§11.74ἀλλά με κακκῆαι σὺν τεύχεσιν, ἅσσα μοι ἔστιν, §11.75σῆμά τέ μοι χεῦαι πολιῆς ἐπὶ θινὶ θαλάσσης, §11.76ἀνδρὸς δυστήνοιο καὶ ἐσσομένοισι πυθέσθαι.
But burn me with my armor, whatever is mine, and heap up a mound for me on the shore of the gray sea, of an unhappy man, that those to come may hear of it.
§11.77ταῦτά τέ μοι τελέσαι πῆξαί τʼ ἐπὶ τύμβῳ ἐρετμόν, §11.78τῷ καὶ ζωὸς ἔρεσσον ἐὼν μετʼ ἐμοῖς ἑτάροισιν. §11.79ὣς ἔφατʼ, αὐτὰρ ἐγώ μιν ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπον· §11.80ταῦτά τοι, ὦ δύστηνε, τελευτήσω τε καὶ ἔρξω. §11.81νῶι μὲν ὣς ἐπέεσσιν ἀμειβομένω στυγεροῖσιν §11.82ἥμεθʼ, ἐγὼ μὲν ἄνευθεν ἐφʼ αἵματι φάσγανον ἴσχων, §11.83εἴδωλον δʼ ἑτέρωθεν ἑταίρου πόλλʼ ἀγόρευεν·
Perform these things for me, and plant my oar upon my tomb, with which I rowed when I was alive among my companions." So he spoke, but I answering addressed him: "These things for you, O unhappy man, I will perform and do." Thus we two sat exchanging gloomy words, sitting, I on my part holding my sword over the blood from afar, while on the other side the phantom of my companion spoke at length.
§11.84ἦλθε δʼ ἐπὶ ψυχὴ μητρὸς κατατεθνηυίης, §11.85Αὐτολύκου θυγάτηρ μεγαλήτορος Ἀντίκλεια, §11.86τὴν ζωὴν κατέλειπον ἰὼν εἰς Ἴλιον ἱρήν.
And there came the soul of my dead mother, Anticleia, daughter of great-hearted Autolycus, whom I had left alive when I went to sacred Ilios.
§11.87τὴν μὲν ἐγὼ δάκρυσα ἰδὼν ἐλέησά τε θυμῷ· §11.88ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ ὣς εἴων προτέρην, πυκινόν περ ἀχεύων, §11.89αἵματος ἆσσον ἴμεν, πρὶν Τειρεσίαο πυθέσθαι.
Her I wept for when I saw her, and pitied her in my heart; but even so, though grieving deeply, I would not permit her first to draw near to the blood, until I had questioned Teiresias.
§11.90ἦλθε δʼ ἐπὶ ψυχὴ Θηβαίου Τειρεσίαο §11.91χρύσεον σκῆπτρον ἔχων, ἐμὲ δʼ ἔγνω καὶ προσέειπεν· §11.92διογενὲς Λαερτιάδη, πολυμήχανʼ Ὀδυσσεῦ, §11.93τίπτʼ αὖτʼ, ὦ δύστηνε, λιπὼν φάος ἠελίοιο §11.94ἤλυθες, ὄφρα ἴδῃ νέκυας καὶ ἀτερπέα χῶρον;
And there came the soul of Theban Teiresias, holding a golden sceptre, and he knew me and addressed me: "Son of Laertes, sprung from Zeus, Odysseus of many devices, why now, O unhappy man, leaving the light of the sun, have you come to see the dead and this joyless place?
§11.95ἀλλʼ ἀποχάζεο βόθρου, ἄπισχε δὲ φάσγανον ὀξύ, §11.96αἵματος ὄφρα πίω καί τοι νημερτέα εἴπω. §11.97ὣς φάτʼ, ἐγὼ δʼ ἀναχασσάμενος ξίφος ἀργυρόηλον §11.98κουλεῷ ἐγκατέπηξʼ.
But draw back from the pit, and hold off your sharp sword, so that I may drink of the blood and speak the truth to you." So he spoke, and I, drawing back, fixed my silver-studded sword into its sheath.
ὁ δʼ ἐπεὶ πίεν αἷμα κελαινόν, §11.99καὶ τότε δή μʼ ἐπέεσσι προσηύδα μάντις ἀμύμων· §11.100νόστον δίζηαι μελιηδέα, φαίδιμʼ Ὀδυσσεῦ· §11.101τὸν δέ τοι ἀργαλέον θήσει θεός· οὐ γὰρ ὀίω §11.102λήσειν ἐννοσίγαιον, ὅ τοι κότον ἔνθετο θυμῷ §11.103χωόμενος ὅτι οἱ υἱὸν φίλον ἐξαλάωσας.
And when he had drunk the dark blood, then indeed the noble seer addressed me with words: "You seek a sweet return, glorious Odysseus; but a god will make it hard for you; for I do not think you will escape the Earth-shaker, who has laid up wrath in his heart against you, angered because you blinded his dear son.
§11.104ἀλλʼ ἔτι μέν κε καὶ ὣς κακά περ πάσχοντες ἵκοισθε, §11.105αἴ κʼ ἐθέλῃς σὸν θυμὸν ἐρυκακέειν καὶ ἑταίρων, §11.106ὁππότε κε πρῶτον πελάσῃς ἐυεργέα νῆα §11.107Θρινακίῃ νήσῳ, προφυγὼν ἰοειδέα πόντον, §11.108βοσκομένας δʼ εὕρητε βόας καὶ ἴφια μῆλα §11.109Ἠελίου, ὃς πάντʼ ἐφορᾷ καὶ πάντʼ ἐπακούει.
Yet even so, though suffering evils, you might reach home, if you are willing to restrain your own heart and your companions', when first you bring your well-built ship near to the Thrinacian island, escaping the violet sea, and you find the grazing cattle and fat sheep of the Sun, who sees all things and hears all things.
