§10.501ὢ Κίρκη, τίς γὰρ ταύτην ὁδὸν ἡγεμονεύσει;
"O Circe, for who will guide us on this journey?
§10.502εἰς Ἄϊδος δʼ οὔ πώ τις ἀφίκετο νηὶ μελαίνῃ. §10.503ὣς ἐφάμην, ἡ δʼ αὐτίκʼ ἀμείβετο δῖα θεάων· §10.504διογενὲς Λαερτιάδη, πολυμήχανʼ Ὀδυσσεῦ, §10.505μή τί τοι ἡγεμόνος γε ποθὴ παρὰ νηὶ μελέσθω, §10.506ἱστὸν δὲ στήσας, ἀνά θʼ ἱστία λευκὰ πετάσσας §10.507ἧσθαι· τὴν δέ κέ τοι πνοιὴ Βορέαο φέρῃσιν.
To the house of Hades no one has ever yet reached in a black ship." So I spoke, and she at once answered, the divine among goddesses: "Son of Laertes, sprung from Zeus, Odysseus of many devices, let not the lack of a guide beside your ship be any care to you, but set up your mast, and spread your white sails, and sit still; and the breath of Boreas will carry her.
§10.508ἀλλʼ ὁπότʼ ἂν δὴ νηὶ διʼ Ὠκεανοῖο περήσῃς, §10.509ἔνθʼ ἀκτή τε λάχεια καὶ ἄλσεα Περσεφονείης, §10.510μακραί τʼ αἴγειροι καὶ ἰτέαι ὠλεσίκαρποι, §10.511νῆα μὲν αὐτοῦ κέλσαι ἐπʼ Ὠκεανῷ βαθυδίνῃ, §10.512αὐτὸς δʼ εἰς Ἀίδεω ἰέναι δόμον εὐρώεντα.
But when you have crossed through Oceanus in your ship, where is a low shore and the groves of Persephone, tall poplars and willows that shed their fruit, there beach your ship by deep-eddying Oceanus, and go yourself to the moldering house of Hades.
§10.513ἔνθα μὲν εἰς Ἀχέροντα Πυριφλεγέθων τε ῥέουσιν §10.514Κώκυτός θʼ, ὃς δὴ Στυγὸς ὕδατός ἐστιν ἀπορρώξ, §10.515πέτρη τε ξύνεσίς τε δύω ποταμῶν ἐριδούπων·
There Pyriphlegethon and Cocytus flow into Acheron, Cocytus, which is a branch of the water of Styx, and there is a rock and the meeting-place of the two roaring rivers.
§10.516ἔνθα δʼ ἔπειθʼ, ἥρως, χριμφθεὶς πέλας, ὥς σε κελεύω, §10.517βόθρον ὀρύξαι, ὅσον τε πυγούσιον ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα, §10.518ἀμφʼ αὐτῷ δὲ χοὴν χεῖσθαι πᾶσιν νεκύεσσιν, §10.519πρῶτα μελικρήτῳ, μετέπειτα δὲ ἡδέι οἴνῳ, §10.520τὸ τρίτον αὖθʼ ὕδατι· ἐπὶ δʼ ἄλφιτα λευκὰ παλύνειν.
There then, O hero, draw near as I bid you, and dig a pit, about a cubit's length each way, and pour a libation about it to all the dead, first with honeyed milk, and thereafter with sweet wine, and the third time with water; and sprinkle white barley meal upon it.
§10.521πολλὰ δὲ γουνοῦσθαι νεκύων ἀμενηνὰ κάρηνα, §10.522ἐλθὼν εἰς Ἰθάκην στεῖραν βοῦν, ἥ τις ἀρίστη, §10.523ῥέξειν ἐν μεγάροισι πυρήν τʼ ἐμπλησέμεν ἐσθλῶν, §10.524Τειρεσίῃ δʼ ἀπάνευθεν ὄιν ἱερευσέμεν οἴῳ §10.525παμμέλανʼ, ὃς μήλοισι μεταπρέπει ὑμετέροισιν.
