Shipwreck, Loss of the Crew, and Drift to Ogygia — Odyssey §12.390-12.453 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

ἡ δʼ ἔφη Ἑρμείαο¹ διακτόρου αὐτὴ ἀκοῦσαι.

And she said that she herself had heard it from Hermes the messenger.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥʼ ἐπὶ νῆα κατήλυθον ἠδὲ θάλασσαν,

But when I had come down to the ship and the sea,

νείκεον ἄλλοθεν ἄλλον ἐπισταδόν, οὐδέ τι μῆχος

I rebuked them, standing by them, one after another, yet no remedy

εὑρέμεναι δυνάμεσθα, βόες δʼ ἀποτέθνασαν ἤδη.

could we find, and the cattle were already dead.

τοῖσιν δʼ αὐτίκʼ ἔπειτα θεοὶ τέραα προύφαινον·

Straightway then the gods showed them portents:

εἷρπον μὲν ῥινοί, κρέα δʼ ἀμφʼ ὀβελοῖσι μεμύκει,

the hides began to creep, and the flesh bellowed upon the spits,

ὀπταλέα τε καὶ ὠμά, βοῶν δʼ ὣς γίγνετο φωνή.

both roast and raw, and there was a sound as of the voice of cattle.

ἑξῆμαρ μὲν ἔπειτα ἐμοὶ ἐρίηρες ἑταῖροι

For six days then my trusty companions

δαίνυντʼ Ἠελίοιο βοῶν ἐλάσαντες ἀρίστας·

feasted, having driven off the best of the cattle of the Sun;

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ ἕβδομον ἦμαρ ἐπὶ Ζεὺς θῆκε Κρονίων,

but when Zeus, son of Cronos, brought the seventh day,

καὶ τότʼ ἔπειτʼ ἄνεμος μὲν ἐπαύσατο λαίλαπι θύων,

then the wind ceased to rage with a tempest,

ἡμεῖς δʼ αἶψʼ ἀναβάντες ἐνήκαμεν εὐρέι πόντῳ,

and we straightway went on board and put out into the wide sea,

ἱστὸν στησάμενοι ἀνά θʼ ἱστία λεύκʼ ἐρύσαντες.

having set up the mast and hoisted the white sails.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ τὴν νῆσον ἐλείπομεν, οὐδέ τις ἄλλη

But when we had left that island, and no other

φαίνετο γαιάων, ἀλλʼ οὐρανὸς ἠδὲ θάλασσα,

land appeared, but only sky and sea,

δὴ τότε κυανέην νεφέλην ἔστησε Κρονίων

then indeed the son of Cronos stayed a dark cloud

νηὸς ὕπερ γλαφυρῆς, ἤχλυσε δὲ πόντος ὑπʼ αὐτῆς.

above our hollow ship, and the sea grew dark beneath it.

ἡ δʼ ἔθει οὐ μάλα πολλὸν ἐπὶ χρόνον· αἶψα γὰρ ἦλθε

She ran on for no very long time; for straightway came

κεκληγὼς Ζέφυρος μεγάλῃ σὺν λαίλαπι θύων,

the shrieking West Wind, blowing with a mighty tempest,

ἱστοῦ δὲ προτόνους ἔρρηξʼ ἀνέμοιο θύελλα

and the gale of wind broke both the forestays

ἀμφοτέρους· ἱστὸς δʼ ὀπίσω πέσεν, ὅπλα τε πάντα

of the mast, and the mast fell backward, and all the gear

εἰς ἄντλον κατέχυνθʼ. ὁ δʼ ἄρα πρυμνῇ ἐνὶ νηὶ

was scattered in the bilge. And the mast struck the head of the helmsman

πλῆξε κυβερνήτεω κεφαλήν, σὺν δʼ ὀστέʼ ἄραξε

in the ship's stern, and crushed all the bones

πάντʼ ἄμυδις κεφαλῆς· ὁ δʼ ἄρʼ ἀρνευτῆρι ἐοικὼς

of his head at once; and like a diver

κάππεσʼ ἀπʼ ἰκριόφιν, λίπε δʼ ὀστέα θυμὸς ἀγήνωρ.

he fell from the deck, and his proud spirit left his bones.

Ζεὺς δʼ ἄμυδις βρόντησε καὶ ἔμβαλε νηὶ κεραυνόν·

And Zeus thundered at once and cast his bolt upon the ship;

ἡ δʼ ἐλελίχθη πᾶσα Διὸς πληγεῖσα κεραυνῷ,

and she shuddered all over, struck by the bolt of Zeus,

ἐν δὲ θεείου πλῆτο, πέσον δʼ ἐκ νηὸς ἑταῖροι.

and was filled with sulfur, and my companions fell from the ship.

οἱ δὲ κορώνῃσιν ἴκελοι περὶ νῆα μέλαιναν

They, like sea-crows, about the black ship

κύμασιν ἐμφορέοντο, θεὸς δʼ ἀποαίνυτο νόστον.

were carried by the waves, and the god took away their return.

αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ διὰ νηὸς ἐφοίτων, ὄφρʼ ἀπὸ τοίχους

But I kept pacing through the ship until the surge washed

λῦσε κλύδων τρόπιος, τὴν δὲ ψιλὴν φέρε κῦμα,

the sides loose from the keel, and the wave bore her along dismantled,

ἐκ δέ οἱ ἱστὸν ἄραξε ποτὶ τρόπιν. αὐτὰρ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ

and snapped the mast off at the keel. But upon the mast itself

ἐπίτονος βέβλητο, βοὸς ῥινοῖο τετευχώς·

a backstay was cast, made of ox-hide;

τῷ ῥʼ ἄμφω συνέεργον, ὁμοῦ τρόπιν ἠδὲ καὶ ἱστόν,

with this I bound both together, keel and mast,

ἑζόμενος δʼ ἐπὶ τοῖς φερόμην ὀλοοῖς ἀνέμοισιν.

and sitting upon them was carried by the ruinous winds.

