Odysseus Tells Arete of His Drift from Ogygia — Odyssey §7.213-7.281 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

καὶ δʼ ἔτι κεν καὶ μᾶλλον ἐγὼ κακὰ μυθησαίμην¹,

"And yet even more indeed I might tell of my woes,

ὅσσα γε δὴ ξύμπαντα θεῶν ἰότητι μόγησα.

as many as indeed in all things I suffered by the will of the gods.

ἀλλʼ ἐμὲ μὲν δορπῆσαι ἐάσατε² κηδόμενόν περ·

But as for me, let me feast, troubled though I am;

οὐ γάρ τι στυγερῇ ἐπὶ γαστέρι κύντερον ἄλλο

for there is indeed nothing else more shameless than a hateful belly,

ἔπλετο, ἥ τʼ ἐκέλευσεν³ ἕο μνήσασθαι ἀνάγκῃ

which commands one to remember it of necessity,

καὶ μάλα τειρόμενον καὶ ἐνὶ φρεσὶ πένθος ἔχοντα,

even when one is very worn out and has grief in his heart,

ὡς καὶ ἐγὼ πένθος μὲν ἔχω φρεσίν, ἡ δὲ μάλʼ αἰεὶ

just as I too have grief in my heart, but it always

ἐσθέμεναι κέλεται καὶ πινέμεν, ἐκ δέ με πάντων

bids me to eat and drink, and makes me forget utterly

ληθάνει ὅσσʼ ἔπαθον, καὶ ἐνιπλησθῆναι ἀνώγει.

all that I suffered, and commands me to be filled.

ὑμεῖς δʼ ὀτρύνεσθαι⁴ ἅμʼ ἠοῖ φαινομένηφιν,

But do you stir yourselves at the break of dawn,

ὥς κʼ ἐμὲ τὸν δύστηνον ἐμῆς ἐπιβήσετε πάτρης

so that you may set me, the wretched one, upon my homeland,

καί περ πολλὰ παθόντα· ἰδόντα με καὶ λίποι αἰὼν⁵

even though I have suffered many things; and let life leave me once I have seen

κτῆσιν ἐμήν, δμῶάς τε καὶ ὑψερεφὲς μέγα δῶμα.

my possessions, my slaves, and my great high-roofed house."

ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἱ δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἐπῄνεον ἠδʼ ἐκέλευον

So he spoke, and they all approved and commanded

πεμπέμεναι τὸν ξεῖνον, ἐπεὶ κατὰ μοῖραν ἔειπεν.

to send the guest on his way, since he spoke rightly.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ σπεῖσάν τʼ ἔπιον θʼ ὅσον ἤθελε θυμός,

But when they had poured libations and drunk as much as their heart wished,

οἱ μὲν κακκείοντες ἔβαν οἶκόνδε ἕκαστος,

they went each to his home to lay down to rest,

αὐτὰρ ὁ ἐν μεγάρῳ ὑπελείπετο δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς,

but noble Odysseus was left behind in the hall,

πὰρ δέ οἱ Ἀρήτη τε καὶ Ἀλκίνοος θεοειδὴς

and beside him Arete and godlike Alcinous

ἥσθην· ἀμφίπολοι δʼ ἀπεκόσμεον ἔντεα δαιτός.

sat; and the handmaids cleared away the vessels of the feast.

τοῖσιν δʼ Ἀρήτη λευκώλενος ἤρχετο μύθων·

And white-armed Arete was the first to speak to them;

ἔγνω γὰρ φᾶρός τε χιτῶνά τε εἵματʼ ἰδοῦσα

for she recognized the cloak and the tunic when she saw the beautiful

καλά, τά ῥʼ αὐτὴ τεῦξε σὺν ἀμφιπόλοισι γυναιξί·

garments, which she herself had made with her handmaids;

καί μιν φωνήσασʼ ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

and addressing him she spoke winged words:

ξεῖνε, τὸ μέν σε πρῶτον ἐγὼν εἰρήσομαι αὐτή·

"Guest, this I will ask you first myself;

τίς πόθεν εἰς ἀνδρῶν; τίς τοι τάδε εἵματʼ ἔδωκεν;

who and from where of men are you? Who gave you these garments?

