ODYSSEUS: Listen now to the vengeance I have planned against this wicked beast, and to your escape from slavery.
CHORUS: Tell us; for we would not listen to the sound of an Asian lyre more gladly than to the Cyclops perishing.
ODYSSEUS: He wishes to go to a revel with his brother Cyclopes, having rejoiced in this drink of Bacchus.
§447ξυνῆκ’·
CHORUS: I understand.
ἔρημον ξυλλαβὼν δρυμοῖσί νιν §448σφάξαι μενοινᾷς, ἢ πετρῶν ὦσαι κάτω.
Do you desire to slaughter him, catching him alone in the woods, or to push him down from the rocks?
§449οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον· δόλιος ἡ’πιθυμία.
ODYSSEUS: Nothing of the sort; my desire is crafty.
§450πῶς δαί;
CHORUS: How so, then?
σοφόν τοί σ’ ὄντ’ ἀκούομεν πάλαι.
Indeed, we have long heard that you are wise.
§451κώμου μὲν αὐτὸν τοῦδ’ ἀπαλλάξαι, λέγων §452ὡς οὐ Κύκλωψι πῶμα χρὴ δοῦναι τόδε, §453μόνον δ’ ἔχοντα βίοτον ἡδέως ἄγειν.
ODYSSEUS: By freeing him from this revel, saying that he must not give this drink to the Cyclopes, but should keep it to himself alone and lead a pleasant life.
§454ὅταν δ’ ὑπνώσσῃ Βακχίου νικώμενος §455ἀκρεμὼν ἐλαίας ἔστιν ἐν δόμοισί τις, §456ὃν φασγάνῳ’γὼ τῷδ’ ἀποξύνας ἄκρον, §457ἐς πῦρ καθήσω· κᾆθ’, ὅταν κεκαυμένον §458ἴδω νιν, ἄρας θερμὸν ἐς μέσην βαλῶ §459Κύκλωπος ὄψιν, ὄμμα τ’ ἐκτήξω πυρί.
But when he falls asleep, overcome by Bacchus, there is a certain olive branch in the house, whose tip I, having sharpened with this sword, will thrust into the fire; and then, when I see it burnt, I will lift it and hurl it hot into the middle of the Cyclops' face, and melt out his eye with the fire.
§460ναυπηγίαν δ’ ὡσεί τις ἁρμόζων ἀνὴρ §461διπλοῖν χαλινοῖν τρύπανον κωπηλατεῖ, §462οὕτω κυκλώσω δαλὸν ἐν φαεσφόρῳ §463Κύκλωπος ὄψει καὶ συναυανῶ κόρας.
And just as a man fitting together shipbuilding timbers rotates a drill with double leather straps, so will I spin the brand in the light-bearing eye of the Cyclops and dry up his pupil.
§464ἰοὺ ἰού,
CHORUS: Hurrah, hurrah!
§465γέγηθα, μαινόμεσθα τοῖς εὑρήμασιν.
I rejoice; we are driven mad with these inventions.
§466κἄπειτα καὶ σὲ καὶ φίλους γέροντά τε §467νεὼς μελαίνης κοῖλον ἐμβήσας σκάφος §468διπλαῖσι κώπαις τῆσδ’ ἀποστελῶ χθονός.
ODYSSEUS: And then, having embarked you, your friends, and the old man into the hollow hull of the black ship, I will send you away from this land with double oars.
CHORUS: Is there any way, then, that I too might lay hold, as if of a god's libation, of the brand that blinds his eye?
φόνου γὰρ τοῦδε κοινωνεῖν θέλω.
For I want to share in this slaughter.
§472δεῖ γοῦν· μέγας γὰρ δαλός· οὗ ξυλληπτέον.
ODYSSEUS: Indeed you must; for the brand is large, and you must hold it together with me.
§473ὡς κἂν ἁμαξῶν ἑκατὸν ἀραίμην βάρος, §474εἰ τοῦ Κύκλωπος τοῦ κακῶς ὀλουμένου §475ὀφθαλμὸν ὥσπερ σφηκιὰν ἐκθύψομεν.
CHORUS: I would raise a weight of even a hundred wagons, if we are to smoke out the eye of the Cyclops who is about to perish miserably, like a wasp's nest.
§476σιγᾶτε νῦν· δόλον γὰρ ἐξεπίστασαι·
ODYSSEUS: Be silent now; for you know the trick well.
ἐγὼ γὰρ ἄνδρας ἀπολιπὼν φίλους §479τοὺς ἔνδον ὄντας οὐ μόνος σωθήσομαι.
For I will not save myself alone, abandoning my dear friends who are inside.
§480καίτοι φύγοιμ’ ἄν, κἀκβέβηκ’ ἄντρου μυχῶν· §481ἀλλ’ οὐ δίκαιον ἀπολιπόντ’ ἐμοὺς φίλους, §482ξὺν οἷσπερ ἦλθον δεῦρο, σωθῆναι μόνον.
And yet I could flee, having come out from the recesses of the cave; but it is not right that, abandoning my friends with whom I came here, I should be saved alone.
§483ἄγε, τίς πρῶτος, τίς δ’ ἐπὶ πρώτῳ §484ταχθεὶς δαλοῦ κώπην ὀχμάσας §485Κύκλωπος ἔσω βλεφάρων ὤσας §486λαμπρὰν ὄψιν διακναίσει;
CHORUS: Come, who is first, and who is appointed next after the first to grasp the handle of the brand, and having thrust it inside the Cyclops' eyelids, will destroy his bright eye?
§487σίγα σίγα.
Silence, silence!
