The Secret of the Bed and the Reunion of the Spouses — Odyssey §23.150-23.222 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

σχετλίη, οὐδʼ ἔτλη πόσιος οὗ κουριδίοιο

"Hard-hearted woman, she had not the heart to keep

εἴρυσθαι μέγα δῶμα διαμπερές, ἧος ἵκοιτο¹.

the great house for her wedded husband continually, until he should return."

ὣς ἄρα τις εἴπεσκε, τὰ δʼ οὐκ ἴσαν ὡς ἐτέτυκτο.

So indeed would one say, but they knew not how things had been wrought.

αὐτὰρ Ὀδυσσῆα μεγαλήτορα ᾧ ἐνὶ οἴκῳ

Meanwhile the housekeeper Eurynome bathed the great-hearted Odysseus

Εὐρυνόμη ταμίη λοῦσεν καὶ χρῖσεν ἐλαίῳ,

in his own house, and anointed him with oil,

ἀμφὶ δέ μιν φᾶρος καλὸν βάλεν ἠδὲ χιτῶνα·

and cast a beautiful cloak and a tunic about him;

αὐτὰρ κὰκ κεφαλῆς κάλλος πολὺ χεῦεν Ἀθήνη

and moreover Athena shed abundant beauty down over his head,

μείζονά τʼ εἰσιδέειν καὶ πάσσονα· κὰδ δὲ κάρητος

making him taller and stouter to look upon, and from his head

οὔλας ἧκε κόμας, ὑακινθίνῳ ἄνθει ὁμοίας.

she made curly locks flow down, like unto the hyacinth flower.

ὡς δʼ ὅτε τις χρυσὸν περιχεύεται ἀργύρῳ ἀνὴρ

And as when some skilled man pours gold over silver,

ἴδρις, ὃν Ἥφαιστος δέδαεν καὶ Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη

one whom Hephaestus and Pallas Athena have taught

τέχνην παντοίην, χαρίεντα δὲ ἔργα τελείει·

all manner of art, and he completes graceful works;

ὣς μὲν τῷ περίχευε χάριν κεφαλῇ τε καὶ ὤμοις.

even so did she shed grace upon his head and shoulders.

ἐκ δʼ ἀσαμίνθου βῆ δέμας ἀθανάτοισιν ὁμοῖος·

And he stepped forth from the bath, in form like unto the immortals;

ἂψ δʼ αὖτις κατʼ ἄρʼ ἕζετʼ ἐπὶ θρόνου ἔνθεν ἀνέστη,

and he sat down again upon the seat from which he had arisen,

ἀντίον ἧς ἀλόχου, καί μιν πρὸς μῦθον ἔειπε·

opposite his wife, and spoke a word to her, saying:

δαιμονίη, περί σοί γε² γυναικῶν θηλυτεράων

"Strange woman, they who have homes on Olympus have given to thee,

κῆρ ἀτέραμνον ἔθηκαν Ὀλύμπια δώματʼ ἔχοντες·

beyond all gentle women, a heart that cannot be softened.

οὐ μέν κʼ ἄλλη γʼ ὧδε γυνὴ τετληότι θυμῷ

No other woman would hold aloof with so stubborn a heart

ἀνδρὸς ἀφεσταίη, ὅς οἱ κακὰ πολλὰ μογήσας

from her husband, who after suffering many evils

ἔλθοι ἐεικοστῷ ἔτεϊ ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν.

had come back in the twentieth year to his native land.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε μοι, μαῖα, στόρεσον λέχος, ὄφρα καὶ αὐτὸς

But come, nurse, strew a bed for me, that I may

λέξομαι· ἦ γὰρ τῇ γε σιδήρεον ἐν φρεσὶ ἦτορ.

lie down even by myself; for indeed she has a heart of iron in her breast."

τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε περίφρων Πηνελόπεια·

Then wise Penelope answered him:

δαιμόνιʼ, οὔτʼ ἄρ τι μεγαλίζομαι οὔτʼ ἀθερίζω

"Strange man, I am neither arrogant, nor do I disregard thee,

οὔτε λίην ἄγαμαι, μάλα δʼ εὖ οἶδʼ οἷος ἔησθα

nor am I amazed overmuch; but I know right well what manner of man thou wast

ἐξ Ἰθάκης ἐπὶ νηὸς ἰὼν δολιχηρέτμοιο.

when thou wentest forth from Ithaca on thy long-oared ship.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε οἱ στόρεσον πυκινὸν λέχος, Εὐρύκλεια,

But come, Eurycleia, strew for him the stout bedstead

ἐκτὸς ἐϋσταθέος θαλάμου, τόν ῥʼ αὐτὸς ἐποίει·

outside the well-built bridal chamber which he himself made.

