§18.213πάντες δʼ ἠρήσαντο παραὶ λεχέεσσι κλιθῆναι.
And they all prayed to lie beside her in bed.
§18.214ἡ δʼ αὖ Τηλέμαχον προσεφώνεεν, ὃν φίλον υἱόν· §18.215Τηλέμαχʼ, οὐκέτι τοι φρένες ἔμπεδοι οὐδὲ νόημα·
And she in turn addressed Telemachus, her dear son: "Telemachus, your mind is no longer steadfast, nor your understanding.
§18.216παῖς ἔτʼ ἐὼν καὶ μᾶλλον ἐνὶ φρεσὶ κέρδεʼ ἐνώμας· §18.217νῦν δʼ, ὅτε δὴ μέγας ἐσσὶ καὶ ἥβης μέτρον ἱκάνεις, §18.218καί κέν τις φαίη γόνον ἔμμεναι ὀλβίου ἀνδρός, §18.219ἐς μέγεθος καὶ κάλλος ὁρώμενος, ἀλλότριος φώς, §18.220οὐκέτι τοι φρένες εἰσὶν ἐναίσιμοι οὐδὲ νόημα.
While you were still a child, you did indeed revolve better thoughts in your mind; but now, when you are grown great and have reached the measure of manhood, and anyone might say you are the offspring of a prosperous man, looking at your stature and beauty, even a stranger, your mind is no longer fitting, nor your understanding.
What a deed is this that has been done in our halls, in that you have allowed the stranger to be treated with such outrage!
§18.223πῶς νῦν, εἴ τι ξεῖνος ἐν ἡμετέροισι δόμοισιν §18.224ἥμενος ὧδε πάθοι ῥυστακτύος ἐξ ἀλεγεινῆς;
How now, if some stranger sitting in our house should suffer thus from grievous handling?
§18.225σοί κʼ αἶσχος λώβη τε μετʼ ἀνθρώποισι πέλοιτο. §18.226τὴν δʼ αὖ Τηλέμαχος πεπνυμένος ἀντίον ηὔδα· §18.227μῆτερ ἐμή, τὸ μὲν οὔ σε νεμεσσῶμαι κεχολῶσθαι·
On you would fall shame and disgrace among men." Then wise Telemachus answered her in turn: "My mother, I do not resent your being angry at this.
Yet I do mark and know each thing in my heart, both the good and the bad; but before I was still a child.
§18.230ἀλλά τοι οὐ δύναμαι πεπνυμένα πάντα νοῆσαι· §18.231ἐκ γάρ με πλήσσουσι παρήμενοι ἄλλοθεν ἄλλος §18.232οἵδε κακὰ φρονέοντες, ἐμοὶ δʼ οὐκ εἰσὶν ἀρωγοί.
But I cannot yet think of all things wisely, for these men, sitting about me, one from this side and one from that, distract me with their evil thoughts, and I have no helpers.
§18.233οὐ μέν τοι ξείνου γε καὶ Ἴρου μῶλος ἐτύχθη §18.234μνηστήρων ἰότητι, βίῃ δʼ ὅ γε φέρτερος ἦεν.
Yet, I tell you, the battle between the stranger and Irus did not turn out according to the mind of the suitors, but he was the better in strength.
§18.235αἲ γάρ, Ζεῦ τε πάτερ καὶ Ἀθηναίη καὶ Ἄπολλον, §18.236οὕτω νῦν μνηστῆρες ἐν ἡμετέροισι δόμοισι §18.237νεύοιεν κεφαλὰς δεδμημένοι, οἱ μὲν ἐν αὐλῇ, §18.238οἱ δʼ ἔντοσθε δόμοιο, λελῦτο δὲ γυῖα ἑκάστου, §18.239ὡς νῦν Ἶρος κεῖνος ἐπʼ αὐλείῃσι θύρῃσιν §18.240ἧσται νευστάζων κεφαλῇ, μεθύοντι ἐοικώς, §18.241οὐδʼ ὀρθὸς στῆναι δύναται ποσὶν οὐδὲ νέεσθαι §18.242οἴκαδʼ, ὅπη οἱ νόστος, ἐπεὶ φίλα γυῖα λέλυνται. §18.243ὣς οἱ μὲν τοιαῦτα πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀγόρευον·
Would that, O father Zeus, and Athena, and Apollo, even so now the suitors in our house might hang their heads, vanquished, some in the courtyard and some within the house, and the limbs of each were loosened, even as that Irus now at the courtyard gates sits nodding his head, like a drunken man, and cannot stand upright on his feet or go home, wherever his home may be, because his limbs are loosened." Thus they spoke to one another.
§18.244Εὐρύμαχος δʼ ἐπέεσσι προσηύδα Πηνελόπειαν· §18.245κούρη Ἰκαρίοιο, περίφρον Πηνελόπεια, §18.246εἰ πάντες σε ἴδοιεν ἀνʼ Ἴασον Ἄργος Ἀχαιοί, §18.247πλέονές κε μνηστῆρες ἐν ὑμετέροισι δόμοισιν §18.248ἠῶθεν δαινύατʼ, ἐπεὶ περίεσσι γυναικῶν §18.249εἶδός τε μέγεθός τε ἰδὲ φρένας ἔνδον ἐΐσας. §18.250τὸν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα περίφρων Πηνελόπεια· §18.251Εὐρύμαχʼ, ἦ τοι ἐμὴν ἀρετὴν εἶδός τε δέμας τε §18.252ὤλεσαν ἀθάνατοι, ὅτε Ἴλιον εἰσανέβαινον §18.253Ἀργεῖοι, μετὰ τοῖσι δʼ ἐμὸς πόσις ᾖεν Ὀδυσσεύς.
