§14.135ἢ τόν γʼ ἐν πόντῳ φάγον ἰχθύες, ὀστέα δʼ αὐτοῦ §14.136κεῖται ἐπʼ ἠπείρου ψαμάθῳ εἰλυμένα πολλῇ.
Or the fish have eaten him in the deep, and his bones lie on the mainland, wrapped in deep sand.
§14.137ὣς ὁ μὲν ἔνθʼ ἀπόλωλε, φίλοισι δὲ κήδεʼ ὀπίσσω §14.138πᾶσιν, ἐμοὶ δὲ μάλιστα, τετεύχαται· οὐ γὰρ ἔτʼ ἄλλον §14.139ἤπιον ὧδε ἄνακτα κιχήσομαι, ὁππόσʼ ἐπέλθω, §14.140οὐδʼ εἴ κεν πατρὸς καὶ μητέρος αὖτις ἵκωμαι §14.141οἶκον, ὅθι πρῶτον γενόμην καί μʼ ἔτρεφον αὐτοί.
Thus he has perished there, and grief is made for all his loved ones hereafter, and most of all for me; for never again shall I find a master so kind, wherever I may go, not even if I should come again to the house of my father and mother, where I was first born and they themselves reared me.
§14.142οὐδέ νυ τῶν ἔτι τόσσον ὀδύρομαι, ἱέμενός περ §14.143ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἰδέσθαι ἐὼν ἐν πατρίδι γαίῃ· §14.144ἀλλά μʼ Ὀδυσσῆος πόθος αἴνυται οἰχομένοιο.
Yet it is not for them that I mourn so much now, though I long to behold them with my eyes, being in my native land; but it is yearning for Odysseus, who is gone, that possesses me.
§14.145τὸν μὲν ἐγών, ὦ ξεῖνε, καὶ οὐ παρεόντʼ ὀνομάζειν §14.146αἰδέομαι· πέρι γάρ μʼ ἐφίλει καὶ κήδετο θυμῷ· §14.147ἀλλά μιν ἠθεῖον καλέω καὶ νόσφιν ἐόντα. §14.148τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς· §14.149ὦ φίλʼ, ἐπειδὴ πάμπαν ἀναίνεαι, οὐδʼ ἔτι φῇσθα §14.150κεῖνον ἐλεύσεσθαι, θυμὸς δέ τοι αἰὲν ἄπιστος· §14.151ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ οὐκ αὔτως μυθήσομαι, ἀλλὰ σὺν ὅρκῳ, §14.152ὡς νεῖται Ὀδυσεύς· εὐαγγέλιον δέ μοι ἔστω §14.153αὐτίκʼ, ἐπεί κεν κεῖνος ἰὼν τὰ ἃ δώμαθʼ ἵκηται· §14.154ἕσσαι με χλαῖνάν τε χιτῶνά τε, εἵματα καλά· §14.155πρὶν δέ κε, καὶ μάλα περ κεχρημένος, οὔ τι δεχοίμην.
Him, stranger, though he is not here, I feel respect in naming; for he loved me exceedingly and cared for me in his heart; but I call him my honored master, even though he is far away.” Then much-enduring noble Odysseus addressed him in turn: “Friend, since you utterly deny it, and say that he will never come back, and your heart is ever unbelieving; yet I will speak not in vain, but with an oath, that Odysseus is returning; and let my reward for good news be ready immediately when he comes and reaches his home; then clothe me in a cloak and a tunic, beautiful garments; but before then, however much in need, I will accept nothing.
For hateful to me as the gates of Hades becomes that man who, yielding to poverty, speaks deceitful words.
§14.158ἴστω νῦν Ζεὺς πρῶτα θεῶν, ξενίη τε τράπεζα, §14.159ἱστίη τʼ Ὀδυσῆος ἀμύμονος, ἣν ἀφικάνω· §14.160ἦ μέν τοι τάδε πάντα τελείεται ὡς ἀγορεύω.
Now be Zeus my witness, first of the gods, and the hospitable table, and the hearth of noble Odysseus, to which I am come: verily all these things shall be fulfilled even as I speak.
§14.161τοῦδʼ αὐτοῦ λυκάβαντος ἐλεύσεται ἐνθάδʼ Ὀδυσσεύς.
Within this very year Odysseus shall come hither.
§14.162τοῦ μὲν φθίνοντος μηνός, τοῦ δʼ ἱσταμένοιο, §14.163οἴκαδε νοστήσει, καὶ τίσεται ὅς τις ἐκείνου §14.164ἐνθάδʼ ἀτιμάζει ἄλοχον καὶ φαίδιμον υἱόν. §14.165τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφης, Εὔμαιε συβῶτα· §14.166ὦ γέρον, οὔτʼ ἄρʼ ἐγὼν εὐαγγέλιον τόδε τίσω, §14.167οὔτʼ Ὀδυσεὺς ἔτι οἶκον ἐλεύσεται· ἀλλὰ ἕκηλος §14.168πῖνε, καὶ ἄλλα παρὲξ μεμνώμεθα, μηδέ με τούτων §14.169μίμνησκʼ· ἦ γὰρ θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ἐμοῖσιν §14.170ἄχνυται, ὁππότε τις μνήσῃ κεδνοῖο ἄνακτος.