καὶ δὴ μεθύων §488ἄχαριν κέλαδον μουσιζόμενος §490σκαιὸς ἀπῳδὸς καὶ κλαυσόμενος §491χωρεῖ πετρίνων ἔξω μελάθρων
And indeed, drunk, singing an unpleasant noise, clumsy and out of tune, and about to weep, he comes out of his rocky halls.
Come, let us educate him, the uneducated one, with revels; at all events he is about to be blind.
§495μάκαρ ὅστις εὐιάζει §496βοτρύων φίλαισι πηγαῖς §497ἐπὶ κῶμον ἐκπετασθείς, §498φίλον ἄνδρ’ ὑπαγκαλίζων §499ἐπὶ δεμνίοις τε ξανθὸν §500χλιδανῆς ἔχων ἑταίρας §501μυρόχριστος λιπαρὸν βό- §502στρυχον, αὐδᾷ δέ· Θύραν τίς οἴξει μοι;
Blessed is he who revels with the beloved streams of clusters, stretched out for the revel, clasping a dear friend in his arms, and on his bed having a golden-haired, luxurious courtesan, anointed with perfume, his sleek lock, and shouting: "Who will open the door for me?" CYCLOPS: Papapai!
§503παπαπᾶ· πλέως μὲν οἴνου, §504γάνυμαι δὲ δαιτὸς ἥβῃ, §505σκάφος ὁλκὰς ὣς γεμισθεὶς §506ποτὶ σέλμα γαστρὸς ἄκρας.
Full indeed of wine, and I rejoice in the youth of the feast, loaded like a cargo ship up to the very top shelf of my belly.
This cheerful pasture leads me gently to the revel in the spring season, towards my brother Cyclopes.
§510φέρε μοι, ξεῖνε, φέρ’, ἀσκὸν ἔνδος μοι.
Come, stranger, come, give me the skin inside.
CHORUS: Looking with beautiful eyes, the beautiful one comes forth from the palace.
§513—παπαπᾶ·
CYCLOPS: —Papapai!
φιλεῖ τις ἡμᾶς. –- §514λύχνα δ’ ἀμμένον δαΐα σὸν §515χρόα χὡς τέρεινα νύμφα §516δροσερῶν ἔσωθεν ἄντρων.
Someone loves us.— CHORUS: And the burning torch awaits your body, like a tender bride inside the dewy caves.
And not just one color of wreaths will soon gather around your head.
ODYSSEUS: Cyclops, listen; for I am experienced in this Bacchus, whom I gave you to drink.
§521ὁ Βάκχιος δὲ τίς θεὸς νομίζεται;
CYCLOPS: And who is Bacchus considered to be as a god?
§522μέγιστος ἀνθρώποισιν ἐς τέρψιν βίου.
ODYSSEUS: The greatest to mortals for the enjoyment of life.
§523ἐρυγγάνω γοῦν αὐτὸν ἡδέως ἐγώ.
CYCLOPS: At any rate, I belch him up with pleasure.
§524τοιόσδ’ ὁ δαίμων· οὐδένα βλάπτει βροτῶν.
ODYSSEUS: Such is the god; he harms none of mortals.
§525θεὸς δ’ ἐν ἀσκῷ πῶς γέγηθ’ οἴκους ἔχων;
CYCLOPS: But how does a god rejoice having his home in a skin bag?
§526ὅπου τιθῇ τις, ἐνθάδ’ ἐστὶν εὐπετής.
ODYSSEUS: Wherever one places him, there he is adaptable.
§527οὐ τοὺς θεοὺς χρὴ σῶμ’ ἔχειν ἐν δέρμασιν.
CYCLOPS: It is not proper for gods to have their body in hides.
§528τί δ’, εἴ σε τέρπει γ’;
ODYSSEUS: What does it matter, if it pleases you?
ἢ τὸ δέρμα σοι πικρόν;
Or is the hide bitter to you?
§529μισῶ τὸν ἀσκόν· τὸ δὲ ποτὸν φιλῶ τόδε.
CYCLOPS: I hate the skin bag, but I love this drink.
§530μένων νυν αὐτοῦ πῖνε κεὐθύμει, Κύκλωψ.
ODYSSEUS: Remaining here now, drink and be cheerful, Cyclops.
§531οὐ χρή μ’ ἀδελφοῖς τοῦδε προσδοῦναι ποτοῦ;
CYCLOPS: Must I not give a share of this drink to my brothers?
§532ἔχων γὰρ αὐτὸς τιμιώτερος φανῇ.
ODYSSEUS: For keeping it yourself, you will appear more honored.
§533διδοὺς δὲ τοῖς φίλοισι χρησιμώτερος.
CYCLOPS: But giving to friends, more useful.
§534πυγμὰς ὁ κῶμος λοίδορόν τ’ ἔριν φιλεῖ.
ODYSSEUS: The revel loves boxing matches and abusive strife.
§535μεθύω μέν, ἔμπας δ’ οὔτις ἂν ψαύσειέ μου.
CYCLOPS: I am drunk, indeed, yet no one would touch me.
§536ὦ τᾶν, πεπωκότ’ ἐν δόμοισι χρὴ μένειν.
ODYSSEUS: My friend, one who has drunk must remain in the house.
§537ἠλίθιος ὅστις μὴ πιὼν κῶμον φιλεῖ.
CYCLOPS: Foolish is he who, not drinking, loves a revel.
§538ὃς δ’ ἂν μεθυσθείς γ’ ἐν δόμοις μείνῃ, σοφός.
ODYSSEUS: But whoever, having got drunk, remains in the house, is wise.