§21.76καὶ διοϊστεύσῃ πελέκεων δυοκαίδεκα πάντων, §21.77τῷ κεν ἅμʼ ἑσποίμην, νοσφισσαμένη τόδε δῶμα §21.78κουρίδιον, μάλα καλόν, ἐνίπλειον βιότοιο, §21.79τοῦ ποτὲ μεμνήσεσθαι ὀΐομαι ἔν περ ὀνείρῳ. §21.80ὣς φάτο, καί ῥʼ Εὔμαιον ἀνώγει, δῖον ὑφορβόν, §21.81τόξον μνηστήρεσσι θέμεν πολιόν τε σίδηρον.
and shoot an arrow through all twelve axes, with him would I go, separating myself from this house of my wedded husband, very beautiful and full of life's substance, which I think I shall remember, even if only in a dream.” So she spoke, and ordered Eumaeus, the noble swineherd, to set before the suitors the bow and the grey iron.
§21.82δακρύσας δʼ Εὔμαιος ἐδέξατο καὶ κατέθηκε· §21.83κλαῖε δὲ βουκόλος ἄλλοθʼ, ἐπεὶ ἴδε τόξον ἄνακτος.
And Eumaeus took it with tears and laid it down; and the herdsman wept in another place, when he saw the bow of the lord.
§21.84Ἀντίνοος δʼ ἐνένιπεν ἔπος τʼ ἔφατʼ ἔκ τʼ ὀνόμαζε· §21.85νήπιοι ἀγροιῶται, ἐφημέρια φρονέοντες, §21.86ἆ δειλώ, τί νυ δάκρυ κατείβετον ἠδὲ γυναικὶ §21.87θυμὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ὀρίνετον;
But Antinous rebuked them, and spoke and addressed them: “Foolish rustics, who think only of the day, ah, wretched men, why now do you shed tears and stir up the heart in the breast of the lady?
ᾗ τε καὶ ἄλλως §21.88κεῖται ἐν ἄλγεσι θυμός, ἐπεὶ φίλον ὤλεσʼ ἀκοίτην.
Even without this her heart lies in sorrows, since she has lost her dear husband.
§21.89ἀλλʼ ἀκέων δαίνυσθε καθήμενοι, ἠὲ θύραζε §21.90κλαίετον ἐξελθόντε, κατʼ αὐτόθι τόξα λιπόντε, §21.91μνηστήρεσσιν ἄεθλον ἀάατον· οὐ γὰρ ὀΐω §21.92ῥηϊδίως τόδε τόξον ἐΰξοον ἐντανύεσθαι.
But sit down and feast in silence, or go outside and weep, leaving the bow right here, a decisive contest for the suitors; for I do not think that this well-polished bow will be easily strung.
§21.93οὐ γάρ τις μέτα τοῖος ἀνὴρ ἐν τοίσδεσι πᾶσιν §21.94οἷος Ὀδυσσεὺς ἔσκεν· ἐγὼ δέ μιν αὐτὸς ὄπωπα, §21.95καὶ γὰρ μνήμων εἰμί, πάϊς δʼ ἔτι νήπιος ἦα. §21.96ὣς φάτο, τῷ δʼ ἄρα θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ἐώλπει §21.97νευρὴν ἐντανύσειν διοϊστεύσειν τε σιδήρου.
For there is no man among all these here such as Odysseus was; and I myself saw him, for I have a good memory, though I was still a foolish child.” So he spoke, but the heart in his breast hoped to string the bow and shoot through the iron.
§21.98ἦ τοι ὀϊστοῦ γε πρῶτος γεύσεσθαι ἔμελλεν §21.99ἐκ χειρῶν Ὀδυσῆος ἀμύμονος, ὃν τότʼ ἀτίμα §21.100ἥμενος ἐν μεγάροις, ἐπὶ δʼ ὤρνυε πάντας ἑταίρους.
Yet truly, he was to be the first to taste the arrow from the hands of peerless Odysseus, whom he then dishonored as he sat in the halls, and urged on all his comrades.
