Penelope's Weaving Trick and the Beggar's False Tale — Odyssey §19.136-19.203 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

ἀλλʼ Ὀδυσῆ ποθέουσα φίλον κατατήκομαι ἦτορ.

But as I long for Odysseus, I waste my dear heart away.

οἱ δὲ γάμον σπεύδουσιν· ἐγὼ δὲ δόλους τολυπεύω.

And they speed on the marriage, while I wind my wiles.

φᾶρος μέν μοι πρῶτον ἐνέπνευσε φρεσὶ δαίμων,

First a god breathed it into my mind to set up a great loom

στησαμένῃ μέγαν ἱστόν, ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν ὑφαίνειν,

in my halls and weave a robe,

λεπτὸν καὶ περίμετρον· ἄφαρ δʼ αὐτοῖς μετέειπον·

fine and very wide; and straightway I spoke among them:

κοῦροι, ἐμοὶ μνηστῆρες, ἐπεὶ θάνε δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς,

'Young men, my suitors, since noble Odysseus is dead,

μίμνετʼ ἐπειγόμενοι τὸν ἐμὸν γάμον, εἰς ὅ κε φᾶρος

wait, though eager for my marriage, until I finish this robe—

ἐκτελέσω—μή μοι μεταμώνια νήματʼ ὄληται¹—

lest my threads be utterly wasted and come to naught—

Λαέρτῃ ἥρωϊ ταφήϊον, εἰς ὅτε κέν μιν

a shroud for the hero Laertes, against the time when

μοῖρʼ ὀλοὴ καθέλῃσι τανηλεγέος θανάτοιο·

the deadly doom of grievous death shall lay him low;

μή τίς μοι κατὰ δῆμον Ἀχαιϊάδων νεμεσήσῃ,

lest any of the Achaean women in the land should be angry with me,

αἴ κεν ἄτερ σπείρου κεῖται πολλὰ κτεατίσσας.

if he, who won many possessions, should lie without a shroud.'

ὣς ἐφάμην, τοῖσιν δʼ ἐπεπείθετο θυμὸς ἀγήνωρ.

So I spoke, and their proud hearts consented.

ἔνθα καὶ ἠματίη μὲν ὑφαίνεσκον μέγαν ἱστόν,

Then by day I would weave at the great loom,

νύκτας δʼ ἀλλύεσκον, ἐπεὶ δαΐδας παραθείμην.

but by night I would unravel it, when I had set torches beside me.

ὣς τρίετες μὲν ἔληθον ἐγὼ καὶ ἔπειθον Ἀχαιούς·

Thus for three years I kept them from knowing and deceived the Achaeans;

ἀλλʼ ὅτε τέτρατον ἦλθεν ἔτος καὶ ἐπήλυθον ὧραι,

but when the fourth year came and the seasons returned,

μηνῶν φθινόντων, περὶ δʼ ἤματα πόλλʼ ἐτελέσθη,

as the months waned and many days were fulfilled,

καὶ τότε δή με διὰ δμῳάς, κύνας οὐκ ἀλεγούσας,

then indeed through the means of my handmaids, shameless dogs who cared not,

εἷλον ἐπελθόντες καὶ ὁμόκλησαν ἐπέεσσιν.

they came upon me and caught me, and chid me with words.

ὣς τὸ μὲν ἐξετέλεσσα, καὶ οὐκ ἐθέλουσʼ, ὑπʼ ἀνάγκης·

So I finished it, though sore against my will, by necessity.

νῦν δʼ οὔτʼ ἐκφυγέειν δύναμαι γάμον οὔτε τινʼ ἄλλην

And now I can neither escape marriage, nor can I find

μῆτιν ἔθʼ εὑρίσκω· μάλα δʼ ὀτρύνουσι τοκῆες

any other device; and my parents instantly urge me

γήμασθʼ, ἀσχαλάᾳ δὲ πάϊς βίοτον κατεδόντων,

to marry, and my son is vexed as they devour his livelihood,

γιγνώσκων· ἤδη γὰρ ἀνὴρ οἶός τε μάλιστα

for he perceives it; for now he is a man fully able

οἴκου κήδεσθαι, τῷ τε Ζεὺς κῦδος ὀπάζει.

to care for a house, one to whom Zeus grants honor.

