Encounter with Nausicaa and Alcinous' Promise of Conveyance — Odyssey §7.282-7.347 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

λεῖος πετράων¹, καὶ ἐπὶ σκέπας ἦν ἀνέμοιο.

It was smooth of rocks, and there was a shelter from the wind.

ἐκ δʼ ἔπεσον θυμηγερέων, ἐπὶ δʼ ἀμβροσίη νὺξ

And I collapsed, recovering my breath, and immortal night

ἤλυθʼ. ἐγὼ δʼ ἀπάνευθε διιπετέος ποταμοῖο

came on. And I, going out away from the rain-fed river,

ἐκβὰς ἐν θάμνοισι κατέδραθον, ἀμφὶ δὲ φύλλα

lay down to sleep in the bushes, and gathered leaves all around

ἠφυσάμην· ὕπνον δὲ θεὸς κατʼ ἀπείρονα χεῦεν.

myself; and a god poured boundless sleep upon me.

ἔνθα μὲν ἐν φύλλοισι φίλον τετιημένος ἦτορ

There indeed among the leaves, sorrowing in my heart,

εὗδον παννύχιος καὶ ἐπʼ ἠῶ καὶ μέσον ἦμαρ.

I slept all night long, and through the dawn, and into the middle of the day.

δείλετό τʼ ἠέλιος καί με γλυκὺς ὕπνος ἀνῆκεν.

And the sun went down, and sweet sleep released me.

ἀμφιπόλους δʼ ἐπὶ θινὶ τεῆς ἐνόησα θυγατρὸς

And I noticed the handmaids of your daughter on the shore

παιζούσας, ἐν δʼ αὐτὴ ἔην ἐικυῖα θεῇσι·

playing, and among them she herself was, looking like the goddesses.

τὴν ἱκέτευσʼ· ἡ δʼ οὔ τι νοήματος ἤμβροτεν ἐσθλοῦ,

I supplicated her; and she did not at all fail in good understanding,

ὡς οὐκ ἂν ἔλποιο² νεώτερον ἀντιάσαντα

such as you would not expect a younger person meeting you

ἐρξέμεν· αἰεὶ γάρ τε νεώτεροι ἀφραδέουσιν.

to show; for always younger people are thoughtless.

ἥ μοι σῖτον ἔδωκεν ἅλις ἠδʼ αἴθοπα οἶνον

She gave me food enough and sparkling wine,

καὶ λοῦσʼ ἐν ποταμῷ καί μοι τάδε εἵματʼ ἔδωκε.

and bathed me in the river, and gave me these garments.

ταῦτά τοι ἀχνύμενός περ ἀληθείην κατέλεξα.

These things, though sorrowing, I have told you in truth."

τὸν δʼ αὖτʼ Ἀλκίνοος ἀπαμείβετο φώνησέν τε·

And Alcinous in turn answered him and said:

ξεῖνʼ, ἦ τοι μὲν τοῦτο γʼ ἐναίσιμον οὐκ ἐνόησε

"Guest, surely my daughter did not conceive this proper thing,

παῖς ἐμή, οὕνεκά σʼ οὔ τι μετʼ ἀμφιπόλοισι γυναιξὶν

in that she did not bring you at all with her handmaids

ἦγεν ἐς ἡμέτερον, σὺ δʼ ἄρα πρώτην ἱκέτευσας.

to our home; and yet you supplicated her first."

τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς·

Then addressing him in reply spoke resourceful Odysseus:

ἥρως, μή τοι τοὔνεκʼ ἀμύμονα νείκεε κούρην·

"Hero, do not on that account chide the blameless maiden;

ἡ μὲν γάρ μʼ ἐκέλευε σὺν ἀμφιπόλοισιν ἕπεσθαι,

for she indeed bade me to follow with her handmaids,

ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ οὐκ ἔθελον δείσας αἰσχυνόμενός τε,

but I was not willing, fearing and feeling ashamed,

μή πως καὶ σοὶ θυμὸς ἐπισκύσσαιτο ἰδόντι·

lest somehow your heart should be angered at the sight;

δύσζηλοι γάρ τʼ εἰμὲν ἐπὶ χθονὶ φῦλʼ ἀνθρώπων.

for we are jealous, the tribes of humans upon the earth."

τὸν δʼ αὖτʼ Ἀλκίνοος ἀπαμείβετο φώνησέν τε·

And Alcinous in turn answered him and said:

ξεῖνʼ, οὔ μοι τοιοῦτον ἐνὶ στήθεσσι φίλον κῆρ

"Guest, my heart within my breast is not such

μαψιδίως κεχολῶσθαι· ἀμείνω δʼ αἴσιμα πάντα.

as to be angered without cause; but all things in due measure are better.

αἲ γάρ, Ζεῦ τε πάτερ καὶ Ἀθηναίη καὶ Ἄπολλον,

Would that, O father Zeus and Athena and Apollo,

τοῖος ἐὼν οἷός ἐσσι, τά τε φρονέων ἅ τʼ ἐγώ περ,

being such a man as you are, and thinking the things that I think,

παῖδά τʼ ἐμὴν ἐχέμεν³ καὶ ἐμὸς γαμβρὸς καλέεσθαι

you might have my daughter and be called my son-in-law,

αὖθι μένων· οἶκον δέ κʼ ἐγὼ καὶ κτήματα δοίην,

remaining here; and a house and possessions I would give,

εἴ κʼ ἐθέλων γε μένοις· ἀέκοντα δέ σʼ οὔ τις ἐρύξει

if you would remain willingly; but against your will no one

Φαιήκων· μὴ τοῦτο φίλον Διὶ πατρὶ γένοιτο.

of the Phaeacians shall keep you; let this not be pleasing to father Zeus.

