Nausicaa's Advice and Odysseus' Prayer in Athena's Grove — Odyssey §6.265-6.331 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

εἰρύαται· πᾶσιν γὰρ ἐπίστιόν ἐστιν ἑκάστῳ.

are drawn up; for there is a slipway for everyone.

ἔνθα δέ τέ σφʼ ἀγορὴ καλὸν Ποσιδήιον ἀμφίς,

And there is their assembly place around the beautiful temple of Poseidon,

ῥυτοῖσιν λάεσσι κατωρυχέεσσʼ ἀραρυῖα.

fitted with quarried stones deeply embedded in the earth.

ἔνθα δὲ νηῶν ὅπλα μελαινάων ἀλέγουσι,

And there they care for the tackle of the black ships,

πείσματα καὶ σπεῖρα, καὶ ἀποξύνουσιν ἐρετμά.

cables and sails, and they shave down the oars.

οὐ γὰρ Φαιήκεσσι μέλει βιὸς οὐδὲ φαρέτρη,

For the Phaeacians do not care for the bow nor the quiver,

ἀλλʼ ἱστοὶ καὶ ἐρετμὰ νεῶν καὶ νῆες ἐῖσαι,

but masts and oars of ships and well-balanced ships,

ᾗσιν ἀγαλλόμενοι πολιὴν περόωσι θάλασσαν.

rejoicing in which they cross the grey sea.

τῶν ἀλεείνω φῆμιν ἀδευκέα, μή τις ὀπίσσω

Their unpleasant gossip I avoid, lest someone later

μωμεύῃ· μάλα δʼ εἰσὶν ὑπερφίαλοι κατὰ δῆμον·

should find fault with me; for they are very insolent among the people;

καί νύ τις ὧδʼ εἴπῃσι κακώτερος ἀντιβολήσας·

and now some baser sort, meeting us, might speak thus:

τίς δʼ ὅδε Ναυσικάᾳ ἕπεται καλός τε μέγας τε

"Who is this handsome and tall stranger following Nausicaa?

ξεῖνος; ποῦ δέ μιν εὗρε; πόσις νύ οἱ ἔσσεται αὐτῇ.

Where did she find him? He will now be her husband.

ἦ τινά που πλαγχθέντα κομίσσατο ἧς ἀπὸ νηὸς

Surely she has rescued some wanderer from his ship,

ἀνδρῶν τηλεδαπῶν, ἐπεὶ οὔ τινες ἐγγύθεν εἰσίν·

one of foreign men, since there are none near us;

ἤ τίς οἱ εὐξαμένῃ πολυάρητος θεὸς ἦλθεν

or some much-entreated god has come to her in answer to her prayer,

οὐρανόθεν καταβάς, ἕξει δέ μιν ἤματα πάντα.

descending from heaven, and he will have her for all her days.

βέλτερον, εἰ καὐτή περ ἐποιχομένη πόσιν εὗρεν

Better so, if she herself has gone and found a husband

ἄλλοθεν· ἦ γὰρ τούσδε γʼ ἀτιμάζει κατὰ δῆμον

from elsewhere; for indeed she dishonors these Phaeacians

Φαίηκας, τοί μιν μνῶνται πολέες τε καὶ ἐσθλοί.

among the people, who woo her, many and noble though they are."

ὣς ἐρέουσιν, ἐμοὶ δέ κʼ ὀνείδεα ταῦτα γένοιτο.

So they will speak, and these things would be a reproach to me.

καὶ δʼ ἄλλῃ νεμεσῶ, ἥ τις τοιαῦτά γε ῥέζοι,

And indeed I myself would find fault with any other woman who would do such things,

ἥ τʼ ἀέκητι φίλων πατρὸς καὶ μητρὸς ἐόντων,

who, against the will of her dear father and mother yet living,

ἀνδράσι μίσγηται, πρίν γʼ ἀμφάδιον γάμον ἐλθεῖν.

associates with men before coming to open marriage.

