The Wreck of the Raft and Sighting of Phaeacia — Odyssey §5.357-5.426 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

ἀθανάτων¹, ὅ τέ με σχεδίης ἀποβῆναι ἀνώγει.

"of the immortals, in that she bids me abandon the raft.

ἀλλὰ μάλʼ οὔ πω πείσομʼ, ἐπεὶ ἑκὰς ὀφθαλμοῖσιν

But I will by no means obey yet, since with my eyes I saw

γαῖαν ἐγὼν ἰδόμην, ὅθι μοι φάτο φύξιμον εἶναι.

the land far off, where she said my escape would be.

ἀλλὰ μάλʼ ὧδʼ ἔρξω, δοκέει δέ μοι εἶναι ἄριστον·

But rather I will do thus, and it seems to me to be best:

ὄφρʼ ἂν μέν κεν² δούρατʼ ἐν ἁρμονίῃσιν ἀρήρῃ,

as long as the timbers hold together in their joints,

τόφρʼ αὐτοῦ μενέω καὶ τλήσομαι ἄλγεα πάσχων·

so long will I remain here and endure, suffering woes;

αὐτὰρ ἐπὴν δή μοι σχεδίην διὰ κῦμα τινάξῃ,

but when the wave has shattered my raft to pieces,

νήξομʼ, ἐπεὶ οὐ μέν τι πάρα προνοῆσαι ἄμεινον.

I will swim, since there is nothing better to devise."

ἧος ὁ ταῦθʼ ὥρμαινε κατὰ φρένα καὶ κατὰ θυμόν,

While he was pondering these things in his mind and heart,

ὦρσε δʼ ἐπὶ μέγα κῦμα Ποσειδάων ἐνοσίχθων,

Poseidon, the shaker of the earth, raised a great wave against him,

δεινόν τʼ ἀργαλέον τε, κατηρεφές, ἤλασε δʼ αὐτόν.

dreadful and grievous, overhanging, and drove it upon him.

ὡς δʼ ἄνεμος ζαὴς ἠΐων θημῶνα τινάξῃ

And as a fierce wind tosses a heap of dry

καρφαλέων· τὰ μὲν ἄρ τε διεσκέδασʼ ἄλλυδις ἄλλῃ·

chaff, scattering it this way and that;

ὣς τῆς δούρατα μακρὰ διεσκέδασʼ. αὐτὰρ Ὀδυσσεὺς

so the wave scattered the long timbers of the raft. But Odysseus

ἀμφʼ ἑνὶ δούρατι βαῖνε, κέληθʼ ὡς ἵππον ἐλαύνων³,

straddled a single timber, riding as if on a racehorse,

εἵματα δʼ ἐξαπέδυνε, τά οἱ πόρε δῖα Καλυψώ.

and stripped off the garments which beautiful Calypso had given him.

αὐτίκα δὲ κρήδεμνον ὑπὸ στέρνοιο τάνυσσεν,

And straightway he stretched the immortal veil beneath his breast,

αὐτὸς δὲ πρηνὴς ἁλὶ κάππεσε, χεῖρε πετάσσας,

and himself fell headlong into the sea, spreading his hands,

νηχέμεναι μεμαώς. ἴδε δὲ κρείων ἐνοσίχθων,

eager to swim. And the lord, the shaker of the earth, saw him,

κινήσας δὲ κάρη προτὶ ὃν μυθήσατο θυμόν·

and shaking his head he spoke to his own heart:

οὕτω νῦν κακὰ πολλὰ παθὼν ἀλόω κατὰ πόντον,

"Go on, suffer many evils and wander over the sea,

εἰς ὅ κεν ἀνθρώποισι διοτρεφέεσσι μιγήῃς.

until you mingle with the people nurtured by Zeus.

ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ ὥς σε ἔολπα ὀνόσσεσθαι κακότητος⁴.

Yet even so, I do not expect you will complain of your trouble."

ὣς ἄρα φωνήσας ἵμασεν καλλίτριχας ἵππους,

So saying, he lashed his fair-maned horses,

ἵκετο δʼ εἰς Αἰγάς, ὅθι οἱ κλυτὰ δώματʼ ἔασιν.

and came to Aegae, where his glorious palace is.

αὐτὰρ Ἀθηναίη κούρη Διὸς ἄλλʼ ἐνόησεν.

But Athena, daughter of Zeus, purposed otherwise.

