§1.225τίς δαίς, τίς δὲ ὅμιλος ὅδʼ ἔπλετο;
"What feast, what throng is this?
τίπτε δέ σε χρεώ;
What need has come upon you?
§1.226εἰλαπίνη ἠὲ γάμος;
Is it a banquet or a wedding?
ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἔρανος τάδε γʼ ἐστίν·
For this is surely no potluck-feast.
For so insolently they seem to me to feast in the house.
νεμεσσήσαιτό κεν ἀνὴρ §1.229αἴσχεα πόλλʼ ὁρόων, ὅς τις πινυτός γε μετέλθοι. §1.230τὴν δʼ αὖ Τηλέμαχος πεπνυμένος ἀντίον ηὔδα· §1.231ξεῖνʼ, ἐπεὶ ἂρ δὴ ταῦτά μʼ ἀνείρεαι ἠδὲ μεταλλᾷς, §1.232μέλλεν μέν ποτε οἶκος ὅδʼ ἀφνειὸς καὶ ἀμύμων §1.233ἔμμεναι, ὄφρʼ ἔτι κεῖνος ἀνὴρ ἐπιδήμιος ἦεν·
Any right-minded man would be wroth beholding so many outrages, if any sensible man should come among them." And to her wise Telemachus answered in turn: "Guest, since indeed you ask and inquire of me concerning these things, this house was once destined to be rich and noble, as long as that man was still at home.
§1.234νῦν δʼ ἑτέρως ἐβόλοντο θεοὶ κακὰ μητιόωντες, §1.235οἳ κεῖνον μὲν ἄιστον ἐποίησαν περὶ πάντων §1.236ἀνθρώπων, ἐπεὶ οὔ κε θανόντι περ ὧδʼ ἀκαχοίμην, §1.237εἰ μετὰ οἷς ἑτάροισι δάμη Τρώων ἐνὶ δήμῳ, §1.238ἠὲ φίλων ἐν χερσίν, ἐπεὶ πόλεμον τολύπευσεν.
But now the gods have willed otherwise, devising evil, they who have made him unseen beyond all men; since I would not grieve so much for him even though he were dead, if he had been slain among his comrades in the land of the Trojans, or in the arms of his friends, when he had wound up the war.
In that case the whole Achaean host would have made him a tomb, and for his son too he would have won great glory for the future.
§1.241νῦν δέ μιν ἀκλειῶς ἅρπυιαι ἀνηρείψαντο· §1.242οἴχετʼ ἄιστος ἄπυστος, ἐμοὶ δʼ ὀδύνας τε γόους τε §1.243κάλλιπεν.
But now the storm-winds have snatched him away ingloriously; he is gone, unseen and unheard of, and to me he has left pain and weeping.
οὐδέ τι κεῖνον ὀδυρόμενος στεναχίζω §1.244οἶον, ἐπεί νύ μοι ἄλλα θεοὶ κακὰ κήδεʼ ἔτευξαν.
Nor do I groan and weep for him alone, since now the gods have brought upon me other evil cares.
§1.245ὅσσοι γὰρ νήσοισιν ἐπικρατέουσιν ἄριστοι, §1.246Δουλιχίῳ τε Σάμῃ τε καὶ ὑλήεντι Ζακύνθῳ, §1.247ἠδʼ ὅσσοι κραναὴν Ἰθάκην κάτα κοιρανέουσιν, §1.248τόσσοι μητέρʼ ἐμὴν μνῶνται, τρύχουσι δὲ οἶκον.
For all the nobles who rule over the islands, Dulichium and Same and wooded Zacynthus, and all those who hold sway in rugged Ithaca, so many are wooing my mother and wasting my house.
§1.249ἡ δʼ οὔτʼ ἀρνεῖται στυγερὸν γάμον οὔτε τελευτὴν §1.250ποιῆσαι δύναται· τοὶ δὲ φθινύθουσιν ἔδοντες §1.251οἶκον ἐμόν· τάχα δή με διαρραίσουσι καὶ αὐτόν. §1.252τὸν δʼ ἐπαλαστήσασα προσηύδα Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη· §1.253ὢ πόποι, ἦ δὴ πολλὸν ἀποιχομένου Ὀδυσῆος §1.254δεύῃ, ὅ κε μνηστῆρσιν ἀναιδέσι χεῖρας ἐφείη.
And she neither refuses the hateful marriage nor can she make an end of it; but they consume and waste my house; and soon they will destroy me myself also." Then, filled with indignation, Pallas Athena spoke to him: "Alas! truly you have great need of the absent Odysseus, who might lay hands upon these shameless suitors.
§1.255εἰ γὰρ νῦν ἐλθὼν δόμου ἐν πρώτῃσι θύρῃσι §1.256σταίη, ἔχων πήληκα καὶ ἀσπίδα καὶ δύο δοῦρε, §1.257τοῖος ἐὼν οἷόν μιν ἐγὼ τὰ πρῶτʼ ἐνόησα §1.258οἴκῳ ἐν ἡμετέρῳ πίνοντά τε τερπόμενόν τε, §1.259ἐξ Ἐφύρης ἀνιόντα παρʼ Ἴλου Μερμερίδαο— §1.260ᾤχετο γὰρ καὶ κεῖσε θοῆς ἐπὶ νηὸς Ὀδυσσεὺς §1.261φάρμακον ἀνδροφόνον διζήμενος, ὄφρα οἱ εἴη §1.262ἰοὺς χρίεσθαι χαλκήρεας· ἀλλʼ ὁ μὲν οὔ οἱ §1.263δῶκεν, ἐπεί ῥα θεοὺς νεμεσίζετο αἰὲν ἐόντας, §1.264ἀλλὰ πατήρ οἱ δῶκεν ἐμός· φιλέεσκε γὰρ αἰνῶς— §1.265τοῖος ἐὼν μνηστῆρσιν ὁμιλήσειεν Ὀδυσσεύς·
For if he should now come and stand at the outer gates of the house, with helmet and shield and two spears, such a man as he was when I first saw him drinking and making merry in our house, on his way back from Ephyra, from Ilus, son of Mermerus— for Odysseus had gone thither also on his swift ship seeking a deadly drug, that he might have it to smear on his bronze-tipped arrows; but Ilus would not give it to him, since he feared the gods who live forever, but my father gave it to him, for he loved him exceedingly— if only Odysseus, such a man as he was, might encounter the suitors!
