Odysseus Lands at the River Mouth and Sleeps in the Bushes — Odyssey §5.427-5.493 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

εἰ μὴ ἐπὶ φρεσὶ θῆκε¹ θεά, γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη·

had not the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena, put it in his mind.

ἀμφοτέρῃσι δὲ χερσὶν ἐπεσσύμενος λάβε πέτρης,

He rushed forward and with both hands seized the rock,

τῆς ἔχετο στενάχων, ἧος μέγα κῦμα παρῆλθε.

to which he clung groaning, until the great wave had passed.

καὶ τὸ μὲν ὣς ὑπάλυξε, παλιρρόθιον δέ μιν αὖτις

And this wave indeed he thus escaped, but the backwash again

πλῆξεν ἐπεσσύμενον, τηλοῦ δέ μιν ἔμβαλε πόντῳ.

struck him as it rushed upon him, and cast him far out into the sea.

ὡς δʼ ὅτε πουλύποδος θαλάμης ἐξελκομένοιο

And as when a polypus is dragged out from its lair,

πρὸς κοτυληδονόφιν πυκιναὶ λάιγγες ἔχονται,

many pebbles cling to its suckers,

ὣς τοῦ πρὸς πέτρῃσι θρασειάων ἀπὸ χειρῶν

so from his strong hands against the rocks

ῥινοὶ ἀπέδρυφθεν· τὸν δὲ μέγα κῦμα κάλυψεν.

the skin was stripped off; and the great wave covered him.

ἔνθα κε δὴ δύστηνος ὑπὲρ μόρον ὤλετʼ² Ὀδυσσεύς,

There indeed wretched Odysseus would have perished beyond his fate,

εἰ μὴ ἐπιφροσύνην δῶκε γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη.

had not flashing-eyed Athena given him prudence.

κύματος ἐξαναδύς, τά τʼ ἐρεύγεται ἤπειρόνδε,

Emerging from the wave, which vomited toward the mainland,

νῆχε παρέξ, ἐς γαῖαν ὁρώμενος, εἴ που ἐφεύροι

he swam along, looking toward the land, if perchance he might find

ἠιόνας τε παραπλῆγας λιμένας τε θαλάσσης.

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

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ ποταμοῖο κατὰ στόμα καλλιρόοιο

But when indeed he came swimming to the mouth of a fair-flowing river,

ἷξε νέων, τῇ δή οἱ ἐείσατο χῶρος ἄριστος,

there indeed seemed to him to be the best place,

λεῖος πετράων, καὶ ἐπὶ σκέπας ἦν ἀνέμοιο,

smooth of rocks, and there was shelter from the wind,

ἔγνω δὲ προρέοντα καὶ εὔξατο ὃν κατὰ θυμόν·

and he recognized the flowing river and prayed in his heart:

κλῦθι, ἄναξ, ὅτις ἐσσί· πολύλλιστον δέ σʼ ἱκάνω,

"Hear me, lord, whoever you are; with many prayers I come to you,

φεύγων ἐκ πόντοιο Ποσειδάωνος ἐνιπάς.

fleeing from the sea, from the threats of Poseidon.

αἰδοῖος μέν τʼ ἐστὶ καὶ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσιν

Respectable indeed even to the immortal gods is

ἀνδρῶν ὅς τις ἵκηται ἀλώμενος, ὡς καὶ ἐγὼ νῦν

that man who comes wandering, as I too now

σόν τε ῥόον σά τε γούναθʼ ἱκάνω πολλὰ μογήσας.

come to your stream and to your knees after suffering much.

ἀλλʼ ἐλέαιρε, ἄναξ· ἱκέτης δέ τοι εὔχομαι εἶναι.

But have pity, lord; for I claim to be your suppliant."

