§10.428ὣς ἐφάμην, οἱ δʼ ὦκα ἐμοῖς ἐπέεσσι πίθοντο.
So I spoke, and they quickly obeyed my words.
§10.429Εὐρύλοχος δέ μοι οἶος ἐρύκανε πάντας ἑταίρους· §10.430καί σφεας φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα· §10.431ἆ δειλοί, πόσʼ ἴμεν;
But Eurylochus alone held back all my companions, and calling out, he spoke to them winged words: "Ah, wretched ones, where are we going?
τί κακῶν ἱμείρετε τούτων; §10.432Κίρκης ἐς μέγαρον καταβήμεναι, ἥ κεν ἅπαντας §10.433ἢ σῦς ἠὲ λύκους ποιήσεται ἠὲ λέοντας, §10.434οἵ κέν οἱ μέγα δῶμα φυλάσσοιμεν καὶ ἀνάγκῃ, §10.435ὥς περ Κύκλωψ ἔρξʼ, ὅτε οἱ μέσσαυλον ἵκοντο §10.436ἡμέτεροι ἕταροι, σὺν δʼ ὁ θρασὺς εἵπετʼ Ὀδυσσεύς·
Why do you desire these evils, to go down into the hall of Circe, who will make all of us either swine, or wolves, or lions, so that we should guard her great house, even by constraint, just as the Cyclops did, when our companions reached his courtyard, and with them followed the bold Odysseus?
§10.437τούτου γὰρ καὶ κεῖνοι ἀτασθαλίῃσιν ὄλοντο. §10.438ὣς ἔφατʼ, αὐτὰρ ἐγώ γε μετὰ φρεσὶ μερμήριξα, §10.439σπασσάμενος τανύηκες ἄορ παχέος παρὰ μηροῦ, §10.440τῷ οἱ ἀποπλήξας κεφαλὴν οὖδάσδε πελάσσαι, §10.441καὶ πηῷ περ ἐόντι μάλα σχεδόν·
For by this man's folly those men also perished." So he spoke, but I pondered in my heart, having drawn my long-pointed sword from beside my thick thigh, whether to strike off his head and bring it to the ground, even though he was a very near kinsman.
ἀλλά μʼ ἑταῖροι §10.442μειλιχίοις ἐπέεσσιν ἐρήτυον ἄλλοθεν ἄλλος· §10.443διογενές, τοῦτον μὲν ἐάσομεν, εἰ σὺ κελεύεις, §10.444αὐτοῦ πὰρ νηί τε μένειν καὶ νῆα ἔρυσθαι· §10.445ἡμῖν δʼ ἡγεμόνευʼ ἱερὰ πρὸς δώματα Κίρκης. §10.446ὣς φάμενοι παρὰ νηὸς ἀνήιον ἠδὲ θαλάσσης.
But my companions restrained me from every side with gentle words: "O sprung from Zeus, we shall let this man be, if you bid, to remain here by the ship and to guard the ship; but do you lead us to the sacred house of Circe." So saying, they went up from the ship and the sea.
§10.447οὐδὲ μὲν Εὐρύλοχος κοίλῃ παρὰ νηὶ λέλειπτο, §10.448ἀλλʼ ἕπετʼ· ἔδεισεν γὰρ ἐμὴν ἔκπαγλον ἐνιπήν.
Nor indeed was Eurylochus left behind by the hollow ship, but he followed, for he feared my dreadful rebuke.
§10.449τόφρα δὲ τοὺς ἄλλους ἑτάρους ἐν δώμασι Κίρκη §10.450ἐνδυκέως λοῦσέν τε καὶ ἔχρισεν λίπʼ ἐλαίῳ, §10.451ἀμφὶ δʼ ἄρα χλαίνας οὔλας βάλεν ἠδὲ χιτῶνας· §10.452δαινυμένους δʼ ἐὺ πάντας ἐφεύρομεν ἐν μεγάροισιν.
Meanwhile Circe in her halls washed the other companions tenderly and anointed them with olive oil, and threw woollen cloaks and tunics about them; and we found them all feasting well in the halls.
§10.453οἱ δʼ ἐπεὶ ἀλλήλους εἶδον φράσσαντό τʼ ἐσάντα, §10.454κλαῖον ὀδυρόμενοι, περὶ δὲ στεναχίζετο δῶμα.
But when they saw each other and recognized each other face to face, they wept lamenting, and the house echoed around with groaning.
§10.455ἡ δέ μευ ἄγχι στᾶσα προσηύδα δῖα θεάων· §10.457μηκέτι νῦν θαλερὸν γόον ὄρνυτε· οἶδα καὶ αὐτὴ §10.458ἠμὲν ὅσʼ ἐν πόντῳ πάθετʼ ἄλγεα ἰχθυόεντι, §10.459ἠδʼ ὅσʼ ἀνάρσιοι ἄνδρες ἐδηλήσαντʼ ἐπὶ χέρσου.
And standing near me, she spoke, the divine among goddesses: "No longer now stir up big lamentation; I myself know both what griefs you suffered on the fish-abundant sea, and what harm hostile men did to you on the dry land.
§10.460ἀλλʼ ἄγετʼ ἐσθίετε βρώμην καὶ πίνετε οἶνον, §10.461εἰς ὅ κεν αὖτις θυμὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσι λάβητε, §10.462οἷον ὅτε πρώτιστον ἐλείπετε πατρίδα γαῖαν §10.463τρηχείης Ἰθάκης.
But come, eat food and drink wine, until you receive again spirit in your breasts, such as when you first left your fatherland of rugged Ithaca.
