The Trick of Noman and the Blinding of the Cyclops — Odyssey §9.355-9.421 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

δός μοι ἔτι πρόφρων, καί μοι τεὸν οὔνομα εἰπὲ

"Give me more, with a willing heart, and tell me your name

αὐτίκα νῦν, ἵνα τοι δῶ ξείνιον, ᾧ κε σὺ χαίρῃς¹·

straightway now, so that I may give you a guest-gift in which you may rejoice;

καὶ γὰρ Κυκλώπεσσι φέρει ζείδωρος ἄρουρα

for the grain-giving earth bears for the Cyclopes also

οἶνον ἐριστάφυλον, καί σφιν Διὸς ὄμβρος ἀέξει·

wine from fine clusters, and the rain of Zeus makes it grow for them;

ἀλλὰ τόδʼ ἀμβροσίης καὶ νέκταρός ἐστιν ἀπορρώξ.

but this is a stream of ambrosia and nectar."

ὣς φάτʼ, ἀτάρ οἱ αὖτις ἐγὼ πόρον αἴθοπα οἶνον.

So he spoke, and I poured him again the sparkling wine.

τρὶς μὲν ἔδωκα φέρων, τρὶς δʼ ἔκπιεν ἀφραδίῃσιν.

Thrice I brought and gave it, and thrice he drank it in his folly.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ Κύκλωπα περὶ φρένας ἤλυθεν² οἶνος,

But when the wine had got around the mind of the Cyclops,

καὶ τότε δή μιν ἔπεσσι προσηύδων μειλιχίοισι·

then indeed I spoke to him with gentle words:

Κύκλωψ, εἰρωτᾷς μʼ ὄνομα κλυτόν, αὐτὰρ ἐγώ τοι

"Cyclops, you ask me my famous name, and I will

ἐξερέω· σὺ δέ μοι δὸς ξείνιον, ὥς περ ὑπέστης.

tell it; but do you give me a guest-gift, even as you promised.

Οὖτις ἐμοί γʼ ὄνομα· Οὖτιν δέ με κικλήσκουσι

Outis is my name; and Outis they call me,

μήτηρ ἠδὲ πατὴρ ἠδʼ ἄλλοι πάντες ἑταῖροι.

my mother and my father, and all my other companions."

ὣς ἐφάμην, ὁ δέ μʼ αὐτίκʼ ἀμείβετο νηλέι θυμῷ·

So I spoke, and he straightway answered me with pitiless heart:

Οὖτιν ἐγὼ πύματον ἔδομαι μετὰ οἷς ἑτάροισιν,

"Outis I will eat last among his companions,

τοὺς δʼ ἄλλους πρόσθεν· τὸ δέ τοι ξεινήιον ἔσται.

and the others before him; and that shall be your guest-gift."

ἦ καὶ ἀνακλινθεὶς πέσεν ὕπτιος, αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα

He spoke, and reeling, fell backward, and then

κεῖτʼ ἀποδοχμώσας παχὺν αὐχένα, κὰδ δέ μιν ὕπνος

lay with his thick neck bent aside, and sleep,

ᾕρει πανδαμάτωρ· φάρυγος δʼ ἐξέσσυτο οἶνος

conqueror of all, seized him; and from his throat gushed the wine

ψωμοί τʼ ἀνδρόμεοι· ὁ δʼ ἐρεύγετο οἰνοβαρείων.

and morsels of human flesh; and he vomited, heavy with wine.

καὶ τότʼ ἐγὼ τὸν μοχλὸν ὑπὸ σποδοῦ ἤλασα πολλῆς,

And then I pushed the bar under the deep ashes,

ἧος θερμαίνοιτο· ἔπεσσι δὲ πάντας ἑταίρους

until it should grow hot; and with words I encouraged

θάρσυνον, μή τίς μοι ὑποδείσας ἀναδύη.

all my companions, lest anyone should draw back in fear.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ τάχʼ ὁ μοχλὸς ἐλάινος ἐν πυρὶ μέλλεν

But when indeed the olive wood bar was about to

ἅψεσθαι, χλωρός περ ἐών, διεφαίνετο δʼ αἰνῶς,

catch fire in the flame, green though it was, and glowed terribly,

καὶ τότʼ ἐγὼν ἆσσον φέρον ἐκ πυρός, ἀμφὶ δʼ ἑταῖροι

then indeed I brought it near from the fire, and around me my companions

ἵσταντʼ· αὐτὰρ θάρσος ἐνέπνευσεν μέγα δαίμων.

stood; and a god breathed great courage into us.