πομπὴν δʼ ἐς τόδʼ ἐγὼ τεκμαίρομαι, ὄφρʼ ἐὺ εἰδῇς,

But your sending-off I appoint for this, so that you may know it well,

αὔριον ἔς· τῆμος δὲ σὺ μὲν δεδμημένος ὕπνῳ

namely, for tomorrow; and during that time you indeed, overcome by sleep,

λέξεαι, οἱ δʼ ἐλόωσι γαλήνην, ὄφρʼ ἂν ἵκηαι

will lie down, and they will row over the calm sea, until you come

πατρίδα σὴν καὶ δῶμα, καὶ εἴ πού τοι φίλον ἐστίν,

to your homeland and house, and wherever else it is pleasing to you,

εἴ περ καὶ μάλα πολλὸν ἑκαστέρω ἔστʼ Εὐβοίης,

even if it is indeed very much further than Euboea,

τήν περ τηλοτάτω φάσʼ ἔμμεναι, οἵ μιν ἴδοντο

which those of our people who saw it say is the furthest off,

λαῶν ἡμετέρων, ὅτε τε ξανθὸν Ῥαδάμανθυν

when they led fair-haired Rhadamanthys

ἦγον ἐποψόμενον Τιτυὸν Γαιήιον υἱόν.

to visit Tityos, the son of Earth.

καὶ μὲν οἱ ἔνθʼ ἦλθον καὶ ἄτερ καμάτοιο τέλεσσαν

And indeed they went there, and without toil completed it

ἤματι τῷ αὐτῷ καὶ ἀπήνυσαν οἴκαδʼ ὀπίσσω.

on the very same day, and accomplished their journey back home.

εἰδήσεις δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐνὶ φρεσὶν ὅσσον ἄρισται

And you yourself will know in your heart how outstandingly best

νῆες ἐμαὶ καὶ κοῦροι ἀναρρίπτειν ἅλα πηδῷ.

my ships are, and my young men at throwing up the brine with the oar."

ὣς φάτο, γήθησεν δὲ πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς,

So he spoke, and much-enduring noble Odysseus was glad,

εὐχόμενος δʼ ἄρα εἶπεν, ἔπος τʼ ἔφατʼ ἔκ τʼ ὀνόμαζεν·

and praying he spoke and called aloud:

Ζεῦ πάτερ, αἴθʼ ὅσα εἶπε τελευτήσειεν ἅπαντα

"Father Zeus, would that Alcinous might accomplish all

Ἀλκίνοος· τοῦ μέν κεν ἐπὶ ζείδωρον ἄρουραν

that he has said! Then indeed on the grain-giving earth

ἄσβεστον κλέος εἴη, ἐγὼ δέ κε πατρίδʼ ἱκοίμην.

his fame would be unquenchable, and I would return to my homeland."

ὣς οἱ μὲν τοιαῦτα πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀγόρευον·

Thus they spoke such words to one another;

κέκλετο δʼ Ἀρήτη λευκώλενος ἀμφιπόλοισιν

and white-armed Arete commanded her handmaids

δέμνιʼ ὑπʼ αἰθούσῃ θέμεναι καὶ ῥήγεα καλὰ

to place bedsteads under the portico, and to cast beautiful

πορφύρεʼ ἐμβαλέειν, στορέσαι τʼ ἐφύπερθε τάπητας

purple rugs upon them, and to spread blankets above them,

χλαίνας τʼ ἐνθέμεναι οὔλας καθύπερθεν ἕσασθαι.

and to put woolen cloaks on top for him to wrap himself in.

αἱ δʼ ἴσαν ἐκ μεγάροιο δάος μετὰ χερσὶν ἔχουσαι·

And they went out of the hall, holding torches in their hands;

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ στόρεσαν πυκινὸν λέχος ἐγκονέουσαι,

but when they had spread the sturdy bed, busying themselves,

ὤτρυνον δʼ Ὀδυσῆα παριστάμεναι ἐπέεσσιν·

they urged Odysseus, standing by him with words:

ὄρσο κέων⁴, ὦ ξεῖνε· πεποίηται δέ τοι εὐνή.

"Arise to lay yourself down, guest; your bed is made."

ὣς φάν, τῷ δʼ ἀσπαστὸν ἐείσατο κοιμηθῆναι.

So they spoke, and to him it seemed welcome to go to sleep.

ὣς ὁ μὲν ἔνθα καθεῦδε πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεὺς

Thus there slept much-enduring noble Odysseus

τρητοῖς ἐν λεχέεσσιν ὑπʼ αἰθούσῃ ἐριδούπῳ·

in the carved bedsteads under the echoing portico;

Ἀλκίνοος δʼ ἄρα λέκτο μυχῷ δόμου ὑψηλοῖο,

but Alcinous lay down in the innermost part of the high house,

πὰρ δὲ γυνὴ δέσποινα λέχος πόρσυνε καὶ εὐνήν.

and beside him his lady wife prepared the bed.

Syntax notes4 items

7.282πετράων
Genitive of separation, modified by the adjective `λεῖος` (smooth), expressing the state of being smooth and free from rocks.
7.293ὡς οὐκ ἂν ἔλποιο
`ὡς` introduces a clause of result or degree ("so that you would not expect..."). `ἔλποιο` is a potential optative with `ἄν`. `νεώτερον` acts as the subject accusative of the future infinitive `ἐρξέμεν`.
7.313ἐχέμεν
An infinitive of wish used independently, introduced by the particle of wishing `αἲ γάρ` ("would that"). The subject is understood as the second person (Odysseus), expressing a strong desire.
7.342κέων
Present participle of the verb `κείω` (to lie down, sleep). Accompanying the imperative `ὄρσο` (arise), it functions as a circumstantial participle of purpose ("arise in order to lie down").

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:7.282-7.347