ἔνθʼ ἦ τοι Ζέφυρος μὲν ἐπαύσατο λαίλαπι θύων,

Then indeed the West Wind ceased to rage with a tempest,

ἦλθε δʼ ἐπὶ Νότος ὦκα, φέρων ἐμῷ ἄλγεα θυμῷ,

and quickly the South Wind came on, bringing grief to my soul,

ὄφρʼ ἔτι τὴν ὀλοὴν ἀναμετρήσαιμι² Χάρυβδιν.

that I might measure back my way to ruinous Charybdis.

παννύχιος φερόμην, ἅμα δʼ ἠελίῳ ἀνιόντι

All night long I was carried, and with the rising sun

ἦλθον ἐπὶ Σκύλλης σκόπελον δεινήν τε Χάρυβδιν.

I came to the rock of Scylla and dread Charybdis.

ἡ μὲν ἀνερροίβδησε θαλάσσης ἁλμυρὸν ὕδωρ·

She was sucking down the salt water of the sea;

αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ ποτὶ μακρὸν ἐρινεὸν ὑψόσʼ ἀερθείς,

but I, raised on high toward the tall wild fig tree,

τῷ προσφὺς ἐχόμην ὡς νυκτερίς. οὐδέ πῃ εἶχον

clung to it like a bat. Nowhere could I

οὔτε στηρίξαι ποσὶν ἔμπεδον οὔτʼ ἐπιβῆναι·

either plant my feet firmly or climb up;

ῥίζαι γὰρ ἑκὰς εἶχον, ἀπήωροι δʼ ἔσαν ὄζοι,

for the roots were far below, and the branches were hanging high aloft,

μακροί τε μεγάλοι τε, κατεσκίαον δὲ Χάρυβδιν.

long and large, and they overshadowed Charybdis.

νωλεμέως δʼ ἐχόμην, ὄφρʼ ἐξεμέσειεν ὀπίσσω

So I clung steadfastly, until she should vomit up

ἱστὸν καὶ τρόπιν αὖτις· ἐελδομένῳ δέ μοι ἦλθον

the mast and keel again; and to my longing they came

ὄψʼ· ἦμος³ δʼ ἐπὶ δόρπον ἀνὴρ ἀγορῆθεν ἀνέστη

late. At the hour when a man rises from the assembly for his dinner,

κρίνων νείκεα πολλὰ δικαζομένων αἰζηῶν,

deciding the many quarrels of disputing youths,

τῆμος δὴ τά γε δοῦρα Χαρύβδιος ἐξεφαάνθη.

even then those timbers appeared from Charybdis.

ἧκα δʼ ἐγὼ καθύπερθε πόδας καὶ χεῖρε φέρεσθαι,

And I let go, hands and feet from above, to fall,

μέσσῳ δʼ ἐνδούπησα παρὲξ περιμήκεα δοῦρα,

and plashed down right in the middle, past the long timbers,

ἑζόμενος δʼ ἐπὶ τοῖσι διήρεσα χερσὶν ἐμῇσι.

and sitting upon them I rowed with my hands.

Σκύλλην δʼ οὐκέτʼ ἔασε πατὴρ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε

But the father of gods and men did not allow Scylla

εἰσιδέειν· οὐ γάρ κεν ὑπέκφυγον αἰπὺν ὄλεθρον.

to sight me again, else I should not have escaped sheer destruction.

ἔνθεν δʼ ἐννῆμαρ φερόμην, δεκάτῃ δέ με νυκτὶ

Thence I was carried for nine days, and on the tenth night

νῆσον ἐς Ὠγυγίην πέλασαν θεοί, ἔνθα Καλυψὼ

the gods brought me to the Ogygian isle, where Calypso

ναίει ἐυπλόκαμος, δεινὴ θεὸς αὐδήεσσα,

of the fair tresses dwells, a dread goddess of human speech,

ἥ μʼ ἐφίλει τʼ ἐκόμει τε. τί τοι τάδε μυθολογεύω;

who welcomed me and cared for me. But why should I tell you this tale?

ἤδη γάρ τοι χθιζὸς ἐμυθεόμην ἐνὶ οἴκῳ

For already yesterday I spoke of it in your house

σοί τε καὶ ἰφθίμῃ ἀλόχῳ· ἐχθρὸν δέ μοί ἐστιν

to you and to your noble wife; and it is hateful to me

αὖτις ἀριζήλως εἰρημένα μυθολογεύειν.

to tell again a tale already plainly told."

Syntax notes3 items

12.390Ἑρμείαο
Genitive singular of the masculine noun Ἑρμείας (Hermes) in the Homeric dialect (corresponding to Attic Ἑρמוῦ). The ending -αο is a characteristic feature of Epic/Ionic dialect.
12.428ἀναμετρήσαιμι
Aorist active optative introduced by the conjunction ὄφρα ("in order that"). Following the past tense verb ἦλθε in the main clause, it forms a purpose clause in the past sequence ("that I might measure back").
12.439ἦμος
Relative adverb of time ("at the time when"), corresponding to the correlative τῆμος ("then") in §12.441. It introduces a vivid, daily-life simile describing a specific time of day (late afternoon, when a judge leaves the assembly for dinner).

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:12.390-12.453