to be, that the livelihood of one man should be destroyed without recompense, waste it!
ἐγὼ δὲ θεοὺς ἐπιβώσομαι αἰὲν ἐόντας, §2.144αἴ κέ ποθι Ζεὺς δῷσι παλίντιτα ἔργα γενέσθαι.
But I will call upon the ever-living gods, if perchance Zeus might grant that deeds of retribution be done.
§2.145νήποινοί κεν ἔπειτα δόμων ἔντοσθεν ὄλοισθε. §2.146ὣς φάτο Τηλέμαχος, τῷ δʼ αἰετὼ εὐρύοπα Ζεὺς §2.147ὑψόθεν ἐκ κορυφῆς ὄρεος προέηκε πέτεσθαι.
Then you might perish without recompense within my halls." So Telemachus spoke, and for him far-sounding Zeus sent forth two eagles to fly from on high, from a mountain peak.
§2.148τὼ δʼ ἕως μέν ῥʼ ἐπέτοντο μετὰ πνοιῇς ἀνέμοιο §2.149πλησίω ἀλλήλοισι τιταινομένω πτερύγεσσιν· §2.150ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ μέσσην ἀγορὴν πολύφημον ἱκέσθην, §2.151ἔνθʼ ἐπιδινηθέντε τιναξάσθην πτερὰ πυκνά, §2.152ἐς δʼ ἰδέτην πάντων κεφαλάς, ὄσσοντο δʼ ὄλεθρον·
For a time they flew with the breath of the wind, side by side, straining their wings; but when they reached the middle of the assembly of many voices, there, wheeling about, they shook their thick wings, and looked upon the heads of all, foreboding destruction.
And tearing with their talons their own cheeks and necks, they darted away to the right, through their houses and city.
§2.155θάμβησαν δʼ ὄρνιθας, ἐπεὶ ἴδον ὀφθαλμοῖσιν· §2.156ὥρμηναν δʼ ἀνὰ θυμὸν ἅ περ τελέεσθαι ἔμελλον.
And the people wondered at the birds when they saw them with their eyes, and they pondered in their hearts what things were to be fulfilled.
§2.157τοῖσι δὲ καὶ μετέειπε γέρων ἥρως Ἁλιθέρσης §2.158Μαστορίδης· ὁ γὰρ οἶος ὁμηλικίην ἐκέκαστο §2.159ὄρνιθας γνῶναι καὶ ἐναίσιμα μυθήσασθαι·
Then among them spoke the old hero Halitherses, son of Mastor; for he alone excelled his peers in knowing birds and uttering things fated.
§2.160ὅ σφιν ἐὺ φρονέων ἀγορήσατο καὶ μετέειπε· §2.161κέκλυτε δὴ νῦν μευ, Ἰθακήσιοι, ὅττι κεν εἴπω· §2.162μνηστῆρσιν δὲ μάλιστα πιφαυσκόμενος τάδε εἴρω·
He with well-meaning mind addressed them and spoke: "Hearken now to me, Ithacans, to what I shall say; and especially to the suitors do I declare and speak these things.
§2.163τοῖσιν γὰρ μέγα πῆμα κυλίνδεται· οὐ γὰρ Ὀδυσσεὺς §2.164δὴν ἀπάνευθε φίλων ὧν ἔσσεται, ἀλλά που ἤδη §2.165ἐγγὺς ἐὼν τοῖσδεσσι φόνον καὶ κῆρα φυτεύει §2.166πάντεσσιν· πολέσιν δὲ καὶ ἄλλοισιν κακὸν ἔσται, §2.167οἳ νεμόμεσθʼ Ἰθάκην ἐυδείελον.
For upon them a great woe is rolling; for Odysseus will not long be far from his friends, but even now, I think, being near, he is sowing slaughter and fate for these men, one and all; and to many others of us also it will be an evil, who dwell in clear-seen Ithaca.
