Burial of Elpenor and Circe's Warning of Coming Perils — Odyssey §12.1-12.65 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ ποταμοῖο λίπεν ῥόον Ὠκεανοῖονηῦς, ἀπὸ δʼ ἵκετο κῦμα θαλάσσης εὐρυπόροιονῆσόν τʼ Αἰαίην, ὅθι τʼ Ἠοῦς ἠριγενείηςοἰκία καὶ χοροί εἰσι καὶ ἀντολαὶ Ἠελίοιο,νῆα μὲν ἔνθʼ ἐλθόντες ἐκέλσαμεν ἐν ψαμάθοισιν,ἐκ δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ βῆμεν ἐπὶ ῥηγμῖνι θαλάσσης·

(merged into previous section in the translation)

ἔνθα δʼ ἀποβρίξαντες ἐμείναμεν Ἠῶ δῖαν.

But when the ship had left the stream of the River Oceanus, and came back to the wave of the wide-wayed sea, and to the island of Aeaea, where are the dwellings and the dancing lawns of early-ruling Dawn, and the risings of the Sun; there, having run our ship onto the sands, we beached her, and we ourselves stepped out upon the break of the sea; there we fell asleep and awaited the divine Dawn.

ἦμος δʼ ἠριγένεια φάνη ῥοδοδάκτυλος Ἠώς,

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

δὴ τότʼ ἐγὼν ἑτάρους προΐειν ἐς δώματα Κίρκης

then indeed I sent forward my companions to the house of Circe,

οἰσέμεναι¹ νεκρόν, Ἐλπήνορα τεθνηῶτα.

to bring the corpse of the dead Elpenor.

φιτροὺς δʼ αἶψα ταμόντες, ὅθʼ ἀκροτάτη πρόεχʼ ἀκτή,

And quickly cutting logs where the headland jutted out highest,

θάπτομεν ἀχνύμενοι θαλερὸν κατὰ δάκρυ χέοντες.

we buried him, sorrowing, shedding big tears.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ νεκρός τʼ ἐκάη καὶ τεύχεα νεκροῦ,

But when the corpse was burned, and the armor of the dead,

τύμβον χεύαντες καὶ ἐπὶ στήλην ἐρύσαντες

having heaped up a mound and dragged a gravestone upon it,

πήξαμεν ἀκροτάτῳ τύμβῳ ἐυῆρες ἐρετμόν.

we planted his well-shaped oar on the very top of the mound.

ἡμεῖς μὲν τὰ ἕκαστα διείπομεν· οὐδʼ ἄρα Κίρκην

We indeed were busy with each of these things; yet Circe did not fail to note

ἐξ Ἀίδεω ἐλθόντες ἐλήθομεν, ἀλλὰ μάλʼ ὦκα

our coming back from Hades, but very quickly

ἦλθʼ ἐντυναμένη· ἅμα δʼ ἀμφίπολοι φέρον αὐτῇ

she came, having arrayed herself; and with her, handmaids bore

σῖτον καὶ κρέα πολλὰ καὶ αἴθοπα οἶνον ἐρυθρόν.

bread and abundant meat and sparkling red wine.

ἡ δʼ ἐν μέσσῳ στᾶσα μετηύδα δῖα θεάων·

And standing in our midst, the divine goddess spoke among us:

σχέτλιοι, οἳ ζώοντες ὑπήλθετε δῶμʼ Ἀίδαο,

"Wretched men, who alive have gone down to the house of Hades,

δισθανέες, ὅτε τʼ ἄλλοι ἅπαξ θνῄσκουσʼ ἄνθρωποι.

twice-dying, whereas other men die but once.

ἀλλʼ ἄγετʼ ἐσθίετε βρώμην καὶ πίνετε οἶνον

But come, eat food and drink wine

αὖθι πανημέριοι· ἅμα δʼ ἠοῖ φαινομένηφι

here all day long; and at the appearing of dawn

πλεύσεσθʼ· αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ δείξω ὁδὸν ἠδὲ ἕκαστα

you shall sail; and I will show the way and declare

σημανέω, ἵνα μή τι κακορραφίῃ ἀλεγεινῇ

each thing, so that you may not through some painful, evil design

ἢ ἁλὸς ἢ ἐπὶ γῆς ἀλγήσετε πῆμα παθόντες.

suffer harm and come to grief either on sea or on land."

ὣς ἔφαθʼ, ἡμῖν δʼ αὖτʼ ἐπεπείθετο θυμὸς ἀγήνωρ.

So she spoke, and our noble heart was persuaded.

ὣς τότε μὲν πρόπαν ἦμαρ ἐς ἠέλιον καταδύντα

So then all day long until the setting 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 ἦλθεν,

but when the sun went down and darkness came on,

οἱ μὲν κοιμήσαντο παρὰ πρυμνήσια νηός,

they lay down to sleep by the stern-cables of the ship.

ἡ δʼ ἐμὲ χειρὸς ἑλοῦσα φίλων ἀπονόσφιν ἑταίρων

But she took me by the hand, apart from my dear companions,

εἷσέ τε καὶ προσέλεκτο καὶ ἐξερέεινεν ἕκαστα·

and made me sit down, and lay beside me and questioned me of everything;

αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ τῇ πάντα κατὰ μοῖραν κατέλεξα.

and I told her all the story in order.

