§16.68τὸν δʼ αὖ Τηλέμαχος πεπνυμένος ἀντίον ηὔδα· §16.69Εὔμαιʼ, ἦ μάλα τοῦτο ἔπος θυμαλγὲς ἔειπες· §16.70πῶς γὰρ δὴ τὸν ξεῖνον ἐγὼν ὑποδέξομαι οἴκῳ;
And him in turn wise Telemachus answered: "Eumaeus, surely this word you spoke is very painful to my heart; for how indeed shall I receive the stranger in my house?
§16.71αὐτὸς μὲν νέος εἰμὶ καὶ οὔ πω χερσὶ πέποιθα §16.72ἄνδρʼ ἀπαμύνασθαι, ὅτε τις πρότερος χαλεπήνῃ· §16.73μητρὶ δʼ ἐμῇ δίχα θυμὸς ἐνὶ φρεσὶ μερμηρίζει, §16.74ἢ αὐτοῦ παρʼ ἐμοί τε μένῃ καὶ δῶμα κομίζῃ, §16.75εὐνήν τʼ αἰδομένη πόσιος δήμοιό τε φῆμιν, §16.76ἦ ἤδη ἅμʼ ἕπηται Ἀχαιῶν ὅς τις ἄριστος §16.77μνᾶται ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν ἀνὴρ καὶ πλεῖστα πόρῃσιν.
I myself am young, and do not yet trust in my hands to ward off a man, when someone first acts aggressively against me; and for my mother, her heart in her breast is divided in counsel, whether she should remain here with me and look after the house, revering the bed of her husband and the talk of the people, or whether she should now follow whoever of the Achaians is the best man who woos her in her halls and offers the most gifts.
§16.78ἀλλʼ ἦ τοὶ τὸν ξεῖνον, ἐπεὶ τεὸν ἵκετο δῶμα, §16.79ἕσσω μιν χλαῖνάν τε χιτῶνά τε, εἵματα καλά, §16.80δώσω δὲ ξίφος ἄμφηκες καὶ ποσσὶ πέδιλα, §16.81πέμψω δʼ ὅππη μιν κραδίη θυμός τε κελεύει.
But as for the stranger, since he has come to your house, I will clothe him in a cloak and a tunic, beautiful garments, and I will give him a two-edged sword and sandals for his feet, and send him wherever his heart and spirit bid him.
§16.82εἰ δʼ ἐθέλεις, σὺ κόμισσον ἐνὶ σταθμοῖσιν ἐρύξας· §16.83εἵματα δʼ ἐνθάδʼ ἐγὼ πέμψω καὶ σῖτον ἅπαντα §16.84ἔδμεναι, ὡς ἂν μή σε κατατρύχῃ καὶ ἑταίρους.
But if you wish, you keep him here and care for him in the station; and I will send garments here and all the food to eat, so that he may not wear out you and your companions.
§16.85κεῖσε δʼ ἂν οὔ μιν ἐγώ γε μετὰ μνηστῆρας ἐῷμι §16.86ἔρχεσθαι· λίην γὰρ ἀτάσθαλον ὕβριν ἔχουσι· §16.87μή μιν κερτομέωσιν, ἐμοὶ δʼ ἄχος ἔσσεται αἰνόν.
But thither among the suitors I would not allow him to go; for they have too insolent an outrage, lest they insult him, and to me there shall be terrible sorrow.
§16.88πρῆξαι δʼ ἀργαλέον τι μετὰ πλεόνεσσιν ἐόντα §16.89ἄνδρα καὶ ἴφθιμον, ἐπεὶ ἦ πολὺ φέρτεροί εἰσι. §16.90τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς· §16.91ὦ φίλʼ, ἐπεί θήν μοι καὶ ἀμείψασθαι θέμις ἐστίν, §16.92ἦ μάλα μευ καταδάπτετʼ ἀκούοντος φίλον ἦτορ, §16.93οἷά φατε μνηστῆρας ἀτάσθαλα μηχανάασθαι §16.94ἐν μεγάροις, ἀέκητι σέθεν τοιούτου ἐόντος.
And it is hard for a man, even a strong one, to achieve anything when he is among many; for indeed they are much stronger." And him in turn spoke the patient, noble Odysseus: "O friend, since indeed it is right for me also to answer, surely my dear heart is torn within me as I listen, at the kind of outrageous deeds you say the suitors devise in the halls against your will, you being such a man.
Tell me, are you willingly subdued, or do the people hate you throughout the land, following the voice of a god?
§16.97ἦ τι κασιγνήτοις ἐπιμέμφεαι, οἷσί περ ἀνὴρ §16.98μαρναμένοισι πέποιθε, καὶ εἰ μέγα νεῖκος ὄρηται.
Or do you blame brothers, in whom a man trusts as they fight, even if a great strife arises.
§16.99αἲ γάρ ἐγὼν οὕτω νέος εἴην τῷδʼ ἐπὶ θυμῷ, §16.100ἢ παῖς ἐξ Ὀδυσῆος ἀμύμονος ἠὲ καὶ αὐτός· §16.102αὐτίκʼ ἔπειτʼ ἀπʼ ἐμεῖο κάρη τάμοι ἀλλότριος φώς, §16.103εἰ μὴ ἐγὼ κείνοισι κακὸν πάντεσσι γενοίμην, §16.104ἐλθὼν ἐς μέγαρον Λαερτιάδεω Ὀδυσῆος.
