Tears of Mourning for Odysseus and the Feast Resumed — Odyssey §4.146-4.215 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

ἤλθεθʼ ὑπὸ Τροίην πόλεμον θρασὺν ὁρμαίνοντες.

came under Troy, pondering bold war.

τὴν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη ξανθὸς Μενέλαος·

And fair-haired Menelaus answered her, saying:

οὕτω νῦν καὶ ἐγὼ νοέω, γύναι, ὡς σὺ ἐίσκεις·

"So now I too am thinking, lady, even as you liken him;

κείνου γὰρ τοιοίδε πόδες τοιαίδε τε χεῖρες

for such indeed are his feet, and such his hands,

ὀφθαλμῶν τε βολαὶ κεφαλή τʼ ἐφύπερθέ τε χαῖται.

and the glances of his eyes, and his head, and his hair above.

καὶ νῦν ἦ τοι ἐγὼ μεμνημένος ἀμφʼ Ὀδυσῆι

And indeed, just now, as I was speaking of Odysseus in remembrance,

μυθεόμην, ὅσα κεῖνος ὀιζύσας ἐμόγησεν

and telling of all the troubles he endured and labored

ἀμφʼ ἐμοί, αὐτὰρ ὁ πικρὸν ὑπʼ ὀφρύσι δάκρυον εἶβε,

for my sake, he let fall a bitter tear from beneath his brows,

χλαῖναν πορφυρέην ἄντʼ ὀφθαλμοῖιν ἀνασχών.

holding up his purple cloak before his eyes."

τὸν δʼ αὖ Νεστορίδης Πεισίστρατος ἀντίον ηὔδα·

And Nestor's son Peisistratus answered him:

Ἀτρεΐδη Μενέλαε διοτρεφές, ὄρχαμε λαῶν,

"Son of Atreus, Menelaus, nurtured by Zeus, leader of the people,

κείνου μέν τοι ὅδʼ υἱὸς ἐτήτυμον, ὡς ἀγορεύεις·

this is indeed that man's son, even as you say.

ἀλλὰ σαόφρων ἐστί, νεμεσσᾶται δʼ ἐνὶ θυμῷ

But he is prudent, and shrinks in his heart from

ὧδʼ ἐλθὼν τὸ πρῶτον ἐπεσβολίας ἀναφαίνειν¹

showing forwardness of speech on first coming here

ἄντα σέθεν, τοῦ νῶι θεοῦ ὣς τερπόμεθʼ αὐδῇ.

before you, in whose voice we both delight as in a god's.

αὐτὰρ ἐμὲ προέηκε Γερήνιος ἱππότα Νέστωρ

And Gerenian horseman Nestor sent me forth

τῷ ἅμα πομπὸν ἕπεσθαι· ἐέλδετο γάρ σε ἰδέσθαι,

to follow as his guide; for he longed to see you,

ὄφρα οἱ ἤ τι ἔπος ὑποθήσεαι ἠέ τι ἔργον.

that you might suggest to him some word or some deed.

πολλὰ γὰρ ἄλγεʼ ἔχει πατρὸς πάϊς οἰχομένοιο

For many griefs has a son of an absent father

ἐν μεγάροις, ᾧ μὴ ἄλλοι ἀοσσητῆρες ἔωσιν,

in his halls, when he has no other helpers,

ὡς νῦν Τηλεμάχῳ ὁ μὲν οἴχεται, οὐδέ οἱ ἄλλοι

even as now it is with Telemachus; his father is gone, nor are there others

εἴσʼ οἵ κεν κατὰ δῆμον ἀλάλκοιεν κακότητα.

among the people who might ward off ruin from him."

τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη ξανθὸς Μενέλαος·

And fair-haired Menelaus answered him, saying:

ὢ πόποι, ἦ μάλα δὴ φίλου ἀνέρος υἱὸς ἐμὸν δῶ

"Alas! Truly the son of a very dear friend has come to my house,

ἵκεθʼ, ὃς εἵνεκʼ ἐμεῖο πολέας ἐμόγησεν ἀέθλους·

one who for my sake endured many struggles.