οὐ δὴ φῆς ἐπὶ πόντον ἀλώμενος ἐνθάδʼ ἱκέσθαι;

Did you not indeed say that you came here wandering over the sea?"

τὴν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς·

Then addressing her in reply spoke resourceful Odysseus:

ἀργαλέον, βασίλεια, διηνεκέως ἀγορεῦσαι

"It is hard, O queen, to tell in full detail

κήδεʼ, ἐπεί μοι πολλὰ δόσαν θεοὶ Οὐρανίωνες·

my woes, since the heavenly gods have given me many;

τοῦτο δέ τοι ἐρέω ὅ μʼ ἀνείρεαι ἠδὲ μεταλλᾷς.

but this I will tell you, of which you ask and inquire.

Ὠγυγίη τις νῆσος ἀπόπροθεν εἰν ἁλὶ κεῖται·

Ogygia is a certain island that lies far off in the sea;

ἔνθα μὲν Ἄτλαντος θυγάτηρ, δολόεσσα Καλυψὼ

there the daughter of Atlas, crafty Calypso,

ναίει ἐυπλόκαμος, δεινὴ θεός· οὐδέ τις αὐτῇ

dwells, fair-tressed, a dread goddess; nor does anyone

μίσγεται οὔτε θεῶν οὔτε θνητῶν ἀνθρώπων.

consort with her, neither of gods nor of mortal humans.

ἀλλʼ ἐμὲ τὸν δύστηνον ἐφέστιον ἤγαγε δαίμων

But to me, the wretched one, some deity brought to her hearth,

οἶον, ἐπεί μοι νῆα θοὴν ἀργῆτι κεραυνῷ

alone, since my swift ship with a bright thunderbolt

Ζεὺς ἔλσας ἐκέασσε μέσῳ ἐνὶ οἴνοπι πόντῳ.

Zeus had struck and shattered in the midst of the wine-dark sea.

ἔνθʼ ἄλλοι μὲν πάντες ἀπέφθιθεν ἐσθλοὶ ἑταῖροι,

There all the rest indeed of my noble companions perished,

αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ τρόπιν ἀγκὰς ἑλὼν νεὸς ἀμφιελίσσης

but I, clasping the keel of my curved ship in my arms,

ἐννῆμαρ φερόμην· δεκάτῃ δέ με νυκτὶ μελαίνῃ

floated for nine days; and on the tenth dark night

νῆσον ἐς Ὠγυγίην πέλασαν θεοί, ἔνθα Καλυψὼ

the gods brought me near to the island Ogygia, where Calypso

ναίει ἐυπλόκαμος, δεινὴ θεός, ἥ με λαβοῦσα

dwells, fair-tressed, a dread goddess, who took me in,

ἐνδυκέως ἐφίλει τε καὶ ἔτρεφεν ἠδὲ ἔφασκε

kindly loved me, nourished me, and said

θήσειν ἀθάνατον καὶ ἀγήραον ἤματα πάντα·

she would make me immortal and ageless for all days;

ἀλλʼ ἐμὸν οὔ ποτε θυμὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ἔπειθεν.

but she never persuaded my heart in my breast.

ἔνθα μὲν ἑπτάετες μένον ἔμπεδον, εἵματα δʼ αἰεὶ

There for seven years I remained continually, and ever with tears

δάκρυσι δεύεσκον, τά μοι ἄμβροτα δῶκε Καλυψώ·

I wet the immortal garments which Calypso gave me;

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ ὀγδόατόν μοι ἐπιπλόμενον ἔτος ἦλθεν,

but when indeed the eighth revolving year came to me,

καὶ τότε δή μʼ ἐκέλευσεν ἐποτρύνουσα νέεσθαι

then indeed she urged me and commanded me to return,

Ζηνὸς ὑπʼ ἀγγελίης, ἢ καὶ νόος ἐτράπετʼ αὐτῆς.

either by a message from Zeus, or her own mind was turned.

πέμπε δʼ ἐπὶ σχεδίης πολυδέσμου, πολλὰ δʼ ἔδωκε,

And she sent me on a well-bound raft, and gave me many things,

σῖτον καὶ μέθυ ἡδύ, καὶ ἄμβροτα εἵματα ἕσσεν,

bread and sweet wine, and clothed me in immortal garments,

οὖρον δὲ προέηκεν ἀπήμονά τε λιαρόν τε.

and sent forth a wind harmless and warm.