ὣς φάθʼ, ὁ δʼ αὐτίκα παῦσεν ἑὸν ῥόον, ἔσχε δὲ κῦμα,

So he spoke, and the river god straightway stayed his stream, and held back the wave,

πρόσθε δέ οἱ ποίησε γαλήνην, τὸν δʼ ἐσάωσεν

and made a calm before him, and saved him,

ἐς ποταμοῦ προχοάς. ὁ δʼ ἄρʼ ἄμφω γούνατʼ ἔκαμψε

bringing him into the mouth of the river. And he bent both his knees

χεῖράς τε στιβαράς. ἁλὶ γὰρ δέδμητο φίλον κῆρ.

and his strong hands; for his heart was subdued by the sea.

ᾤδεε δὲ χρόα πάντα, θάλασσα δὲ κήκιε πολλὴ

All his skin was swollen, and much sea-water bubbled up

ἂν στόμα τε ῥῖνάς θʼ· ὁ δʼ ἄρʼ ἄπνευστος καὶ ἄναυδος

through his mouth and nostrils; and he lay breathless and voiceless,

κεῖτʼ ὀλιγηπελέων, κάματος δέ μιν αἰνὸς ἵκανεν.

fainting, and a terrible weariness came upon him.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δή ῥʼ ἄμπνυτο καὶ ἐς φρένα θυμὸς ἀγέρθη,

But when indeed he gasped and the spirit was gathered into his mind,

καὶ τότε δὴ κρήδεμνον ἀπὸ ἕο λῦσε θεοῖο.

then indeed he loosed the veil of the goddess from himself.

καὶ τὸ μὲν ἐς ποταμὸν ἁλιμυρήεντα μεθῆκεν,

And this he let go into the salt-flowing river,

ἂψ δʼ ἔφερεν μέγα κῦμα κατὰ ῥόον, αἶψα δʼ ἄρʼ Ἰνὼ

and a great wave bore it back down the stream, and straightway Ino

δέξατο χερσὶ φίλῃσιν· ὁ δʼ ἐκ ποταμοῖο λιασθεὶς

received it in her friendly hands. But he, turning away from the river,

σχοίνῳ ὑπεκλίνθη, κύσε δὲ ζείδωρον ἄρουραν.

reclined in the reeds, and kissed the grain-giving earth.

ὀχθήσας δʼ ἄρα εἶπε πρὸς ὃν μεγαλήτορα θυμόν·

Deeply moved he spoke to his own great-hearted spirit:

ὤ μοι ἐγώ, τί πάθω; τί νύ μοι μήκιστα γένηται;

"Ah me, what will happen to me? What at last will become of me?

εἰ μέν κʼ ἐν ποταμῷ δυσκηδέα νύκτα φυλάσσω,

If I watch through the painful night in the river bed,

μή μʼ ἄμυδις στίβη τε κακὴ καὶ θῆλυς ἐέρση

I fear lest the evil frost and the fresh dew together

ἐξ ὀλιγηπελίης δαμάσῃ³ κεκαφηότα θυμόν·

should conquer my fainting spirit because of my exhaustion;

αὔρη δʼ ἐκ ποταμοῦ ψυχρὴ πνέει ἠῶθι πρό.

and a cold breeze blows from the river before dawn.

εἰ δέ κεν ἐς κλιτὺν ἀναβὰς καὶ δάσκιον ὕλην

But if I go up the slope and enter the shady wood,

θάμνοις ἐν πυκινοῖσι καταδράθω, εἴ με μεθείη

and lie down to sleep in the thick bushes, if cold

ῥῖγος καὶ κάματος, γλυκερὸς δέ μοι ὕπνος ἐπέλθῃ,

and weariness should leave me, and sweet sleep come upon me,

δείδω, μὴ θήρεσσιν ἕλωρ καὶ κύρμα γένωμαι.

I fear lest I should become a prey and spoil for wild beasts."

ὣς ἄρα οἱ φρονέοντι δοάσσατο κέρδιον εἶναι·

As he was thinking, this seemed to him to be more profitable;

βῆ ῥʼ ἴμεν εἰς ὕλην· τὴν δὲ σχεδὸν ὕδατος εὗρεν

he went to the wood; and he found it near the water

ἐν περιφαινομένῳ· δοιοὺς δʼ ἄρʼ ὑπήλυθε θάμνους,

in an open view; and he went under two bushes,

ἐξ ὁμόθεν πεφυῶτας· ὁ μὲν φυλίης, ὁ δʼ ἐλαίης.

growing from the same spot, one of wild olive, and the other of olive.