καί μιν ἔφην ἐλθόντα φιλησέμεν ἔξοχον ἄλλων

And I thought that on his return I would welcome him beyond all other

Ἀργείων, εἰ νῶιν ὑπεὶρ ἅλα νόστον ἔδωκε²

Argives, if Olympian Zeus, who voices wide, had granted

νηυσὶ θοῇσι γενέσθαι Ὀλύμπιος εὐρύοπα Ζεύς.

that a return home over the sea should be ours in our swift ships.

καί κέ οἱ Ἄργεϊ νάσσα πόλιν καὶ δώματʼ ἔτευξα,

And I would have settled a city for him in Argos, and built him a house,

ἐξ Ἰθάκης ἀγαγὼν σὺν κτήμασι καὶ τέκεϊ ᾧ

bringing him from Ithaca with his goods and his son

καὶ πᾶσιν λαοῖσι, μίαν πόλιν ἐξαλαπάξας,

and all his people, having cleared one city of those

αἳ περιναιετάουσιν, ἀνάσσονται δʼ ἐμοὶ αὐτῷ.

that lie round about and are ruled by myself.

καί κε θάμʼ ἐνθάδʼ ἐόντες ἐμισγόμεθʼ· οὐδέ κεν ἡμέας

And we would have mingled here often, nor would anything

ἄλλο διέκρινεν φιλέοντέ τε τερπομένω τε,

have parted us, loving and delighting in each other,

πρίν γʼ ὅτε δὴ θανάτοιο μέλαν νέφος ἀμφεκάλυψεν.

until the black cloud of death enfolded us.

ἀλλὰ τὰ μέν που μέλλεν ἀγάσσεσθαι θεὸς αὐτός,

But of this, I suppose, the god himself must have been jealous,

ὃς κεῖνον δύστηνον ἀνόστιμον οἶον ἔθηκεν.

who made that unhappy man alone to have no return."

ὣς φάτο, τοῖσι δὲ πᾶσιν ὑφʼ ἵμερον ὦρσε γόοιο.

So he spoke, and in them all he aroused the desire of weeping.

κλαῖε μὲν Ἀργείη Ἑλένη, Διὸς ἐκγεγαυῖα,

Argive Helen wept, daughter of Zeus,

κλαῖε δὲ Τηλέμαχός τε καὶ Ἀτρεΐδης Μενέλαος,

and Telemachus wept, and Menelaus, son of Atreus;

οὐδʼ ἄρα Νέστορος υἱὸς ἀδακρύτω ἔχεν ὄσσε·

nor indeed did the son of Nestor keep his eyes tearless.

μνήσατο γὰρ κατὰ θυμὸν ἀμύμονος Ἀντιλόχοιο,

For he remembered in his heart noble Antilochus,

τόν ῥʼ Ἠοῦς ἔκτεινε φαεινῆς ἀγλαὸς υἱός·

whom the glorious son of the bright Dawn had slain.

τοῦ ὅ γʼ ἐπιμνησθεὶς ἔπεα πτερόεντʼ ἀγόρευεν·

Remembering him, he spoke winged words:

Ἀτρεΐδη, περὶ μέν σε βροτῶν πεπνυμένον εἶναι

"Son of Atreus, the old man Nestor used to say that you were wise beyond

Νέστωρ φάσχʼ ὁ γέρων, ὅτʼ ἐπιμνησαίμεθα σεῖο

other mortals, whenever we mentioned you

οἷσιν ἐνὶ μεγάροισι, καὶ ἀλλήλους ἐρέοιμεν.

in his halls and questioned one another.

καὶ νῦν, εἴ τί που ἔστι, πίθοιό μοι· οὐ γὰρ ἐγώ γε

And now, if it may be so, hearken to me; for I

τέρπομʼ ὀδυρόμενος μεταδόρπιος³, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἠὼς

do not delight in weeping after supper, and moreover tomorrow

ἔσσεται ἠριγένεια· νεμεσσῶμαί γε μὲν οὐδὲν

early-born Dawn will be here. I do not indeed think it wrong

κλαίειν ὅς κε θάνῃσι βροτῶν καὶ πότμον ἐπίσπῃ.

to weep for anyone who dies and meets his fate.

