The Lotus-Eaters and the Goat Island by the Cyclopes — Odyssey §9.72-9.144 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐς νῆας κάθεμεν¹, δείσαντες ὄλεθρον,

And we lowered the sails into the ships, fearing destruction,

αὐτὰς δʼ ἐσσυμένως προερέσσαμεν ἤπειρόνδε.

but the ships themselves we eagerly rowed forward to the mainland.

ἔνθα δύω νύκτας δύο τʼ ἤματα συνεχὲς αἰεὶ

There for two nights and two days continuously

κείμεθʼ, ὁμοῦ καμάτῳ τε καὶ ἄλγεσι θυμὸν ἔδοντες.

we lay, eating our heart with weariness and griefs together.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ τρίτον ἦμαρ ἐυπλόκαμος τέλεσʼ Ἠώς,

But when indeed fair-tressed Dawn completed the third day,

ἱστοὺς στησάμενοι ἀνά θʼ ἱστία λεύκʼ ἐρύσαντες

setting up our masts and hauling up the white sails,

ἥμεθα, τὰς δʼ ἄνεμός τε κυβερνῆταί τʼ ἴθυνον.

we sat down, and the wind and the helmsmen kept the ships straight.

καί νύ κεν ἀσκηθὴς ἱκόμην² ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν·

And now I would have reached my native land unscathed;

ἀλλά με κῦμα ῥόος τε περιγνάμπτοντα Μάλειαν

but the wave and the current, as I was doubling Maleia,

καὶ Βορέης ἀπέωσε, παρέπλαγξεν δὲ Κυθήρων.

and the North Wind pushed me away, and drove me past Cythera.

ἔνθεν δʼ ἐννῆμαρ φερόμην ὀλοοῖς ἀνέμοισιν

Thence for nine days I was driven by destructive winds

πόντον ἐπʼ ἰχθυόεντα· ἀτὰρ δεκάτῃ ἐπέβημεν

over the fish-teeming sea; but on the tenth we set foot on

γαίης Λωτοφάγων, οἵ τʼ ἄνθινον εἶδαρ ἔδουσιν.

the land of the Lotus-eaters, who eat a flowery food.

ἔνθα δʼ ἐπʼ ἠπείρου βῆμεν καὶ ἀφυσσάμεθʼ ὕδωρ,

There we went ashore on the mainland and drew water,

αἶψα δὲ δεῖπνον ἕλοντο θοῇς παρὰ νηυσὶν ἑταῖροι.

and immediately my companions took their meal beside the swift ships.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ σίτοιό τʼ ἐπασσάμεθʼ ἠδὲ ποτῆτος,

But when we had tasted of food and drink,

δὴ τοτʼ ἐγὼν ἑτάρους προΐειν πεύθεσθαι ἰόντας,

then indeed I sent forth companions to go and learn

οἵ τινες ἀνέρες εἶεν ἐπὶ χθονὶ σῖτον ἔδοντες

what manner of men they were who ate bread upon the land,

ἄνδρε δύω κρίνας, τρίτατον κήρυχʼ ἅμʼ ὀπάσσας.

choosing two men, and sending a third with them as a herald.

οἱ δʼ αἶψʼ οἰχόμενοι μίγεν ἀνδράσι Λωτοφάγοισιν·

And they, departing quickly, mingled with the Lotus-eaters;

οὐδʼ ἄρα Λωτοφάγοι μήδονθʼ ἑτάροισιν ὄλεθρον

nor did the Lotus-eaters devise destruction for our

ἡμετέροις, ἀλλά σφι δόσαν λωτοῖο πάσασθαι.

companions, but gave them to taste of the lotus.

τῶν δʼ ὅς τις λωτοῖο φάγοι³ μελιηδέα καρπόν,

And whosoever of them ate the honey-sweet fruit of the lotus,

οὐκέτʼ ἀπαγγεῖλαι πάλιν ἤθελεν οὐδὲ νέεσθαι,

no longer wished to bring back word nor to return,

ἀλλʼ αὐτοῦ βούλοντο μετʼ ἀνδράσι Λωτοφάγοισι

but they wished to remain there with the Lotus-eaters,

λωτὸν ἐρεπτόμενοι μενέμεν νόστου τε λαθέσθαι.

feeding on the lotus, and to forget their return.