But Eurymachus addressed Penelope with words: "Daughter of Icarius, wise Penelope, if all the Achaeans in Iasian Argos could see you, yet more suitors would be feasting in your halls from tomorrow's dawn, since you excel all women in beauty and stature and the balanced mind within." Then wise Penelope answered him: "Eurymachus, surely my excellence and beauty and form the immortals destroyed, when the Argives embarked for Ilium, and with them went my husband Odysseus.
§18.254εἰ κεῖνός γʼ ἐλθὼν τὸν ἐμὸν βίον ἀμφιπολεύοι, §18.255μεῖζόν κε κλέος εἴη ἐμὸν καὶ κάλλιον οὕτως.
If he were to return and care for my life, so would my fame be greater and fairer.
§18.256νῦν δʼ ἄχομαι· τόσα γάρ μοι ἐπέσσευεν κακὰ δαίμων.
But now I grieve, so many evils has a god sent upon me.
§18.257ἦ μὲν δὴ ὅτε τʼ ᾖε λιπὼν κάτα πατρίδα γαῖαν, §18.258δεξιτερὴν ἐπὶ καρπῷ ἑλὼν ἐμὲ χεῖρα προσηύδα· §18.259ὦ γύναι, οὐ γὰρ ὀΐω ἐϋκνήμιδας Ἀχαιοὺς §18.260ἐκ Τροίης εὖ πάντας ἀπήμονας ἀπονέεσθαι· §18.261καὶ γὰρ Τρῶάς φασι μαχητὰς ἔμμεναι ἄνδρας, §18.262ἠμὲν ἀκοντιστὰς ἠδὲ ῥυτῆρας ὀϊστῶν §18.263ἵππων τʼ ὠκυπόδων ἐπιβήτορας, οἵ κε τάχιστα §18.264ἔκριναν μέγα νεῖκος ὁμοιΐου πολέμοιο.
Indeed, when he went away, leaving his native land, he took me by the wrist of my right hand and spoke to me: 'Wife, I do not think the well-greaved Achaeans will all return safely and unharmed from Troy; for they say the Trojans are warlike men, both throwers of the spear and drawers of arrows, and riders on swift-footed horses, who would most quickly decide the great strife of equal war.
§18.265τῷ οὐκ οἶδʼ ἤ κέν μʼ ἀνέσει θεός, ἦ κεν ἁλώω §18.266αὐτοῦ ἐνὶ Τροίῃ· σοὶ δʼ ἐνθάδε πάντα μελόντων.
Therefore I know not whether the god will bring me back, or whether I shall be taken there in Troy; but let all things here be your care.
§18.267μεμνῆσθαι πατρὸς καὶ μητέρος ἐν μεγάροισιν §18.268ὡς νῦν, ἢ ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐμεῦ ἀπονόσφιν ἐόντος·
Remember my father and my mother in our halls even as now, or yet more when I am far away.
§18.269αὐτὰρ ἐπὴν δὴ παῖδα γενειήσαντα ἴδηαι, §18.270γήμασθʼ ᾧ κʼ ἐθέλῃσθα, τεὸν κατὰ δῶμα λιποῦσα. §18.271κεῖνος τὼς ἀγόρευε· τὰ δὴ νῦν πάντα τελεῖται.
But when you see our son with a beard, marry whomsoever you will, and leave your house.' So he spoke, and now all this is being fulfilled.
§18.272νὺξ δʼ ἔσται ὅτε δὴ στυγερὸς γάμος ἀντιβολήσει §18.273οὐλομένης ἐμέθεν, τῆς τε Ζεὺς ὄλβον ἀπηύρα.
And the night will come when a hateful marriage shall meet unhappy me, whose happiness Zeus has taken away.
§18.274ἀλλὰ τόδʼ αἰνὸν ἄχος κραδίην καὶ θυμὸν ἱκάνει· §18.275μνηστήρων οὐχ ἥδε δίκη τὸ πάροιθε τέτυκτο· §18.276οἵ τʼ ἀγαθήν τε γυναῖκα καὶ ἀφνειοῖο θύγατρα §18.277μνηστεύειν ἐθέλωσι καὶ ἀλλήλοις ἐρίσωσιν, §18.278αὐτοὶ τοί γʼ ἀπάγουσι βόας καὶ ἴφια μῆλα, §18.279κούρης δαῖτα φίλοισι, καὶ ἀγλαὰ δῶρα διδοῦσιν· §18.280ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἀλλότριον βίοτον νήποινον ἔδουσιν. §18.281ὣς φάτο, γήθησεν δὲ πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς, §18.282οὕνεκα τῶν μὲν δῶρα παρέλκετο, θέλγε δὲ θυμὸν §18.283μειλιχίοις ἐπέεσσι, νόος δέ οἱ ἄλλα μενοίνα.
But this dread grief comes upon my heart and soul: the custom of suitors was not like this in times past; those who wish to woo a noble lady and the daughter of a rich man and rival one another, themselves bring cattle and fat sheep, a feast for the maiden's friends, and give splendid gifts; but they do not devour another's livelihood without paying." So she spoke, and much-enduring noble Odysseus was glad, because she drew gifts from them and charmed their hearts with gentle words, but her mind was set on other things.