τοῦτό νυ καὶ γέρας οἶον ὀιζυροῖσι βροτοῖσιν,

This indeed is the only honor we pay to miserable mortals,

κείρασθαί τε κόμην βαλέειν τʼ ἀπὸ δάκρυ παρειῶν.

to cut the hair and let a tear fall from the cheeks.

καὶ γὰρ ἐμὸς τέθνηκεν ἀδελφεός, οὔ τι κάκιστος

For my brother too is dead, who was by no means the worst

Ἀργείων· μέλλεις δὲ σὺ ἴδμεναι· οὐ γὰρ ἐγώ γε

of the Argives. You must have known him; for I

ἤντησʼ οὐδὲ ἴδον· περὶ δʼ ἄλλων φασὶ γενέσθαι

never met him or saw him, but they say that Antilochus was

Ἀντίλοχον, πέρι μὲν θείειν ταχὺν ἠδὲ μαχητήν.

beyond others, swift of foot and a warrior."

τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη ξανθὸς Μενέλαος·

And fair-haired Menelaus answered him, saying:

ὦ φίλʼ, ἐπεὶ τόσα εἶπες, ὅσʼ ἂν πεπνυμένος ἀνὴρ

"My friend, since you have said all that a wise man

εἴποι καὶ ῥέξειε, καὶ ὃς προγενέστερος εἴη·

would say and do, even one who was older than you;

τοίου γὰρ καὶ πατρός, ὃ καὶ πεπνυμένα βάζεις,

for from such a father are you born, which is why you speak so wisely.

ῥεῖα δʼ ἀρίγνωτος γόνος ἀνέρος ᾧ τε Κρονίων

Easily recognized is the offspring of a man for whom the son of Cronos

ὄλβον ἐπικλώσῃ γαμέοντί τε γεινομένῳ τε,

spins happiness, both when he marries and when he is born,

ὡς νῦν Νέστορι δῶκε διαμπερὲς ἤματα πάντα

even as now he has given to Nestor continuously all his days

αὐτὸν μὲν λιπαρῶς γηρασκέμεν ἐν μεγάροισιν,

that he himself should grow old sleekly in his halls,

υἱέας αὖ πινυτούς τε καὶ ἔγχεσιν εἶναι ἀρίστους.

and that his sons in turn should be wise and best with the spear.

ἡμεῖς δὲ κλαυθμὸν μὲν ἐάσομεν, ὃς πρὶν ἐτύχθη,

But we will let be the weeping that was made before,

δόρπου δʼ ἐξαῦτις μνησώμεθα, χερσὶ δʼ ἐφʼ ὕδωρ

and let us turn our minds again to supper, and let them pour water

χευάντων. μῦθοι δὲ καὶ ἠῶθέν περ ἔσονται

over our hands. There will be stories in the morning too

Τηλεμάχῳ καὶ ἐμοὶ διαειπέμεν ἀλλήλοισιν.

for Telemachus and me to tell to one another."

Syntax notes3 items

4.159ἐπεσβολίας ἀναφαίνειν
The infinitive `ἀναφαίνειν` serves as the object of `νεμεσσᾶται` ("shrinks in his heart"). Peisistratus explains that Telemachus feels it improper to show forwardness of speech (`ἐπεσβολίας`, empty or rash talk) in the presence of his elder, Menelaus.
4.172εἰ νῶιν ὑπεὶρ ἅλα νόστον ἔδωκε
A conditional clause expressing a past contrary-to-fact condition (with `εἰ` + past indicative `ἔδωκε`). Since Odysseus' return (or their mutual return) was not in fact granted by Zeus, Menelaus' generous plan (indicated by `κέ` + aorist indicative `νάσσα` in line 174, "I would have settled") remained unfulfilled.
4.194μεταδόρπιος
An adjective used adverbially. Here it means "after supper" or "during the meal." It expresses Peisistratus' reluctance to indulge in mourning during or immediately after the dinner, reflecting the social custom and sentiment of the time.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:4.146-4.215