§11.110τὰς εἰ μέν κʼ ἀσινέας ἐάᾳς νόστου τε μέδηαι, §11.111καί κεν ἔτʼ εἰς Ἰθάκην κακά περ πάσχοντες ἵκοισθε· §11.112εἰ δέ κε σίνηαι, τότε τοι τεκμαίρομʼ ὄλεθρον, §11.113νηί τε καὶ ἑτάροις.
If you leave these unharmed and mind your return, you might yet reach Ithaca, though suffering evils; but if you harm them, then I foretell ruin for you, both for your ship and your companions.
αὐτὸς δʼ εἴ πέρ κεν ἀλύξῃς, §11.114ὀψὲ κακῶς νεῖαι, ὀλέσας ἄπο πάντας ἑταίρους, §11.115νηὸς ἐπʼ ἀλλοτρίης· δήεις δʼ ἐν πήματα οἴκῳ, §11.116ἄνδρας ὑπερφιάλους, οἵ τοι βίοτον κατέδουσι §11.117μνώμενοι ἀντιθέην ἄλοχον καὶ ἕδνα διδόντες.
And even if you yourself escape, late and wretchedly shall you return, having lost all your companions, on a foreign ship; and you shall find troubles in your house, overbearing men who devour your substance, wooing your godlike wife and offering bridal gifts.
§11.118ἀλλʼ ἦ τοι κείνων γε βίας ἀποτίσεαι ἐλθών· §11.119αὐτὰρ ἐπὴν μνηστῆρας ἐνὶ μεγάροισι τεοῖσι §11.120κτείνῃς ἠὲ δόλῳ ἢ ἀμφαδὸν ὀξέι χαλκῷ, §11.121ἔρχεσθαι δὴ ἔπειτα λαβὼν ἐυῆρες ἐρετμόν, §11.122εἰς ὅ κε τοὺς ἀφίκηαι οἳ οὐκ ἴσασι θάλασσαν §11.123ἀνέρες, οὐδέ θʼ ἅλεσσι μεμιγμένον εἶδαρ ἔδουσιν· §11.124οὐδʼ ἄρα τοί γʼ ἴσασι νέας φοινικοπαρῄους §11.125οὐδʼ ἐυήρεʼ ἐρετμά, τά τε πτερὰ νηυσὶ πέλονται.
Yet you shall surely avenge their violence when you come; but when you have slain the suitors in your halls, either by guile or openly with the sharp bronze, then go, taking a well-fitted oar, until you come to those who know not the sea, men who eat not food mixed with salt, nor do they know of purple-cheeked ships, nor of well-fitted oars, which are the wings of ships.
§11.126σῆμα δέ τοι ἐρέω μάλʼ ἀριφραδές, οὐδέ σε λήσει· §11.127ὁππότε κεν δή τοι συμβλήμενος ἄλλος ὁδίτης §11.128φήῃ ἀθηρηλοιγὸν ἔχειν ἀνὰ φαιδίμῳ ὤμῳ, §11.129καὶ τότε δὴ γαίῃ πήξας ἐυῆρες ἐρετμόν, §11.130ῥέξας ἱερὰ καλὰ Ποσειδάωνι ἄνακτι, §11.131ἀρνειὸν ταῦρόν τε συῶν τʼ ἐπιβήτορα κάπρον, §11.132οἴκαδʼ ἀποστείχειν ἔρδειν θʼ ἱερᾶς ἑκατόμβας §11.133ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσι, τοὶ οὐρανὸν εὐρὺν ἔχουσι, §11.134πᾶσι μάλʼ ἑξείης.
And I will tell you a very clear sign, nor shall it escape you: when another traveler meeting you says that you have a winnowing-fan on your bright shoulder, then fix your well-fitted oar in the ground, and make goodly sacrifices to Lord Poseidon, a ram, a bull, and a boar that mounts sows, and go back home and offer sacred hecatombs to the immortal gods who hold the wide heaven, to all of them in order.
θάνατος δέ τοι ἐξ ἁλὸς αὐτῷ §11.135ἀβληχρὸς μάλα τοῖος ἐλεύσεται, ὅς κέ σε πέφνῃ §11.136γήραι ὕπο λιπαρῷ ἀρημένον· ἀμφὶ δὲ λαοὶ §11.137ὄλβιοι ἔσσονται. τὰ δέ τοι νημερτέα εἴρω.
And death shall come to you away from the sea, a very gentle death, which shall end you when you are worn out with a sleek old age; and your people shall be happy about you.
§11.138ὣς ἔφατʼ, αὐτὰρ ἐγώ μιν ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπον· §11.139Τειρεσίη, τὰ μὲν ἄρ που ἐπέκλωσαν θεοὶ αὐτοί.
These things I tell you truly." So he spoke, but I answering addressed him: "Teiresias, these things, I ween, the gods themselves have spun.
§11.140ἀλλʼ ἄγε μοι τόδε εἰπὲ καὶ ἀτρεκέως κατάλεξον· §11.141μητρὸς τήνδʼ ὁρόω ψυχὴν κατατεθνηυίης· §11.142ἡ δʼ ἀκέουσʼ ἧσται σχεδὸν αἵματος, οὐδʼ ἑὸν υἱὸν §11.143ἔτλη ἐσάντα ἰδεῖν οὐδὲ προτιμυθήσασθαι.
But come, tell me this and declare it truly: I see here the soul of my dead mother; she sits in silence near the blood, nor does she dare to look her own son in the face, nor to speak to him.
§11.144εἰπέ, ἄναξ, πῶς κέν με ἀναγνοίη τὸν ἐόντα;
Tell me, O king, how she may know that I am he?"