ἔνθα οἱ ἐκθεῖσαι πυκινὸν λέχος ἐμβάλετʼ εὐνήν,

There do ye place the stout bedstead and cast bedding upon it,

κώεα καὶ χλαίνας καὶ ῥήγεα σιγαλόεντα.

fleeces and cloaks and bright coverlets."

ὣς ἄρʼ ἔφη πόσιος πειρωμένη· αὐτὰρ Ὀδυσσεὺς

So she spoke, testing her husband; but Odysseus

ὀχθήσας ἄλοχον προσεφώνεε κεδνὰ ἰδυῖαν·

was angered, and spoke to his true-hearted wife:

ὦ γύναι, ἦ μάλα τοῦτο ἔπος θυμαλγὲς ἔειπες·

"O lady, truly this is a heart-grieving word thou hast spoken.

τίς δέ μοι ἄλλοσε θῆκε λέχος; χαλεπὸν δέ κεν εἴη

Who has set my bed elsewhere? Hard would it be,

καὶ μάλʼ ἐπισταμένῳ, ὅτε μὴ³ θεὸς αὐτὸς ἐπελθὼν

even for one of great skill, unless a god himself should come

ῥηϊδίως ἐθέλων θείη ἄλλῃ ἐνὶ χώρῃ.

and easily at his will set it in another place.

ἀνδρῶν δʼ οὔ κέν τις ζωὸς βροτός, οὐδὲ μάλʼ ἡβῶν,

But of mortal men no living man, not even in his lustiest youth,

ῥεῖα μετοχλίσσειεν, ἐπεὶ μέγα σῆμα τέτυκται

could easily prize it from its place, for a great sign is wrought

ἐν λέχει ἀσκητῷ· τὸ δʼ ἐγὼ κάμον οὐδέ τις ἄλλος.

in the fashioned bedstead; and this I myself laboured, and no other.

θάμνος ἔφυ τανύφυλλος ἐλαίης ἕρκεος ἐντός,

There grew a long-leafed olive tree within the courtyard,

ἀκμηνὸς θαλέθων· πάχετος δʼ ἦν ἠΰτε κίων.

in full vigor of growth, and it was thick as a pillar.

τῷ δʼ ἐγὼ ἀμφιβαλὼν θάλαμον δέμον, ὄφρʼ ἐτέλεσσα,

Round this I built my bridal chamber, until I finished it,

πυκνῇσιν λιθάδεσσι, καὶ εὖ καθύπερθεν ἔρεψα,

with close-set stones, and roofed it well over,

κολλητὰς δʼ ἐπέθηκα θύρας, πυκινῶς ἀραρυίας.

and added tightly fitting doors, strongly put together.

καὶ τότʼ ἔπειτʼ ἀπέκοψα κόμην τανυφύλλου ἐλαίης,

Then after that I cut away the foliage of the long-leafed olive,

κορμὸν δʼ ἐκ ῥίζης προταμὼν ἀμφέξεσα χαλκῷ

and lopping the trunk from the root up, I smoothed it with the adze

εὖ καὶ ἐπισταμένως, καὶ ἐπὶ στάθμην ἴθυνα,

well and skillfully, and made it straight according to the line,

ἑρμῖνʼ ἀσκήσας, τέτρηνα δὲ πάντα τερέτρῳ.

fashioning thereof a bedpost, and I bored all the wood with an auger.

ἐκ δὲ τοῦ ἀρχόμενος λέχος ἔξεον, ὄφρʼ ἐτέλεσσα,

Beginning from this I carved the bedstead, until I finished it,

δαιδάλλων χρυσῷ τε καὶ ἀργύρῳ ἠδʼ ἐλέφαντι·

inlaying it with gold and silver and ivory;

ἐκ δʼ ἐτάνυσσα ἱμάντα βοὸς φοίνικι φαεινόν.

and within I stretched a leather strap of oxhide, shining with purple.

