§17.205ἄστεος ἐγγὺς ἔσαν καὶ ἐπὶ κρήνην ἀφίκοντο §17.206τυκτὴν καλλίροον, ὅθεν ὑδρεύοντο πολῖται, §17.207τὴν ποίησʼ Ἴθακος καὶ Νήριτος ἠδὲ Πολύκτωρ·
They were near the city and arrived at the spring, well-built and fair-flowing, from which the citizens drew water, which Ithacus and Neritus and Polyctor had made.
§17.208ἀμφὶ δʼ ἄρʼ αἰγείρων ὑδατοτρεφέων ἦν ἄλσος, §17.209πάντοσε κυκλοτερές, κατὰ δὲ ψυχρὸν ῥέεν ὕδωρ §17.210ὑψόθεν ἐκ πέτρης· βωμὸς δʼ ἐφύπερθε τέτυκτο §17.211νυμφάων, ὅθι πάντες ἐπιρρέζεσκον ὁδῖται·
And around it was a grove of water-nourished poplars, circular on all sides, and cold water flowed down from a high rock above; and an altar was built on top, sacred to the nymphs, where all wayfarers used to make offerings.
§17.212ἔνθα σφέας ἐκίχανʼ υἱὸς Δολίοιο Μελανθεὺς §17.213αἶγας ἄγων, αἳ πᾶσι μετέπρεπον αἰπολίοισι, §17.214δεῖπνον μνηστήρεσσι· δύω δʼ ἅμʼ ἕποντο νομῆες.
There Melanthius, son of Dolius, overtook them, driving goats, which were the best of all the herds, as dinner for the suitors; and two herdsmen followed with him.
§17.215τοὺς δὲ ἰδὼν νείκεσσεν ἔπος τʼ ἔφατʼ ἔκ τʼ ὀνόμαζεν, §17.216ἔκπαγλον καὶ ἀεικές· ὄρινε δὲ κῆρ Ὀδυσῆος·
Seeing them, he reviled them and spoke and called out to them, violently and unseemly; and he stirred the heart of Odysseus.
§17.217νῦν μὲν δὴ μάλα πάγχυ κακὸς κακὸν ἡγηλάζει, §17.218ὡς αἰεὶ τὸν ὁμοῖον ἄγει θεὸς ὡς τὸν ὁμοῖον.
'Now indeed the vile utterly guides the vile; as ever a god brings like to like.
Whither indeed do you lead this greedy pig, you wretched swineherd, a troublesome beggar, the spoiler of feasts?
He will stand by many doorposts and rub his shoulders, begging for scraps of bread, not for swords or cauldrons.
§17.223τόν κʼ εἴ μοι δοίης σταθμῶν ῥυτῆρα γενέσθαι §17.224σηκοκόρον τʼ ἔμεναι θαλλόν τʼ ἐρίφοισι φορῆναι, §17.225καί κεν ὀρὸν πίνων μεγάλην ἐπιγουνίδα θεῖτο.
If you would give him to me to be a keeper of the farmstead, and to sweep the pens and carry green shoots to the kids, then by drinking whey he might get a stout thigh.
§17.226ἀλλʼ ἐπεὶ οὖν δὴ ἔργα κάκʼ ἔμμαθεν, οὐκ ἐθελήσει §17.227ἔργον ἐποίχεσθαι, ἀλλὰ πτώσσων κατὰ δῆμον §17.228βούλεται αἰτίζων βόσκειν ἣν γαστέρʼ ἄναλτον.
But since indeed he has learned only bad ways, he will not wish to go about work, but skulking through the land he prefers to feed his insatiable belly by begging.
§17.229ἀλλʼ ἔκ τοι ἐρέω, τὸ δὲ καὶ τετελεσμένον ἔσται· §17.230αἴ κʼ ἔλθῃ πρὸς δώματʼ Ὀδυσσῆος θείοιο, §17.231πολλά οἱ ἀμφὶ κάρη σφέλα ἀνδρῶν ἐκ παλαμάων §17.232πλευραὶ ἀποτρίψουσι δόμον κάτα βαλλομένοιο. §17.233ὣς φάτο, καὶ παριὼν λὰξ ἔνθορεν ἀφραδίῃσιν §17.234ἰσχίῳ· οὐδέ μιν ἐκτὸς ἀταρπιτοῦ ἐστυφέλιξεν, §17.235ἀλλʼ ἔμενʼ ἀσφαλέως·
But I tell you plainly, and it shall surely be fulfilled: if he comes to the palace of divine Odysseus, many footstools from the hands of men about his head will wear out his ribs as he is pelted through the house.' So he spoke, and as he passed by, he foolishly kicked him on the hip; yet he did not jolt him out of the pathway, but he stood firm; and Odysseus pondered whether he should spring upon him and take his life with his staff, or lift him by the head and dash him to the ground.
ὁ δὲ μερμήριξεν Ὀδυσσεὺς §17.236ἠὲ μεταΐξας ῥοπάλῳ ἐκ θυμὸν ἕλοιτο, §17.237ἦ πρὸς γῆν ἐλάσειε κάρη ἀμφουδὶς ἀείρας. §17.238ἀλλʼ ἐπετόλμησε, φρεσὶ δʼ ἔσχετο· τὸν δὲ συβώτης §17.239νείκεσʼ ἐσάντα ἰδών, μέγα δʼ εὔξατο χεῖρας ἀνασχών· §17.240νύμφαι κρηναῖαι, κοῦραι Διός, εἴ ποτʼ Ὀδυσσεὺς §17.241ὔμμʼ ἐπὶ μηρίʼ ἔκηε, καλύψας πίονι δημῷ, §17.242ἀρνῶν ἠδʼ ἐρίφων, τόδε μοι κρηήνατʼ ἐέλδωρ, §17.243ὡς ἔλθοι μὲν κεῖνος ἀνήρ, ἀγάγοι δέ ἑ δαίμων· §17.244τῷ κέ τοι ἀγλαΐας γε διασκεδάσειεν ἁπάσας, §17.245τὰς νῦν ὑβρίζων φορέεις, ἀλαλήμενος αἰεὶ §17.246ἄστυ κάτʼ· αὐτὰρ μῆλα κακοὶ φθείρουσι νομῆες.
