§103Ἴθακος Ὀδυσσεύς, γῆς Κεφαλλήνων ἄναξ.
ODYSSEUS: Odysseus of Ithaca, king of the land of the Cephallenians.
§104οἶδ’ ἄνδρα, κρόταλον δριμύ, Σισύφου γένος.
SILENUS: I know the man, a sharp-tongued knave, the offspring of Sisyphus.
§105ἐκεῖνος οὗτός εἰμι· λοιδόρει δὲ μή·
ODYSSEUS: I am that very man; but do not insult me.
§106πόθεν Σικελίαν τήνδε ναυστολῶν πάρει;
SILENUS: From where did you sail to arrive here in Sicily?
§107ἐξ Ἰλίου γε κἀπὸ Τρωικῶν πόνων.
ODYSSEUS: From Ilium indeed, and from the Trojan labors.
§108πῶς;
SILENUS: How?
πορθμὸν οὐκ ᾔδησθα πατρῴας χθονός;
Did you not know the passage to your native land?
§109ἀνέμων θύελλαι δεῦρό μ’ ἥρπασαν βίᾳ.
ODYSSEUS: Blasts of winds snatched me here by force.
§110παπαῖ·
SILENUS: Alas!
τὸν αὐτὸν δαίμον’ ἐξαντλεῖς ἐμοί.
You are enduring the very same fate as I.
§111ἦ καὶ σὺ δεῦρο πρὸς βίαν ἀπεστάλης;
ODYSSEUS: Were you also sent here by force?
§112λῃστὰς διώκων οἳ Βρόμιον ἀνήρπασαν.
SILENUS: Pursuing the pirates who snatched Bromius away.
§113τίς δ’ ἥδε χώρα καὶ τίνες ναίουσί νιν;
ODYSSEUS: And what is this country, and who dwell in it?
§114Αἰτναῖος ὄχθος Σικελίας ὑπέρτατος.
SILENUS: The peak of Etna, the highest point in Sicily.
§115τείχη δὲ ποῦ’στι καὶ πόλεως πυργώματα;
ODYSSEUS: And where are the walls and the towers of the city?
§116οὐκ εἴσ’· ἔρημοι πρῶνες ἀνθρώπων, ξένε.
SILENUS: There are none; they are ridges desolate of men, stranger.
§117τίνες δ’ ἔχουσι γαῖαν;
ODYSSEUS: And who possess the land?
ἦ θηρῶν γένος;
Is it some race of wild beasts?
§118Κύκλωπες, ἄντρ’ ἔχοντες, οὐ στέγας δόμων.
SILENUS: The Cyclopes, dwelling in caves, not under the roofs of houses.
§119τίνος κλύοντες;
ODYSSEUS: Obeying whom?
ἢ δεδήμευται κράτος;
Or is the power held by the people?
§120νομάδες· ἀκούει δ’ οὐδὲν οὐδεὶς οὐδενός.
SILENUS: They are nomads; and no one listens to anyone else at all.
§121σπείρουσι δ’—ἢ τῷ ζῶσι; —Δήμητρος στάχυν;
ODYSSEUS: And do they sow—or on what do they live?—the corn of Demeter?
§122γάλακτι καὶ τυροῖσι καὶ μήλων βορᾷ.
SILENUS: On milk and cheeses and the flesh of sheep.
§123Βρομίου δὲ πῶμ’ ἔχουσιν, ἀμπέλου ῥοαῖς;
ODYSSEUS: And do they have the drink of Bromius, the streams of the vine?
§124ἥκιστα· τοιγὰρ ἄχορον οἰκοῦσι χθόνα.
SILENUS: Not at all; therefore they dwell in a land without dances.
§125φιλόξενοι δὲ χὥσιοι περὶ ξένους;
ODYSSEUS: And are they hospitable and pious toward strangers?
§126γλυκύτατά φασι τὰ κρέα τοὺς ξένους φορεῖν.
SILENUS: They say that strangers bring the sweetest meat.
§127τί φῄς;
ODYSSEUS: What do you say?
βορᾷ χαίρουσιν ἀνθρωποκτόνῳ;
Do they delight in the slaughter of men for food?
§128οὐδεὶς μολὼν δεῦρ’ ὅστις οὐ κατεσφάγη.
SILENUS: No one has come here who was not slaughtered.
§129αὐτὸς δὲ Κύκλωψ ποῦ’στιν;
ODYSSEUS: And where is the Cyclops himself?
