§569πλεῖν ἦν ἕτοιμος;
Was he ready to sail?
ἢ φόβος τις εἶργέ νιν;
Or did some fear prevent him?
He and the son of Tydeus, for another man, were setting out, when I put to sea.
§572πρὸς ποῖον αὖ τόνδʼ αὐτὸς Οὑδυσσεὺς ἔπλει;
For what kind of man, then, was Odysseus himself sailing?
There was indeed someone—but tell me first of this man, who he is; and if you speak, do not speak aloud.
§575ὅδʼ ἔσθʼ ὁ κλεινός σοι Φιλοκτήτης, ξένε.
This is the famous Philoctetes for you, stranger.
Do not ask me more then, but with all speed sail away, taking yourself out of this land.
§578τί φησιν, ὦ παῖ;
What does he say, my child?
τί με κατὰ σκότον ποτὲ §579διεμπολᾷ λόγοισι πρός σʼ ὁ ναυβάτης;
Why does the sailor ever deal with me in whispers to you?
I do not yet know what he says; but he must speak into the light what he would say, to you and me and these men.
§582ὦ σπέρμʼ Ἀχιλλέως, μή με διαβάλῃς στρατῷ §583λέγονθʼ ἃ μὴ δεῖ· πόλλʼ ἐγὼ κείνων ὕπο §584δρῶν ἀντιπάσχω χρηστά θʼ, οἷʼ ἀνὴρ πένης.
O offspring of Achilles, do not slander me to the army as speaking what I should not; for I receive many benefits from them, acting and receiving in return good things, such as a poor man does.
I am hostile to the Atridae; and this man is to me the greatest friend, because he hates the Atridae.
Indeed you, having come as a friend to me, must hide nothing from us of the words you have heard.
§589ὅρα τί ποιεῖς, παῖ.
Look to what you are doing, child.
§589aσκοπῶ κἀγὼ πάλαι.
I too have been considering it for a long time.
§590σὲ θήσομαι τῶνδʼ αἴτιον.
I will hold you responsible for these things.
§590aποιοῦ λέγων.
Do so, by speaking.
§591λέγω.
I speak.
ʼπὶ τοῦτον ἄνδρε τώδʼ ὥπερ κλύεις, §592ὁ Τυδέως παῖς ἥ τʼ Ὀδυσσέως βία, §593διώμοτοι πλέουσιν ἦ μὴν ἢ λόγῳ §594πείσαντες ἄξειν ἢ πρὸς ἰσχύος κράτος.
After this man, those two men of whom you heard, the son of Tydeus and the mighty Odysseus, are sailing under oath that indeed they will bring him, either having persuaded him by words, or by the power of force.
§595καὶ ταῦτʼ Ἀχαιοὶ πάντες ἤκουον σαφῶς §596Ὀδυσσέως λέγοντος· οὗτος γὰρ πλέον §597τὸ θάρσος εἶχε θατέρου δράσειν τάδε.
And all the Achaeans heard this clearly from Odysseus speaking; for he had more confidence than the other that he would do this.
§598τίνος δʼ Ἀτρεῖδαι τοῦδʼ ἄγαν οὕτω χρόνῳ §599τοσῷδʼ ἐπεστρέφοντο πράγματος χάριν, §600ὅν γʼ εἶχον ἤδη χρόνιον ἐκβεβληκότες;
And for the sake of what matter did the Atridae turn their attention so much after so long a time to this man, whom indeed they had long ago cast out and left?
§601τίς ὁ πόθος αὐτοὺς ἵκετʼ;
What desire came upon them?
ἢ θεῶν βία §602καὶ νέμεσις, οἵπερ ἔργʼ ἀμύνουσιν κακά;
Or was it the force and nemesis of the gods, who avenge evil deeds?
I will explain all this to you, for perhaps you have not heard it, fully.