οὕτω τοι τόδε σῆμα πιφαύσκομαι· οὐδέ τι οἶδα,

Thus indeed do I declare this sign to thee; nor do I know at all,

ἤ μοι ἔτʼ ἔμπεδόν ἐστι, γύναι, λέχος, ἦέ τις ἤδη

lady, whether my bedstead is still fast in its place, or whether some man

ἀνδρῶν ἄλλοσε θῆκε, ταμὼν ὕπο πυθμένʼ ἐλαίης.

has already set it elsewhere, cutting through the stem of the olive beneath."

ὣς φάτο, τῆς δʼ αὐτοῦ λύτο γούνατα καὶ φίλον ἦτορ,

So he spoke, and her knees and her heart failed her right there,

σήματʼ ἀναγνούσῃ τά οἱ ἔμπεδα πέφραδʼ Ὀδυσσεύς·

as she recognized the sure signs which Odysseus had declared to her.

δακρύσασα δʼ ἔπειτʼ ἰθὺς δράμεν, ἀμφὶ δὲ χεῖρας

Weeping then, she ran straight toward him, and cast her hands

δειρῇ βάλλʼ Ὀδυσῆϊ, κάρη δʼ ἔκυσʼ ἠδὲ προσηύδα·

about the neck of Odysseus, and kissed his head, and spoke, saying:

μή μοι, Ὀδυσσεῦ, σκύζευ, ἐπεὶ τά περ ἄλλα μάλιστα

"Frown not upon me, Odysseus, since in all things else

ἀνθρώπων πέπνυσο· θεοὶ δʼ ὤπαζον ὀϊζύν,

thou wast the wisest of men. The gods granted us misery,

οἳ νῶϊν ἀγάσαντο παρʼ ἀλλήλοισι μένοντε

they who grudged that we two should abide together

ἥβης ταρπῆναι καὶ γήραος οὐδὸν ἱκέσθαι.

and enjoy our youth, and come to the threshold of old age.

αὐτὰρ μὴ νῦν μοι τόδε χώεο μηδὲ νεμέσσα,

Therefore be not now angry with me, nor resent it,

οὕνεκά σʼ οὐ τὸ πρῶτον, ἐπεὶ ἴδον, ὧδʼ ἀγάπησα.

because I did not thus welcome thee at first, when I saw thee.

αἰεὶ γάρ μοι θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσι φίλοισιν

For always the heart within my breast

ἐρρίγει μή τίς με βροτῶν ἀπάφοιτο ἔπεσσιν

would shudder, lest some mortal should come and deceive me with words;

ἐλθών· πολλοὶ γὰρ κακὰ κέρδεα βουλεύουσιν.

for many there are who devise evil gains.

οὐδέ κεν Ἀργείη Ἑλένη, Διὸς ἐκγεγαυῖα,

Nor would Argive Helen, sprung from Zeus,

ἀνδρὶ παρʼ ἀλλοδαπῷ ἐμίγη φιλότητι καὶ εὐνῇ,

have lain in love and sleep with a stranger,

εἰ ᾔδη⁴ ὅ μιν αὖτις ἀρήϊοι υἷες Ἀχαιῶν

if she had known that the warlike sons of the Achaeans

ἀξέμεναι οἶκόνδε φίλην ἐς πατρίδʼ ἔμελλον.

were to bring her back again home to her own native land.

τὴν δʼ ἦ τοι ῥέξαι θεὸς ὤρορεν ἔργον ἀεικές·

It was a god indeed who stirred her up to do the shameful deed;

Syntax notes4 items

§23.151ἧος ἵκοιτο
In the temporal clause introduced by the conjunction ἧος (= ἕως, 'until'), the optative ἵκοιτο is used because the main verb ἔτλη is in a past (historical) tense, representing an oblique optative.
§23.166περί σοί γε
The preposition περί functions adverbially with the dative σοί, meaning 'especially in thee' or 'above all others'. While it could be viewed as a tmesis with the verb ἔθηκαν, in Homeric usage it commonly serves as an adverbial intensifier modifying the pronoun.
§23.185ὅτε μὴ
A conjunctional phrase expressing condition, meaning 'except if' or 'unless' (= εἰ μή). It is constructed with the optative θείη, establishing a general or potential hypothetical situation.
§23.218οὐδέ κεν ... ἐμίγη ... εἰ ᾔδη
A past counterfactual conditional sentence. The apodosis consists of κεν + past indicative (aorist ἐμίγη), and the protasis consists of εἰ + pluperfect indicative (ᾔδη, 'if she had known'), expressing a hypothesis contrary to past fact.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:23.150-23.222