; and the water grew warm.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ ζέσσεν ὕδωρ ἐνὶ ἤνοπι χαλκῷ,

But when the water boiled in the shining bronze,

ἔς ῥʼ ἀσάμινθον ἕσασα λόʼ¹ ἐκ τρίποδος μεγάλοιο,

she seated me in a bath and washed me from the large tripod,

θυμῆρες κεράσασα, κατὰ κρατός τε καὶ ὤμων,

mixing it to a pleasant warmth, over my head and shoulders,

ὄφρα μοι ἐκ κάματον θυμοφθόρον εἵλετο γυίων.

so that she took the soul-destroying weariness from my limbs.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ λοῦσέν τε καὶ ἔχρισεν λίπʼ ἐλαίῳ²,

But when she had washed me and anointed me with olive oil,

ἀμφὶ δέ με χλαῖναν καλὴν βάλεν ἠδὲ χιτῶνα,

and had cast a beautiful cloak and a tunic about me,

εἷσε δέ μʼ εἰσαγαγοῦσα ἐπὶ θρόνου ἀργυροήλου

she led me in and seated me on a silver-studded throne,

καλοῦ δαιδαλέου, ὑπὸ δὲ θρῆνυς ποσὶν ἦεν·

beautiful and elaborately wrought, and beneath was a footstool for my feet.

χέρνιβα δʼ ἀμφίπολος προχόῳ ἐπέχευε φέρουσα

And a handmaid poured water for washing from a beautiful

καλῇ χρυσείῃ, ὑπὲρ ἀργυρέοιο λέβητος,

golden pitcher over a silver basin,

νίψασθαι· παρὰ δὲ ξεστὴν ἐτάνυσσε τράπεζαν.

to wash, and drew up a polished table beside me.

σῖτον δʼ αἰδοίη ταμίη παρέθηκε φέρουσα,

And the grave housekeeper brought and set bread before me,

εἴδατα πόλλʼ ἐπιθεῖσα, χαριζομένη παρεόντων.

putting on many dainties, giving freely of what was at hand.

ἐσθέμεναι δʼ ἐκέλευεν· ἐμῷ δʼ οὐχ ἥνδανε θυμῷ,

And she bade me eat, but it pleased not my heart,

ἀλλʼ ἥμην ἀλλοφρονέων, κακὰ δʼ ὄσσετο θυμός.

but I sat thinking of other things, and my mind boded ill.

Κίρκη δʼ ὡς ἐνόησεν ἔμʼ ἥμενον οὐδʼ ἐπὶ σίτῳ

And Circe, when she noticed me sitting and not

χεῖρας ἰάλλοντα, κρατερὸν δέ με πένθος ἔχοντα,

stretching forth my hands to the food, but holding strong grief,

ἄγχι παρισταμένη ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

came near and spoke to me winged words:

τίφθʼ οὕτως, Ὀδυσεῦ, κατʼ ἄρʼ ἕζεαι ἶσος ἀναύδῳ,

"Why, Odysseus, do you sit thus like one who is dumb,

θυμὸν ἔδων, βρώμης δʼ οὐχ ἅπτεαι οὐδὲ ποτῆτος;

eating your heart, and touch not food or drink?

ἦ τινά που δόλον ἄλλον ὀίεαι· οὐδέ τί σε χρὴ

Do you surely suspect some other guile? But you have no

δειδίμεν· ἤδη γάρ τοι ἀπώμοσα καρτερὸν ὅρκον.

need to fear, for I have already sworn a strong oath to you."

ὣς ἔφατʼ, αὐτὰρ ἐγώ μιν ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπον·

So she spoke, but I answered her and said:

ὦ Κίρκη, τίς γάρ κεν ἀνήρ, ὃς ἐναίσιμος εἴη,

"O Circe, what man who is right-minded

πρὶν τλαίη πάσσασθαι ἐδητύος ἠδὲ ποτῆτος,

could bear to taste food and drink

πρὶν λύσασθʼ ἑτάρους καὶ ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἰδέσθαι;

before he has set free his companions and seen them with his eyes?

ἀλλʼ εἰ δὴ πρόφρασσα πιεῖν φαγέμεν τε κελεύεις,

But if you in truth bid me drink and eat with a willing heart,

λῦσον, ἵνʼ ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἴδω ἐρίηρας ἑταίρους.

set them free, that I may see with my eyes my trusty companions."

ὣς ἐφάμην, Κίρκη δὲ διὲκ μεγάροιο βεβήκει

So I spoke, and Circe went out through the hall

ῥάβδον ἔχουσʼ ἐν χειρί, θύρας δʼ ἀνέῳξε συφειοῦ,

holding her wand in her hand, and opened the doors of the stye,

ἐκ δʼ ἔλασεν σιάλοισιν ἐοικότας ἐννεώροισιν.

and drove them out, looking like swine of nine years old.

οἱ μὲν ἔπειτʼ ἔστησαν ἐναντίοι, ἡ δὲ διʼ αὐτῶν

They then stood before her, and she, going through

ἐρχομένη προσάλειφεν ἑκάστῳ φάρμακον ἄλλο.

their midst, anointed each one with another drug.

τῶν δʼ ἐκ μὲν μελέων τρίχες ἔρρεον, ἃς πρὶν ἔφυσε

And from their limbs the hair fell away, which before

φάρμακον οὐλόμενον, τό σφιν πόρε πότνια Κίρκη·

the baneful drug had made to grow, which lady Circe had given them.

ἄνδρες δʼ ἂψ ἐγένοντο νεώτεροι ἢ πάρος ἦσαν,

And they became men again, younger than they were before,

καὶ πολὺ καλλίονες καὶ μείζονες εἰσοράασθαι.

and far more beautiful and taller to look upon.