τοὺς μὲν ἐγὼν ἐπὶ νῆας ἄγον κλαίοντας ἀνάγκῃ,

These I brought back to the ships by force, weeping,

νηυσὶ δʼ ἐνὶ γλαφυρῇσιν ὑπὸ ζυγὰ δῆσα ἐρύσσας.

and dragged them under the benches in the hollow ships and bound them fast.

αὐτὰρ τοὺς ἄλλους κελόμην ἐρίηρας ἑταίρους

But the rest of my trusty companions I bid

σπερχομένους νηῶν ἐπιβαινέμεν ὠκειάων,

embark in haste upon the swift ships,

μή πώς τις λωτοῖο φαγὼν νόστοιο λάθηται.

lest by any means anyone, eating of the lotus, should forget his return.

οἱ δʼ αἶψʼ εἴσβαινον καὶ ἐπὶ κληῖσι καθῖζον,

And they straightway embarked and sat down upon the benches,

ἑξῆς δʼ ἑζόμενοι πολιὴν ἅλα τύπτον ἐρετμοῖς.

and sitting in order they struck the grey sea with their oars.

ἔνθεν δὲ προτέρω πλέομεν ἀκαχήμενοι ἦτορ·

And thence we sailed onward, grieved in heart;

Κυκλώπων δʼ ἐς γαῖαν ὑπερφιάλων ἀθεμίστων

and we came to the land of the Cyclopes, overbearing and lawless,

ἱκόμεθʼ, οἵ ῥα θεοῖσι πεποιθότες ἀθανάτοισιν

who, trusting in the immortal gods,

οὔτε φυτεύουσιν χερσὶν φυτὸν οὔτʼ ἀρόωσιν,

neither plant any plant with their hands nor plow,

ἀλλὰ τά γʼ ἄσπαρτα καὶ ἀνήροτα πάντα φύονται,

but all things grow unsown and unplowed,

πυροὶ καὶ κριθαὶ ἠδʼ ἄμπελοι, αἵ τε φέρουσιν

wheat and barley and vines, which bear

οἶνον ἐριστάφυλον, καί σφιν Διὸς ὄμβρος ἀέξει.

wine from fine clusters, and the rain of Zeus makes them grow.

τοῖσιν δʼ οὔτʼ ἀγοραὶ βουληφόροι οὔτε θέμιστες,

Among them there are neither assemblies for counsel nor laws,

ἀλλʼ οἵ γʼ ὑψηλῶν ὀρέων ναίουσι κάρηνα

but they dwell on the peaks of high mountains

ἐν σπέσσι γλαφυροῖσι, θεμιστεύει δὲ ἕκαστος

in hollow caves, and each one lays down the law

παίδων ἠδʼ ἀλόχων, οὐδʼ ἀλλήλων ἀλέγουσιν.

for his children and wives, and they care nothing for one another.

νῆσος ἔπειτα λάχεια παρὲκ λιμένος τετάνυσται,

Now a level island is stretched along outside the harbor,

γαίης Κυκλώπων οὔτε σχεδὸν οὔτʼ ἀποτηλοῦ,

neither close to the land of the Cyclopes nor far off,

ὑλήεσσʼ· ἐν δʼ αἶγες ἀπειρέσιαι γεγάασιν

wooded; and in it wild goats breed in countless numbers;

ἄγριαι· οὐ μὲν γὰρ πάτος ἀνθρώπων ἀπερύκει,

for no path of men deters them,

οὐδέ μιν εἰσοιχνεῦσι κυνηγέται, οἵ τε καθʼ ὕλην

nor do hunters visit it, who through the wood

ἄλγεα πάσχουσιν κορυφὰς ὀρέων ἐφέποντες.

suffer hardships as they pursue the mountain peaks.

οὔτʼ ἄρα ποίμνῃσιν καταΐσχεται οὔτʼ ἀρότοισιν,

It is held neither by flocks nor by plowing,

ἀλλʼ ἥ γʼ ἄσπαρτος καὶ ἀνήροτος ἤματα πάντα

but unsown and unplowed all its days

ἀνδρῶν χηρεύει, βόσκει δέ τε μηκάδας αἶγας.

it is empty of men, and feeds the bleating goats.