νῦν δʼ ἀσκελέες καὶ ἄθυμοι, §10.464αἰὲν ἄλης χαλεπῆς μεμνημένοι, οὐδέ ποθʼ ὕμιν §10.465θυμὸς ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ, ἐπεὶ ἦ μάλα πολλὰ πέποσθε. §10.466ὣς ἔφαθʼ, ἡμῖν δʼ αὖτʼ ἐπεπείθετο θυμὸς ἀγήνωρ.
But now you are parched and spiritless, always remembering your hard wandering, and never is your heart in good cheer, since indeed you have suffered very many things." So she spoke, and our proud heart complied once more.
§10.467ἔνθα μὲν ἤματα πάντα τελεσφόρον εἰς ἐνιαυτὸν §10.468ἥμεθα δαινύμενοι κρέα τʼ ἄσπετα καὶ μέθυ ἡδύ· §10.469ἀλλʼ ὅτε δή ῥʼ ἐνιαυτὸς ἔην, περὶ δʼ ἔτραπον ὧραι §10.470μηνῶν φθινόντων, περὶ δʼ ἤματα μακρὰ τελέσθη, §10.471καὶ τότε μʼ ἐκκαλέσαντες ἔφαν ἐρίηρες ἑταῖροι· §10.472δαιμόνιʼ, ἤδη νῦν μιμνήσκεο πατρίδος αἴης, §10.473εἴ τοι θέσφατόν ἐστι σαωθῆναι καὶ ἱκέσθαι §10.474οἶκον ἐς ὑψόροφον καὶ σὴν ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν. §10.475ὣς ἔφαν, αὐτὰρ ἐμοί γʼ ἐπεπείθετο θυμὸς ἀγήνωρ.
There indeed day after day for a whole year we sat feasting on abundant meat and sweet wine; but when a year had passed, and the seasons turned around, as the months waned and the long days were completed, then indeed my trusty companions called me out and said: "O wondrous man, now at last remember your fatherland, if indeed it is ordained for you to be saved and to reach your high-roofed house and your fatherland." So they spoke, and my proud heart complied.
§10.476ὣς τότε μὲν πρόπαν ἦμαρ ἐς ἠέλιον καταδύντα §10.477ἥμεθα, δαινύμενοι κρέα τʼ ἄσπετα καὶ μέθυ ἡδύ· §10.478ἦμος δʼ ἠέλιος κατέδυ καὶ ἐπὶ κνέφας ἦλθεν, §10.479οἱ μὲν κοιμήσαντο κατὰ μέγαρα σκιόεντα.
So then all day long until the setting of the sun we sat feasting on abundant meat and sweet wine; but when the sun set and darkness came on, they lay down to sleep in the shadowy halls.
§10.480αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ Κίρκης ἐπιβὰς περικαλλέος εὐνῆς §10.481γούνων ἐλλιτάνευσα, θεὰ δέ μευ ἔκλυεν αὐδῆς· §10.482καί μιν φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδων· §10.483ὢ Κίρκη, τέλεσόν μοι ὑπόσχεσιν ἥν περ ὑπέστης, §10.484οἴκαδε πεμψέμεναι· θυμὸς δέ μοι ἔσσυται ἤδη, §10.485ἠδʼ ἄλλων ἑτάρων, οἵ μευ φθινύθουσι φίλον κῆρ §10.486ἀμφʼ ἔμʼ ὀδυρόμενοι, ὅτε που σύ γε νόσφι γένηαι. §10.487ὣς ἐφάμην, ἡ δʼ αὐτίκʼ ἀμείβετο δῖα θεάων· §10.488διογενὲς Λαερτιάδη, πολυμήχανʼ Ὀδυσσεῦ, §10.489μηκέτι νῦν ἀέκοντες ἐμῷ ἐνὶ μίμνετε οἴκῳ.
But I, having gone onto the beautiful bed of Circe, clasped her knees in supplication, and the goddess heard my voice; and calling out, I spoke to her winged words: "O Circe, fulfill for me the promise which you undertook, to send me home; for my heart is already eager, and that of my other companions, who waste my dear heart by lamenting around me whenever you are apart." So I spoke, and she at once answered, the divine among goddesses: "Son of Laertes, sprung from Zeus, Odysseus of many devices, no longer remain now unwillingly in my house.
§10.490ἀλλʼ ἄλλην χρὴ πρῶτον ὁδὸν τελέσαι καὶ ἱκέσθαι §10.491εἰς Ἀίδαο δόμους καὶ ἐπαινῆς Περσεφονείης, §10.492ψυχῇ χρησομένους Θηβαίου Τειρεσίαο, §10.493μάντηος ἀλαοῦ, τοῦ τε φρένες ἔμπεδοί εἰσι· §10.494τῷ καὶ τεθνηῶτι νόον πόρε Περσεφόνεια, §10.495οἴῳ πεπνῦσθαι, τοὶ δὲ σκιαὶ ἀίσσουσιν. §10.496ὣς ἔφατʼ, αὐτὰρ ἐμοί γε κατεκλάσθη φίλον ἦτορ· §10.497κλαῖον δʼ ἐν λεχέεσσι καθήμενος, οὐδέ νύ μοι κῆρ §10.498ἤθελʼ ἔτι ζώειν καὶ ὁρᾶν φάος ἠελίοιο.
But you must first complete another journey and reach the house of Hades and dread Persephone, to consult the soul of Theban Teiresias, the blind prophet, whose mind is stable; to whom even in death Persephone granted intelligence, that he alone should have understanding, while the others flit about as shadows." So she spoke, and my dear heart was broken; I sat weeping on the bed, nor did my heart wish any longer to live and to see the light of the sun.