ἑπτὰ δὲ καὶ δέκα μὲν πλέον ἤματα ποντοπορεύων,

For seventeen days indeed I sailed, crossing the sea,

ὀκτωκαιδεκάτῃ δʼ ἐφάνη ὄρεα σκιόεντα

and on the eighteenth appeared the shadowy mountains

γαίης ὑμετέρης, γήθησε δέ μοι φίλον ἦτορ

of your land, and my heart was glad,

δυσμόρῳ· ἦ γὰρ ἔμελλον ἔτι ξυνέσεσθαι ὀιζυῖ⁶

ill-fated that I was; for I was indeed still to meet with much

πολλῇ, τήν μοι ἐπῶρσε Ποσειδάων ἐνοσίχθων,

misery, which Poseidon the earth-shaker stirred up against me,

ὅς μοι ἐφορμήσας ἀνέμους κατέδησε κέλευθον,

who, having aroused the winds against me, blocked my path,

ὤρινεν δὲ θάλασσαν ἀθέσφατον, οὐδέ τι κῦμα

and stirred up the wondrous sea, nor did the wave

εἴα ἐπὶ σχεδίης ἁδινὰ στενάχοντα φέρεσθαι.

allow me, groaning heavily, to be carried on the raft.

τὴν μὲν ἔπειτα θύελλα διεσκέδασʼ· αὐτὰρ ἐγώ γε

Then indeed the tempest shattered it; but I indeed,

νηχόμενος τόδε λαῖτμα διέτμαγον, ὄφρα με γαίῃ

swimming, clove through this deep, until to your land

ὑμετέρῃ ἐπέλασσε φέρων ἄνεμός τε καὶ ὕδωρ.

the wind and the water carrying me brought me near.

ἔνθα κέ μʼ ἐκβαίνοντα βιήσατο κῦμʼ ἐπὶ χέρσου⁷,

There, as I was landing, the wave would have forced me onto the dry land,

πέτρῃς πρὸς μεγάλῃσι βαλὸν καὶ ἀτερπέι χώρῳ·

dashing me against great rocks and a joyless place;

ἀλλʼ ἀναχασσάμενος νῆχον πάλιν, ἧος ἐπῆλθον

but drawing back I swam again, until I came

ἐς ποταμόν, τῇ δή μοι ἐείσατο χῶρος ἄριστος,

to the river, where indeed the place seemed best to me,"

Syntax notes7 items

7.213κεν ... μυθησαίμην
The optative with the particle κεν (equivalent to ἄν) expresses potentiality or possibility in the past: "I might tell" or "could tell."
7.215ἐμὲ μὲν δορπῆσαι ἐάσατε
The imperative ἐάσατε governs the accusative and infinitive construction ἐμὲ δορπῆσαι, where the accusative pronoun ἐμέ acts as the subject of the infinitive: "let me feast."
7.216ἥ τʼ ἐκέλευσεν
The relative pronoun ἥ refers back to the feminine noun γαστήρ (belly). The epic particle τε indicates a general, habitual, or characteristic action: "which (always) commands."
7.222ὀτρύνεσθαι
The infinitive ὀτρύνεσθαι is used here with the force of an imperative (the imperative infinitive): "stir yourselves."
7.224ἰδόντα με καὶ λίποι αἰὼν
An optative of wish (λίποι) with the subject αἰών (life) and the object με accompanied by the agreeing participle ἰδόντα: "may life leave me, once I have seen..."
7.270ἔμελλον ἔτι ξυνέσεσθαι ὀιζυῖ
The imperfect ἔμελλον followed by the future infinitive ξυνέσεσθαι expresses past futurity or destiny: "for I was indeed still to meet with..."
7.278ἔνθα κέ μʼ ἐκβαίνοντα βιήσατο κῦμʼ ἐπὶ χέρσου
The indicative past (βιήσατο) combined with the potential particle κέ (equivalent to ἄν) expresses a past unfulfilled condition (contrary-to-fact statement): "there the wave would have forced me..." This hypothetical disaster is prevented by the alternative action introduced by ἀλλʼ in line 280.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:7.213-7.281