§21.363πλαγκτέ;
"Vagabond!
τάχʼ αὖ σʼ ἐφʼ ὕεσσι κύνες ταχέες κατέδονται §21.364οἶον ἀπʼ ἀνθρώπων, οὓς ἔτρεφες, εἴ κεν Ἀπόλλων §21.365ἡμῖν ἱλήκῃσι καὶ ἀθάνατοι θεοὶ ἄλλοι. §21.366ὣς φάσαν, αὐτὰρ, ὁ θῆκε φέρων αὐτῇ ἐνὶ χώρῃ, §21.367δείσας, οὕνεκα πολλοὶ ὁμόκλεον ἐν μεγάροισιν.
Soon indeed the swift dogs you yourself reared will devour you among the swine, far from men, if Apollo is gracious to us, and the other immortal gods." So they spoke, but he, in fear, set down the bow in the very place as he carried it, because many in the halls were shouting threats at him.
But Telemachus from the other side called out threateningly: "Father, carry the bow forward!
τάχʼ οὐκ εὖ πᾶσι πιθήσεις §21.370μή σε καὶ ὁπλότερός περ ἐὼν ἀγρόνδε δίωμαι, §21.371βάλλων χερμαδίοισι· βίηφι δὲ φέρτερός εἰμι.
Soon you will find that it is not well to obey everyone, lest I, though I am younger, chase you to the fields pelting you with stones; for in strength I am better than you.
§21.372αἲ γὰρ πάντων τόσσον, ὅσοι κατὰ δώματʼ ἔασι, §21.373μνηστήρων χερσίν τε βίηφί τε φέρτερος εἴην· §21.374τῷ κε τάχα στυγερῶς τινʼ ἐγὼ πέμψαιμι νέεσθαι §21.375ἡμετέρου ἐξ οἴκου, ἐπεὶ κακὰ μηχανόωνται. §21.376ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἱ δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἐπʼ αὐτῷ ἡδὺ γέλασσαν §21.377μνηστῆρες, καὶ δὴ μέθιεν χαλεποῖο χόλοιο
Would that I were as much better in hands and strength than all the suitors who are in the halls; then would I soon send many a one of them packing in sorry fashion from our house, since they devise evil deeds." So he spoke, and they all laughed merrily at him, the suitors, and they relaxed their harsh anger toward Telemachus.
§21.378Τηλεμάχῳ· τὰ δὲ τόξα φέρων ἀνὰ δῶμα συβώτης §21.379ἐν χείρεσσʼ Ὀδυσῆϊ δαΐφρονι θῆκε παραστάς.
And the swineherd carried the bow through the hall, stood by wise Odysseus, and placed it in his hands.
§21.380ἐκ δὲ καλεσσάμενος προσέφη τροφὸν Εὐρύκλειαν· §21.381Τηλέμαχος κέλεταί σε, περίφρων Εὐρύκλεια, §21.382κληῗσαι μεγάροιο θύρας πυκινῶς ἀραρυίας.
Then calling nurse Eurycleia outside, he spoke to her: "Telemachus bids you, wise Eurycleia, to lock the closely-fitting doors of the hall.
§21.383ἢν δέ τις ἤ στοναχῆς ἠὲ κτύπου ἔνδον ἀκούσῃ §21.384ἀνδρῶν ἡμετέροισιν ἐν ἕρκεσι, μή τι θύραζε §21.385προβλώσκειν, ἀλλʼ αὐτοῦ ἀκὴν ἔμεναι παρὰ ἔργῳ. §21.386ὣς ἄρʼ ἐφώνησεν, τῇ δʼ ἄπτερος ἔπλετο μῦθος, §21.387κλήϊσεν δὲ θύρας μεγάρων εὖ ναιεταόντων.
And if anyone hears within a groaning or a din of men, let no one go forth out of doors, but remain there in silence at her work." So he spoke, and to her the word was wingless; and she locked the doors of the fair-lying halls.
But in silence Philoetius sprang from the house to the doors, and then locked the gates of the well-walled courtyard.
§21.390κεῖτο δʼ ὑπʼ αἰθούσῃ ὅπλον νεὸς ἀμφιελίσσης §21.391βύβλινον, ᾧ ῥʼ ἐπέδησε θύρας, ἐς δʼ ἤϊεν αὐτός·
Now there lay under the portico a cable of a curved ship, made of papyrus-fiber, with which he bound the gates, and then went inside himself.
He went and sat down on the seat from which he had risen, looking at Odysseus.
ὁ δʼ ἤδη τόξον ἐνώμα §21.394πάντη ἀναστρωφῶν, πειρώμενος ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα, §21.395μὴ κέρα ἶπες ἔδοιεν ἀποιχομένοιο ἄνακτος.
And he was already handling the bow, turning it all over and trying it this way and that, lest worms should have eaten the horn while its master was away.
And thus would one speak, looking at his neighbor: "Surely he is some connoisseur and expert in bows!