As one month wanes and the next begins, he shall return home, and take vengeance on whoever here dishonors his wife and his glorious son.” Then, swineherd Eumaeus, you answered him and said: “Old man, neither shall I ever pay this reward for good news, nor will Odysseus ever again come home; but at ease drink, and let us turn our minds to other things, and do not remind me of these things; for surely the heart in my breast is grieved whenever anyone reminds me of my noble master.
§14.171ἀλλʼ ἦ τοι ὅρκον μὲν ἐάσομεν, αὐτὰρ Ὀδυσσεὺς §14.172ἔλθοι ὅπως μιν ἐγώ γʼ ἐθέλω καὶ Πηνελόπεια §14.173Λαέρτης θʼ ὁ γέρων καὶ Τηλέμαχος θεοειδής.
But indeed we will let the oath be, yet may Odysseus return even as I wish, and Penelope, and Laertes the old man, and godlike Telemachus.
§14.174νῦν αὖ παιδὸς ἄλαστον ὀδύρομαι, ὃν τέκʼ Ὀδυσσεύς, §14.175Τηλεμάχου· τὸν ἐπεὶ θρέψαν θεοὶ ἔρνεϊ ἶσον, §14.176καί μιν ἔφην ἔσσεσθαι ἐν ἀνδράσιν οὔ τι χέρηα §14.177πατρὸς ἑοῖο φίλοιο, δέμας καὶ εἶδος ἀγητόν, §14.178τὸν δέ τις ἀθανάτων βλάψε φρένας ἔνδον ἐΐσας §14.179ἠέ τις ἀνθρώπων· ὁ δʼ ἔβη μετὰ πατρὸς ἀκουὴν §14.180ἐς Πύλον ἠγαθέην·
Now again I mourn endlessly for the child whom Odysseus begot, Telemachus; whom when the gods had reared like a young sapling, and I thought he would be among men no worse than his dear father, wonderful in form and appearance, yet some one of the immortals harmed his well-balanced mind within, or some man; and he went after news of his father to sacred Pylos.
τὸν δὲ μνηστῆρες ἀγαυοὶ §14.181οἴκαδʼ ἰόντα λοχῶσιν, ὅπως ἀπὸ φῦλον ὄληται §14.182νώνυμον ἐξ Ἰθάκης Ἀρκεισίου ἀντιθέοιο.
And him the proud suitors lie in wait for as he returns home, so that the race of godlike Arcesius may perish without a name out of Ithaca.
But indeed we will let him be, whether he be taken or escape, and the son of Cronos hold his hand over him.
§14.185ἀλλʼ ἄγε μοι σύ, γεραιέ, τὰ σʼ αὐτοῦ κήδεʼ ἐνίσπες §14.186καί μοι τοῦτʼ ἀγόρευσον ἐτήτυμον, ὄφρʼ ἐῢ εἰδῶ· §14.187τίς πόθεν εἶς ἀνδρῶν;
But come, old man, tell me of your own troubles, and declare this to me truly, that I may know it well: Who are you among men, and from where?
πόθι τοι πόλις ἠδὲ τοκῆες;
Where are your city and parents?
§14.188ὁπποίης τʼ ἐπὶ νηὸς ἀφίκεο·
And on what kind of ship did you come?
πῶς δέ σε ναῦται §14.189ἤγαγον εἰς Ἰθάκην;
How did the sailors bring you to Ithaca?
τίνες ἔμμεναι εὐχετόωντο;
Who did they claim to be?
§14.190οὐ μὲν γάρ τί σε πεζὸν ὀΐομαι ἐνθάδʼ ἱκέσθαι. §14.191τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς §14.192τοιγὰρ ἐγώ τοι ταῦτα μάλʼ ἀτρεκέως ἀγορεύσω.
For I do not think you came hither on foot.” Then resourceful Odysseus answered him and said: “Then indeed I will tell you these things very accurately.
§14.193εἴη μὲν νῦν νῶϊν ἐπὶ χρόνον ἠμὲν ἐδωδὴ §14.194ἠδὲ μέθυ γλυκερὸν κλισίης ἔντοσθεν ἐοῦσι, §14.195δαίνυσθαι ἀκέοντʼ, ἄλλοι δʼ ἐπὶ ἔργον ἕποιεν· §14.196ῥηϊδίως κεν ἔπειτα καὶ εἰς ἐνιαυτὸν ἅπαντα §14.197οὔ τι διαπρήξαιμι λέγων ἐμὰ κήδεα θυμοῦ, §14.198ὅσσα γε δὴ ξύμπαντα θεῶν ἰότητι μόγησα.
If now we two might have for a time both food and sweet wine, remaining inside the hut, to feast at ease, while others go about their work; then easily, even for a whole year, I should not finish telling the troubles of my heart, as many as I have suffered by the will of the gods.
§14.199ἐκ μὲν Κρητάων γένος εὔχομαι εὐρειάων,
I claim to be by birth from wide Crete,