ἔγνωσαν δέ μʼ ἐκεῖνοι ἔφυν τʼ ἐν χερσὶν ἕκαστος.

And they knew me, and each clung to my hands.

πᾶσιν δʼ ἱμερόεις ὑπέδυ γόος, ἀμφὶ δὲ δῶμα

And into all of them fell a desirable lamentation, and around the house

σμερδαλέον κονάβιζε· θεὰ δʼ ἐλέαιρε καὶ αὐτή.

it echoed wondrously; and even the goddess herself pitied them.

ἡ δέ μευ ἄγχι στᾶσα προσηύδα δῖα θεάων·

And she, standing near me, spoke, the divine among goddesses:

διογενὲς Λαερτιάδη, πολυμήχανʼ Ὀδυσσεῦ,

"Son of Laertes, sprung from Zeus, Odysseus of many devices,

ἔρχεο νῦν ἐπὶ νῆα θοὴν καὶ θῖνα θαλάσσης.

go now to your swift ship and the shore of the sea.

νῆα μὲν ἂρ πάμπρωτον ἐρύσσατε ἤπειρόνδε,

First of all draw your ship onto the land,

κτήματα δʼ ἐν σπήεσσι πελάσσατε ὅπλα τε πάντα·

and store your goods and all your gear in the caves;

αὐτὸς δʼ ἂψ ἰέναι καὶ ἄγειν ἐρίηρας ἑταίρους.

and do you yourself return and bring your trusty companions."

ὣς ἔφατʼ, αὐτὰρ ἐμοί γʼ ἐπεπείθετο θυμὸς ἀγήνωρ,

So she spoke, and my proud heart complied,

βῆν δʼ ἰέναι ἐπὶ νῆα θοὴν καὶ θῖνα θαλάσσης.

and I went to the swift ship and the shore of the sea.

εὗρον ἔπειτʼ ἐπὶ νηὶ θοῇ ἐρίηρας ἑταίρους

I found then at the swift ship my trusty companions

οἴκτρʼ ὀλοφυρομένους, θαλερὸν κατὰ δάκρυ χέοντας.

lamenting piteously, shedding big tears.

ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ἂν³ ἄγραυλοι πόριες περὶ βοῦς ἀγελαίας,

And as when calves of the homestead around the herd of cows

ἐλθούσας ἐς κόπρον, ἐπὴν βοτάνης κορέσωνται,

that have come back to the yard when they have had their fill of pasture,

πᾶσαι ἅμα σκαίρουσιν ἐναντίαι· οὐδʼ ἔτι σηκοὶ

all leap together to meet them, and the pens no longer

ἴσχουσʼ, ἀλλʼ ἁδινὸν μυκώμεναι ἀμφιθέουσι·

hold them, but with constant lowing they run around

μητέρας· ὣς ἔμʼ ἐκεῖνοι ἐπεὶ ἴδον ὀφθαλμοῖσι,

their mothers; so they, when they saw me with their eyes,

δακρυόεντες ἔχυντο· δόκησε δʼ ἄρα σφίσι θυμὸς

thronged weeping around me; and it seemed to their hearts

ὣς ἔμεν, ὡς εἰ πατρίδʼ ἱκοίατο καὶ πόλιν αὐτὴν

to be just as if they had reached their homeland and the very city

τρηχείης Ἰθάκης, ἵνα τʼ ἔτραφεν ἠδʼ ἐγένοντο.

of rugged Ithaca, where they were nurtured and born.

καί μʼ ὀλοφυρόμενοι ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδων·

And with lamentation they spoke to me winged words:

σοὶ μὲν νοστήσαντι, διοτρεφές, ὣς ἐχάρημεν,

"At your return, O nursling of Zeus, we rejoiced as much

ὡς εἴ τʼ εἰς Ἰθάκην ἀφικοίμεθα πατρίδα γαῖαν·

as if we had reached our fatherland, Ithaca;

ἀλλʼ ἄγε, τῶν ἄλλων ἑτάρων κατάλεξον ὄλεθρον.

but come, tell us of the destruction of our other companions."

ὣς ἔφαν, αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ προσέφην μαλακοῖς ἐπέεσσι·

So they spoke, but I addressed them with gentle words:

νῆα μὲν ἂρ πάμπρωτον ἐρύσσομεν ἤπειρόνδε,

"First of all let us draw our ship onto the land,

κτήματα δʼ ἐν σπήεσσι πελάσσομεν ὅπλα τε πάντα·

and store our goods and all our gear in the caves;

αὐτοὶ δʼ ὀτρύνεσθε ἐμοὶ ἅμα πάντες ἕπεσθαι,

and do you all make haste to follow together with me,

ὄφρα ἴδηθʼ ἑτάρους ἱεροῖς ἐν δώμασι Κίρκης

so that you may see your companions in the sacred house of Circe

πίνοντας καὶ ἔδοντας· ἐπηετανὸν γὰρ ἔχουσιν.

drinking and eating; for they have abundant store."

Syntax notes3 items

10.361λόʼ
Homerean apocope/shortened form of λοῦε (imperfect 3rd person singular, or aorist). It represents a non-contracted ionic/epic form.
10.364λίπʼ ἐλαίῳ
An Epic formula where the dative noun λίπαϊ (fat) is used adverbially with ἐλαίῳ (oil) with an apocope of the ending, or interpreted as an indeclinable neuter adjective λίπα.
10.410ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ἂν
A characteristic Homeric formula introducing a simile with the subjunctive (such as κορέσωνται in 411). It connects a past event in the narrative with a general, timeless scene.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:10.356-10.427