Yet he endured it, and restrained himself in his heart; and the swineherd looked him in the face and chid him, and prayed aloud, lifting up his hands: 'Nymphs of the spring, daughters of Zeus, if ever Odysseus burned for you the thigh-pieces, wrapping them in rich fat, of lambs or of kids, grant me this my prayer, that that man may return, and may a god guide him; then would he scatter all the proud display, which you now insultingly display, wandering ever about the city; while bad shepherds destroy the flock.' And to him in turn Melanthius, the goatherd, spoke: 'Ha!
§17.247τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε Μελάνθιος, αἰπόλος αἰγῶν· §17.248ὢ πόποι, οἶον ἔειπε κύων ὀλοφώϊα εἰδώς,
What a word has this dog spoken, full of mischievous thoughts!
§17.249τόν ποτʼ ἐγὼν ἐπὶ νηὸς ἐϋσσέλμοιο μελαίνης §17.250ἄξω τῆλʼ Ἰθάκης, ἵνα μοι βίοτον πολὺν ἄλφοι.
Whom I will some day take on a well-benched black ship far from Ithaca, that he might bring me much livelihood.
§17.251αἲ γὰρ Τηλέμαχον βάλοι ἀργυρότοξος Ἀπόλλων §17.252σήμερον ἐν μεγάροις, ἢ ὑπὸ μνηστῆρσι δαμείη, §17.253ὡς Ὀδυσῆΐ γε τηλοῦ ἀπώλετο νόστιμον ἦμαρ. §17.254ὣς εἰπὼν τοὺς μὲν λίπεν αὐτοῦ ἦκα κιόντας, §17.255αὐτὰρ ὁ βῆ, μάλα δʼ ὦκα δόμους ἵκανεν ἄνακτος.
Would that silver-bowed Apollo might strike Telemachus today in the halls, or that he might be laid low by the suitors, even as for Odysseus the day of return has perished far away.' So saying, he left them there as they walked slowly on, but he strode on and very quickly reached the house of the master.
§17.256αὐτίκα δʼ εἴσω ἴεν, μετὰ δὲ μνηστῆρσι καθῖζεν, §17.257ἀντίον Εὐρυμάχου· τὸν γὰρ φιλέεσκε μάλιστα.
Straightway he went in, and sat down among the suitors, opposite Eurymachus; for he loved him best of all.
§17.258τῷ πάρα μὲν κρειῶν μοῖραν θέσαν οἳ πονέοντο, §17.259σῖτον δʼ αἰδοίη ταμίη παρέθηκε φέρουσα §17.260ἔδμεναι.
Near him those who served placed a portion of meat, and the venerable housekeeper brought bread and set it before him to eat.
ἀγχίμολον δʼ Ὀδυσεὺς καὶ δῖος ὑφορβὸς §17.261στήτην ἐρχομένω, περὶ δέ σφεας ἤλυθʼ ἰωὴ
And close at hand Odysseus and the noble swineherd drew near and stood.
§17.262φόρμιγγος γλαφυρῆς· ἀνὰ γάρ σφισι βάλλετʼ ἀείδειν §17.263Φήμιος· αὐτὰρ ὁ χειρὸς ἑλὼν προσέειπε συβώτην· §17.264Εὔμαιʼ, ἦ μάλα δὴ τάδε δώματα κάλʼ Ὀδυσῆος,
And about them came the sound of the hollow lyre; for Phemius was striking up to sing to them; and Odysseus took the swineherd by the hand and spoke to him: 'Eumaeus, surely this is the beautiful house of Odysseus, and easily might it be known and distinguished even among many.
§17.265ῥεῖα δʼ ἀρίγνωτʼ ἐστὶ καὶ ἐν πολλοῖσιν ἰδέσθαι. §17.266ἐξ ἑτέρων ἕτερʼ ἐστίν, ἐπήσκηται δέ οἱ αὐλὴ §17.267τοίχῳ καὶ θριγκοῖσι, θύραι δʼ εὐερκέες εἰσὶ §17.268δικλίδες· οὐκ ἄν τίς μιν ἀνὴρ ὑπεροπλίσσαιτο.
Part rises from part, and the courtyard is adorned with a wall and copings, and there are well-fenced double doors; no man indeed could despise it.
§17.269γιγνώσκω δʼ ὅτι πολλοὶ ἐν αὐτῷ δαῖτα τίθενται §17.270ἄνδρες, ἐπεὶ κνίση μὲν ἀνήνοθεν, ἐν δέ τε φόρμιγξ §17.271ἠπύει, ἣν ἄρα δαιτὶ θεοὶ ποίησαν ἑταίρην. §17.272τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφης, Εὔμαιε συβῶτα·
And I perceive that many men are holding a feast within, since the steam of fat rises, and the lyre sounds, which the gods have made the companion of the feast.' And answering him, you addressed him, O swineherd Eumaeus: