§21.148ὅς ῥα τότε πρῶτος τόξον λάβε καὶ βέλος ὠκύ.
Indeed, he then was the first to take the bow and the swift arrow.
§21.149στῆ δʼ ἄρʼ ἐπʼ οὐδὸν ἰὼν καὶ τόξου πειρήτιζεν, §21.150οὐδέ μιν ἐντάνυσε· πρὶν γὰρ κάμε χεῖρας ἀνέλκων §21.151ἀτρίπτους ἁπαλάς· μετὰ δὲ μνηστῆρσιν ἔειπεν· §21.152ὦ φίλοι, οὐ μὲν ἐγὼ τανύω, λαβέτω δὲ καὶ ἄλλος.
And he went and stood upon the threshold, and began to try the bow, but he did not string it; for before that his hands grew weary as he pulled, hands unaccustomed to toil and tender; and he spoke among the suitors: "O friends, indeed I cannot string it, and let another take it too.
§21.153πολλοὺς γὰρ τόδε τόξον ἀριστῆας κεκαδήσει §21.154θυμοῦ καὶ ψυχῆς, ἐπεὶ ἦ πολὺ φέρτερόν ἐστι §21.155τεθνάμεν ἢ ζώοντας ἁμαρτεῖν, οὗθʼ ἕνεκʼ αἰεὶ §21.156ἐνθάδʼ ὁμιλέομεν, ποτιδέγμενοι ἤματα πάντα.
For this bow shall deprive many chieftains of heart and soul, since indeed it is much better to die than to live and fail of that for which we ever assemble here, waiting day after day.
Now indeed many a man hopes in his heart and desires to marry Penelope, the wife of Odysseus.
§21.159αὐτὰρ ἐπὴν τόξου πειρήσεται ἠδὲ ἴδηται, §21.160ἄλλην δή τινʼ ἔπειτα Ἀχαιϊάδων εὐπέπλων §21.161μνάσθω ἐέδνοισιν διζήμενος· ἡ δέ κʼ ἔπειτα §21.162γήμαιθʼ ὅς κε πλεῖστα πόροι καὶ μόρσιμος ἔλθοι. §21.163ὣς ἄρʼ ἐφώνησεν καὶ ἀπὸ ἕο τόξον ἔθηκε, §21.164κλίνας κολλητῇσιν ἐϋξέστῃς σανίδεσσιν, §21.165αὐτοῦ δʼ ὠκὺ βέλος καλῇ προσέκλινε κορώνῃ, §21.166ἂψ δʼ αὖτις κατʼ ἄρ ἕζετʼ ἐπὶ θρόνου ἔνθεν ἀνέστη.
But when he shall have tried the bow and seen it, then let him woo some other of the fair-robed Achaean women, seeking her with gifts of wooing; and she then would marry him who offers most and comes as her fated husband." So he spoke, and set the bow down from him, leaning it against the well-polished, close-fitting door-planks, and leaned the swift arrow there against the beautiful handle, and sat down again on the seat from which he had risen.
§21.167Ἀντίνοος δʼ ἐνένιπεν ἔπος τʼ ἔφατʼ ἔκ τʼ ὀνόμαζε· §21.168Λειῶδες, ποῖόν σε ἔπος φύγεν ἕρκος ὀδόντων, §21.169δεινόν τʼ ἀργαλέον τε, —νεμεσσῶμαι δέ τʼ ἀκούων— §21.170εἰ δὴ τοῦτό γε τόξον ἀριστῆας κεκαδήσει §21.171θυμοῦ καὶ ψυχῆς, ἐπεὶ οὐ δύνασαι σὺ τανύσσαι.
Then Antinous rebuked him, and spoke and addressed him: "Leiodes, what a word has escaped the barrier of your teeth, dread and grievous,—and I am indignant to hear it— if indeed this bow shall deprive chieftains of heart and soul, just because you are unable to string it.
§21.172οὐ γάρ τοί σέ γε τοῖον ἐγείνατο πότνια μήτηρ §21.173οἷόν τε ῥυτῆρα βιοῦ τʼ ἔμεναι καὶ ὀϊστῶν· §21.174ἀλλʼ ἄλλοι τανύουσι τάχα μνηστῆρες ἀγαυοί. §21.175ὣς φάτο, καί ῥʼ ἐκέλευσε Μελάνθιον, αἰπόλον αἰγῶν· §21.176ἄγρει δή, πῦρ κῆον ἐνὶ μεγάροισι, Μελανθεῦ, §21.177πὰρ δὲ τίθει δίφρον τε μέγαν καὶ κῶας ἐπʼ αὐτοῦ, §21.178ἐκ δὲ στέατος ἔνεικε μέγαν τροχὸν ἔνδον ἐόντος, §21.179ὄφρα νέοι θάλποντες, ἐπιχρίοντες ἀλοιφῇ, §21.180τόξου πειρώμεσθα καὶ ἐκτελέωμεν ἄεθλον. §21.181ὣς φάθʼ, ὁ δʼ αἶψʼ ἀνέκαιε Μελάνθιος ἀκάματον πῦρ, §21.182πὰρ δὲ φέρων δίφρον θῆκεν καὶ κῶας ἐπʼ αὐτοῦ, §21.183ἐκ δὲ στέατος ἔνεικε μέγαν τροχὸν ἔνδον ἐόντος·
For surely your lady mother did not bear you to be such a one as to be a drawer of the bow and of arrows; but other proud suitors will soon string it." So he spoke, and ordered Melanthius, the goatherd: "Kindle a fire in the halls now, Melanthius, and set by it a great seat and a fleece upon it, and bring out a great cake of the fat that is within, so that the young men, warming the bow and greasing it with fat, may make trial of the bow and finish the contest." So he spoke, and Melanthius quickly kindled the tireless fire, and brought the seat and set it down and a fleece upon it, and brought out the great cake of fat that was within.