ξεῖνε, σὺ δʼ ὦκʼ ἐμέθεν ξυνίει ἔπος, ὄφρα τάχιστα

Stranger, do you now quickly understand my word, so that most quickly

πομπῆς καὶ νόστοιο τύχῃς παρὰ πατρὸς ἐμοῖο.

you may obtain guidance and return from my father.

δήεις ἀγλαὸν ἄλσος Ἀθήνης ἄγχι κελεύθου

You will find a splendid grove of Athena near the road,

αἰγείρων· ἐν δὲ κρήνη νάει, ἀμφὶ δὲ λειμών·

of poplars; and in it a spring flows, and around it is a meadow.

ἔνθα δὲ πατρὸς ἐμοῦ τέμενος τεθαλυῖά τʼ ἀλωή,

And there is my father's estate and fertile orchard,

τόσσον ἀπὸ πτόλιος, ὅσσον τε γέγωνε βοήσας.

as far from the city as a man's voice carries when he shouts.

ἔνθα καθεζόμενος μεῖναι χρόνον, εἰς ὅ κεν ἡμεῖς

Sitting down there, wait for a time, until we

ἄστυδε ἔλθωμεν καὶ ἱκώμεθα δώματα πατρός.

come to the city and reach the house of my father.

αὐτὰρ ἐπὴν ἡμέας ἔλπῃ ποτὶ δώματʼ ἀφῖχθαι,

But when you suppose that we have reached the house,

καὶ τότε Φαιήκων ἴμεν ἐς πόλιν ἠδʼ ἐρέεσθαι

then go to the city of the Phaeacians and inquire for

δώματα πατρὸς ἐμοῦ μεγαλήτορος Ἀλκινόοιο.

the house of my great-hearted father Alcinous.

ῥεῖα δʼ ἀρίγνωτʼ ἐστί, καὶ ἂν πάϊς ἡγήσαιτο

It is easily recognized, and even a child could lead you

νήπιος· οὐ μὲν γάρ τι ἐοικότα τοῖσι τέτυκται

there; for in no way like them are built

δώματα Φαιήκων, οἷος δόμος Ἀλκινόοιο

the houses of the Phaeacians, as is the house of the hero Alcinous.

ἥρωος. ἀλλʼ ὁπότʼ ἄν σε δόμοι κεκύθωσι καὶ αὐλή,

But when the house and the courtyard cover you,

ὦκα μάλα μεγάροιο διελθέμεν, ὄφρʼ ἂν ἵκηαι

pass very quickly through the great hall, until you reach

μητέρʼ ἐμήν· ἡ δʼ ἧσται ἐπʼ ἐσχάρῃ ἐν πυρὸς αὐγῇ,

my mother; and she sits at the hearth in the light of the fire,

ἠλάκατα στρωφῶσʼ ἁλιπόρφυρα, θαῦμα ἰδέσθαι,

spinning sea-purple yarn, a wonder to behold,

κίονι κεκλιμένη· δμωαὶ δέ οἱ εἵατʼ ὄπισθεν.

leaning against a pillar; and her handmaids sit behind her.

ἔνθα δὲ πατρὸς ἐμοῖο θρόνος ποτικέκλιται αὐτῇ,

And there my father's throne is leaned against the same pillar,

τῷ ὅ γε οἰνοποτάζει ἐφήμενος ἀθάνατος ὥς.

on which he sits and drinks wine like an immortal.

τὸν παραμειψάμενος μητρὸς περὶ γούνασι χεῖρας

Passing him by, cast your hands about the knees of my

βάλλειν ἡμετέρης, ἵνα νόστιμον ἦμαρ ἴδηαι

mother, so that you may see the day of your return

χαίρων καρπαλίμως, εἰ καὶ μάλα τηλόθεν ἐσσί.

rejoicing swiftly, even if you are from very far away.

εἴ κέν τοι κείνη γε φίλα φρονέῃσʼ ἐνὶ θυμῷ,

If indeed she feels kindly toward you in her heart,

ἐλπωρή τοι ἔπειτα φίλους τʼ ἰδέειν καὶ ἱκέσθαι

then there is hope for you to see your friends and to reach

οἶκον ἐυκτίμενον καὶ σὴν ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν.

your well-built house and your native land.

