Penelope's Lament and the Omen of Thunder from Zeus — Odyssey §20.65-20.129 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

ἐν προχοῇς δὲ βάλοι ἀψορρόου Ὠκεανοῖο.

and cast me into the outpourings of backward-flowing Oceanus.

ὡς δʼ ὅτε Πανδαρέου κούρας ἀνέλοντο θύελλαι·

Even as when the tempests snatched away the daughters of Pandareus;

τῇσι τοκῆας μὲν φθῖσαν θεοί, αἱ δʼ ἐλίποντο

whose parents the gods had slain, and they were left

ὀρφαναὶ ἐν μεγάροισι, κόμισσε δὲ δῖʼ Ἀφροδίτη

orphans in the halls, and noble Aphrodite nurtured them

τυρῷ καὶ μέλιτι γλυκερῷ καὶ ἡδέϊ οἴνῳ·

with cheese, and sweet honey, and pleasant wine;

Ἥρη δʼ αὐτῇσιν περὶ πασέων δῶκε γυναικῶν

and Hera gave them beauty and wisdom beyond all women,

εἶδος καὶ πινυτήν, μῆκος δʼ ἔπορʼ Ἄρτεμις ἁγνή,

and chaste Artemis gave them stature,

ἔργα δʼ Ἀθηναίη δέδαε κλυτὰ ἐργάζεσθαι.

and Athena taught them to work glorious handiwork.

εὖτʼ Ἀφροδίτη δῖα προσέστιχε μακρὸν Ὄλυμπον,

But when noble Aphrodite went to high Olympus

κούρῃς αἰτήσουσα τέλος θαλεροῖο γάμοιο—

to ask for the girls the accomplishment of fruitful marriage—

ἐς Δία τερπικέραυνον, ὁ γάρ τʼ εὖ οἶδεν ἅπαντα,

unto Zeus who hurls the thunderbolt, for he well knows all things,

μοῖράν τʼ ἀμμορίην τε καταθνητῶν ἀνθρώπων—

both the fate and the fatelessness of mortal men—

τόφρα δὲ τὰς κούρας ἅρπυιαι ἀνηρείψαντο

meanwhile the Harpies snatched away the maidens

καί ῥʼ ἔδοσαν στυγερῇσιν ἐρινύσιν ἀμφιπολεύειν·

and gave them to serve the hateful Furies;

ὣς ἔμʼ ἀϊστώσειαν Ὀλύμπια δώματʼ ἔχοντες,

even so may those who hold Olympic dwellings blot me out,

ἠέ μʼ ἐϋπλόκαμος βάλοι Ἄρτεμις, ὄφρʼ Ὀδυσῆα

or may fair-haired Artemis strike me, so that I may go beneath the hateful earth

ὀσσομένη καὶ γαῖαν ὕπο στυγερὴν ἀφικοίμην,

beholding Odysseus,

μηδέ τι χείρονος ἀνδρὸς ἐϋφραίνοιμι νόημα.

and never gladden the mind of any lesser man.

ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν καὶ ἀνεκτὸν ἔχει κακόν, ὁππότε κέν τις

Yet this evil is even bearable, when a man

ἤματα μὲν κλαίῃ, πυκινῶς ἀκαχήμενος ἦτορ,

weeps by day, sore troubled in his heart,

νύκτας δʼ ὕπνος ἔχῃσιν—ὁ γάρ τʼ ἐπέλησεν ἁπάντων,

but by night sleep holds him—for sleep makes one forget all things,

ἐσθλῶν ἠδὲ κακῶν, ἐπεὶ ἄρ βλέφαρʼ ἀμφικαλύψῃ—

both good and evil, when once it covers the eyelids—

αὐτὰρ ἐμοὶ καὶ ὀνείρατʼ ἐπέσσευεν κακὰ δαίμων.

but to me a god sends even evil dreams.

τῇδε γὰρ αὖ μοι νυκτὶ παρέδραθεν εἴκελος αὐτῷ¹,

For this very night there slept by my side one like to him,

τοῖος ἐὼν οἷος ᾖεν ἅμα στρατῷ· αὐτὰρ ἐμὸν κῆρ

just such as he was when he went with the host; and my heart

χαῖρʼ, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἐφάμην ὄναρ ἔμμεναι, ἀλλʼ ὕπαρ ἤδη.

rejoiced, since I thought it was no dream, but already reality.