ἀλλὰ πολὺ πρὶν §2.168φραζώμεσθʼ, ὥς κεν καταπαύσομεν· οἱ δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ §2.169παυέσθων· καὶ γάρ σφιν ἄφαρ τόδε λώιόν ἐστιν.
But long before this let us consider how we may check them; and let them also cease; for indeed this is straightway better for them.
§2.170οὐ γὰρ ἀπείρητος μαντεύομαι, ἀλλʼ ἐὺ εἰδώς· §2.171καὶ γὰρ κείνῳ φημὶ τελευτηθῆναι ἅπαντα, §2.172ὥς οἱ ἐμυθεόμην, ὅτε Ἴλιον εἰσανέβαινον §2.173Ἀργεῖοι, μετὰ δέ σφιν ἔβη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς.
For I do not prophesy without trial, but with clear knowledge; for I say that for him all things have been fulfilled, just as I told him when the Argives went on board for Ilium, and with them went Odysseus of many counsels.
§2.174φῆν κακὰ πολλὰ παθόντʼ, ὀλέσαντʼ ἄπο πάντας ἑταίρους, §2.175ἄγνωστον πάντεσσιν ἐεικοστῷ ἐνιαυτῷ §2.176οἴκαδʼ ἐλεύσεσθαι· τὰ δὲ δὴ νῦν πάντα τελεῖται. §2.177τὸν δʼ αὖτʼ Εὐρύμαχος Πολύβου πάϊς ἀντίον ηὔδα· §2.178ὦ γέρον, εἰ δʼ ἄγε νῦν μαντεύεο σοῖσι τέκεσσιν
I said that after suffering many evils and losing all his companions, unknown to all, in the twentieth year he should come home; and now indeed all these things are being fulfilled." Then Eurymachus, son of Polybus, answered him: "Old man, go now, prophesy to your own children, going home, lest they suffer some evil hereafter.
§2.179οἴκαδʼ ἰών, μή πού τι κακὸν πάσχωσιν ὀπίσσω· §2.180ταῦτα δʼ ἐγὼ σέο πολλὸν ἀμείνων μαντεύεσθαι.
In these matters I am much better than you at prophesying.
§2.181ὄρνιθες δέ τε πολλοὶ ὑπʼ αὐγὰς ἠελίοιο §2.182φοιτῶσʼ, οὐδέ τε πάντες ἐναίσιμοι· αὐτὰρ Ὀδυσσεὺς §2.183ὤλετο τῆλʼ, ὡς καὶ σὺ καταφθίσθαι σὺν ἐκείνῳ §2.184ὤφελες.
Many birds indeed under the rays of the sun fly about, and not all are significant; but Odysseus perished far away, as you also ought to have perished with him.
οὐκ ἂν τόσσα θεοπροπέων ἀγόρευες, §2.185οὐδέ κε Τηλέμαχον κεχολωμένον ὧδʼ ἀνιείης, §2.186σῷ οἴκῳ δῶρον ποτιδέγμενος, αἴ κε πόρῃσιν.
Then you would not speak so many prophecies, nor would you thus egg on Telemachus in his anger, expecting a gift for your house, if he should give one.
§2.187ἀλλʼ ἔκ τοι ἐρέω, τὸ δὲ καὶ τετελεσμένον ἔσται· §2.188αἴ κε νεώτερον ἄνδρα παλαιά τε πολλά τε εἰδὼς §2.189παρφάμενος ἐπέεσσιν ἐποτρύνῃς χαλεπαίνειν, §2.190αὐτῷ μέν οἱ πρῶτον ἀνιηρέστερον ἔσται, §2.191πρῆξαι δʼ ἔμπης οὔ τι δυνήσεται εἵνεκα τῶνδε· §2.192σοὶ δέ, γέρον, θωὴν ἐπιθήσομεν, ἥν κʼ ἐνὶ θυμῷ §2.193τίνων ἀσχάλλῃς· χαλεπὸν δέ τοι ἔσσεται ἄλγος.