οἱ μὲν μοχλὸν ἑλόντες ἐλάινον, ὀξὺν ἐπʼ ἄκρῳ,

They, taking the olive wood bar, sharp at the tip,

ὀφθαλμῷ ἐνέρεισαν· ἐγὼ δʼ ἐφύπερθεν ἐρεισθεὶς

thrust it into his eye; and I, leaning on it from above,

δίνεον, ὡς ὅτε τις τρυπῷ³ δόρυ νήιον ἀνὴρ

spun it, as when a man bores a ship's timber

τρυπάνῳ, οἱ δέ τʼ ἔνερθεν ὑποσσείουσιν ἱμάντι

with a drill, and those below keep it spinning with a strap,

ἁψάμενοι ἑκάτερθε, τὸ δὲ τρέχει ἐμμενὲς αἰεί.

holding it on either side, and it runs constantly forever.

ὣς τοῦ ἐν ὀφθαλμῷ πυριήκεα μοχλὸν ἑλόντες

So we, taking the fire-sharpened bar, spun it

δινέομεν, τὸν δʼ αἷμα περίρρεε θερμὸν ἐόντα.

in his eye, and the blood flowed around it, hot as it was.

πάντα δέ οἱ βλέφαρʼ ἀμφὶ καὶ ὀφρύας εὗσεν ἀυτμὴ

And the breath of the burning eyeball singed all his eyelids

γλήνης καιομένης, σφαραγεῦντο δέ οἱ πυρὶ ῥίζαι.

and brows round about, and its roots crackled in the fire.

ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ἀνὴρ χαλκεὺς πέλεκυν μέγαν ἠὲ σκέπαρνον

And as when a smith dips a great axe or an adze

εἰν ὕδατι ψυχρῷ βάπτῃ μεγάλα ἰάχοντα

into cold water, and it hisses loudly

φαρμάσσων· τὸ γὰρ αὖτε σιδήρου γε κράτος ἐστίν

as he tempers it—for that is the strength of iron—

ὣς τοῦ σίζʼ ὀφθαλμὸς ἐλαϊνέῳ περὶ μοχλῷ.

so his eye hissed around the olive-wood bar.

σμερδαλέον δὲ μέγʼ ᾤμωξεν, περὶ δʼ ἴαχε πέτρη,

And he groaned terribly and aloud, and the rock rang around,

ἡμεῖς δὲ δείσαντες ἀπεσσύμεθʼ· αὐτὰρ ὁ μοχλὸν

and we fled in fear; but he drew the bar

ἐξέρυσʼ ὀφθαλμοῖο πεφυρμένον αἵματι πολλῷ.

out of his eye, befouled with much blood.

τὸν μὲν ἔπειτʼ ἔρριψεν ἀπὸ ἕο χερσὶν ἀλύων,

This then he cast from him with his hands, frantic with pain,

αὐτὰρ ὁ Κύκλωπας μεγάλʼ ἤπυεν, οἵ ῥά μιν ἀμφὶς

and he called aloud to the Cyclopes, who dwelt round about him

ᾤκεον ἐν σπήεσσι διʼ ἄκριας ἠνεμοέσσας.

in caves along the windy heights.

οἱ δὲ βοῆς ἀίοντες ἐφοίτων ἄλλοθεν ἄλλος,

And they, hearing his cry, came flocking from every side,

ἱστάμενοι δʼ εἴροντο περὶ σπέος ὅττι ἑ κήδοι·

and standing around the cave they asked what was troubling him:

τίπτε τόσον, Πολύφημʼ, ἀρημένος ὧδʼ ἐβόησας

"Why, Polyphemus, have you cried out so loud in your distress

νύκτα διʼ ἀμβροσίην καὶ ἀύπνους ἄμμε τίθησθα;

through the ambrosial night, and make us sleepless?

