§1.155ἦ τοι ὁ φορμίζων ἀνεβάλλετο καλὸν ἀείδειν.
Indeed, the lyre-player struck up a prelude to sing beautifully.
§1.156αὐτὰρ Τηλέμαχος προσέφη γλαυκῶπιν Ἀθήνην, §1.157ἄγχι σχὼν κεφαλήν, ἵνα μὴ πευθοίαθʼ οἱ ἄλλοι· §1.158ξεῖνε φίλʼ, ἦ καί μοι νεμεσήσεαι ὅττι κεν εἴπω;
But Telemachus addressed flashing-eyed Athena, holding his head close, so that the others might not hear: "Dear guest, will you indeed be angry with me for what I shall say?
§1.159τούτοισιν μὲν ταῦτα μέλει, κίθαρις καὶ ἀοιδή, §1.160ῥεῖʼ, ἐπεὶ ἀλλότριον βίοτον νήποινον ἔδουσιν, §1.161ἀνέρος, οὗ δή που λεύκʼ ὀστέα πύθεται ὄμβρῳ §1.162κείμενʼ ἐπʼ ἠπείρου, ἢ εἰν ἁλὶ κῦμα κυλίνδει.
These things are the care of these men, the lyre and song, easily, since they devour the livelihood of another without payment, of a man whose white bones, I ween, are rotting in the rain as they lie on the mainland, or the wave rolls them in the sea.
§1.163εἰ κεῖνόν γʼ Ἰθάκηνδε ἰδοίατο νοστήσαντα, §1.164πάντες κʼ ἀρησαίατʼ ἐλαφρότεροι πόδας εἶναι §1.165ἢ ἀφνειότεροι χρυσοῖό τε ἐσθῆτός τε.
If they should see him returned to Ithaca, they would all pray to be swifter of foot rather than to be richer in gold and raiment.
§1.166νῦν δʼ ὁ μὲν ὣς ἀπόλωλε κακὸν μόρον, οὐδέ τις ἡμῖν §1.167θαλπωρή, εἴ πέρ τις ἐπιχθονίων ἀνθρώπων §1.168φῇσιν ἐλεύσεσθαι· τοῦ δʼ ὤλετο νόστιμον ἦμαρ.
But now he has perished thus by an evil fate, nor is there for us any comfort, even if anyone of earthly men should say that he will return; his day of return is lost forever.
But come, tell me this, and declare it truly: Who and from whence are you among men?
πόθι τοι πόλις ἠδὲ τοκῆες;
Where is your city and your parents?
§1.171ὁπποίης τʼ ἐπὶ νηὸς ἀφίκεο·
And on what manner of ship did you come?
πῶς δέ σε ναῦται §1.172ἤγαγον εἰς Ἰθάκην;
How did the sailors bring you to Ithaca?
τίνες ἔμμεναι εὐχετόωντο;
Who did they claim to be?
§1.173οὐ μὲν γάρ τί σε πεζὸν ὀίομαι ἐνθάδʼ ἱκέσθαι.
For I do not think by any means that you came hither on foot.
§1.174καί μοι τοῦτʼ ἀγόρευσον ἐτήτυμον, ὄφρʼ ἐὺ εἰδῶ, §1.175ἠὲ νέον μεθέπεις ἦ καὶ πατρώιός ἐσσι §1.176ξεῖνος, ἐπεὶ πολλοὶ ἴσαν ἀνέρες ἡμέτερον δῶ §1.177ἄλλοι, ἐπεὶ καὶ κεῖνος ἐπίστροφος ἦν ἀνθρώπων.
And tell me this truly, so that I may know it well, whether you are newly visiting, or if you are indeed a hereditary guest-friend; for many other men have visited our house, since he too was one who mingled much with men.
§1.178τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε θεά, γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη· §1.179τοιγὰρ ἐγώ τοι ταῦτα μάλʼ ἀτρεκέως ἀγορεύσω.
And him the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena, answered then: "Therefore I will tell you this very truly.
I declare myself to be Mentes, the son of wise Anchialus, and I rule over the oar-loving Taphians.
§1.182νῦν δʼ ὧδε ξὺν νηὶ κατήλυθον ἠδʼ ἑτάροισιν §1.183πλέων ἐπὶ οἴνοπα πόντον ἐπʼ ἀλλοθρόους ἀνθρώπους, §1.184ἐς Τεμέσην μετὰ χαλκόν, ἄγω δʼ αἴθωνα σίδηρον.
And now I have come hither with my ship and companions, sailing over the wine-dark sea to men of strange speech, to Temese for bronze, and I carry flashing iron.
And my ship stands here, away from the city, in the country, in the harbor of Rheithron, beneath wooded Neion.
§1.187ξεῖνοι δʼ ἀλλήλων πατρώιοι εὐχόμεθʼ εἶναι §1.188ἐξ ἀρχῆς, εἴ πέρ τε γέροντʼ εἴρηαι ἐπελθὼν §1.189Λαέρτην ἥρωα, τὸν οὐκέτι φασὶ πόλινδε §1.190ἔρχεσθʼ, ἀλλʼ ἀπάνευθεν ἐπʼ ἀγροῦ πήματα πάσχειν §1.191γρηὶ σὺν ἀμφιπόλῳ, ἥ οἱ βρῶσίν τε πόσιν τε §1.192παρτιθεῖ, εὖτʼ ἄν μιν κάματος κατὰ γυῖα λάβῃσιν §1.193ἑρπύζοντʼ ἀνὰ γουνὸν ἀλωῆς οἰνοπέδοιο.