καὶ τότε δή μʼ ἐπέεσσι προσηύδα πότνια Κίρκη·

Then indeed the lady Circe spoke to me with words:

ταῦτα μὲν οὕτω πάντα πεπείρανται, σὺ δʼ ἄκουσον,

"All these things have been thus accomplished; but do you listen to

ὥς τοι ἐγὼν ἐρέω, μνήσει δέ σε καὶ θεὸς αὐτός.

what I shall tell you, and a god himself shall bring it to your mind.

Σειρῆνας μὲν πρῶτον ἀφίξεαι, αἵ ῥά τε πάντας

First you will come to the Sirens, who charm all

ἀνθρώπους θέλγουσιν, ὅτις σφεας εἰσαφίκηται.

men, whosoever comes to them.

ὅς τις ἀιδρείῃ πελάσῃ καὶ φθόγγον ἀκούσῃ

Whosoever in ignorance draws near and hears the voice

Σειρήνων, τῷ δʼ οὔ τι γυνὴ καὶ νήπια τέκνα

of the Sirens, him his wife and infant children

οἴκαδε νοστήσαντι παρίσταται οὐδὲ γάνυνται,

do not welcome on his return home, nor do they rejoice,

ἀλλά τε Σειρῆνες λιγυρῇ θέλγουσιν ἀοιδῇ

but the Sirens charm him with their clear song,

ἥμεναι ἐν λειμῶνι, πολὺς δʼ ἀμφʼ ὀστεόφιν θὶς

as they sit in a meadow, and around them is a great heap of bones

ἀνδρῶν πυθομένων, περὶ δὲ ῥινοὶ μινύθουσι.

of rotting men, and the skins shrivel about them.

ἀλλὰ παρεξελάαν², ἐπὶ δʼ οὔατʼ ἀλεῖψαι ἑταίρων

But drive past them, and anoint the ears of your companions

κηρὸν δεψήσας μελιηδέα, μή τις ἀκούσῃ

with sweet wax, kneading it, so that none of the others

τῶν⁴ ἄλλων· ἀτὰρ αὐτὸς ἀκουέμεν αἴ κʼ ἐθέλῃσθα,

may hear; but if you yourself wish to listen,

δησάντων σʼ ἐν νηὶ θοῇ χεῖράς τε πόδας τε

let them bind you hand and foot in the swift ship,

ὀρθὸν ἐν ἱστοπέδῃ, ἐκ δʼ αὐτοῦ πείρατʼ ἀνήφθω³,

upright in the mast-step, and let the rope-ends be fastened to the mast itself,

ὄφρα κε τερπόμενος ὄπʼ ἀκούσῃς Σειρήνοιιν.

so that with delight you may hear the voice of the two Sirens.

εἰ δέ κε λίσσηαι ἑτάρους λῦσαί τε κελεύῃς,

And if you should implore your companions and bid them loose you,

οἱ δέ σʼ ἔτι πλεόνεσσι τότʼ ἐν δεσμοῖσι διδέντων.

then let them bind you with yet more bonds.

αὐτὰρ ἐπὴν δὴ τάς γε παρὲξ ἐλάσωσιν ἑταῖροι,

But when your companions have driven past them,

ἔνθα τοι οὐκέτʼ ἔπειτα διηνεκέως ἀγορεύσω,

then I will no longer tell you fully

ὁπποτέρη δή τοι ὁδὸς ἔσσεται, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς

which of the two ways shall be yours, but do you yourself

θυμῷ βουλεύειν· ἐρέω δέ τοι ἀμφοτέρωθεν.

take counsel in your heart; but I will tell you of both.

ἔνθεν μὲν γὰρ πέτραι ἐπηρεφέες, προτὶ δʼ αὐτὰς

For on the one side are overhanging rocks, and against them

κῦμα μέγα ῥοχθεῖ κυανώπιδος Ἀμφιτρίτης·

a great wave roars of dark-eyed Amphitrite;

Πλαγκτὰς δή τοι τάς γε θεοὶ μάκαρες καλέουσι.

the blessed gods call these the Wandering Rocks.

τῇ μέν τʼ οὐδὲ ποτητὰ παρέρχεται οὐδὲ πέλειαι

By this way not even winged things pass, nor even the timorous doves

τρήρωνες, ταί τʼ ἀμβροσίην Διὶ πατρὶ φέρουσιν,

that carry ambrosia to father Zeus,

ἀλλά τε καὶ τῶν αἰὲν ἀφαιρεῖται λὶς πέτρη·

ἀλλʼ αἰεὶ τῶν αἰὲν ἀφαιρεῖται λὶς πέτρη· but even of them the smooth rock ever takes one away,

ἀλλʼ ἄλλην ἐνίησι πατὴρ ἐναρίθμιον εἶναι.

but the father sends in another to make up the number.

Syntax notes4 items

12.10οἰσέμεναι
An Epic future (or mixed aorist/future) infinitive of φέρω. It functions adverbially to express purpose ('in order to bring') dependent on the main verb προΐειν ('sent forward').
12.47παρεξελάαν
An infinitive used in place of an imperative (infinitive for imperative), a common Epic usage. The subsequent infinitive ἀλεῖψαι functions in the same manner, expressing a direct instruction to Odysseus.
12.51ἀνήφθω
Third-person singular perfect imperative passive of ἀνάπτω ('to fasten'). It takes the neuter plural subject πείρατα, with the singular verb showing the 'schema Atticum'. The perfect aspect carries a strong force of maintaining a completed state ('let them remain securely fastened').
12.64τῶν
A relative pronoun in the genitive case. Its antecedent is the preceding πέλειαι ('doves'). It functions as a genitive of separation/deprivation governed by the verb ἀφαιρεῖται ('takes away from').

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:12.1-12.65