ἦ μή τίς⁴ σευ μῆλα βροτῶν ἀέκοντος ἐλαύνει;

Surely no mortal is driving away your flocks against your will?

ἦ μή τίς σʼ αὐτὸν κτείνει δόλῳ ἠὲ βίηφιν;

Surely no one is killing you yourself by guile or by force?"

τοὺς δʼ αὖτʼ ἐξ ἄντρου προσέφη κρατερὸς Πολύφημος·

Then the mighty Polyphemus spoke to them from the cave:

ὦ φίλοι, Οὖτίς με κτείνει δόλῳ οὐδὲ βίηφιν.

"O my friends, Outis is killing me by guile, and not by force!"

οἱ δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενοι ἔπεα πτερόεντʼ ἀγόρευον·

And they, answering, spoke winged words:

εἰ μὲν δὴ μή τίς σε βιάζεται οἶον ἐόντα,

"If indeed no one is doing you violence, since you are alone,

νοῦσον γʼ οὔ πως ἔστι Διὸς μεγάλου ἀλέασθαι,

there is no way to escape a sickness from great Zeus;

ἀλλὰ σύ γʼ εὔχεο πατρὶ Ποσειδάωνι ἄνακτι.

but do you pray to your father, lord Poseidon."

ὣς ἄρʼ ἔφαν ἀπιόντες, ἐμὸν δʼ ἐγέλασσε φίλον κῆρ,

So they spoke and went away, and my heart laughed,

ὡς ὄνομʼ ἐξαπάτησεν ἐμὸν καὶ μῆτις ἀμύμων.

to see how my name and my flawless plan had deceived them.

Κύκλωψ δὲ στενάχων τε καὶ ὠδίνων ὀδύνῃσι

But the Cyclops, groaning and travailing in his anguish,

χερσὶ ψηλαφόων ἀπὸ μὲν λίθον εἷλε θυράων,

groping with his hands, took away the stone from the doorway,

αὐτὸς δʼ εἰνὶ θύρῃσι καθέζετο χεῖρε πετάσσας,

and himself sat down at the doorway, stretching out his hands,

εἴ τινά που μετʼ ὄεσσι λάβοι στείχοντα θύραζε·

if perhaps he might catch anyone going out of the door with the sheep;

οὕτω γάρ πού μʼ ἤλπετʼ ἐνὶ φρεσὶ νήπιον εἶναι.

for he hoped, I suppose, in his heart that I would be so foolish.

αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ βούλευον, ὅπως ὄχʼ ἄριστα γένοιτο,

But I kept planning how it might go by far the best,

εἴ τινʼ ἑταίροισιν θανάτου λύσιν ἠδʼ ἐμοὶ αὐτῷ

if I might find some escape from death for my companions and for myself,

Syntax notes4 items

9.356ᾧ κε σὺ χαίρῃς
The relative pronoun ᾧ combined with the particle κε (Homeric form of ἄν) and the subjunctive expresses expectation or purpose in a relative clause: 'in which you might/will rejoice.'
9.362περὶ ... ἤλυθεν
An instance of tmesis, where the prefix περί and the verb ἤλυθεν (from ἔρχομαι) are separated, functionally equivalent to περιῆλθεν ('encompassed' or 'came around'). The accusative φρένας is the object of this verbal expression.
9.384ὡς ὅτε τις τρυπῷ
The clause is introduced by ὡς ὅτε ('as when') to set up a simile. The verb τρυπῷ is subjunctive (contracted from τρυπάῃ), used without ἄν or κε to denote a general or habitual scenario, a characteristic syntactic feature in Homeric similes.
9.405ἦ μή τίς
The combination of the interrogative particle ἦ, the negative particle μή, and the indefinite pronoun τίς introduces a question expecting a negative answer ('Surely no one...?'), conveying anxiety or disbelief. Syntactically, this sets up the famous pun, as the neighboring Cyclopes ask 'μή τις' ('lest anyone' / 'surely no one'), echoing both Odysseus's fake name 'Οὖτις' and 'μῆτις' ('cunning/plan').

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:9.355-9.421