ὣς ἔφατʼ, αὐτίκα δὲ χρυσόθρονος ἤλυθεν Ἠώς.

So she spoke, and straightway came golden-throned Dawn.

τῆς δʼ ἄρα κλαιούσης ὄπα σύνθετο δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς·

And noble Odysseus heard the voice of her weeping;

μερμήριζε δʼ ἔπειτα, δόκησε δέ οἱ κατὰ θυμὸν

then he pondered, and it seemed to him in his heart

ἤδη γιγνώσκουσα παρεστάμεναι κεφαλῆφι².

that she already knew him and was standing by his head.

χλαῖναν μὲν συνελὼν καὶ κώεα, τοῖσιν ἐνεῦδεν,

He gathered up the cloak and fleeces in which he slept,

ἐς μέγαρον κατέθηκεν ἐπὶ θρόνου, ἐκ δὲ βοείην

and laid them on a chair in the hall, and took the ox-hide

θῆκε θύραζε φέρων, Διὶ δʼ εὔξατο χεῖρας ἀνασχών·

and carried it outside, and lifted up his hands and prayed to Zeus:

Ζεῦ πάτερ, εἴ μʼ ἐθέλοντες ἐπὶ τραφερήν τε καὶ ὑγρὴν

"Father Zeus, if of your goodwill you have led me over dry land and sea

ἤγετʼ³ ἐμὴν ἐς γαῖαν, ἐπεί μʼ ἐκακώσατε λίην,

to my own country, after you have afflicted me sorely,

φήμην τίς μοι φάσθω ἐγειρομένων ἀνθρώπων

let someone of those who are waking within utter a word of omen for me,

ἔνδοθεν, ἔκτοσθεν δὲ Διὸς τέρας ἄλλο φανήτω.

and let another sign from Zeus be shown outside."

ὣς ἔφατʼ εὐχόμενος· τοῦ δʼ ἔκλυε μητίετα Ζεύς,

So he spoke in prayer, and wise Zeus heard him,

αὐτίκα δʼ ἐβρόντησεν ἀπʼ αἰγλήεντος Ὀλύμπου,

and straightway he thundered from radiant Olympus,

ὑψόθεν ἐκ νεφέων· γήθησε δὲ δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς.

from high among the clouds; and noble Odysseus rejoiced.

φήμην δʼ ἐξ οἴκοιο γυνὴ προέηκεν ἀλετρὶς

And a woman grinding corn uttered a word of omen from the house

πλησίον, ἔνθʼ ἄρα οἱ μύλαι ἥατο ποιμένι λαῶν,

nearby, where the mills of the shepherd of the people were set,

τῇσιν δώδεκα πᾶσαι ἐπερρώοντο γυναῖκες

at which twelve women in all plied their tasks

ἄλφιτα τεύχουσαι καὶ ἀλείατα, μυελὸν ἀνδρῶν.

making barley-meal and wheat-flour, the marrow of men.

αἱ μὲν ἄρʼ ἄλλαι εὗδον, ἐπεὶ κατὰ πυρὸν ἄλεσσαν,

Now the others were sleeping, since they had ground their wheat,

ἡ δὲ μίʼ οὔπω παύετʼ, ἀφαυροτάτη δʼ ἐτέτυκτο·

but one was not yet resting, for she was the weakest of all;

ἥ ῥα μύλην στήσασα ἔπος φάτο, σῆμα ἄνακτι·

she stayed her mill and spoke a word, a sign to her master:

Ζεῦ πάτερ, ὅς τε θεοῖσι καὶ ἀνθρώποισιν ἀνάσσεις,

"Father Zeus, who rule over gods and men,

ἦ μεγάλʼ ἐβρόντησας ἀπʼ οὐρανοῦ ἀστερόεντος,

surely you have thundered loudly from the starry heaven,

οὐδέ ποθι νέφος ἐστί· τέρας νύ τεῳ τόδε φαίνεις.

though there is no cloud anywhere; indeed you show this sign to someone.