ὣς ἄρα φωνήσασʼ ἵμασεν μάστιγι φαεινῇ

So she spoke, and she struck with the shining whip

ἡμιόνους· αἱ δʼ ὦκα λίπον ποταμοῖο ῥέεθρα.

the mules; and they quickly left the streams of the river.

αἱ δʼ ἐὺ μὲν τρώχων, ἐὺ δὲ πλίσσοντο πόδεσσιν·

And they trotted well, and stepped well with their feet;

ἡ δὲ μάλʼ ἡνιόχευεν, ὅπως ἅμʼ ἑποίατο πεζοὶ

and she drove carefully, so that the followers on foot

ἀμφίπολοί τʼ Ὀδυσεύς τε, νόῳ δʼ ἐπέβαλλεν ἱμάσθλην.

and Odysseus might follow along, and she used the whip with judgment.

δύσετό τʼ ἠέλιος καὶ τοὶ κλυτὸν ἄλσος ἵκοντο

And the sun set, and they came to the famous grove,

ἱρὸν Ἀθηναίης, ἵνʼ ἄρʼ ἕζετο δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς.

the sacred grove of Athena, where noble Odysseus sat down.

αὐτίκʼ ἔπειτʼ ἠρᾶτο Διὸς κούρῃ μεγάλοιο·

Straightway then he prayed to the daughter of great Zeus:

κλῦθί μευ, αἰγιόχοιο Διὸς τέκος, Ἀτρυτώνη·

"Hear me, child of aegis-bearing Zeus, unwearied one!

νῦν δή πέρ μευ ἄκουσον, ἐπεὶ πάρος οὔ ποτʼ ἄκουσας

Now indeed hear me, since before you never heard me

ῥαιομένου, ὅτε μʼ ἔρραιε κλυτὸς ἐννοσίγαιος.

when I was being shattered, when the famous Earth-shaker shattered me.

δός μʼ ἐς Φαίηκας φίλον ἐλθεῖν ἠδʼ ἐλεεινόν.

Grant that I may come to the Phaeacians as one to be welcomed and pitied."

ὣς ἔφατʼ εὐχόμενος, τοῦ δʼ ἔκλυε Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη.

So he spoke in prayer, and Pallas Athena heard him.

αὐτῷ δʼ οὔ πω φαίνετʼ ἐναντίη· αἴδετο γάρ ῥα

But she did not yet appear to him face to face; for she stood in awe of

πατροκασίγνητον· ὁ δʼ ἐπιζαφελῶς μενέαινεν

her father's brother; and he raged violently

ἀντιθέῳ Ὀδυσῆι πάρος ἣν γαῖαν ἱκέσθαι.

against godlike Odysseus until he should reach his own land.

Syntax notes5 items

6.265εἰρύαται
Ionic-Homeric third-person plural perfect passive indicative of ἐρύω ('to draw up'). The ending -αται appears instead of -νται after a consonant or high vowel.
6.273τῶν
Genitive plural of the demonstrative pronoun, referring to the insolent townspeople mentioned in the following line. It functions as a genitive of source or cause with φῆμιν ἀδευκέα ('unpleasant gossip').
6.287πατρὸς καὶ μητρὸς ἐόντων
A genitive absolute construction consisting of the nouns and the participle ἐόντων (Homeric form of ὤν, 'being'). It depends on the prepositional phrase ἀέκητι φίλων ('against the will of dear ones'), meaning 'while her father and mother are still living.'
6.294ὅσσον τε γέγωνε βοήσας
A relative clause introduced by ὅσσον ('as far as'). The verb γέγωνε is a perfect with present meaning ('to make oneself heard'), and with the aorist participle βοήσας ('having shouted'), it forms an idiomatic expression for the distance a shouting voice can carry.
6.310βάλλειν
An infinitive used in place of an imperative (infinitivus pro imperativo), expressing a direct command or advice, parallel to διελθέμεν ('to pass through') in line 304.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:6.265-6.331