ἦ τοι τῶν ἄλλων ἀνέμων κατέδησε κελεύθους,

Indeed, she bound up the paths of the other winds,

παύσασθαι δʼ ἐκέλευσε καὶ εὐνηθῆναι ἅπαντας·

and commanded them all to cease and be laid to rest;

ὦρσε δʼ ἐπὶ κραιπνὸν Βορέην, πρὸ δὲ κύματʼ ἔαξεν,

and she aroused the swift North Wind, and broke the waves before him,

ἧος ὃ Φαιήκεσσι φιληρέτμοισι μιγείη

so that Odysseus, born of Zeus, might mingle with the Phaeacians, lovers of the oar,

διογενὴς Ὀδυσεὺς θάνατον καὶ κῆρας ἀλύξας.

having escaped death and the fates.

ἔνθα δύω νύκτας δύο τʼ ἤματα κύματι πηγῷ

Then for two nights and two days he was tossed upon the swelling wave,

πλάζετο, πολλὰ δέ οἱ κραδίη προτιόσσετʼ ὄλεθρον.

and many times his heart foreboded destruction.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ τρίτον ἦμαρ ἐυπλόκαμος τέλεσʼ Ἠώς,

But when fair-tressed Dawn at last brought the third day,

καὶ τότʼ ἔπειτʼ ἄνεμος μὲν ἐπαύσατο ἠδὲ γαλήνη

then indeed the wind ceased and there was a breathless

ἔπλετο νηνεμίη· ὁ δʼ ἄρα σχεδὸν εἴσιδε γαῖαν

calm; and he, looking ahead very sharply,

ὀξὺ μάλα προϊδών, μεγάλου ὑπὸ κύματος ἀρθείς.

being lifted up by a great wave, saw the land close by.

ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ἂν ἀσπάσιος βίοτος⁵ παίδεσσι φανήῃ

And as when the life of a father appears welcome to his children,

πατρός, ὃς ἐν νούσῳ κεῖται κρατέρʼ ἄλγεα πάσχων,

who lies in sickness, suffering strong pains,

δηρὸν τηκόμενος, στυγερὸς δέ οἱ ἔχραε δαίμων,

wasting away for a long time, and a hateful god has assailed him,

ἀσπάσιον δʼ ἄρα τόν γε θεοὶ κακότητος ἔλυσαν,

but then the gods welcome him back, releasing him from his affliction;

ὣς Ὀδυσεῖ ἀσπαστὸν ἐείσατο γαῖα καὶ ὕλη,

so welcome to Odysseus appeared the land and the forest,

νῆχε δʼ ἐπειγόμενος ποσὶν ἠπείρου ἐπιβῆναι.

and he swam, hastening to set foot on the mainland.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε τόσσον ἀπῆν ὅσσον τε γέγωνε βοήσας,

But when he was as far off as a man's voice carries when he shouts,

καὶ δὴ δοῦπον ἄκουσε ποτὶ σπιλάδεσσι θαλάσσης·

then indeed he heard the thud of the sea against the reefs;

ῥόχθει γὰρ μέγα κῦμα ποτὶ ξερὸν ἠπείροιο

for the great wave roared terribly as it broke against the dry land,

δεινὸν ἐρευγόμενον, εἴλυτο δὲ πάνθʼ ἁλὸς ἄχνῃ·

and all was wrapped in the spray of the sea;

οὐ γὰρ ἔσαν λιμένες νηῶν ὄχοι, οὐδʼ ἐπιωγαί.

for there were no harbors for ships to ride in, nor any shelters,

ἀλλʼ ἀκταὶ προβλῆτες ἔσαν σπιλάδες τε πάγοι τε·

but there were projecting crags and reefs and cliffs.