οὐ γὰρ Κυκλώπεσσι νέες πάρα μιλτοπάρῃοι,

For the Cyclopes have no ships with vermilion prows,

οὐδʼ ἄνδρες νηῶν ἔνι τέκτονες, οἵ κε κάμοιεν⁴

nor are there shipwrights among them, who might build

νῆας ἐυσσέλμους, αἵ κεν τελέοιεν ἕκαστα

well-benched ships, which would accomplish all things

ἄστεʼ ἐπʼ ἀνθρώπων ἱκνεύμεναι, οἷά τε πολλὰ

as they go to the cities of men, as many a time

ἄνδρες ἐπʼ ἀλλήλους νηυσὶν περόωσι θάλασσαν·

men cross the sea in ships to one another;

οἵ κέ σφιν καὶ νῆσον ἐυκτιμένην ἐκάμοντο⁵.

who would also have made this island a well-peopled place for them.

οὐ μὲν γάρ τι κακή γε, φέροι δέ κεν ὥρια πάντα·

For it is by no means a bad land, but would bear all things in season;

ἐν μὲν γὰρ λειμῶνες ἁλὸς πολιοῖο παρʼ ὄχθας

for in it are meadows by the shores of the grey sea,

ὑδρηλοὶ μαλακοί· μάλα κʼ ἄφθιτοι ἄμπελοι εἶεν.

well-watered and soft; and vines would be very hardy.

ἐν δʼ ἄροσις λείη· μάλα κεν βαθὺ λήιον αἰεὶ

And in it is smooth plowland; they might always reap a very deep harvest

εἰς ὥρας ἀμῷεν, ἐπεὶ μάλα πῖαρ ὑπʼ οὖδας.

in season, since the soil beneath is very rich.

ἐν δὲ λιμὴν ἐύορμος, ἵνʼ οὐ χρεὼ πείσματός ἐστιν,

And in it is a harbor with good anchorage, where there is no need of cable,

οὔτʼ εὐνὰς βαλέειν οὔτε πρυμνήσιʼ ἀνάψαι,

neither to cast anchor-stones nor to tie stern-cables,

ἀλλʼ ἐπικέλσαντας μεῖναι χρόνον εἰς ὅ κε ναυτέων

but to beach the ships and wait for the time until the sailors'

θυμὸς ἐποτρύνῃ καὶ ἐπιπνεύσωσιν ἀῆται.

mind prompts them and the winds blow.

αὐτὰρ ἐπὶ κρατὸς λιμένος ῥέει ἀγλαὸν ὕδωρ,

And at the head of the harbor flows bright water,

κρήνη ὑπὸ σπείους· περὶ δʼ αἴγειροι πεφύασιν.

a spring from beneath a cave; and poplars grow around it.

ἔνθα κατεπλέομεν, καί τις θεὸς ἡγεμόνευεν

There we sailed in, and some god was our guide

νύκτα διʼ ὀρφναίην, οὐδὲ προυφαίνετʼ ἰδέσθαι⁶·

through the dark night, nor was there any light to see by;

ἀὴρ γὰρ περὶ νηυσὶ βαθεῖʼ ἦν, οὐδὲ σελήνη

for there was a deep mist around the ships, nor did the moon

Syntax notes6 items

9.72κάθεμεν
Infinitive of command (or historical infinitive), functioning as a main verb to describe the past action: they lowered the sails in fear of destruction.
9.79καί νύ κεν... ἱκόμην
The past indicative ἱκόμην with the particle κεν (Homeric for ἄν) forms a past contrary-to-fact apodosis, meaning 'I would have reached... (but did not).'
9.94φάγοι
Optative of indefinite frequency in a relative clause introduced by ὅς tis, expressing repeated action in past time: 'whosoever ate...'
9.126οἵ κε κάμοιεν
Relative clause with the potential optative (optative + κε), indicating hypothetical or potential ability in past contrary-to-fact context: 'who would/might have built (if they had known how).'
9.130οἵ κέ σφιν καὶ νῆσον ἐυκτιμένην ἐκάμοντο
The relative pronoun οἵ refers to the non-existent shipwrights, and with the particle κέ and past indicative ἐκάμοντο, it expresses a past contrary-to-fact result: 'who would also have made...'
9.143ἰδέσθαι
Epexegetical infinitive explaining the verb προυφαίνετο, defining the action in terms of visibility: 'showed itself (for one) to see' or 'appeared to the sight.'

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:9.72-9.144