ἀλλὰ καὶ ὥς μοι εἰπὲ τεὸν γένος, ὁππόθεν ἐσσί.

Yet even so tell me of your lineage, from whence you are;

οὐ γὰρ ἀπὸ δρυός ἐσσι παλαιφάτου οὐδʼ ἀπὸ πέτρης².

for you are not sprung from the oak of ancient story, nor from a rock."

τὴν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς·

Then Odysseus of many wiles answered her, saying:

ὦ γύναι αἰδοίη Λαερτιάδεω Ὀδυσῆος,

"O honored wife of Odysseus, son of Laertes,

οὐκέτʼ ἀπολλήξεις τὸν ἐμὸν γόνον ἐξερέουσα;

will you never cease to ask me of my lineage?

ἀλλʼ ἔκ τοι ἐρέω· ἦ μέν μʼ ἀχέεσσί γε δώσεις

Nay, I will tell you; yet surely you will give me over to sorrows

πλείοσιν ἢ ἔχομαι· ἡ γὰρ δίκη, ὁππότε πάτρης

more than those I have; for this is the way, when a man

ἧς ἀπέῃσιν ἀνὴρ τόσσον χρόνον ὅσσον ἐγὼ νῦν,

is absent from his own country as long a time as I am now,

πολλὰ βροτῶν ἐπὶ ἄστεʼ ἀλώμενος, ἄλγεα πάσχων·

wandering through many cities of men, suffering grief.

ἀλλὰ καὶ ὣς ἐρέω ὅ μʼ ἀνείρεαι ἠδὲ μεταλλᾷς.

Yet even so will I tell you what you ask and inquire of me.

Κρήτη τις γαῖʼ ἔστι, μέσῳ ἐνὶ οἴνοπι πόντῳ,

There is a land called Crete, in the midst of the wine-dark sea,

καλὴ καὶ πίειρα, περίρρυτος· ἐν δʼ ἄνθρωποι

fair and rich, girdled by water; and in it are men

πολλοί, ἀπειρέσιοι, καὶ ἐννήκοντα πόληες.

countless, and ninety cities.

ἄλλη δʼ ἄλλων γλῶσσα μεμιγμένη· ἐν μὲν Ἀχαιοί,

And tongue with tongue is mixed; there are Achaeans,

ἐν δʼ Ἐτεόκρητες μεγαλήτορες, ἐν δὲ Κύδωνες,

and great-hearted Eteocretans, and Cydonians,

Δωριέες τε τριχάϊκες δῖοί τε Πελασγοί.

and Dorians of three clans, and noble Pelasgians.

τῇσι δʼ ἐνὶ Κνωσός, μεγάλη πόλις, ἔνθα τε Μίνως

And among these cities is Cnossos, a great city, where Minos

ἐννέωρος³ βασίλευε Διὸς μεγάλου ὀαριστής,

reigned as king for nine years, the companion of great Zeus,

πατρὸς ἐμοῖο πατήρ, μεγαθύμου Δευκαλίωνος

father of my father, great-hearted Deucalion.

Δευκαλίων δʼ ἐμὲ τίκτε καὶ Ἰδομενῆα ἄνακτα·

And Deucalion begat me and the prince Idomeneus;

ἀλλʼ ὁ μὲν ἐν νήεσσι κορωνίσιν Ἴλιον ἴσω

but Idomeneus had gone in his curved ships to Ilium

ᾤχεθʼ ἅμʼ Ἀτρείδῃσιν, ἐμοὶ δʼ ὄνομα κλυτὸν Αἴθων,

with the sons of Atreus; and my famous name is Aethon,

ὁπλότερος γενεῇ· ὁ δʼ ἄρα πρότερος καὶ ἀρείων.

the younger born; but he was the elder and the better man.

ἔνθʼ Ὀδυσῆα ἐγὼν ἰδόμην καὶ ξείνια δῶκα.

