§20.328ὄφρα μὲν ὑμῖν θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ἐώλπει §20.329νοστήσειν Ὀδυσῆα πολύφρονα ὅνδε δόμονδε, §20.330τόφρʼ οὔ τις νέμεσις μενέμεν τʼ ἦν ἰσχέμεναί τε §20.331μνηστῆρας κατὰ δώματʼ, ἐπεὶ τόδε κέρδιον ἦεν, §20.332εἰ νόστησʼ Ὀδυσεὺς καὶ ὑπότροπος ἵκετο δῶμα·
"As long as the heart in your breasts hoped that wise Odysseus would return to his own home, so long there was no blame in waiting and keeping the suitors in the halls, since this was better, if Odysseus had returned and come back to his house.
§20.333νῦν δʼ ἤδη τόδε δῆλον, ὅ τʼ οὐκέτι νόστιμός ἐστιν.
But now this is already clear, that he is no longer to return.
§20.334ἀλλʼ ἄγε, σῇ τάδε μητρὶ παρεζόμενος κατάλεξον, §20.335γήμασθʼ ὅς τις ἄριστος ἀνὴρ καὶ πλεῖστα πόρῃσιν, §20.336ὄφρα σὺ μὲν χαίρων πατρώϊα πάντα νέμηαι, §20.337ἔσθων καὶ πίνων, ἡ δʼ ἄλλου δῶμα κομίζῃ. §20.338τὸν δʼ αὖ Τηλέμαχος πεπνυμένος ἀντίον ηὔδα· §20.339οὐ μὰ Ζῆνʼ, Ἀγέλαε, καὶ ἄλγεα πατρὸς ἐμοῖο, §20.340ὅς που τῆλʼ Ἰθάκης ἢ ἔφθιται ἢ ἀλάληται, §20.341οὔ τι διατρίβω μητρὸς γάμον, ἀλλὰ κελεύω §20.342γήμασθʼ ᾧ κʼ ἐθέλῃ, ποτὶ δʼ ἄσπετα δῶρα δίδωμι.
But come, sit by your mother and tell her this, to marry whoever is the best man and offers the most gifts, so that you may joyfully manage all your patrimony, eating and drinking, while she looks after the house of another." Then wise Telemachus spoke in answer to him: "No, by Zeus, Agelaus, and by the sufferings of my father, who somewhere far from Ithaca has either perished or is wandering, I do not delay my mother's marriage, but I urge her to marry whom she will, and I offer countless gifts besides.
§20.343αἰδέομαι δʼ ἀέκουσαν ἀπὸ μεγάροιο δίεσθαι §20.344μύθῳ ἀναγκαίῳ· μὴ τοῦτο θεὸς τελέσειεν. §20.345ὣς φάτο Τηλέμαχος· μνηστῆρσι δὲ Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη
But I am ashamed to drive her from the halls against her will with a compelling word; may God not bring this to pass." So spoke Telemachus; and Pallas Athena among the suitors aroused unquenchable laughter, and turned their minds astray.
§20.346ἄσβεστον γέλω ὦρσε, παρέπλαγξεν δὲ νόημα. §20.347οἱ δʼ ἤδη γναθμοῖσι γελοίων ἀλλοτρίοισιν, §20.348αἱμοφόρυκτα δὲ δὴ κρέα ἤσθιον· ὄσσε δʼ ἄρα σφέων §20.349δακρυόφιν πίμπλαντο, γόον δʼ ὠΐετο θυμός.
And now they laughed with jaws that were not their own, and they were eating meat defiled with blood; and their eyes were filled with tears, and their hearts foreboded lamentation.
Then the godlike Theoclymenus also spoke among them: "Ah, wretched men, what evil is this you suffer?
νυκτὶ μὲν ὑμέων §20.352εἰλύαται κεφαλαί τε πρόσωπά τε νέρθε τε γοῦνα.
Your heads and your faces and your knees beneath are wrapped in night.
§20.353οἰμωγὴ δὲ δέδηε, δεδάκρυνται δὲ παρειαί, §20.354αἵματι δʼ ἐρράδαται τοῖχοι καλαί τε μεσόδμαι· §20.355εἰδώλων δὲ πλέον πρόθυρον, πλείη δὲ καὶ αὐλή, §20.356ἱεμένων Ἔρεβόσδε ὑπὸ ζόφον· ἠέλιος δὲ §20.357οὐρανοῦ ἐξαπόλωλε, κακὴ δʼ ἐπιδέδρομεν ἀχλύς. §20.358ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἱ δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἐπʼ αὐτῷ ἡδὺ γέλασσαν.
And wailing has blazed up, and your cheeks are wet with tears, and the walls and the beautiful cross-beams are sprinkled with blood; and the porch is full of phantoms, and the court is full of them also, hastening to Erebus under the darkness; and the sun has perished out of heaven, and an evil mist has spread over all." So he spoke, and they all laughed merrily at him.
§20.359τοῖσιν δʼ Εὐρύμαχος, Πολύβου πάϊς, ἦρχʼ ἀγορεύειν· §20.360ἀφραίνει ξεῖνος νέον ἄλλοθεν εἰληλουθώς.
And Eurymachus, son of Polybus, began to speak among them: "The stranger is mad, having newly come from elsewhere.
