§520ἀλλʼ ἔτι κατʼ οἶδμʼ ἅλιον §521τρυχόμενος οὔπω λιμένων §522ψαύσειεν πατρίας γᾶς, §523ἀλατείᾳ βιότου §524ταλαίφρων, ἄφιλος φίλων, §525παντοδαπᾶς ἐπὶ γᾶς πόδα §526χριμπτόμενος εἰναλίῳ §527κώπᾳ Τρῳάδος ἐκ γᾶς.
but still upon the swell of the sea being worn out, he might not yet touch the harbors of his fatherland, wretched in the wandering of life, friendless of friends, upon all kinds of land bringing his foot close, with the marine oar from the Trojan land.
§528ἥδʼ αὖ τάφου τοῦδʼ εἰς ἕδρας ἐγὼ πάλιν §529στείχω, μαθοῦσα Θεονόης φίλους λόγους, §530ἣ πάντʼ ἀληθῶς οἶδε· φησὶ δʼ ἐν φάει §531πόσιν τὸν ἁμὸν ζῶντα φέγγος εἰσορᾶν, §532πορθμοὺς δʼ ἀλᾶσθαι μυρίους πεπλωκότα §533ἐκεῖσε κἀκεῖσʼ οὐδʼ ἀγύμναστον πλάνοις, §534ἥξειν δʼ ὅταν δὴ πημάτων λάβῃ τέλος.
Here I back to the seat of this tomb approach again, having learned the friendly words of Theonoe, who knows all things truly; and she says that in the light my husband is living and beholds the sun’s beam, and that he wanders having sailed through countless straits hither and thither, and is not unexercised in wanderings, and that he will arrive when indeed he receives the end of his troubles.
§535ἓν δʼ οὐκ ἔλεξεν, εἰ μολὼν σωθήσεται.
But one thing she did not say, whether having come he will be saved.
And I shrank from asking this clearly, being pleased when she told me that he was safe.
And she said that he was somewhere near this land, having been cast ashore as a shipwreck with few friends.
§540ὤμοι, πόθʼ ἥξεις;
Alas, when will you come?
ὡς ποθεινὸς ἂν μόλοις.
How welcome you would be if you should return!
§541ἔα, τίς οὗτος;
Ha! Who is this?
οὔ τί που κρυπτεύομαι §542Πρωτέως ἀσέπτου παιδὸς ἐκ βουλευμάτων;
Am I not indeed being ambushed by the designs of the unholy son of Proteus?
Shall I not like a running filly or a Bacchante of the god hasten my limb to the tomb?
ἄγριος δέ τις §545μορφὴν ὅδʼ ἐστίν, ὅς με θηρᾶται λαβεῖν.
But someone is wild in form, this man who is hunting to catch me.
§546σὲ τὴν ὄρεγμα δεινὸν ἡμιλλημένην §547τύμβου ʼπὶ κρηπῖδʼ ἐμπύρους τʼ ὀρθοστάτας, §548μεῖνον· τί φεύγεις;
You who are striving with a terrible rush toward the base of the tomb and the burning pillars of the altar, wait; why do you flee?
ὡς δέμας δείξασα σὸν §549ἔκπληξιν ἡμῖν ἀφασίαν τε προστίθης.
Since by showing your form you cause amazement and speechless wonder to us.
§550ἀδικούμεθʼ, ὦ γυναῖκες· εἰργόμεσθα γὰρ §551τάφου πρὸς ἀνδρὸς τοῦδε, καί μʼ ἑλὼν θέλει §552δοῦναι τυράννοις ὧν ἐφεύγομεν γάμους.
We are wronged, O women; for we are barred from the tomb by this man, and having seized me he wishes to give me to the rulers whose marriage we were fleeing.
§553οὐ κλῶπές ἐσμεν, οὐχ ὑπηρέται κακῶν.
We are not thieves, nor servants of evil men.
§554καὶ μὴν στολήν γʼ ἄμορφον ἀμφὶ σῶμʼ ἔχεις.
And yet you have an unsightly garment around your body.
§555στῆσον, φόβου μεθεῖσα, λαιψηρὸν πόδα.
Stay your swift foot, letting go of fear.
§556ἵστημʼ, ἐπεί γε τοῦδʼ ἐφάπτομαι τόπου.
I stay it, since indeed I touch this place.
§557τίς εἶ;
Who are you?
τίνʼ ὄψιν σήν, γύναι, προσδέρκομαι;
Whose face of yours, woman, do I look upon?
§558σὺ δʼ εἶ τίς;
And who are you?
αὑτὸς γὰρ σὲ κἄμʼ ἔχει λόγος.
For the same question holds both you and me.
§559οὐπώποτʼ εἶδον προσφερέστερον δέμας.
Never yet did I see a more resembling body.
§560ὦ θεοί·
O gods!
θεὸς γὰρ καὶ τὸ γιγνώσκειν φίλους.
For to recognize friends is indeed a god.
§561Ἑλληνὶς εἶ τις ἢ ἐπιχωρία γυνή;
Are you some Greek woman or a local woman?
§562Ἑλληνίς· ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ σὸν θέλω μαθεῖν.
