Circe's Counsel on Scylla and Charybdis — Odyssey §12.66-12.127 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

τῇ δʼ οὔ πώ τις νηῦς φύγεν ἀνδρῶν, ἥ τις ἵκηται,

By this way no ship of men has ever yet escaped, whichever has come there,

ἀλλά θʼ ὁμοῦ πίνακάς τε νεῶν καὶ σώματα φωτῶν

but alike the planks of ships and the bodies of men

κύμαθʼ ἁλὸς φορέουσι πυρός τʼ ὀλοοῖο θύελλαι.

the waves of the sea and tempests of ruinous fire carry away.

οἴη δὴ κείνη γε παρέπλω ποντοπόρος νηῦς,

One ship alone of all that sail the sea has driven past,

Ἀργὼ πᾶσι μέλουσα, παρʼ Αἰήταο πλέουσα.

Argo, known to all, as she sailed from Aeetes.

καὶ νύ κε τὴν ἔνθʼ ὦκα βάλεν¹ μεγάλας ποτὶ πέτρας,

And even her the wave would quickly have cast there against the great rocks,

ἀλλʼ Ἥρη παρέπεμψεν, ἐπεὶ φίλος ἦεν Ἰήσων.

but Hera sent her past, since Jason was dear to her.

οἱ δὲ δύω σκόπελοι ὁ μὲν οὐρανὸν εὐρὺν ἱκάνει

But as for the two cliffs, the one reaches up to the broad heaven

ὀξείῃ κορυφῇ, νεφέλη δέ μιν ἀμφιβέβηκε

with its sharp peak, and a dark cloud encompasses it;

κυανέη· τὸ μὲν οὔ ποτʼ ἐρωεῖ, οὐδέ ποτʼ αἴθρη

this cloud never thins, nor does clear sky ever

κείνου ἔχει κορυφὴν οὔτʼ ἐν θέρει οὔτʼ ἐν ὀπώρῃ.

hold that peak, either in summer or in harvest-time.

οὐδέ κεν ἀμβαίη βροτὸς ἀνὴρ οὐδʼ ἐπιβαίη,

No mortal man could climb up or set foot upon it,

οὐδʼ εἴ οἱ χεῖρές τε ἐείκοσι καὶ πόδες εἶεν·

not even if he had twenty hands and feet;

πέτρη γὰρ λίς ἐστι, περιξεστῇ ἐικυῖα.

for the rock is smooth, like one polished all round.

μέσσῳ δʼ ἐν σκοπέλῳ ἔστι σπέος ἠεροειδές,

And in the midst of the cliff is a dusky cave,

πρὸς ζόφον εἰς Ἔρεβος τετραμμένον, ᾗ περ ἂν ὑμεῖς

turned toward the west, into Erebus, where you,

νῆα παρὰ γλαφυρὴν ἰθύνετε, φαίδιμʼ Ὀδυσσεῦ.

glorious Odysseus, must steer your hollow ship.

οὐδέ κεν ἐκ νηὸς γλαφυρῆς αἰζήιος ἀνὴρ

Not even a strong man with a bow, shooting from a hollow ship,

τόξῳ ὀιστεύσας κοῖλον σπέος εἰσαφίκοιτο².

could reach the hollow cave with an arrow.

ἔνθα δʼ ἐνὶ Σκύλλη ναίει δεινὸν λελακυῖα.

And therein dwells Scylla, yelping terribly.

τῆς ἦ τοι φωνὴ μὲν ὅση σκύλακος νεογιλῆς

Her voice indeed is only as the voice of a newborn pup,

γίγνεται, αὐτὴ δʼ αὖτε πέλωρ κακόν· οὐδέ κέ τίς μιν

but she herself is an evil monster; nor would anyone

γηθήσειεν ἰδών, οὐδʼ εἰ θεὸς ἀντιάσειεν.

rejoice at seeing her, not even if a god should meet her.

τῆς ἦ τοι πόδες εἰσὶ δυώδεκα πάντες ἄωροι,

She has twelve feet in all, all misshapen,

ἓξ δέ τέ οἱ δειραὶ περιμήκεες, ἐν δὲ ἑκάστῃ

and six necks, exceeding long, and on each

σμερδαλέη κεφαλή, ἐν δὲ τρίστοιχοι ὀδόντες

a terrible head, and therein teeth in three rows,

πυκνοὶ καὶ θαμέες, πλεῖοι μέλανος θανάτοιο.

thick and close, full of black death.

μέσση μέν τε κατὰ σπείους κοίλοιο δέδυκεν,

Up to her middle she is sunk in the hollow cave,

ἔξω δʼ ἐξίσχει κεφαλὰς δεινοῖο βερέθρου,

but she stretches out her heads from the terrible chasm,

αὐτοῦ δʼ ἰχθυάᾳ, σκόπελον περιμαιμώωσα,

and there she fishes, groping eagerly around the cliff

δελφῖνάς τε κύνας τε, καὶ εἴ ποθι μεῖζον ἕλῃσι

for dolphins and sea-dogs, and if she may anywhere catch a greater

κῆτος, ἃ μυρία βόσκει ἀγάστονος Ἀμφιτρίτη.

beast of the sea, of which tens of thousands are fed by loud-moaning Amphitrite.

τῇ δʼ οὔ πώ ποτε ναῦται ἀκήριοι εὐχετόωνται

By her no sailors can yet boast that they have fled

παρφυγέειν σὺν νηί· φέρει δέ τε κρατὶ ἑκάστῳ

past with their ship unharmed; but with each head she carries off

φῶτʼ ἐξαρπάξασα νεὸς κυανοπρῴροιο.

a man, snatching him from the dark-prowed ship.