ἦ δόμων ἔσω;
Is he inside the house?
§130φροῦδος πρὸς Αἴτνῃ θῆρας ἰχνεύων κυσίν.
SILENUS: He is gone toward Etna, tracking wild beasts with his dogs.
§131οἶσθ’ οὖν ὃ δρᾶσον, ὡς ἀπαίρωμεν χθονός;
ODYSSEUS: Do you know then what to do, so that we may depart from this land?
§132οὐκ οἶδ’, Ὀδυσσεῦ· πᾶν δέ σοι δρῴημεν ἄν.
SILENUS: I do not know, Odysseus; but we would do anything for you.
§133ὅδησον ἡμῖν σῖτον, οὗ σπανίζομεν.
ODYSSEUS: Sell us food, of which we are in want.
§134οὐκ ἔστιν, ὥσπερ εἶπον, ἄλλο πλὴν κρέας.
SILENUS: There is none, as I said, except meat.
§135ἀλλ’ ἡδὺ λιμοῦ καὶ τόδε σχετήριον.
ODYSSEUS: But even this is a pleasant remedy against hunger.
§136καὶ τυρὸς ὀπίας ἔστι καὶ βοὸς γάλα.
SILENUS: And there is fig-juice cheese and cows' milk.
§137ἐκφέρετε· φῶς γὰρ ἐμπολήμασιν πρέπει.
ODYSSEUS: Bring them out; for light is fitting for trade.
§138σὺ δ’ ἀντιδώσεις, εἰπέ μοι, χρυσὸν πόσον;
SILENUS: And you, tell me, how much gold will you give in return?
§139οὐ χρυσόν, ἀλλὰ πῶμα Διονύσου φέρω.
ODYSSEUS: Not gold, but I bring the drink of Dionysus.
§140ὦ φίλτατ’ εἰπών, οὗ σπανίζομεν πάλαι.
SILENUS: O speaker of dearest words, of which we have long been in want!
§141καὶ μὴν Μάρων μοι πῶμ’ ἔδωκε, παῖς θεοῦ.
ODYSSEUS: Indeed, Maron gave me the drink, the child of a god.
§142ὃν ἐξέθρεψα ταῖσδ’ ἐγώ ποτ’ ἀγκάλαις;
SILENUS: Whom I once nursed in these very arms?
§143ὁ Βακχίου παῖς, ὡς σαφέστερον μάθῃς.
ODYSSEUS: The child of Bacchus, so that you may know more clearly.
§144ἐν σέλμασιν νεώς ἐστιν, ἢ φέρεις σύ νιν;
SILENUS: Is it in the benches of the ship, or do you carry it?
§145ὅδ’ ἁσκὸς ὃς κεύθει νιν· ὡς ὁρᾷς, γέρον.
ODYSSEUS: This is the wineskin that hides it; as you see, old man.
§146οὗτος μὲν οὐδ’ ἂν τὴν γνάθον πλήσειέ μου.
SILENUS: This indeed would not even fill my jaw.
ODYSSEUS: Yes, indeed; for there will be twice as much drink as flows from the skin.
§148καλήν γε κρήνην εἶπας ἡδεῖάν τ’ ἐμοί.
SILENUS: A beautiful and sweet spring indeed you have described to me.
§149βούλῃ σε γεύσω πρῶτον ἄκρατον μέθυ;
ODYSSEUS: Do you wish me to let you taste the unmixed wine first?
§150δίκαιον· ἦ γὰρ γεῦμα τὴν ὠνὴν καλεῖ.
SILENUS: It is just; for the taste invites the purchase.
§151καὶ μὴν ἐφέλκω καὶ ποτῆρ’ ἀσκοῦ μέτα.
ODYSSEUS: Indeed, I bring a cup along with the wineskin.
§152φέρ’ ἐκπάταξον, ὡς ἀναμνησθῶ πιών.
SILENUS: Come, pour it out, so that I may remember when I drink.
§153ἰδού.
ODYSSEUS: Behold!
§153bπαπαιάξ, ὡς καλὴν ὀσμὴν ἔχει.
SILENUS: Oh my, what a beautiful scent it has!
§154εἶδες γὰρ αὐτήν;
ODYSSEUS: For did you see it?
§154bοὐ μὰ Δί’, ἀλλ’ ὀσφραίνομαι.
SILENUS: No, by Zeus, but I smell it.
§155γεῦσαί νυν, ὡς ἂν μὴ λόγῳ’’παινῇς μόνον.