§21.398ἤ ῥά νύ που τοιαῦτα καὶ αὐτῷ οἴκοθι κεῖται §21.399ἢ ὅ γʼ ἐφορμᾶται ποιησέμεν, ὡς ἐνὶ χερσὶ §21.400νωμᾷ ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα κακῶν ἔμπαιος ἀλήτης. §21.401ἄλλος δʼ αὖ εἴπεσκε νέων ὑπερηνορεόντων· §21.402αἲ γὰρ δὴ τοσσοῦτον ὀνήσιος ἀντιάσειεν §21.403ὡς οὗτός ποτε τοῦτο δυνήσεται ἐντανύσασθαι. §21.404ὣς ἄρʼ ἔφαν μνηστῆρες· ἀτὰρ πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς, §21.405αὐτίκʼ ἐπεὶ μέγα τόξον ἐβάστασε καὶ ἴδε πάντη, §21.406ὡς ὅτʼ ἀνὴρ φόρμιγγος ἐπιστάμενος καὶ ἀοιδῆς §21.407ῥηϊδίως ἐτάνυσσε νέῳ περὶ κόλλοπι χορδήν, §21.408ἅψας ἀμφοτέρωθεν ἐϋστρεφὲς ἔντερον οἰός, §21.409ὣς ἄρʼ ἄτερ σπουδῆς τάνυσεν μέγα τόξον Ὀδυσσεύς.
Or perhaps such bows as this lie also in his own house, or he is minded to make one, seeing how he turns it this way and that in his hands, this vagabond skilled in evil." And another of the proud youths would say: "Would that he might meet with as much profit as he will ever be able to string this bow!" So spoke the suitors; but Odysseus of many wiles, as soon as he had lifted the great bow and scanned it on every side, even as when a man skilled in the lyre and in song easily stretches a string about a new peg, tying the well-twisted sheep-gut at both ends, so without effort did Odysseus string the great bow.
§21.410δεξιτερῇ ἄρα χειρὶ λαβὼν πειρήσατο νευρῆς· §21.411ἡ δʼ ὑπὸ καλὸν ἄεισε, χελιδόνι εἰκέλη αὐδήν.
Then with his right hand he took and pluncked the string, and it sang sweetly to his touch, like a swallow in tone.
§21.412μνηστῆρσιν δʼ ἄρʼ ἄχος γένετο μέγα, πᾶσι δʼ ἄρα χρὼς §21.413ἐτράπετο· Ζεὺς δὲ μεγάλʼ ἔκτυπε σήματα φαίνων·
But upon the suitors came great grief, and the color of all changed; and Zeus thundered aloud, showing his signs.
§21.414γήθησέν τʼ ἄρʼ ἔπειτα πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς. §21.415ὅττι ῥά οἱ τέρας ἧκε Κρόνου πάϊς ἀγκυλομήτεω·
Then glad was the much-enduring noble Odysseus because the son of crooked-counseling Cronos had sent him a portent.
§21.416εἵλετο δʼ ὠκὺν ὀϊστόν, ὅ οἱ παρέκειτο τραπέζῃ §21.417γυμνός· τοὶ δʼ ἄλλοι κοίλης ἔντοσθε φαρέτρης §21.418κείατο, τῶν τάχʼ ἔμελλον Ἀχαιοὶ πειρήσεσθαι.
And he took a swift arrow that lay by him on the table, bare; but the others lay within the hollow quiver, of which the Achaeans were soon to have trial.
§21.419τόν ῥʼ ἐπὶ πήχει ἑλὼν ἕλκεν νευρὴν γλυφίδας τε, §21.420αὐτόθεν ἐκ δίφροιο καθήμενος, ἧκε δʼ ὀϊστὸν §21.421ἄντα τιτυσκόμενος, πελέκεων δʼ οὐκ ἤμβροτε πάντων §21.422πρώτης στειλειῆς, διὰ δʼ ἀμπερὲς ἦλθε θύραζε §21.423ἰὸς χαλκοβαρής·
This he laid on the bridge, and drew the bow-string and the notches, sitting as he was on his seat, and let fly the arrow, aiming straight ahead, and did not miss the first handle-hole of all the axes, but clean through and out at the door went the bronze-weighted shaft.
ὁ δὲ Τηλέμαχον προσέειπε· §21.424Τηλέμαχʼ, οὔ σʼ ὁ ξεῖνος ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν ἐλέγχει §21.425ἥμενος, οὐδέ τι τοῦ σκοποῦ ἤμβροτον οὐδέ τι τόξον §21.426δὴν ἔκαμον τανύων· ἔτι μοι μένος ἔμπεδόν ἐστιν, §21.427οὐχ ὥς με μνηστῆρες ἀτιμάζοντες ὄνονται.
And he spoke to Telemachus: "Telemachus, the stranger sitting in your halls does not disgrace you, nor did I miss the mark, nor did I labor long in stringing the bow; still is my strength firm, not as the suitors in their dishonor mock me.
§21.428νῦν δʼ ὥρη καὶ δόρπον Ἀχαιοῖσιν τετυκέσθαι §21.429ἐν φάει, αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα καὶ ἄλλως ἑψιάασθαι §21.430μολπῇ καὶ φόρμιγγι· τὰ γάρ τʼ ἀναθήματα δαιτός. §21.431ἦ καὶ ἐπʼ ὀφρύσι νεῦσεν· ὁ δʼ ἀμφέθετο ξίφος ὀξὺ §21.432Τηλέμαχος, φίλος υἱὸς Ὀδυσσῆος θείοιο, §21.433ἀμφὶ δὲ χεῖρα φίλην βάλεν ἔγχεϊ, ἄγχι δʼ ἄρʼ αὐτοῦ §21.434πὰρ θρόνον ἑστήκει κεκορυθμένος αἴθοπι χαλκῷ.
But now it is time for the Achaeans to prepare their supper, while there is light, and then to make merry in other ways too with song and the lyre; for these are the crowns of a feast." He spoke, and nodded with his brows; and Telemachus girt on his sharp sword, Telemachus, the dear son of divine Odysseus, and clasped his hand about his spear, and close by his side, by his seat, he stood armed in gleaming bronze.