A Greek; but I also wish to learn yours.
§563Ἑλένῃ σʼ ὁμοίαν δὴ μάλιστʼ εἶδον, γύναι.
I saw you indeed most like to Helen, woman.
§564ἐγὼ δὲ Μενέλεῴ γε σέ· οὐδʼ ἔχω τί φῶ.
And I indeed saw you like Menelaus; nor do I know what I should say.
§565ἔγνως γὰρ ὀρθῶς ἄνδρα δυστυχέστατον.
For you have recognized rightly a most unfortunate man.
§566ὦ χρόνιος ἐλθὼν σῆς δάμαρτος ἐς χέρας.
O you who have come after a long time into the hands of your wife.
§567ποίας δάμαρτος;
What wife?
μὴ θίγῃς ἐμῶν πέπλων.
Do not touch my robes.
§568ἥν σοι δίδωσι Τυνδάρεως, ἐμὸς πατήρ.
The one whom Tyndareus, my father, gave to you.
§569ὦ φωσφόρʼ Ἑκάτη, πέμπε φάσματʼ εὐμενῆ.
O light-bearing Hecate, send kindly phantoms.
§570οὐ νυκτίφαντον πρόπολον Ἐνοδίας μʼ ὁρᾷς.
You do not see in me a night-shining servant of Enodia.
§571οὐ μὴν γυναικῶν γʼ εἷς δυοῖν ἔφυν πόσις.
I indeed was not born the husband of two women.
§572ποίων δὲ λέκτρων δεσπότης ἄλλων ἔφυς;
And of what other beds did you become the master?
§573ἣν ἄντρα κεύθει κἀκ Φρυγῶν κομίζομαι.
Her whom the cave hides, whom I bring back from the Phrygians.
§574οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλη σή τις ἀντʼ ἐμοῦ γυνή.
There is no other woman of yours instead of me.
§575οὔ που φρονῶ μὲν εὖ, τὸ δʼ ὄμμα μου νοσεῖ;
Surely my mind is sound, but my eye is diseased?
§576οὐ γάρ με λεύσσων σὴν δάμαρθʼ ὁρᾶν δοκεῖς;
For do you not think, looking at me, that you see your wife?
§577τὸ σῶμʼ ὅμοιον, τὸ δὲ σαφές μʼ ἀποστερεῖ.
The body is like, but the clear certainty deprives me of it.
§578σκέψαι· τί σοὐνδεῖ;
Look; what is lacking to you?
τίς δὲ σοῦ σοφώτερος;
Who is wiser than you?
§579ἔοικας· οὔτοι τοῦτό γʼ ἐξαρνήσομαι.
You are like; indeed I will not deny this.
§580τίς οὖν διδάξει σʼ ἄλλος ἢ τὰ σʼ ὄμματα;
What other than your own eyes, then, will teach you?
§581ἐκεῖ νοσοῦμεν, ὅτι δάμαρτʼ ἄλλην ἔχω.
In that we are diseased, because I have another wife.
§582οὐκ ἦλθον ἐς γῆν Τρῳάδʼ, ἀλλʼ εἴδωλον ἦν.
I did not go to the Trojan land, but it was an idol.
§583καὶ τίς βλέποντα σώματʼ ἐξεργάζεται;
And who fashions living bodies?
§584αἰθήρ, ὅθεν σὺ θεοπόνητʼ ἔχεις λέχη.
The ether, whence you have a heaven-wrought wife.
§585τίνος πλάσαντος θεῶν; ἄελπτα γὰρ λέγεις.
Fashioned by which of the gods? For you speak of unexpected things.
§586Ἥρας, διάλλαγμʼ, ὡς Πάρις με μὴ λάβοι.
By Hera, as a substitute, so that Paris might not take me.
§587πῶς οὖν ἂν ἐνθάδʼ ἦσθά τʼ ἐν Τροίᾳ θʼ ἅμα;
How indeed could you be here and in Troy at the same time?
§588τοὔνομα γένοιτʼ ἂν πολλαχοῦ, τὸ σῶμα δʼ οὔ.
The name could be in many places, but the body not.
§589μέθες με, λύπης ἅλις ἔχων ἐλήλυθα.
Let me go; I have come having enough of grief.
§590λείψεις γὰρ ἡμᾶς, τὰ δὲ κένʼ ἐξάξεις λέχη;
For will you leave us, and lead away the empty bed?
§591καὶ χαῖρέ γʼ, Ἑλένῃ προσφερὴς ὁθούνεκʼ εἶ.
And farewell, because indeed you are like Helen.
§592ἀπωλόμην· λαβοῦσά σʼ οὐχ ἕξω πόσιν.
I am ruined; having caught you, I shall not have you as husband.
§593τοὐκεῖ με μέγεθος τῶν πόνων πείθει, σὺ δʼ οὔ.
The greatness of the labors there convinces me, but not you.
§594οἲ ἐγώ·
Alas!
τίς ἡμῶν ἐγένετʼ ἀθλιωτέρα;
Who of us became more wretched?
My dearest ones leave me, and I shall never reach the Greeks nor my fatherland.