ODYSSEUS: Taste it now, so that you may not praise it only in words.
§156βαβαί·
SILENUS: Ah!
χορεῦσαι παρακαλεῖ μ’ ὁ Βάκχιος.
Bacchus invites me to dance.
§157ἆ ἆ ἆ.
Ah, ah, ah!
§158μῶν τὸν λάρυγγα διεκάναξέ σου καλῶς;
ODYSSEUS: Did it gurgle down your throat nicely?
§159ὥστ’ εἰς ἄκρους γε τοὺς ὄνυχας ἀφίκετο.
SILENUS: So much so that it reached the very tips of my toenails.
§160πρὸς τῷδε μέντοι καὶ νόμισμα δώσομεν.
ODYSSEUS: In addition to this, indeed, we will also give you coin.
§161χάλα τὸν ἀσκὸν μόνον· ἔα τὸ χρυσίον.
SILENUS: Only unloose the wineskin; let the gold be.
§162ἐκφέρετέ νυν τυρεύματ’ ἢ μήλων τόκον.
ODYSSEUS: Now bring out cheeses or the offspring of the sheep.
§163δράσω τάδ’, ὀλίγον φροντίσας γε δεσποτῶν.
SILENUS: I will do this, caring little indeed for my masters.
§164ὡς ἐκπιεῖν γ’ ἂν κύλικα μαινοίμην μίαν, §165πάντων Κυκλώπων ἀντιδοὺς βοσκήματα, §166ῥῖψαι τ’ ἐς ἅλμην Λευκάδος πέτρας ἄπο, §167ἅπαξ μεθυσθεὶς καταβαλών τε τὰς ὀφρῦς.
For to drain a single cup I would go mad, giving in exchange the cattle of all the Cyclopes, and cast myself into the salt sea from the Leucadian rock, once drunk and letting down my brows.
§168ὡς ὅς γε πίνων μὴ γέγηθε μαίνεται· §169ἵν’ ἔστι τουτί τ’ ὀρθὸν ἐξανιστάναι §170μαστοῦ τε δραγμὸς καὶ παρεσκευασμένου §171ψαῦσαι χεροῖν λειμῶνος, ὀρχηστύς θ’ ἅμα §172κακῶν τε λῆστις.
For he who does not rejoice when drinking is mad; where it is possible to raise this thing erect, and grab a breast, and with both hands touch the prepared meadow, and there is dancing too, and forgetfulness of evils.
εἶτ’ ἐγὼ οὐ κυνήσομαι §173τοιόνδε πῶμα, τὴν Κύκλωπος ἀμαθίαν §174κλαίειν κελεύων καὶ τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν μέσον;
Shall I not then worship such a drink, bidding the ignorance of the Cyclops go weep, and his middle eye as well?
§175ἄκου’, Ὀδυσσεῦ· διαλαλήσωμέν τί σοι.
CHORUS: Listen, Odysseus; let us have a little talk with you.
§176καὶ μὴν φίλοι γε προσφέρεσθε πρὸς φίλον.
ODYSSEUS: Indeed, approach as friends to a friend.
§177ἐλάβετε Τροίαν τὴν Ἑλένην τε χειρίαν;
CHORUS: Did you capture Troy and get Helen into your hands?
§178καὶ πάντα γ’ οἶκον Πριαμιδῶν ἐπέρσαμεν.
ODYSSEUS: Yes, and we destroyed the whole house of the sons of Priam.
§179οὔκουν, ἐπειδὴ τὴν νεᾶνιν εἵλετε, §180ἅπαντες αὐτὴν διεκροτήσατ’ ἐν μέρει, §181ἐπεί γε πολλοῖς ἥδεται γαμουμένη;
CHORUS: Did you not then, when you took the young woman, all of you take turns banging her, since indeed she delights in being wedded to many?
§182τὴν προδότιν, ἣ τοὺς θυλάκους τοὺς ποικίλους §183περὶ τοῖν σκελοῖν ἰδοῦσα καὶ τὸν χρύσεον §184κλῳὸν φοροῦντα περὶ μέσον τὸν αὐχένα §185ἐξεπτοήθη, Μενέλεων, ἀνθρώπιον §186λῷστον, λιποῦσα.
The traitress, who, seeing the variegated trousers about the legs and the golden collar worn about the middle of the neck, was fluttered in her heart, leaving Menelaus, the best of little men.
μηδαμοῦ γένος ποτὲ
Never anywhere should the race