§21.184τῷ ῥα νέοι θάλποντες ἐπειρῶντʼ· οὐδʼ ἐδύναντο §21.185ἐντανύσαι, πολλὸν δὲ βίης ἐπιδευέες ἦσαν.
With this then the young men warmed it and made trial; but they could not string it, and they were far lacking in strength.
§21.186Ἀντίνοος δʼ ἔτʼ ἐπεῖχε καὶ Εὐρύμαχος θεοειδής, §21.187ἀρχοὶ μνηστήρων· ἀρετῇ δʼ ἔσαν ἔξοχʼ ἄριστοι.
But Antinous still held back, and godlike Eurymachus, leaders of the suitors; and they were by far the best in excellence.
§21.188τὼ δʼ ἐξ οἴκου βῆσαν ὁμαρτήσαντες ἅμʼ ἄμφω §21.189βουκόλος ἠδὲ συφορβὸς Ὀδυσσῆος θείοιο· §21.190ἐκ δʼ αὐτὸς μετὰ τοὺς δόμου ἤλυθε δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς.
Then those two went out of the house together, the herdsman and the swineherd of divine Odysseus; and after them went out noble Odysseus himself from the house.
§21.191ἀλλʼ ὅτε δή ῥʼ ἐκτὸς θυρέων ἔσαν ἠδὲ καὶ αὐλῆς, §21.192φθεγξάμενός σφε ἔπεσσι προσηύδα μειλιχίοισι· §21.193βουκόλε καὶ σύ, συφορβέ, ἔπος τί κε μυθησαίμην,
But when they were outside the gates and the courtyard, he spoke and addressed them with gentle words: "Herdsman, and you, swineherd, should I speak some word, or shall I hide it?
§21.194ἦ αὐτὸς κεύθω; φάσθαι δέ με θυμὸς ἀνώγει.
But my heart bids me speak.
§21.195ποῖοί κʼ εἶτʼ Ὀδυσῆϊ ἀμυνέμεν, εἴ ποθεν ἔλθοι §21.196ὧδε μάλʼ ἐξαπίνης καί τις θεὸς αὐτὸν ἐνείκαι;
What sort of men would you be to defend Odysseus, if he should come thus very suddenly from somewhere, and some god should bring him?
§21.197ἤ κε μνηστήρεσσιν ἀμύνοιτʼ ἦ Ὀδυσῆϊ;
Would you defend the suitors or Odysseus?
§21.198εἴπαθʼ ὅπως ὑμέας κραδίη θυμός τε κελεύει. §21.199τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε βοῶν ἐπιβουκόλος ἀνήρ· §21.200Ζεῦ πάτερ, αἲ γὰρ τοῦτο τελευτήσειας ἐέλδωρ, §21.201ὡς ἔλθοι μὲν κεῖνος ἀνήρ, ἀγάγοι δέ ἑ δαίμων·
Tell me as your heart and soul bid you." Then the master herdsman of the cattle answered him: "Father Zeus, oh that you would fulfill this wish, that that man might come, and a god might guide him!
§21.202γνοίης χʼ οἵη ἐμὴ δύναμις καὶ χεῖρες ἕπονται. §21.203ὣς δʼ αὔτως Εὔμαιος ἐπεύχετο πᾶσι θεοῖσι §21.204νοστῆσαι Ὀδυσῆα πολύφρονα ὅνδε δόμονδε.
Then you would know what my power is and how my hands follow." And in the same way Eumaeus prayed to all the gods that wise Odysseus might return to his own home.
§21.205αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ τῶν γε νόον νημερτέʼ ἀνέγνω, §21.206ἐξαῦτίς σφε ἔπεσσιν ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπεν· §21.207ἔνδον μὲν δὴ ὅδʼ αὐτὸς ἐγώ, κακὰ πολλὰ μογήσας §21.208ἤλυθον εἰκοστῷ ἔτεϊ ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν.
But when he had recognized their true mind beyond doubt, he spoke to them again, answering with words: "Lo, here I am myself inside, having suffered many evils, I have come in the twentieth year to my native land.
§21.209γιγνώσκω δʼ ὡς σφῶϊν ἐελδομένοισιν ἱκάνω §21.210οἴοισι δμώων· τῶν δʼ ἄλλων οὔ τευ ἄκουσα §21.211εὐξαμένου ἐμὲ αὖτις ὑπότροπον οἴκαδʼ ἱκέσθαι.
And I know that I come to you two who alone of my servants desired my return; for of the others I have heard not one praying that I should come back home again.
§21.212σφῶϊν δʼ, ὡς ἔσεταί περ, ἀληθείην καταλέξω.
And to you two I will tell the truth, just as it shall be.
§21.213εἴ χʼ ὑπʼ ἐμοί γε θεὸς δαμάσῃ μνηστῆρας ἀγαυούς, §21.214ἄξομαι ἀμφοτέροις ἀλόχους καὶ κτήματʼ ὀπάσσω §21.215οἰκία τʼ ἐγγὺς ἐμεῖο τετυγμένα· καί μοι ἔπειτα §21.216Τηλεμάχου ἑτάρω τε κασιγνήτω τε ἔσεσθον.
If a god subdues the proud suitors under me, I will bring wives for both of you, and give you possessions and houses built near me; and thereafter you two shall be companions and brothers to Telemachus.