Telemachus' Arrival at Eumaeus' Hut — Odyssey §16.1-16.67 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

τὼ δʼ αὖτʼ ἐν κλισίῃ Ὀδυσεὺς καὶ δῖος ὑφορβὸς

Meanwhile, in the hut, Odysseus and the noble swineherd

ἐντύνοντο ἄριστον ἅμʼ ἠοῖ, κηαμένω πῦρ,

were preparing breakfast at dawn, having lit a fire,

ἔκπεμψάν τε νομῆας ἅμʼ ἀγρομένοισι σύεσσι·

and they had sent out the herdsmen with the gathering swine;

Τηλέμαχον δὲ περίσσαινον κύνες ὑλακόμωροι,

but the loud-barking dogs fawned upon Telemachus,

οὐδʼ ὕλαον προσιόντα. νόησε δὲ δῖος Ὀδυσσεὺς

and did not bark as he approached. And noble Odysseus noticed

σαίνοντάς τε κύνας, περί τε κτύπος ἦλθε ποδοῖϊν.

the dogs fawning, and the sound of footsteps came around him.

αἶψα δʼ ἄρʼ Εὔμαιον ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

And straightway he spoke winged words to Eumaeus:

Εὔμαιʼ, ἦ μάλα τίς τοι ἐλεύσεται ἐνθάδʼ ἑταῖρος

"Eumaeus, surely some companion of yours is coming here,

ἢ καὶ γνώριμος ἄλλος, ἐπεὶ κύνες οὐχ ὑλάουσιν,

or some other acquaintance, since the dogs are not barking,

ἀλλὰ περισσαίνουσι· ποδῶν δʼ ὑπὸ δοῦπον ἀκούω.

but are fawning; and I hear the sound of feet."

οὔ πω πᾶν εἴρητο ἔπος, ὅτε οἱ φίλος υἱὸς

Not yet was the whole word spoken, when his dear son

ἔστη ἐνὶ προθύροισι. ταφὼν δʼ ἀνόρουσε συβώτης,

stood in the doorway. In amazement the swineherd sprang up,

ἐκ δʼ ἄρα οἱ χειρῶν πέσον ἄγγεα, τοῖς ἐπονεῖτο,

and from his hands fell the vessels with which he was busied,

κιρνὰς αἴθοπα οἶνον. ὁ δʼ ἀντίος ἦλθεν ἄνακτος,

mixing the sparkling wine. And he went to meet his master,

κύσσε δέ μιν κεφαλήν τε καὶ ἄμφω φάεα καλὰ

and kissed his head, and both his beautiful eyes,

χεῖράς τʼ ἀμφοτέρας· θαλερὸν δέ οἱ ἔκπεσε δάκρυ.

and both his hands; and a big tear fell from him.

ὡς δὲ πατὴρ ὃν παῖδα φίλα φρονέων ἀγαπάζῃ¹

And as a father, with a loving heart, welcomes his son

ἐλθόντʼ ἐξ ἀπίης γαίης δεκάτῳ ἐνιαυτῷ,

who comes from a far country in the tenth year,

μοῦνον τηλύγετον, τῷ ἔπʼ ἄλγεα πολλὰ μογήσῃ,

his only son, grown-up, for whom he has suffered many sorrows,

ὣς τότε Τηλέμαχον θεοειδέα δῖος ὑφορβὸς

so then did the noble swineherd cling to godlike Telemachus

πάντα κύσεν περιφύς, ὡς ἐκ θανάτοιο φυγόντα·

and kissed him all over, as one escaped from death;

καί ῥʼ ὀλοφυρόμενος ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

and weeping, he spoke winged words to him:

ἦλθες, Τηλέμαχε, γλυκερὸν φάος. οὔ σʼ ἔτʼ ἐγώ γε

"You have come, Telemachus, my sweet light. I thought indeed

ὄψεσθαι ἐφάμην, ἐπεὶ ᾤχεο νηῒ Πύλονδε.

I should never see you again, after you went in your ship to Pylos.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε νῦν εἴσελθε, φίλον τέκος, ὄφρα σε θυμῷ

But come now, enter, dear child, so that my heart

τέρψομαι εἰσορόων νέον ἄλλοθεν ἔνδον ἐόντα.

may delight in looking at you, who have newly come from elsewhere and are within.

οὐ μὲν γάρ τι θάμʼ ἀγρὸν ἐπέρχεαι οὐδὲ νομῆας,

For you do not often visit the fields or the herdsmen,

ἀλλʼ ἐπιδημεύεις· ὣς γάρ νύ τοι εὔαδε θυμῷ,

but stay in the town; for so, it seems, it has pleased your heart,

ἀνδρῶν μνηστήρων ἐσορᾶν ἀΐδηλον ὅμιλον.

to look upon the ruinous crowd of suitors."

τὸν δʼ αὖ Τηλέμαχος πεπνυμένος ἀντίον ηὔδα·

And him in turn wise Telemachus answered:

ἔσσεται οὕτως, ἄττα· σέθεν δʼ ἕνεκʼ ἐνθάδʼ ἱκάνω,

"So shall it be, father; for your sake have I come here,

ὄφρα σέ τʼ ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἴδω καὶ μῦθον ἀκούσω,

that I may see you with my eyes and hear your word,

ἤ μοι ἔτʼ ἐν μεγάροις μήτηρ μένει, ἦέ τις ἤδη

and know whether my mother still abides in the halls, or whether already

ἀνδρῶν ἄλλος ἔγημεν, Ὀδυσσῆος δέ που εὐνὴ

some other man has married her, and the bed of Odysseus perhaps,

χήτει ἐνευναίων² κάκʼ ἀράχνια κεῖται ἔχουσα.

for lack of sleepers, lies covered with foul spiderwebs."

τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε συβώτης, ὄρχαμος ἀνδρῶν·

To him in turn spoke the swineherd, leader of men:

καὶ λίην κείνη γε μένει τετληότι θυμῷ

"Indeed, she still remains with patient heart

σοῖσιν ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν· ὀϊζυραὶ δέ οἱ αἰεὶ

in your halls; and ever mournfully

φθίνουσιν νύκτες τε καὶ ἤματα δάκρυ χεούσῃ.

nights and days waste away as she sheds tears."

ὣς ἄρα φωνήσας οἱ ἐδέξατο χάλκεον ἔγχος·

So saying, he took from him the bronze spear;

αὐτὰρ ὅ γʼ εἴσω ἴεν καὶ ὑπέρβη λάϊνον οὐδόν.

and Telemachus went inside and stepped over the stone threshold.

τῷ δʼ ἕδρης ἐπιόντι³ πατὴρ ὑπόειξεν Ὀδυσσεύς·

As he came near, his father Odysseus yielded his seat to him;

Τηλέμαχος δʼ ἑτέρωθεν ἐρήτυε φώνησέν τε·

but Telemachus from the other side checked him and said:

ἧσʼ, ὦ ξεῖνʼ· ἡμεῖς δὲ καὶ ἄλλοθι δήομεν ἕδρην

"Sit, stranger; we shall find a seat elsewhere

σταθμῷ ἐν ἡμετέρῳ· πάρα δʼ ἀνὴρ ὃς καταθήσει.

in our station, and here is a man who will set one for us."

ὣς φάθʼ, ὁ δʼ αὖτις ἰὼν κατʼ ἄρʼ ἕζετο· τῷ δὲ συβώτης.

So he spoke, and Odysseus went back and sat down; and for Telemachus the swineherd

χεῦεν ὕπο χλωρὰς ῥῶπας καὶ κῶας ὕπερθεν·

spread green brushwood beneath, and a fleece on top;

ἔνθα καθέζετʼ ἔπειτα Ὀδυσσῆος φίλος υἱός.

there then sat down the dear son of Odysseus.

τοῖσιν δʼ αὖ κρειῶν πίνακας παρέθηκε συβώτης

And before them the swineherd set platters of meats,

ὀπταλέων, ἅ ῥα τῇ προτέρῃ ὑπέλειπον ἔδοντες,

roasted, which they had left over from eating on the previous day;

σῖτον δʼ ἐσσυμένως παρενήνεεν ἐν κανέοισιν,

and he quickly heaped up bread in baskets,

ἐν δʼ ἄρα κισσυβίῳ κίρνη μελιηδέα οἶνον·

and mixed sweet-tasting wine in a wooden bowl;

αὐτὸς δʼ ἀντίον ἷζεν Ὀδυσσῆος θείοιο.

and he himself sat down opposite godlike Odysseus.

οἱ δʼ ἐπʼ ὀνείαθʼ ἑτοῖμα προκείμενα χεῖρας ἴαλλον.

They stretched forth their hands to the food that lay ready before them.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ πόσιος καὶ ἐδητύος ἐξ ἔρον ἕντο,

But when they had put away the desire for drink and food,

δὴ τότε Τηλέμαχος προσεφώνεε δῖον ὑφορβόν·

then indeed Telemachus spoke to the noble swineherd:

ἄττα, πόθεν τοι ξεῖνος ὅδʼ ἵκετο; πῶς δέ ἑ ναῦται

"Father, from where did this stranger come to you? How did sailors

ἤγαγον εἰς Ἰθάκην; τίνες ἔμμεναι εὐχετόωντο;

bring him to Ithaca? Who did they claim to be?

οὐ μὲν γάρ τί ἑ πεζὸν ὀΐομαι ἐνθάδʼ ἱκέσθαι.

For I do not think he came here on foot."

τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφης, Εὔμαιε συβῶτα·

To him in turn you answered, Eumaeus the swineherd:

τοιγὰρ ἐγώ τοι, τέκνον, ἀληθέα πάντʼ ἀγορεύσω.

"Indeed, my child, I will tell you the whole truth.

ἐκ μὲν Κρητάων γένος εὔχεται εὐρειάων,

He claims his descent from broad Crete,

φησὶ δὲ πολλὰ βροτῶν ἐπὶ ἄστεα δινηθῆναι

and says that he has wandered through many cities of men,

πλαζόμενος· ὣς γάρ οἱ ἐπέκλωσεν τά γε δαίμων.

roaming about; for so, he says, the god spun these threads for him.

νῦν αὖ Θεσπρωτῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐκ νηὸς ἀποδρὰς

But now, having escaped from a ship of Thesprotian men,

ἤλυθʼ ἐμὸν πρὸς σταθμόν, ἐγὼ δέ τοι ἐγγυαλίξω·

he has come to my station, and I will hand him over to you.

ἔρξον ὅπως ἐθέλεις· ἱκέτης δέ τοι εὔχεται εἶναι.

Do as you wish; he claims to be your suppliant."

Syntax notes3 items

§§16.17ἀγαπάζῃ
The subjunctive in the simile clause (ἀγαπάζῃ) is a characteristic Homeric usage to express a generalized action or a typical recurring situation, occurring without the particle ἄν.
§§16.35χήτει ἐνευναίων
χήτει is the dative of cause of the neuter noun χῆτος (lack, want), meaning 'for lack of'. It governs the genitive plural ἐνευναίων (those who sleep therein).
§§16.42τῷ δʼ ἕδρης ἐπιόντι
The dative phrase τῷ ... ἐπιόντι functions as the dative object governed by the verb ὑπόειξεν (yielded). The genitive ἕδρης depends on the participle ἐπιόντι (approaching).

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:16.1-16.67