There I saw Odysseus and gave him gifts of entertainment.

καὶ γὰρ τὸν Κρήτηνδε κατήγαγεν ἲς ἀνέμοιο,

For the force of the wind brought him too to Crete,

ἱέμενον Τροίηνδε παραπλάγξασα Μαλειῶν·

driving him past Maleia, as he was hastening toward Troy.

στῆσε δʼ ἐν Ἀμνισῷ, ὅθι τε σπέος Εἰλειθυίης,

And he anchored at Amnisus, where is the cave of Eileithyia,

ἐν λιμέσιν χαλεποῖσι, μόγις δʼ ὑπάλυξεν ἀέλλας.

in a difficult harbor, and hardly did he escape the storm.

αὐτίκα δʼ Ἰδομενῆα μετάλλα ἄστυδʼ ἀνελθών·

And straightway he went up to the city and asked for Idomeneus,

ξεῖνον γάρ οἱ ἔφασκε φίλον τʼ ἔμεν αἰδοῖόν τε.

for he said he was his dear and honored guest.

τῷ δʼ ἤδη δεκάτη ἢ ἑνδεκάτη πέλεν ἠὼς

But it was already the tenth or eleventh morning since

οἰχομένῳ σὺν νηυσὶ κορωνίσιν Ἴλιον εἴσω.

Idomeneus had gone with his curved ships to Ilium.

τὸν μὲν ἐγὼ πρὸς δώματʼ ἄγων ἐῢ ἐξείνισσα,

So I led him to my house and entertained him well,

ἐνδυκέως φιλέων, πολλῶν κατὰ οἶκον ἐόντων·

welcoming him kindly, for there was great abundance in the house.

καί οἱ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἑτάροις, οἳ ἅμʼ αὐτῷ ἕποντο,

And for his other companions who followed with him,

δημόθεν ἄλφιτα δῶκα καὶ αἴθοπα οἶνον ἀγείρας

I gathered from the people barley meal and sparkling wine,

καὶ βοῦς ἱρεύσασθαι, ἵνα πλησαίατο θυμόν.

and bulls to sacrifice, that they might satisfy their hearts.

ἔνθα δυώδεκα μὲν μένον ἤματα δῖοι Ἀχαιοί·

There the noble Achaeans remained for twelve days,

εἴλει γὰρ Βορέης ἄνεμος μέγας οὐδʼ ἐπὶ γαίῃ

for a great North Wind penned them, nor on land

εἴα ἵστασθαι, χαλεπὸς δέ τις ὤρορε δαίμων.

would it suffer them to stand, but some hostile god aroused it.

τῇ τρισκαιδεκάτῃ δʼ ἄνεμος πέσε, τοὶ δʼ ἀνάγοντο.

But on the thirteenth day the wind fell, and they put to sea."

ἴσκε ψεύδεα πολλὰ λέγων ἐτύμοισιν ὁμοῖα⁴·

He spoke, telling many falsehoods likenesses of truth;

Syntax notes4 items

§§19.143μή μοι μεταμώνια νήματʼ ὄληται
The conjunction μή followed by the aorist subjunctive middle ὄληται (third-person singular of ὄλλυμι) expresses a negative purpose or apprehension ('lest my threads be wasted').
§§19.163ἀπὸ δρυός ... οὐδʼ ἀπὸ πέτρης
An idiomatic expression meaning 'not sprung from oak or rock'. It implies that the person has a real family lineage and is a true human being, rather than someone without parents or origin.
§§19.179ἐννέωρος
The adjective ἐννέωρος ('of nine years' or 'at nine years of age') has several interpretations, but here it is traditionally understood as Minos ruling 'for nine years' or consulting with Zeus 'every nine consecutive years'.
§§19.203ἴσκε ψεύδεα πολλὰ λέγων ἐτύμοισιν ὁμοῖα
The verb ἴσκε is an imperfect form of εἴκω ('to make like' or 'liken'), creating the sense of 'he made his many falsehoods seem like' or 'he spoke plausibly'.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:19.136-19.203