μάντις ἦν τις εὐγενής, §605Πριάμου μὲν υἱός, ὄνομα δʼ ὠνομάζετο §606Ἕλενος, ὃν οὗτος νυκτὸς ἐξελθὼν μόνος, §607ὁ πάντʼ ἀκούων αἰσχρὰ καὶ λωβήτʼ ἔπη §608δόλιος Ὀδυσσεὺς εἷλε· δέσμιόν τʼ ἄγων §609ἔδειξʼ Ἀχαιοῖς ἐς μέσον, θήραν καλήν·
There was a certain noble prophet, a son of Priam, and his name was called Helenus; whom this man, going out alone by night, he who hears all shameful and abusive words, crafty Odysseus, captured; and bringing him bound, he displayed him to the Achaeans in their midst, a fine prey.
§610ὃς δὴ τά τʼ ἄλλʼ αὐτοῖσι πάντʼ ἐθέσπισεν §611καὶ τἀπὶ Τροίᾳ πέργαμʼ ὡς οὐ μή ποτε §612πέρσοιεν, εἰ μὴ τόνδε πείσαντες λόγῳ §613ἄγοιντο νήσου τῆσδʼ ἐφʼ ἧς ναίει τανῦν.
He indeed prophesied all other things to them, and concerning the towers of Troy, that they would never sack them, unless, having persuaded this man by speech, they should bring him from this island on which he now dwells.
§614καὶ ταῦθʼ ὅπως ἤκουσʼ ὁ Λαέρτου τόκος §615τὸν μάντιν εἰπόντʼ, εὐθέως ὑπέσχετο §616τὸν ἄνδρʼ Ἀχαιοῖς τόνδε δηλώσειν ἄγων· §617οἴοιτο μὲν μάλισθʼ ἑκούσιον λαβών, §618εἰ μὴ θέλοι δʼ, ἄκοντα· καὶ τούτων κάρα §619τέμνειν ἐφεῖτο τῷ θέλοντι μὴ τυχών.
And as soon as the son of Laertes heard the prophet saying these things, he straightway promised that he would show this man to the Achaeans, bringing him; he thought indeed most of all that he would bring him willingly, and if he would not, unwillingly; and if he failed in this, he offered his head to be cut off by whoever wished.
You have heard all, my child; and I advise you and anyone you care for, to make haste.
§622οἴμοι τάλας·
Alas, wretched me!
ἦ κεῖνος, ἡ πᾶσα βλάβη, §623ἔμʼ εἰς Ἀχαιοὺς ὤμοσεν πείσας στελεῖν;
Did he, that utter bane, swear that he would persuade and bring me to the Achaeans?
For I shall as soon be persuaded, even having died, from Hades to return to the light, as his father did.
I know nothing of these things; but I am going to my ship, and may God bring about what is best for you both.
§628οὔκουν τάδʼ, ὦ παῖ, δεινά, τὸν Λαερτίου §629ἔμʼ ἐλπίσαι ποτʼ ἂν λόγοισι μαλθακοῖς §630δεῖξαι νεὼς ἄγοντʼ ἐν Ἀργείοις μέσοις;
Is this not indeed terrible, my child, that the son of Laertes should ever hope that with soft words he could show me, bringing me from my ship, in the midst of the Argives?
No; I would sooner listen to the viper which is most hateful to me, and which made me thus footless.
But to him all things are to be said, and all things dared; and now I know that he will come.
But, my child, let us go, so that a wide sea may separate us from the ship of Odysseus.
Let us go; timely haste indeed brings sleep and rest, when the labor is ended.
Then, when the wind from the prow abates, we will set out then; for now it stands against us.
§641ἀεὶ καλὸς πλοῦς ἔσθʼ, ὅταν φεύγῃς κακά.
The voyage is always fair when you are fleeing evils.
§642οὔκ, ἀλλὰ κἀκείνοισι ταῦτʼ ἐναντία.
No, but to them also these things are contrary.