And make many prayers to the strengthless heads of the dead, promising that when you come to Ithaca you will sacrifice a barren heifer, the best you have, in your halls, and will fill the pyre with good things, and to Teiresias alone apart you will sacrifice a sheep, all black, which is outstanding among your sheep.
§10.526αὐτὰρ ἐπὴν εὐχῇσι λίσῃ κλυτὰ ἔθνεα νεκρῶν, §10.527ἔνθʼ ὄιν ἀρνειὸν ῥέζειν θῆλύν τε μέλαιναν §10.528εἰς Ἔρεβος στρέψας, αὐτὸς δʼ ἀπονόσφι τραπέσθαι §10.529ἱέμενος ποταμοῖο ῥοάων· ἔνθα δὲ πολλαὶ §10.530ψυχαὶ ἐλεύσονται νεκύων κατατεθνηώτων.
But when you have supplicated with prayers the glorious hosts of the dead, then sacrifice a ram and a black ewe, turning them toward Erebus, but do you yourself turn away, striving toward the streams of the river; and there many souls of the dead who are departed come.
§10.531δὴ τότʼ ἔπειθʼ ἑτάροισιν ἐποτρῦναι καὶ ἀνῶξαι §10.532μῆλα, τὰ δὴ κατάκειτʼ ἐσφαγμένα νηλέι χαλκῷ, §10.533δείραντας κατακῆαι, ἐπεύξασθαι δὲ θεοῖσιν, §10.534ἰφθίμῳ τʼ Ἀίδῃ καὶ ἐπαινῇ Περσεφονείῃ·
Then indeed urge on your companions and command them to flay and burn the sheep which lie there slaughtered by the pitiless bronze, and to pray to the gods, to mighty Hades and dread Persephone.
§10.535αὐτὸς δὲ ξίφος ὀξὺ ἐρυσσάμενος παρὰ μηροῦ §10.536ἧσθαι, μηδὲ ἐᾶν νεκύων ἀμενηνὰ κάρηνα §10.537αἵματος ἆσσον ἴμεν, πρὶν Τειρεσίαο πυθέσθαι.
But do you yourself, having drawn your sharp sword from beside your thigh, sit still and not permit the strengthless heads of the dead to draw near to the blood, until you have questioned Teiresias.
§10.538ἔνθα τοι αὐτίκα μάντις ἐλεύσεται, ὄρχαμε λαῶν, §10.539ὅς κέν τοι εἴπῃσιν ὁδὸν καὶ μέτρα κελεύθου §10.540νόστον θʼ, ὡς ἐπὶ πόντον ἐλεύσεαι ἰχθυόεντα. §10.541ὣς ἔφατʼ, αὐτίκα δὲ χρυσόθρονος ἤλυθεν Ἠώς.
There straightway the prophet will come to you, leader of men, who will tell you your way and the measure of your path, and your return, how you shall go over the fish-abundant sea." So she spoke, and straightway golden-throned Dawn came.
§10.542ἀμφὶ δέ με χλαῖνάν τε χιτῶνά τε εἵματα ἕσσεν·
And she clothed me in a cloak and a tunic as garments.
§10.543αὐτὴ δʼ ἀργύφεον φᾶρος μέγα ἕννυτο νύμφη, §10.544λεπτὸν καὶ χαρίεν, περὶ δὲ ζώνην βάλετʼ ἰξυῖ §10.545καλὴν χρυσείην, κεφαλῇ δʼ ἐπέθηκε καλύπτρην.
And she, the nymph, clothed herself in a great silvery-white robe, thin and graceful, and cast a beautiful golden girdle about her waist, and put a veil upon her head.
§10.546αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ διὰ δώματʼ ἰὼν ὤτρυνον ἑταίρους §10.547μειλιχίοις ἐπέεσσι παρασταδὸν ἄνδρα ἕκαστον· §10.548μηκέτι νῦν εὕδοντες ἀωτεῖτε γλυκὺν ὕπνον, §10.549ἀλλʼ ἴομεν· δὴ γάρ μοι ἐπέφραδε πότνια Κίρκη. §10.550ὣς ἐφάμην, τοῖσιν δʼ ἐπεπείθετο θυμὸς ἀγήνωρ.
