Penelope's Test and the Description of Odysseus's Clothes — Odyssey §19.204-19.270 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

τῆς δʼ ἄρʼ ἀκουούσης ῥέε δάκρυα, τήκετο δὲ χρώς·

As she listened, her tears flowed and her skin melted;

ὡς δὲ χιὼν κατατήκετʼ ἐν ἀκροπόλοισιν ὄρεσσιν,

and as the snow melts on the lofty mountains,

ἥν τʼ Εὖρος κατέτηξεν, ἐπὴν Ζέφυρος καταχεύῃ¹·

which the East Wind melts, after the West Wind has poured it down;

τηκομένης δʼ ἄρα τῆς ποταμοὶ πλήθουσι ῥέοντες·

and as it melts, the flowing rivers are filled;

ὣς τῆς τήκετο καλὰ παρήϊα δάκρυ χεούσης,

so her fair cheeks melted as she shed tears,

κλαιούσης ἑὸν ἄνδρα παρήμενον². αὐτὰρ Ὀδυσσεὺς

weeping for her own husband who was sitting beside her. But Odysseus

θυμῷ μὲν γοόωσαν ἑὴν ἐλέαιρε γυναῖκα,

in his heart pitied his weeping wife,

ὀφθαλμοὶ δʼ ὡς εἰ κέρα ἕστασαν ἠὲ σίδηρος

yet his eyes stood as if they were horn or iron,

ἀτρέμας ἐν βλεφάροισι· δόλῳ δʼ ὅ γε δάκρυα κεῦθεν.

steady within his eyelids; and by guile he hid his tears.

ἡ δʼ ἐπεὶ οὖν τάρφθη πολυδακρύτοιο γόοιο,

But when she had had her fill of tearful lamentation,

ἐξαῦτίς μιν ἔπεσσιν ἀμειβομένη προσέειπε·

then she answered him again, and spoke to him, saying:

νῦν μὲν δή σευ, ξεῖνέ γʼ, ὀΐω πειρήσεσθαι³,

"Now indeed, stranger, I think I will put you to the test,

εἰ ἐτεὸν δὴ κεῖθι σὺν ἀντιθέοις ἑτάροισι

whether in truth you did there, with your godlike companions,

ξείνισας ἐν μεγάροισιν ἐμὸν πόσιν, ὡς ἀγορεύεις.

entertain my husband in your halls, as you say.

εἰπέ μοι ὁπποῖʼ ἄσσα περὶ χροῒ εἵματα ἕστο,

Tell me what manner of clothing he had about his body,

αὐτός θʼ οἷος ἔην, καὶ ἑταίρους, οἵ οἱ ἕποντο.

and what manner of man he was himself, and of the companions who followed him."

τὴν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς·

Then Odysseus of many wiles answered her, saying:

ὦ γύναι, ἀργαλέον τόσσον χρόνον ἀμφὶς ἐόντα

"O lady, it is hard for one who has been so long parted from him

εἰπέμεν· ἤδη γάρ οἱ ἐεικοστὸν ἔτος ἐστὶν

to speak of this; for it is now the twentieth year

ἐξ οὗ κεῖθεν ἔβη καὶ ἐμῆς ἀπελήλυθε πάτρης·

since he went thence and departed from my country.

αὐτάρ τοι ἐρέω ὥς μοι ἰνδάλλεται ἦτορ.

Yet even so I will tell you as my heart pictures him.

χλαῖναν πορφυρέην οὔλην ἔχε δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς,

Noble Odysseus wore a purple cloak of wool,

διπλῆν· αὐτάρ οἱ περόνη χρυσοῖο τέτυκτο

double-folded; and for him a brooch of gold was fashioned

αὐλοῖσιν διδύμοισι· πάροιθε δὲ δαίδαλον ἦεν·

with double clasps; and on the front was an exquisite carving:

ἐν προτέροισι πόδεσσι κύων ἔχε ποικίλον ἐλλόν,

in its forepaws a dog held a dappled fawn,

ἀσπαίροντα λάων· τὸ δὲ θαυμάζεσκον ἅπαντες,

gazing at it as it gasped. And all men marveled at this,

ὡς οἱ χρύσεοι ἐόντες ὁ μὲν λάε νεβρὸν ἀπάγχων,

how, though they were of gold, the dog was gazing as he throttled the fawn,

αὐτὰρ ὁ ἐκφυγέειν μεμαὼς ἤσπαιρε πόδεσσι.

and the fawn was gasping and struggling with its feet to escape.

τὸν δὲ χιτῶνʼ ἐνόησα περὶ χροῒ σιγαλόεντα,

And I noticed the gleaming tunic about his body,

οἷόν τε κρομύοιο λοπὸν κάτα ἰσχαλέοιο·

like the skin of a dried onion;

τὼς μὲν ἔην μαλακός, λαμπρὸς δʼ ἦν ἠέλιος ὥς·

so soft was it, and bright as the sun;

ἦ μὲν πολλαί γʼ αὐτὸν ἐθηήσαντο γυναῖκες.

and indeed many women gazed at it with wonder.

ἄλλο δέ τοι ἐρέω, σὺ δʼ ἐνὶ φρεσὶ βάλλεο σῇσιν·

And another thing I will tell you, and do you lay it to heart:

οὐκ οἶδʼ ἢ τάδε ἕστο περὶ χροῒ οἴκοθʼ Ὀδυσσεύς,

I know not whether Odysseus wore these garments at home,

ἦ τις ἑταίρων δῶκε θοῆς ἐπὶ νηὸς ἰόντι,

or if some companion gave them to him as he went on his swift ship,

ἤ τίς που καὶ ξεῖνος, ἐπεὶ πολλοῖσιν Ὀδυσσεὺς

or perhaps some stranger, since to many men Odysseus

ἔσκε φίλος· παῦροι γὰρ Ἀχαιῶν ἦσαν ὁμοῖοι.

was dear; for few of the Achaeans were his equal.

καί οἱ ἐγὼ χάλκειον ἄορ καὶ δίπλακα δῶκα

And I too gave him a bronze sword and a double-folded

καλὴν πορφυρέην καὶ τερμιόεντα χιτῶνα,

cloak of fair purple, and a fringed tunic,

αἰδοίως δʼ ἀπέπεμπον ἐϋσσέλμου ἐπὶ νηός.

and with all honor sent him away on his well-benched ship.

καὶ μέν οἱ κῆρυξ ὀλίγον προγενέστερος αὐτοῦ

And a herald, slightly older than himself,

εἵπετο· καὶ τόν τοι μυθήσομαι, οἷος ἔην περ.

followed him; and I will tell you of him too, what manner of man he was.

γυρὸς ἐν ὤμοισιν, μελανόχροος, οὐλοκάρηνος,

Round-shouldered he was, dark-skinned, and curly-haired,

Εὐρυβάτης δʼ ὄνομʼ ἔσκε· τίεν δέ μιν ἔξοχον ἄλλων

and his name was Eurybates; and Odysseus honored him above all other

ὧν ἑτάρων Ὀδυσεύς, ὅτι οἱ φρεσὶν ἄρτια ᾔδη.

of his companions, because he was of one mind with himself.

ὣς φάτο, τῇ δʼ ἔτι μᾶλλον ὑφʼ ἵμερον ὦρσε γόοιο,

So he spoke, and in her he aroused yet more the desire of weeping,

σήματʼ ἀναγνούσῃ τά οἱ ἔμπεδα πέφραδʼ Ὀδυσσεύς.

as she recognized the sure tokens which Odysseus showed so clearly.

ἡ δʼ ἐπεὶ οὖν τάρφθη πολυδακρύτοιο γόοιο.