And guest-friends of one another from our fathers' day we declare ourselves to be from the beginning, if you should go and ask the old hero Laertes, who they say no longer comes to the city, but far away in the country suffers woes, with an old handmaid, who sets before him food and drink, whensoever weariness seizes his limbs, as he creeps along the slope of his vineyard land.
§1.194νῦν δʼ ἦλθον· δὴ γάρ μιν ἔφαντʼ ἐπιδήμιον εἶναι, §1.195σὸν πατέρʼ· ἀλλά νυ τόν γε θεοὶ βλάπτουσι κελεύθου.
And now I have come; for they said indeed that he was at home, even your father; but now the gods are hindering him from his way.
§1.196οὐ γάρ πω τέθνηκεν ἐπὶ χθονὶ δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς, §1.197ἀλλʼ ἔτι που ζωὸς κατερύκεται εὐρέι πόντῳ §1.198νήσῳ ἐν ἀμφιρύτῃ, χαλεποὶ δέ μιν ἄνδρες ἔχουσιν §1.199ἄγριοι, οἵ που κεῖνον ἐρυκανόωσʼ ἀέκοντα.
For not yet has noble Odysseus died upon the earth, but is still, I ween, kept alive on the wide sea, on a sea-girt island, and harsh men hold him, savage men, who, I ween, keep him there against his will.
§1.200αὐτὰρ νῦν τοι ἐγὼ μαντεύσομαι, ὡς ἐνὶ θυμῷ §1.201ἀθάνατοι βάλλουσι καὶ ὡς τελέεσθαι ὀίω, §1.202οὔτε τι μάντις ἐὼν οὔτʼ οἰωνῶν σάφα εἰδώς.
But now I will prophesy to you, as in my heart the immortals put it, and as I think it will be fulfilled, though I am in no way a prophet, nor clear in the knowledge of birds.
§1.203οὔ τοι ἔτι δηρόν γε φίλης ἀπὸ πατρίδος αἴης §1.204ἔσσεται, οὐδʼ εἴ πέρ τε σιδήρεα δέσματʼ ἔχῃσιν·
Not for long now will he be far from his dear native land, no, not even if iron bonds should hold him.
§1.205φράσσεται ὥς κε νέηται, ἐπεὶ πολυμήχανός ἐστιν.
He will devise how he may return, since he is of many devices.
But come, tell me this, and declare it truly, if indeed you are, tall as you are, the very son of Odysseus.
§1.208αἰνῶς μὲν κεφαλήν τε καὶ ὄμματα καλὰ ἔοικας §1.209κείνῳ, ἐπεὶ θαμὰ τοῖον ἐμισγόμεθʼ ἀλλήλοισιν, §1.210πρίν γε τὸν ἐς Τροίην ἀναβήμεναι, ἔνθα περ ἄλλοι §1.211Ἀργείων οἱ ἄριστοι ἔβαν κοίλῃς ἐνὶ νηυσίν· §1.212ἐκ τοῦ δʼ οὔτʼ Ὀδυσῆα ἐγὼν ἴδον οὔτʼ ἔμʼ ἐκεῖνος.
Wondrously like him in head and beautiful eyes you are, since we were wont to meet with one another very often, before he embarked for Troy, whither also others, the best of the Argives, went in their hollow ships.
§1.213τὴν δʼ αὖ Τηλέμαχος πεπνυμένος ἀντίον ηὔδα· §1.214τοιγὰρ ἐγώ τοι, ξεῖνε, μάλʼ ἀτρεκέως ἀγορεύσω.
But from that time forth I have not seen Odysseus, nor he me." And to him wise Telemachus answered in turn: "Therefore, guest, I will speak to you very truly.
§1.215μήτηρ μέν τέ μέ φησι τοῦ ἔμμεναι, αὐτὰρ ἐγώ γε §1.216οὐκ οἶδʼ· οὐ γάρ πώ τις ἑὸν γόνον αὐτὸς ἀνέγνω.
My mother indeed says that I am his, but for my part I do not know; for no man yet has known his own parentage of himself.
§1.217ὡς δὴ ἐγώ γʼ ὄφελον μάκαρός νύ τευ ἔμμεναι υἱὸς §1.218ἀνέρος, ὃν κτεάτεσσιν ἑοῖς ἔπι γῆρας ἔτετμε.
Would that I had been the son of some fortunate man, whom old age overtook amid his own possessions.
§1.219νῦν δʼ ὃς ἀποτμότατος γένετο θνητῶν ἀνθρώπων, §1.220τοῦ μʼ ἔκ φασι γενέσθαι, ἐπεὶ σύ με τοῦτʼ ἐρεείνεις. §1.221τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε θεά, γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη· §1.222οὐ μέν τοι γενεήν γε θεοὶ νώνυμνον ὀπίσσω §1.223θῆκαν, ἐπεὶ σέ γε τοῖον ἐγείνατο Πηνελόπεια.
But now of him who has become the most ill-fated of mortal men, of him they say I am born, since you ask me of this." And him the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena, answered then: "Surely indeed your lineage hereafter the gods have not made nameless, since Penelope has borne you such a son.
§1.224ἀλλʼ ἄγε μοι τόδε εἰπὲ καὶ ἀτρεκέως κατάλεξον·
But come, tell me this, and declare it truly:"