§20.361ἀλλά μιν αἶψα, νέοι, δόμου ἐκπέμψασθε θύραζε §20.362εἰς ἀγορὴν ἔρχεσθαι, ἐπεὶ τάδε νυκτὶ ἐΐσκει. §20.363τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε Θεοκλύμενος θεοειδής· §20.364Εὐρύμαχʼ, οὔ τί σʼ ἄνωγα ἐμοὶ πομπῆας ὀπάζειν·
But quickly, young men, send him out of doors to go to the assembly, since he likens these things to night." Then godlike Theoclymenus spoke to him in turn: "Eurymachus, I do not bid you send guides with me; I have eyes and ears and both my feet, and a mind in my breast well-fashioned, in no way unseemly.
§20.365εἰσί μοι ὀφθαλμοί τε καὶ οὔατα καὶ πόδες ἄμφω §20.366καὶ νόος ἐν στήθεσσι τετυγμένος οὐδὲν ἀεικής. §20.367τοῖς ἔξειμι θύραζε, ἐπεὶ νοέω κακὸν ὔμμιν §20.368ἐρχόμενον, τό κεν οὔ τις ὑπεκφύγοι οὐδʼ ἀλέαιτο §20.369μνηστήρων, οἳ δῶμα κάτʼ ἀντιθέου Ὀδυσῆος §20.370ἀνέρας ὑβρίζοντες ἀτάσθαλα μηχανάασθε. §20.371ὣς εἰπὼν ἐξῆλθε δόμων εὖ ναιεταόντων, §20.372ἵκετο δʼ ἐς Πείραιον, ὅ μιν πρόφρων ὑπέδεκτο.
With these I will go out of doors, for I perceive evil coming upon you, which no one of the suitors could escape or avoid, who in the house of godlike Odysseus insult men and devise reckless deeds." So saying, he went out of the well-built halls, and came to Peiraeus, who received him with a friendly heart.
§20.373μνηστῆρες δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἐς ἀλλήλους ὁρόωντες §20.374Τηλέμαχον ἐρέθιζον, ἐπὶ ξείνοις γελόωντες· §20.375ὧδε δέ τις εἴπεσκε νέων ὑπερηνορεόντων· §20.376Τηλέμαχʼ, οὔ τις σεῖο κακοξεινώτερος ἄλλος· §20.377οἷον μέν τινα τοῦτον ἔχεις ἐπίμαστον ἀλήτην, §20.378σίτου καὶ οἴνου κεχρημένον, οὐδέ τι ἔργων §20.379ἔμπαιον οὐδὲ βίης, ἀλλʼ αὔτως ἄχθος ἀρούρης.
Then all the suitors, looking at one another, tried to provoke Telemachus by laughing at his guests; and thus would one of the proud young men say: "Telemachus, no one is more unfortunate in guests than you; what a vagabond you have here as a guest, craving bread and wine, and skilled in no works nor in strength, but simply a burden on the earth.
§20.380ἄλλος δʼ αὖτέ τις οὗτος ἀνέστη μαντεύεσθαι.
And now this other one stood up to play the prophet.
§20.381ἀλλʼ εἴ μοί τι πίθοιο, τό κεν πολὺ κέρδιον εἴη· §20.382τοὺς ξείνους ἐν νηῒ πολυκληῗδι βαλόντες §20.383ἐς Σικελοὺς πέμψωμεν, ὅθεν κέ τοι ἄξιον ἄλφοι. §20.384ὣς ἔφασαν μνηστῆρες· ὁ δʼ οὐκ ἐμπάζετο μύθων, §20.385ἀλλʼ ἀκέων πατέρα προσεδέρκετο, δέγμενος αἰεί, §20.386ὁππότε δὴ μνηστῆρσιν ἀναιδέσι χεῖρας ἐφήσει.
But if you would obey me, it would be far better; let us throw these guests into a many-benched ship and send them to the Sicilians, whence they would bring you a worthy price." So spoke the suitors; but he paid no heed to their words, but in silence looked toward his father, always waiting for the time when he should lay his hands upon the shameless suitors.
§20.387ἡ δὲ κατʼ ἄντηστιν θεμένη περικαλλέα δίφρον §20.388κούρη Ἰκαρίοιο, περίφρων Πηνελόπεια, §20.389ἀνδρῶν ἐν μεγάροισιν ἑκάστου μῦθον ἄκουεν.
And she, having set her beautiful chair opposite, the daughter of Icarius, wise Penelope, heard the speech of each of the men in the halls.
§20.390δεῖπνον μὲν γάρ τοί γε γελοίωντες τετύκοντο §20.391ἡδὺ τε καὶ μενοεικές, ἐπεὶ μάλα πόλλʼ ἱέρευσαν· §20.392δόρπου δʼ οὐκ ἄν πως ἀχαρίστερον ἄλλο γένοιτο, §20.393οἷον δὴ τάχʼ ἔμελλε θεὰ καὶ καρτερὸς ἀνὴρ §20.394θησέμεναι· πρότεροι γὰρ ἀεικέα μηχανόωντο.
For laughing they had prepared a dinner, sweet and heart-satisfying, since they had slaughtered very many beasts; but there could never be another supper more unpleasant than that which the goddess and the strong man were soon to set before them; for they were the first to devise unseemly deeds.