κρῆνον νῦν καὶ ἐμοὶ δειλῇ ἔπος, ὅττι κεν εἴπω·

Fulfill now even for wretched me the word that I speak:

μνηστῆρες πύματόν τε καὶ ὕστατον ἤματι τῷδε

may the suitors on this day for the last and final time

ἐν μεγάροις Ὀδυσῆος ἑλοίατο δαῖτʼ ἐρατεινήν,

hold their pleasant feast in the halls of Odysseus,

οἳ δή μοι καμάτῳ θυμαλγέι· γούνατʼ ἔλυσαν⁴

they who have loosened my knees with heart-breaking labor

ἄλφιτα τευχούσῃ· νῦν ὕστατα δειπνήσειαν.

as I grind the barley-meal; may they now dine for the very last time."

ὣς ἄρʼ ἔφη, χαῖρεν δὲ κλεηδόνι δῖος Ὀδυσσεὺς

So she spoke, and noble Odysseus rejoiced in the word of omen

Ζηνός τε βροντῇ· φάτο γὰρ τίσασθαι ἀλείτας.

and in the thunder of Zeus; for he thought to take vengeance on the sinners.

αἱ δʼ ἄλλαι δμῳαὶ κατὰ δώματα κάλʼ Ὀδυσῆος

And the other handmaids gathered through the fair halls of Odysseus

ἀγρόμεναι ἀνέκαιον ἐπʼ ἐσχάρῃ ἀκάματον πῦρ.

and kindled upon the hearth the unwearied fire.

Τηλέμαχος δʼ εὐνῆθεν ἀνίστατο, ἰσόθεος φώς,

And Telemachus rose from his bed, a godlike man,

εἵματα ἑσσάμενος· περὶ δὲ ξίφος ὀξὺ θέτʼ ὤμῳ·

and put on his garments, and slung a sharp sword about his shoulder,

ποσσὶ δʼ ὑπὸ λιπαροῖσιν ἐδήσατο καλὰ πέδιλα,

and bound his fair sandals beneath his smooth feet,

εἵλετο δʼ ἄλκιμον ἔγχος, ἀκαχμένον ὀξέι· χαλκῷ·

and took a mighty spear, tipped with sharp bronze;

στῆ δʼ ἄρʼ ἐπʼ οὐδὸν ἰών, πρὸς δʼ Εὐρύκλειαν ἔειπε·

and he went and stood upon the threshold, and spoke to Eurycleia:

μαῖα φίλη, τὸν ξεῖνον ἐτιμήσασθʼ ἐνὶ οἴκῳ

"Dear nurse, did you honor the stranger in the house

Syntax notes4 items

§§20.88τῇδε γὰρ αὖ μοι νυκτὶ παρέδραθεν εἴκελος αὐτῷ
The phrase 'εἴκελος αὐτῷ' means 'one like to him,' referring to the phantom of Odysseus that Penelope saw in her dream. The dative 'αὐτῷ' refers to the real Odysseus, highlighting the poignant contrast between dream (ὄναρ) and waking reality (ὕπαρ).
§§20.93-94δόκησε δέ οἱ κατὰ θυμὸν ἤδη γιγνώσκουσα παρεστάμεναι κεφαλῆφι
This passage describes Odysseus's subjective impression. The subject of the infinitive 'παρεστάμεναι' is the participle 'γιγνώσκουσα' (nominative feminine singular, 'recognizing'), referring to Penelope. To Odysseus, it seemed as if she already knew him and was standing by his head.
§§20.98-99εἴ μʼ ἐθέλοντες ἐπὶ τραφερήν τε καὶ ὑγρὴν ἤγετʼ
The clause 'εἴ...ἤγετʼ' uses the past indicative to refer to a factual event in the past ('if of your goodwill you have led me'). This serves as the premise or justification for the subsequent imperatives ('φήμην ... φάσθω ... φανήτω'), appealing to the gods' past favor.
§§20.118οἳ δή μοι καμάτῳ θυμαλγέι γούνατʼ ἔλυσαν
The formula 'γούνατʼ ἔλυσαν' (loosened the knees) is a traditional Homeric expression signifying extreme exhaustion or death. Here, the maid uses it to express how her body has been utterly worn down by the heart-breaking labor ('καμάτῳ θυμαλγέι') imposed by the suitors. The dative 'μοι' functions as a dative of disadvantage.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:20.65-20.129