Would that I were as young as you with this spirit, or were the son of blameless Odysseus, or Odysseus himself; straightway then might an alien man cut off my head from me, if I did not become a plague to all of those men, when I had come to the hall of Odysseus, son of Laertes.
§16.105εἰ δʼ αὖ με πληθυῖ δαμασαίατο μοῦνον ἐόντα, §16.106βουλοίμην κʼ ἐν ἐμοῖσι κατακτάμενος μεγάροισι §16.107τεθνάμεν ἢ τάδε γʼ αἰὲν ἀεικέα ἔργʼ ὁράασθαι, §16.108ξείνους τε στυφελιζομένους δμῳάς τε γυναῖκας §16.109ῥυστάζοντας ἀεικελίως κατὰ δώματα καλά, §16.110καὶ οἶνον διαφυσσόμενον, καὶ σῖτον ἔδοντας §16.111μὰψ αὔτως, ἀτέλεστον, ἀνηνύστῳ ἐπὶ ἔργῳ. §16.112τὸν δʼ αὖ Τηλέμαχος πεπνυμένος ἀντίον ηὔδα· §16.113τοιγὰρ ἐγώ τοι, ξεῖνε, μάλʼ ἀτρεκέως ἀγορεύσω.
But if in turn they should subdue me by their numbers, I being alone, I would rather die, slain in my own halls, than forever behold these unseemly deeds, strangers being maltreated, and women servants dragged shamefully through the beautiful house, and wine being drawn, and men eating food recklessly, without end, for a work that yields no result." And him in turn wise Telemachus answered: "Indeed, stranger, I will tell you the very truth.
§16.114οὔτε τί μοι πᾶς δῆμος ἀπεχθόμενος χαλεπαίνει, §16.115οὔτε κασιγνήτοις ἐπιμέμφομαι, οἷσί περ ἀνὴρ §16.116μαρναμένοισι πέποιθε, καὶ εἰ μέγα νεῖκος ὄρηται.
Neither is the whole people angry with me out of hatred, nor do I blame brothers, in whom a man trusts as they fight, even if a great strife arises.
§16.117ὧδε γὰρ ἡμετέρην γενεὴν μούνωσε Κρονίων· §16.118μοῦνον Λαέρτην Ἀρκείσιος υἱὸν ἔτικτε, §16.119μοῦνον δʼ αὖτʼ Ὀδυσῆα πατὴρ τέκεν· αὐτὰρ Ὀδυσσεὺς §16.120μοῦνον ἔμʼ ἐν μεγάροισι τεκὼν λίπεν οὐδʼ ἀπόνητο.
For in this way the son of Kronos made our lineage single: Arkeisios begot an only son, Laertes, and his father begot only Odysseus; but Odysseus begot only me and left me in the halls, and had no joy of me.
§16.121τῷ νῦν δυσμενέες μάλα μυρίοι εἴσʼ ἐνὶ οἴκῳ.
Therefore now are there countless enemies in the house.
§16.122ὅσσοι γὰρ νήσοισιν ἐπικρατέουσιν ἄριστοι, §16.123Δουλιχίῳ τε Σάμῃ τε καὶ ὑλήεντι Ζακύνθῳ, §16.124ἠδʼ ὅσσοι κραναὴν Ἰθάκην κάτα κοιρανέουσι, §16.125τόσσοι μητέρʼ ἐμὴν μνῶνται, τρύχουσι δὲ οἶκον.
For as many nobles as hold power over the islands, Dulichium and Same and wooded Zacynthus, and as many as lord it over rugged Ithaca, so many woo my mother and waste my house.
§16.126ἡ δʼ οὔτʼ ἀρνεῖται στυγερὸν γάμον οὔτε τελευτὴν §16.127ποιῆσαι δύναται· τοὶ δὲ φθινύθουσιν ἔδοντες §16.128οἶκον ἐμόν· τάχα δή με διαρραίσουσι καὶ αὐτόν.
And she neither refuses the hateful marriage nor is able to make an end; and they waste away my house by eating; soon they will utterly destroy me myself also.
§16.129ἀλλʼ ἦ τοι μὲν ταῦτα θεῶν ἐν γούνασι κεῖται·
But indeed, these things lie on the knees of the gods.
§16.130ἄττα, σὺ δʼ ἔρχεο θᾶσσον, ἐχέφρονι Πηνελοπείῃ §16.131εἴφʼ ὅτι οἱ σῶς εἰμὶ καὶ ἐκ Πύλου εἰλήλουθα.
Father, you go quickly and tell wise Penelope that I am safe and have returned from Pylos.
§16.132αὐτὰρ ἐγὼν αὐτοῦ μενέω, σὺ δὲ δεῦρο νέεσθαι, §16.133οἴῃ ἀπαγγείλας· τῶν δʼ ἄλλων μή τις Ἀχαιῶν §16.134πευθέσθω· πολλοὶ γὰρ ἐμοὶ κακὰ μηχανόωνται. §16.135τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφης, Εὔμαιε συβῶτα· §16.136γιγνώσκω, φρονέω· τά γε δὴ νοέοντι κελεύεις.
And I will remain here, and you come back hither, having told her alone; and let no other of the Achaians know of it; for many are devising evils against me." To him in turn you answered, Eumaeus the swineherd: "I know, I understand; you command these things to one who has mind.
§16.137ἀλλʼ ἄγε μοι τόδε εἰπὲ καὶ ἀτρεκέως κατάλεξον,
But come, tell me this and relate it accurately,