But when she had had her fill of tearful lamentation,

καὶ τότε μιν μύθοισιν ἀμειβομένη προσέειπε·

then she answered him again and spoke to him, saying:

νῦν μὲν δή μοι, ξεῖνε, πάρος περ ἐὼν ἐλεεινός,

"Now indeed, stranger, though before you were pitied in my sight,

ἐν μεγάροισιν ἐμοῖσι φίλος τʼ ἔσῃ αἰδοῖός τε·

you shall be beloved and honored in my halls;

αὐτὴ γὰρ τάδε εἵματʼ ἐγὼ πόρον, οἷʼ ἀγορεύεις,

for I myself gave him these garments, such as you describe,

πτύξασʼ ἐκ θαλάμου, περόνην τʼ ἐπέθηκα φαεινὴν

folding them from my chamber, and I put upon him the bright brooch

κείνῳ ἄγαλμʼ ἔμεναι· τὸν δʼ οὐχ ὑποδέξομαι αὖτις

to be an ornament for him; but him I shall never welcome again

οἴκαδε νοστήσαντα φίλην ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν.

returning home to his dear native land.

τῷ ῥα κακῇ αἴσῃ κοίλης ἐπὶ νηὸς Ὀδυσσεὺς

Therefore by an evil fate did Odysseus go on his hollow ship

ᾤχετʼ ἐποψόμενος Κακοΐλιον οὐκ ὀνομαστήν.

to see accursed Ilium, that should not be named."

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,

μηκέτι νῦν χρόα καλὸν ἐναίρεο, μηδέ τι θυμὸν

deface no more your fair skin, nor melt your heart

τῆκε, πόσιν γοόωσα. νεμεσσῶμαί γε μὲν οὐδέν·

in weeping for your husband. Yet indeed I blame you not;

καὶ γάρ τίς τʼ ἀλλοῖον ὀδύρεται ἄνδρʼ ὀλέσασα

for any woman laments when she has lost her wedded husband,

κουρίδιον, τῷ τέκνα τέκῃ φιλότητι μιγεῖσα,

to whom she has borne children in love,

ἢ Ὀδυσῆʼ, ὅν φασι θεοῖς ἐναλίγκιον εἶναι.

even though he were other than Odysseus, who they say is like the gods.

ἀλλὰ γόου μὲν παῦσαι, ἐμεῖο δὲ σύνθεο μῦθον·

But stay your weeping, and mark my words;

νημερτέως γάρ τοι μυθήσομαι οὐδʼ ἐπικεύσω

for I will speak to you truly, and will hide nothing,

ὡς ἤδη Ὀδυσῆος ἐγὼ περὶ νόστου ἄκουσα

how I have but now heard of the return of Odysseus,"

Syntax notes4 items

§19.206ἥν τʼ Εὖρος κατέτηξεν, ἐπὴν Ζέφυρος καταχεύῃ
In this relative clause, the subjunctive verb `καταχεύῃ` has `Ζέφυρος` (the West Wind) as its subject, and the implied object to be supplied is "snow" (`χιών`). The relative pronoun `ἥν` serves as the direct object of the main verb of the clause, `κατέτηξεν` (melted).
§19.209κλαιούσης ἑὸν ἄνδρα παρήμενον
The genitive present participle `κλαιούσης` modifies the genitive pronoun `τῆς` in line 208. It accentuates the dramatic irony of Penelope weeping for her husband who is in fact sitting right beside her (`παρήμενον`).
§19.215σευ ὀΐω πειρήσεσθαι
The genitive personal pronoun `σευ` (you) acts as the direct object of the future infinitive `πειρήσεσθαι` (to test/try), which regularly governs the genitive case in Homeric Greek.
§19.221ἀργαλέον τόσσον χρόνον ἀμφὶς ἐόντα / εἰぺμέν
The infinitive `εἰπέμεν` (to speak) serves as the subject after the impersonal adjective `ἀργαλέον` (difficult). The accusative participle `ἐόντα` acts as the subject of the infinitive, meaning "for one being apart (for so long)."

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:19.204-19.270