But I went through the halls and urged on my companions, standing beside each man with gentle words: "No longer now sleep and cull the flower of sweet sleep, but let us go; for now queenly Circe has revealed all to me." So I spoke, and their proud heart complied.
§10.551οὐδὲ μὲν οὐδʼ ἔνθεν περ ἀπήμονας ἦγον ἑταίρους.
Yet not even from there did I lead my companions scatheless.
§10.552Ἐλπήνωρ δέ τις ἔσκε νεώτατος, οὔτε τι λίην §10.553ἄλκιμος ἐν πολέμῳ οὔτε φρεσὶν ᾗσιν ἀρηρώς· §10.554ὅς μοι ἄνευθʼ ἑτάρων ἱεροῖς ἐν δώμασι Κίρκης, §10.555ψύχεος ἱμείρων, κατελέξατο οἰνοβαρείων.
There was a certain Elpenor, the youngest of all, not very valiant in war nor very sound in his wits, who, apart from his companions in the sacred house of Circe, seeking the cool, had laid down to sleep, heavy with wine.
§10.556κινυμένων δʼ ἑτάρων ὅμαδον καὶ δοῦπον ἀκούσας §10.557ἐξαπίνης ἀνόρουσε καὶ ἐκλάθετο φρεσὶν ᾗσιν §10.558ἄψορρον καταβῆναι ἰὼν ἐς κλίμακα μακρήν, §10.559ἀλλὰ καταντικρὺ τέγεος πέσεν· ἐκ δέ οἱ αὐχὴν §10.560ἀστραγάλων ἐάγη, ψυχὴ δʼ Ἄϊδόσδε κατῆλθεν.
And hearing the noise and the din of his companions moving, he suddenly sprang up, and forgot in his mind to go back down by the long ladder, but fell headlong from the roof; and his neck was broken from the vertebrae, and his soul went down to the house of Hades.
§10.561ἐρχομένοισι δὲ τοῖσιν ἐγὼ μετὰ μῦθον ἔειπον· §10.562φάσθε νύ που οἶκόνδε φίλην ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν §10.563ἔρχεσθʼ· ἄλλην δʼ ἧμιν ὁδὸν τεκμήρατο Κίρκη, §10.564εἰς Ἀίδαο δόμους καὶ ἐπαινῆς Περσεφονείης §10.565ψυχῇ χρησομένους Θηβαίου Τειρεσίαο. §10.566ὣς ἐφάμην, τοῖσιν δὲ κατεκλάσθη φίλον ἦτορ, §10.567ἑζόμενοι δὲ κατʼ αὖθι γόων τίλλοντό τε χαίτας·
And as they were coming, I spoke a word among them: "You think, perhaps, that you are going home to your dear fatherland; but Circe has pointed out for us another journey, to the house of Hades and dread Persephone, to consult the soul of Theban Teiresias." So I spoke, and their dear heart was broken; and sitting down right there they wept and tore their hair.
§10.568ἀλλʼ οὐ γάρ τις πρῆξις ἐγίγνετο μυρομένοισιν.
Yet indeed no advantage came to them from their lamentation.
§10.569ἀλλʼ ὅτε δή ῥʼ ἐπὶ νῆα θοὴν καὶ θῖνα θαλάσσης §10.570ᾔομεν ἀχνύμενοι θαλερὸν κατὰ δάκρυ χέοντες, §10.571τόφρα δʼ ἄρʼ οἰχομένη Κίρκη παρὰ νηὶ μελαίνῃ §10.572ἀρνειὸν κατέδησεν ὄιν θῆλύν τε μέλαιναν, §10.573ῥεῖα παρεξελθοῦσα· τίς ἂν θεὸν οὐκ ἐθέλοντα §10.574ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἴδοιτʼ ἢ ἔνθʼ ἢ ἔνθα κιόντα;
But when we were going to the swift ship and the shore of the sea, grieving and shedding big tears, meanwhile Circe had gone to the black ship and tied there a ram and a black ewe, passing by us easily; for who could see a god against his will, going this way or that, with his eyes?