τοὺς μὲν ἄρʼ οὔτʼ ἀνέμων διάη μένος ὑγρὸν ἀέντων,

Through these neither did the force of wet-blowing winds blow,

οὔτε ποτʼ ἠέλιος φαέθων ἀκτῖσιν ἔβαλλεν,

nor did the shining sun ever strike with its rays,

οὔτʼ ὄμβρος περάασκε διαμπερές· ὣς ἄρα πυκνοὶ

nor did rain penetrate through; so thickly

ἀλλήλοισιν ἔφυν ἐπαμοιβαδίς· οὓς ὑπʼ Ὀδυσσεὺς

did they grow close-interwoven with one another. Under these Odysseus

δύσετʼ. ἄφαρ δʼ εὐνὴν ἐπαμήσατο χερσὶ φίλῃσιν

crept. And straightway he scraped together a wide bed with his own hands;

εὐρεῖαν· φύλλων γὰρ ἔην χύσις ἤλιθα πολλή,

for there was a very great heap of leaves,

ὅσσον τʼ ἠὲ δύω ἠὲ τρεῖς ἄνδρας ἔρυσθαι⁴

enough to shelter either two or three men

ὥρῃ χειμερίῃ, εἰ καὶ μάλα περ χαλεπαίνοι.

in winter time, even if it were very severe.

τὴν μὲν ἰδὼν γήθησε πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς,

Seeing this, the much-enduring noble Odysseus was glad,

ἐν δʼ ἄρα μέσσῃ λέκτο, χύσιν δʼ ἐπεχεύατο φύλλων.

and he lay down in the midst, and poured a heap of leaves over himself.

ὡς δʼ ὅτε τις δαλὸν σποδιῇ ἐνέκρυψε μελαίνῃ

And as when someone hides a brand in black embers

ἀγροῦ ἐπʼ ἐσχατιῆς, ᾧ μὴ πάρα γείτονες ἄλλοι,

on the border of a field, where there are no other neighbors near,

σπέρμα πυρὸς σώζων, ἵνα μή ποθεν ἄλλοθεν αὔοι,

saving the seed of fire, lest he should have to kindle it from elsewhere;

ὣς Ὀδυσεὺς φύλλοισι καλύψατο· τῷ δʼ ἄρʼ Ἀθήνη

so Odysseus covered himself with leaves; and Athena

ὕπνον ἐπʼ ὄμμασι χεῦʼ, ἵνα μιν παύσειε τάχιστα

poured sleep upon his eyes, so that she might cease him as quickly as possible

δυσπονέος καμάτοιο φίλα βλέφαρʼ ἀμφικαλύψας.

from painful weariness, covering his dear eyelids.

Syntax notes4 items

5.427εἰ μὴ ἐπὶ φρεσὶ θῆκε
Protasis to the apodosis in the previous line §5.426 (`ἔνθα κʼ ... δρύφθη`), forming a past contrary-to-fact conditional sentence with `εἰ μὴ` and the indicative aorist `θῆκε`.
5.436ἔνθα κε δὴ δύστηνος ὑπὲρ μόρον ὤλετʼ
A past contrary-to-fact construction where the particle `κε` is used with the indicative aorist `ὤλετʼ` to express that something would have happened "beyond fate" (contrary to what actually occurred), completed by the conditional clause `εἰ μὴ ... δῶκε` in the next line.
5.467μή μʼ ... δαμάσῃ
The particle `μή` combined with the aorist subjunctive `δαμάσῃ` in an independent clause, expressing a strong subjective apprehension or fear ("lest... should conquer me") on the part of the speaker.
5.484ὅσσον τʼ ἠὲ δύω ἠὲ τρεῖς ἄνδρας ἔρυσθαι
The relative pronoun `ὅσσον` used with the infinitive `ἔρυσθαι` to express degree or result ("as much as to shelter two or three men").

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:5.427-5.493