καὶ τότʼ Ὀδυσσῆος λύτο γούνατα καὶ φίλον ἦτορ,

And then the knees of Odysseus were loosened and his heart failed him,

ὀχθήσας δʼ ἄρα εἶπε πρὸς ὃν μεγαλήτορα θυμόν·

and deeply moved he spoke to his own great-hearted spirit:

ὤ μοι, ἐπεὶ δὴ γαῖαν ἀελπέα δῶκεν ἰδέσθαι

"Ah, me! since Zeus has granted me to see the land beyond my hope,

Ζεύς, καὶ δὴ τόδε λαῖτμα διατμήξας ἐπέρησα,

and indeed I have crossed and cut through this gulf,

ἔκβασις οὔ πῃ φαίνεθʼ ἁλὸς πολιοῖο θύραζε·

yet no way out from the grey sea appears;

ἔκτοσθεν μὲν γὰρ πάγοι ὀξέες, ἀμφὶ δὲ κῦμα

for outside are sharp reefs, and around them the wave

βέβρυχεν ῥόθιον, λισσὴ δʼ ἀναδέδρομε πέτρη,

roars in foam, and the sheer rock rises up,

ἀγχιβαθὴς δὲ θάλασσα, καὶ οὔ πως ἔστι πόδεσσι

and the sea is deep close inshore, and there is no way

στήμεναι ἀμφοτέροισι καὶ ἐκφυγέειν κακότητα·

to stand on both feet and escape destruction;

μή πώς μʼ ἐκβαίνοντα βάλῃ λίθακι ποτὶ πέτρῃ

lest, as I try to land, a great wave should snatch me

κῦμα μέγʼ ἁρπάξαν· μελέη δέ μοι ἔσσεται ὁρμή.

and dash me against the stony rock, and my effort will be in vain.

εἰ δέ κʼ ἔτι προτέρω παρανήξομαι, ἤν που ἐφεύρω

But if I swim along yet further, if perchance I may find

ἠιόνας τε παραπλῆγας λιμένας τε θαλάσσης,

beaches that take the waves slantwise, and harbors of the sea,

δείδω μή μʼ ἐξαῦτις ἀναρπάξασα θύελλα

I fear lest the tempest should snatch me up again

πόντον ἐπʼ ἰχθυόεντα φέρῃ βαρέα στενάχοντα,

and bear me over the fish-abundant sea, groaning heavily,

ἠέ τί μοι καὶ κῆτος ἐπισσεύῃ μέγα δαίμων

or some god should even send a great monster against me

ἐξ ἁλός, οἷά τε πολλὰ τρέφει κλυτὸς Ἀμφιτρίτη·

from the sea, of the many that glorious Amphitrite breeds;

οἶδα γάρ, ὥς μοι ὀδώδυσται κλυτὸς ἐννοσίγαιος.

for I know how the glorious earth-shaker is wroth with me."

ἧος ὁ ταῦθʼ ὥρμαινε κατὰ φρένα καὶ κατὰ θυμόν,

While he was pondering these things in his mind and heart,

τόφρα δέ μιν μέγα κῦμα φέρε τρηχεῖαν ἐπʼ ἀκτήν.

meanwhile a great wave bore him against the rugged shore.

ἔνθα κʼ ἀπὸ ῥινοὺς δρύφθη, σὺν δʼ ὀστέʼ ἀράχθη,

There his skin would have been stripped off and his bones shattered,

Syntax notes5 items

5.357ἀθανάτων
Functioning as a partitive genitive or in apposition in continuation from the previous line (356), `μή τίς μοι ὑφαίνῃσιν δόλον αὖτε` ('lest someone is weaving a snare for me again'), meaning 'someone of the immortals' (is weaving a snare by ordering me to leave the raft).
5.361ὄφρʼ ἂν μέν κεν
A Homeric double usage of the modal particles `ἄν` and `κεν` with the temporal conjunction `ὄφρα` ('as long as'). The verb `ἀρήρῃ` is in the subjunctive mood, expressing indefinite future duration ('as long as the timbers hold together').
5.371κέληθʼ ὡς ἵππον ἐλαύνων
The word `κέλης` refers to a 'riding horse' or 'racehorse'. This simile comparing Odysseus straddling a single timber to a rider on a horse is notable, as riding on horseback (rather than driving a chariot) was a sport of later times, not the typical warfare of the heroic age.
5.379ὀνόσσεσθαι κακότητος
The verb `ὀνόζομαι` ('to find fault with, treat with contempt') takes the genitive of cause `κακότητος` ('evil, trouble'). The phrase conveys Poseidon's sarcasm: 'I do not expect you will think your suffering is too small' (i.e., 'you have suffered more than enough').
5.394ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ἂν ἀσπάσιος βίοτος
A famous extended simile introduced by `ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ἂν` ('as when'), corresponding to `ὣς` in line 398. It compares the children's joy at the unexpected recovery of a dying father to Odysseus' relief and joy upon seeing the land and forest.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:5.357-5.426