τὸν δʼ ἕτερον σκόπελον χθαμαλώτερον ὄψει, Ὀδυσσεῦ.

But the other cliff you will see is lower, Odysseus,

πλησίον ἀλλήλων· καί κεν διοϊστεύσειας.

close to one another; you could even shoot an arrow across.

τῷ δʼ ἐν ἐρινεὸς ἔστι μέγας, φύλλοισι τεθηλώς·

On it is a great wild fig tree, rich in leaves;

τῷ δʼ ὑπὸ δῖα Χάρυβδις ἀναρροιβδεῖ μέλαν ὕδωρ.

and beneath it divine Charybdis sucks down the dark water.

τρὶς μὲν γάρ τʼ ἀνίησιν ἐπʼ ἤματι, τρὶς δʼ ἀναροιβδεῖ

For three times a day she belches it forth, and three times she sucks it down

δεινόν· μὴ σύ γε κεῖθι τύχοις, ὅτε ῥοιβδήσειεν·

terribly. May you not be there when she sucks it down!

οὐ γάρ κεν ῥύσαιτό σʼ ὑπὲκ κακοῦ οὐδʼ ἐνοσίχθων.

For not even the Earth-shaker could save you from destruction.

ἀλλὰ μάλα Σκύλλης σκοπέλῳ πεπλημένος ὦκα

But rather steer close to Scylla’s cliff, and quickly

νῆα παρὲξ ἐλάαν, ἐπεὶ ἦ πολὺ φέρτερόν ἐστιν

drive your ship past, since it is far better

ἓξ ἑτάρους ἐν νηὶ ποθήμεναι³ ἢ ἅμα πάντας.

to mourn six companions in your ship than all together."

ὣς ἔφατʼ, αὐτὰρ ἐγώ μιν ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπον·

So she spoke, but I answered and said to her:

εἰ δʼ ἄγε δή μοι τοῦτο, θεά, νημερτὲς ἐνίσπες,

"Come, I pray you, goddess, tell me this truly,

εἴ πως τὴν ὀλοὴν μὲν ὑπεκπροφύγοιμι Χάρυβδιν,

if by any means I might escape from ruinous Charybdis,

τὴν δέ κʼ ἀμυναίμην, ὅτε μοι σίνοιτό γʼ ἑταίρους.

and yet ward off the other, when she would harm my companions."

ὣς ἐφάμην, ἡ δʼ αὐτίκʼ ἀμείβετο δῖα θεάων·

So I spoke, and the divine goddess answered me at once:

σχέτλιε, καὶ δὴ αὖ τοι πολεμήια ἔργα μέμηλε

"Rash man, are you indeed still set on deeds of war

καὶ πόνος· οὐδὲ θεοῖσιν ὑπείξεαι ἀθανάτοισιν;

and on toil? And will you not yield even to the immortal gods?

ἡ δέ τοι οὐ θνητή, ἀλλʼ ἀθάνατον κακόν ἐστι,

She is not of mortal mold, but an immortal bane,

δεινόν τʼ ἀργαλέον τε καὶ ἄγριον οὐδὲ μαχητόν·

dread, and grievous, and fierce, and not to be fought with;

οὐδέ τις ἔστʼ ἀλκή· φυγέειν κάρτιστον ἀπʼ αὐτῆς.

there is no defense; to flee from her is bravest.

ἢν γὰρ δηθύνῃσθα κορυσσόμενος παρὰ πέτρῃ,

For if you should delay, arming yourself by the rock,

δείδω, μή σʼ ἐξαῦτις ἐφορμηθεῖσα κίχῃσι

I fear lest she rush out upon you again and catch you

τόσσῃσιν κεφαλῇσι, τόσους δʼ ἐκ φῶτας ἕληται.

with as many heads, and snatch away as many men.

ἀλλὰ μάλα σφοδρῶς ἐλάαν, βωστρεῖν δὲ Κράταιιν,

But drive past with all your might, and call upon Crataiis,

μητέρα τῆς Σκύλλης, ἥ μιν τέκε πῆμα βροτοῖσιν·

the mother of Scylla, who bore her to be a bane to mortals;

ἥ μιν ἔπειτʼ ἀποπαύσει ἐς ὕστερον ὁρμηθῆναι.

she will then stay her from rushing forth again.

Θρινακίην δʼ ἐς νῆσον ἀφίξεαι· ἔνθα δὲ πολλαὶ

And you will come to the island of Thrinacia; there are many

Syntax notes3 items

12.71καὶ νύ κε τὴν ἔνθʼ ὦκα βάλεν
A conditional apodosis of an unfulfilled past condition, characterized by the particle κε (equivalent to ἄν) with the past indicative βάλεν (for ἔβαλεν). Although the protasis ("if Hera had not saved her") is unexpressed, it is clearly implied by the context of the next line.
12.84οὐδέ κεν ... εἰσαφίκοιτο
A potential optative construction consisting of the particle κεν with the optative εἰσαφίκοιτο, expressing potentiality ("could not reach"). The subject αἰζήιος ἀνὴρ (a strong man) is found in the preceding line (§12.83), and the participle ὀιστεύσας acts adverbially to denote means ("by shooting").
12.110ποθήμεναι
The Homeric form of the active present infinitive of ποθέω (to long for, miss, or regret the loss of). It forms part of an accusative-and-infinitive construction dependent on the comparative adjective φέρτερον (better/preferable), meaning "to regret the loss of six companions in the ship is far better than [to lose] all together."

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:12.66-12.127