But I will tell you, and this shall indeed be fulfilled: if you, knowing many things of old, beguile a younger man with words and urge him to be angry, to him himself first it will be the more grievous, and he will be able to accomplish nothing at all because of these men; and upon you, old man, we will lay a fine, which in your heart you will grieve to pay; and hard sorrow shall be yours.
§2.194Τηλεμάχῳ δʼ ἐν πᾶσιν ἐγὼν ὑποθήσομαι αὐτός· §2.195μητέρα ἣν ἐς πατρὸς ἀνωγέτω ἀπονέεσθαι· §2.196οἱ δὲ γάμον τεύξουσι καὶ ἀρτυνέουσιν ἔεδνα §2.197πολλὰ μάλʼ, ὅσσα ἔοικε φίλης ἐπὶ παιδὸς ἕπεσθαι.
And to Telemachus I myself will give counsel before all: let him bid his mother return to her father's house; they will make a marriage feast, and prepare gifts of wooing, very many, such as are fitting to follow a dear daughter.
§2.198οὐ γὰρ πρὶν παύσεσθαι ὀίομαι υἷας Ἀχαιῶν §2.199μνηστύος ἀργαλέης, ἐπεὶ οὔ τινα δείδιμεν ἔμπης, §2.200οὔτʼ οὖν Τηλέμαχον μάλα περ πολύμυθον ἐόντα, §2.201οὔτε θεοπροπίης ἐμπαζόμεθʼ, ἣν σύ, γεραιέ, §2.202μυθέαι ἀκράαντον, ἀπεχθάνεαι δʼ ἔτι μᾶλλον.
For not before, I think, will the sons of the Achaeans cease from their grievous wooing, since we fear no one at all, neither Telemachus, though he is very wordy, nor do we care for any prophecy which you, old man, utter in vain, and you are only hated the more.
§2.203χρήματα δʼ αὖτε κακῶς βεβρώσεται, οὐδέ ποτʼ ἶσα §2.204ἔσσεται, ὄφρα κεν ἥ γε διατρίβῃσιν Ἀχαιοὺς §2.205ὃν γάμον· ἡμεῖς δʼ αὖ ποτιδέγμενοι ἤματα πάντα §2.206εἵνεκα τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐριδαίνομεν, οὐδὲ μετʼ ἄλλας §2.207ἐρχόμεθʼ, ἃς ἐπιεικὲς ὀπυιέμεν ἐστὶν ἑκάστῳ. §2.208τὸν δʼ αὖ Τηλέμαχος πεπνυμένος ἀντίον ηὔδα· §2.209Εὐρύμαχʼ ἠδὲ καὶ ἄλλοι, ὅσοι μνηστῆρες ἀγαυοί, §2.210ταῦτα μὲν οὐχ ὑμέας ἔτι λίσσομαι οὐδʼ ἀγορεύω· §2.211ἤδη γὰρ τὰ ἴσασι θεοὶ καὶ πάντες Ἀχαιοί.
And his possessions shall again be miserably devoured, and never shall there be recompense, as long as she puts off the Achaeans regarding her marriage; and we, waiting day after day, contend for her excellence, and do not go after others, whom it is fitting for each to woo." Then wise Telemachus answered him: "Eurymachus and all the rest of you, proud suitors, concerning these things I no longer entreat you nor speak; for now the gods know them, and all the Achaeans.
§2.212ἀλλʼ ἄγε μοι δότε νῆα θοὴν καὶ εἴκοσʼ ἑταίρους, §2.213οἵ κέ μοι ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα διαπρήσσωσι κέλευθον.
But come, give me a swift ship and twenty companions, who may accomplish my journey for me to and fro.
§2.214εἶμι γὰρ ἐς Σπάρτην τε καὶ ἐς Πύλον ἠμαθόεντα §2.215νόστον πευσόμενος πατρὸς δὴν οἰχομένοιο, §2.216ἤν τίς μοι εἴπῃσι βροτῶν ἢ ὄσσαν ἀκούσω
For I am going to Sparta and to sandy Pylos, to inquire of the return of my father, who has long been gone, if any mortal might tell me, or if I might hear a rumor