Twenty geese I have in the house, and they eat wheat soaked in water, and I am pleased as I look at them.
§19.538ἐλθὼν δʼ ἐξ ὄρεος μέγας αἰετὸς ἀγκυλοχείλης §19.539πᾶσι κατʼ αὐχένας ἦξε καὶ ἔκτανεν· οἱ δʼ ἐκέχυντο §19.540ἀθρόοι ἐν μεγάροις, ὁ δʼ ἐς αἰθέρα δῖαν ἀέρθη.
But a great crooked-beaked eagle came down from the mountain, and broke the necks of them all and killed them; and they lay strewn in heaps in the halls, while he rose up into the bright air.
§19.541αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ κλαῖον καὶ ἐκώκυον ἔν περ ὀνείρῳ, §19.542ἀμφὶ δʼ ἔμʼ ἠγερέθοντο ἐϋπλοκαμῖδες Ἀχαιαί, §19.543οἴκτρʼ ὀλοφυρομένην ὅ μοι αἰετὸς ἔκτανε χῆνας.
But I wept and wailed, even in my dream, and the fair-tressed Achaian women gathered around me, as I piteously lamented because the eagle had killed my geese.
§19.544ἂψ δʼ ἐλθὼν κατʼ ἄρʼ ἕζετʼ ἐπὶ προὔχοντι μελάθρῳ, §19.545φωνῇ δὲ βροτέῃ κατερήτυε φώνησέν τε· §19.546θάρσει, Ἰκαρίου κούρη τηλεκλειτοῖο· §19.547οὐκ ὄναρ, ἀλλʼ ὕπαρ ἐσθλόν, ὅ τοι τετελεσμένον ἔσται.
Then he came back and perched upon the jutting roof-beam, and with a human voice he held me back and spoke: 'Take heart, daughter of far-famed Icarius; this is no dream, but a good reality, which shall be brought to pass.
§19.548χῆνες μὲν μνηστῆρες, ἐγὼ δέ τοι αἰετὸς ὄρνις §19.549ἦα πάρος, νῦν αὖτε τεὸς πόσις εἰλήλουθα, §19.550ὃς πᾶσι μνηστῆρσιν ἀεικέα πότμον ἐφήσω. §19.551ὣς ἔφατʼ, αὐτὰρ ἐμὲ μελιηδὴς ὕπνος ἀνῆκε· §19.552παπτήνασα δὲ χῆνας ἐνὶ μεγάροισι νόησα §19.553πυρὸν ἐρεπτομένους παρὰ πύελον, ἧχι πάρος περ.
The geese are the suitors, and I, who was before the eagle bird, have now come back as your own husband, who will bring a shameful fate upon all the suitors.' So he spoke, and sweet sleep let me go; and looking around I saw the geese in the halls eating their wheat by the trough, just as they had done before.
§19.554τὴν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς· §19.555ὦ γύναι, οὔ πως ἔστιν ὑποκρίνασθαι ὄνειρον §19.556ἄλλῃ ἀποκλίναντʼ, ἐπεὶ ἦ ῥά τοι αὐτὸς Ὀδυσσεὺς §19.557πέφραδʼ ὅπως τελέει· μνηστῆρσι δὲ φαίνετʼ ὄλεθρος §19.558πᾶσι μάλʼ, οὐδέ κέ τις θάνατον καὶ κῆρας ἀλύξει. §19.559τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε περίφρων Πηνελόπεια·
And answering her, resourceful Odysseus spoke: "Lady, there is no way to interpret the dream by turning it in any other direction, since indeed Odysseus himself has shown you how he will perform it; and destruction is plain for the suitors, for every one of them, nor shall any one escape death and his fate." To him in turn wise Penelope spoke: "Stranger, dreams are indeed baffling and of speech hard to discern, nor do they all find fulfillment for men.
§19.560ξεῖνʼ, ἦ τοι μὲν ὄνειροι ἀμήχανοι ἀκριτόμυθοι §19.561γίγνοντʼ, οὐδέ τι πάντα τελείεται ἀνθρώποισι. §19.562δοιαὶ γάρ τε πύλαι ἀμενηνῶν εἰσὶν ὀνείρων·
For two are the gates of shadow-like dreams; one pair is made of horn, and the other of ivory.
§19.563αἱ μὲν γὰρ κεράεσσι τετεύχαται, αἱ δʼ ἐλέφαντι· §19.564τῶν οἳ μέν κʼ ἔλθωσι διὰ πριστοῦ ἐλέφαντος, §19.565οἵ ῥʼ ἐλεφαίρονται, ἔπεʼ ἀκράαντα φέροντες· §19.566οἱ δὲ διὰ ξεστῶν κεράων ἔλθωσι θύραζε, §19.567οἵ ῥʼ ἔτυμα κραίνουσι, βροτῶν ὅτε κέν τις ἴδηται.
Those of them that come through the sawn ivory deceive, bringing words that find no fulfillment; but those that come out through the polished horn, bring true results, when any mortal sees them.
§19.568ἀλλʼ ἐμοὶ οὐκ ἐντεῦθεν ὀΐομαι αἰνὸν ὄνειρον §19.569ἐλθέμεν· ἦ κʼ ἀσπαστὸν ἐμοὶ καὶ παιδὶ γένοιτο.
But for myself, I do not think that my grim dream came from there; indeed it would be welcome to me and to my son.