§1.266πάντες κʼ ὠκύμοροί τε γενοίατο πικρόγαμοί τε.
They would all find a swift death and a bitter wedding.
§1.267ἀλλʼ ἦ τοι μὲν ταῦτα θεῶν ἐν γούνασι κεῖται, §1.268ἤ κεν νοστήσας ἀποτίσεται, ἦε καὶ οὐκί, §1.269οἷσιν ἐνὶ μεγάροισι· σὲ δὲ φράζεσθαι ἄνωγα, §1.270ὅππως κε μνηστῆρας ἀπώσεαι ἐκ μεγάροιο.
Yet, truly, these things lie on the knees of the gods, whether he shall return and take vengeance, or not, in his own halls; but I bid you to consider how you may thrust the suitors out of the hall.
§1.271εἰ δʼ ἄγε νῦν ξυνίει καὶ ἐμῶν ἐμπάζεο μύθων· §1.272αὔριον εἰς ἀγορὴν καλέσας ἥρωας Ἀχαιοὺς §1.273μῦθον πέφραδε πᾶσι, θεοὶ δʼ ἐπὶ μάρτυροι ἔστων.
Come now, listen and give heed to my words: Tomorrow call the Achaean heroes to the assembly, and speak your word to them all, and let the gods be witnesses.
§1.274μνηστῆρας μὲν ἐπὶ σφέτερα σκίδνασθαι ἄνωχθι, §1.275μητέρα δʼ, εἴ οἱ θυμὸς ἐφορμᾶται γαμέεσθαι, §1.276ἂψ ἴτω ἐς μέγαρον πατρὸς μέγα δυναμένοιο· §1.277οἱ δὲ γάμον τεύξουσι καὶ ἀρτυνέουσιν ἔεδνα §1.278πολλὰ μάλʼ, ὅσσα ἔοικε φίλης ἐπὶ παιδὸς ἕπεσθαι.
Bid the suitors disperse each to his own, and your mother, if her heart is set on marriage, let her go back to the hall of her father, great in power; and they will arrange the marriage, and make ready the bridal gifts, very many, such as should accompany a beloved daughter.
§1.279σοὶ δʼ αὐτῷ πυκινῶς ὑποθήσομαι, αἴ κε πίθηαι· §1.280νῆʼ ἄρσας ἐρέτῃσιν ἐείκοσιν, ἥ τις ἀρίστη, §1.281ἔρχεο πευσόμενος πατρὸς δὴν οἰχομένοιο, §1.282ἤν τίς τοι εἴπῃσι βροτῶν, ἢ ὄσσαν ἀκούσῃς §1.283ἐκ Διός, ἥ τε μάλιστα φέρει κλέος ἀνθρώποισι.
And to yourself I will give a wise counsel, if you will obey: fit out a ship with twenty oars, the best you can find, and go to make inquiry of your father, who has been long gone, if any mortal may tell you, or if you may hear a voice from Zeus, which above all brings tidings to men.
§1.284πρῶτα μὲν ἐς Πύλον ἐλθὲ καὶ εἴρεο Νέστορα δῖον, §1.285κεῖθεν δὲ Σπάρτηνδε παρὰ ξανθὸν Μενέλαον· §1.286ὃς γὰρ δεύτατος ἦλθεν Ἀχαιῶν χαλκοχιτώνων.
First go to Pylos and inquire of noble Nestor, and from thence to Sparta to fair-haired Menelaus; for he was the last of the bronze-clad Achaeans to return.
§1.287εἰ μέν κεν πατρὸς βίοτον καὶ νόστον ἀκούσῃς, §1.288ἦ τʼ ἂν τρυχόμενός περ ἔτι τλαίης ἐνιαυτόν· §1.289εἰ δέ κε τεθνηῶτος ἀκούσῃς μηδʼ ἔτʼ ἐόντος, §1.290νοστήσας δὴ ἔπειτα φίλην ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν §1.291σῆμά τέ οἱ χεῦαι καὶ ἐπὶ κτέρεα κτερεΐξαι §1.292πολλὰ μάλʼ, ὅσσα ἔοικε, καὶ ἀνέρι μητέρα δοῦναι.
If you hear that your father is alive and on his way home, then indeed, though sorely tried, you might endure for yet a year; but if you hear that he is dead and no longer living, then return to your own dear native land, and heap up a mound for him, and perform funeral rites very many, as is fitting, and give your mother to a husband.
§1.293αὐτὰρ ἐπὴν δὴ ταῦτα τελευτήσῃς τε καὶ ἔρξῃς, §1.294φράζεσθαι δὴ ἔπειτα κατὰ φρένα καὶ κατὰ θυμὸν §1.295ὅππως κε μνηστῆρας ἐνὶ μεγάροισι τεοῖσι §1.296κτείνῃς ἠὲ δόλῳ ἢ ἀμφαδόν· οὐδέ τί σε χρὴ
But when you have finished and done all these things, then consider in your mind and in your heart how you may slay the suitors in your halls, whether by guile or openly; for it behaves you not to..."