§19.570ἄλλο δέ τοι ἐρέω, σὺ δʼ ἐνὶ φρεσὶ βάλλεο σῇσιν· §19.571ἥδε δὴ ἠὼς εἶσι δυσώνυμος, ἥ μʼ Ὀδυσῆος §19.572οἴκου ἀποσχήσει· νῦν γὰρ καταθήσω ἄεθλον, §19.573τοὺς πελέκεας, τοὺς κεῖνος ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν ἑοῖσιν §19.574ἵστασχʼ ἑξείης, δρυόχους ὥς, δώδεκα πάντας· §19.575στὰς δʼ ὅ γε πολλὸν ἄνευθε διαρρίπτασκεν ὀϊστόν.
And another thing I will tell you, and do you lay it to your heart: this morning of ill name will now come, which will separate me from the house of Odysseus; for now I will set a contest, those axes which he in his own halls used to set up in a row, like keel-blocks, twelve in all; and standing far off, he would shoot an arrow through them.
§19.576νῦν δὲ μνηστήρεσσιν ἄεθλον τοῦτον ἐφήσω· §19.577ὃς δέ κε ῥηΐτατʼ ἐντανύσῃ βιὸν ἐν παλάμῃσι §19.578καὶ διοϊστεύσῃ πελέκεων δυοκαίδεκα πάντων, §19.579τῷ κεν ἅμʼ ἑσποίμην, νοσφισσαμένη τόδε δῶμα §19.580κουρίδιον, μάλα καλόν, ἐνίπλειον βιότοιο· §19.581τοῦ ποτὲ μεμνήσεσθαι ὀΐομαι ἔν περ ὀνείρῳ. §19.582τὴν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς §19.583ὦ γύναι αἰδοίη Λαερτιάδεω Ὀδυσῆος, §19.584μηκέτι νῦν ἀνάβαλλε δόμοις ἔνι τοῦτον ἄεθλον· §19.585πρὶν γάρ τοι πολύμητις ἐλεύσεται ἐνθάδʼ Ὀδυσσεύς, §19.586πρὶν τούτους τόδε τόξον ἐΰξοον ἀμφαφόωντας §19.587νευρήν τʼ ἐντανύσαι διοϊστεῦσαί τε σιδήρου. §19.588τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε περίφρων Πηνελόπεια· §19.589εἴ κʼ ἐθέλοις μοι, ξεῖνε, παρήμενος ἐν μεγάροισι §19.590τέρπειν, οὔ κέ μοι ὕπνος ἐπὶ βλεφάροισι χυθείη.
Now indeed I will set this contest for the suitors: whichever shall most easily string the bow in his hands and shoot an arrow through all twelve axes, with him I would go, leaving this house of my wedded life, very beautiful, full of livelihood; which I think I shall remember someday, even in my dreams." And answering her, resourceful Odysseus spoke: "Honored wife of Odysseus, son of Laertes, do not delay this contest in the halls any longer; for resourceful Odysseus will come here to you before they, handling this well-polished bow, shall string the cord and shoot through the iron." To him in turn wise Penelope spoke: "If you would be willing, stranger, to sit beside me in the halls and delight me, sleep would not be poured over my eyelids.
§19.591ἀλλʼ οὐ γάρ πως ἔστιν ἀΰπνους ἔμμεναι αἰεὶ §19.592ἀνθρώπους· ἐπὶ γάρ τοι ἑκάστῳ μοῖραν ἔθηκαν §19.593ἀθάνατοι θνητοῖσιν ἐπὶ ζείδωρον ἄρουραν.
But since it is in no way possible for men to remain always sleepless; for the immortals have set a portion for everything for mortals upon the grain-giving earth.
§19.594ἀλλʼ ἦ τοι μὲν ἐγὼν ὑπερώϊον εἰσαναβᾶσα §19.595λέξομαι εἰς εὐνήν, ἥ μοι στονόεσσα τέτυκται, §19.596αἰεὶ δάκρυσʼ ἐμοῖσι πεφυρμένη, ἐξ οὗ Ὀδυσσεὺς §19.597ᾤχετʼ ἐποψόμενος Κακοΐλιον οὐκ ὀνομαστήν.
But indeed, I will go up to my upper chamber and lie on my bed, which has become a place of groaning for me, always wet with my tears, since the time Odysseus went to look upon evil Ilium, not to be named.
§19.598ἔνθα κε λεξαίμην· σὺ δὲ λέξεο τῷδʼ ἐνὶ οἴκῳ, §19.599ἢ χαμάδις στορέσας ἤ τοι κατὰ δέμνια θέντων. §19.600ὣς εἰποῦσʼ ἀνέβαινʼ ὑπερώϊα σιγαλόεντα, §19.601οὐκ οἴη, ἅμα τῇ γε καὶ ἀμφίπολοι κίον ἄλλαι.
There I would lie; and do you lie down in this house, either having strown your bed on the ground, or let them set a bedstead for you." So she spoke, and went up to her bright upper chamber, not alone, for with her went other handmaids as well.
§19.602ἐς δʼ ὑπερῷʼ ἀναβᾶσα σὺν ἀμφιπόλοισι γυναιξὶ §19.603κλαῖεν ἔπειτʼ Ὀδυσῆα, φίλον πόσιν, ὄφρα οἱ ὕπνον §19.604ἡδὺν ἐπὶ βλεφάροισι βάλε γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη.
And having gone up to the upper chamber with her women handmaids, she then wept for Odysseus, her dear husband, until flashing-eyed Athena cast sweet sleep upon her eyelids.