§21.101τοῖσι δὲ καὶ μετέειφʼ ἱερὴ ἲς Τηλεμάχοιο· §21.102ὢ πόποι, ἦ μάλα με Ζεὺς ἄφρονα θῆκε Κρονίων·
And to them spoke the sacred strength of Telemachus: “Ah, surely Zeus, son of Cronos, has made me utterly foolish.
§21.103μήτηρ μέν μοί φησι φίλη, πινυτή περ ἐοῦσα, §21.104ἄλλῳ ἅμʼ ἕψεσθαι νοσφισσαμένη τόδε δῶμα· §21.105αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ γελόω καὶ τέρπομαι ἄφρονι θυμῷ.
My dear mother, wise though she is, says that she will follow another, separating herself from this house; but I laugh and am glad in my foolish mind.
§21.106ἀλλʼ ἄγετε, μνηστῆρες, ἐπεὶ τόδε φαίνετʼ ἄεθλον, §21.107οἵη νῦν οὐκ ἔστι γυνὴ κατʼ Ἀχαιΐδα γαῖαν, §21.108οὔτε Πύλου ἱερῆς οὔτʼ Ἄργεος οὔτε Μυκήνης· §21.109οὔτʼ αὐτῆς Ἰθάκης οὔτʼ ἠπείροιο μελαίνης· §21.110καὶ δʼ αὐτοὶ τόδε γʼ ἴστε· τί με χρὴ μητέρος αἴνου;
But come, suitors, since this contest is shown to you— a woman such as there is not now in the Achaean land, neither in sacred Pylos, nor in Argos, nor in Mycenae, nor in Ithaca itself, nor on the dark mainland; and you yourselves know this; why do I need to praise my mother?
But come, do not delay with excuses, nor turn away any longer from stringing the bow, so that we may see.
§21.113καὶ δέ κεν αὐτὸς ἐγὼ τοῦ τόξου πειρησαίμην· §21.114εἰ δέ κεν ἐντανύσω διοϊστεύσω τε σιδήρου, §21.115οὔ κέ μοι ἀχνυμένῳ τάδε δώματα πότνια μήτηρ §21.116λείποι ἅμʼ ἄλλῳ ἰοῦσʼ, ὅτʼ ἐγὼ κατόπισθε λιποίμην §21.117οἷός τʼ ἤδη πατρὸς ἀέθλια κάλʼ ἀνελέσθαι. §21.118ἦ καὶ ἀπʼ ὤμοιϊν χλαῖναν θέτο φοινικόεσσαν §21.119ὀρθὸς ἀναΐξας, ἀπὸ δὲ ξίφος ὀξὺ θέτʼ ὤμων.
And indeed, I myself would make trial of the bow; and if I string it and shoot through the iron, my lady mother would not leave these halls, to my sorrow, going with another, when I should be left behind as one now able to take up the beautiful prizes of my father.” He spoke, and casting off his scarlet cloak from his shoulders, rose up straight, and put away the sharp sword from his shoulders.
§21.120πρῶτον μὲν πελέκεας στῆσεν, διὰ τάφρον ὀρύξας §21.121πᾶσι μίαν μακρήν, καὶ ἐπὶ στάθμην ἴθυνεν, §21.122ἀμφὶ δὲ γαῖαν ἔναξε·
First then he set up the axes, having dug a trench for all of them, one long trench, and made it straight according to the line, and stamped down the earth around them.
τάφος δʼ ἕλε πάντας ἰδόντας, §21.123ὡς εὐκόσμως στῆσε· πάρος δʼ οὐ πώ ποτʼ ὀπώπει.
And wonder took all who saw him, how orderly he set them up, though before he had never seen it.
§21.124στῆ δʼ ἄρʼ ἐπʼ οὐδὸν ἰὼν καὶ τόξου πειρήτιζε.
Then he went and stood upon the threshold, and began to try the bow.
§21.125τρὶς μέν μιν πελέμιξεν ἐρύσσεσθαι μενεαίνων, §21.126τρὶς δὲ μεθῆκε βίης, ἐπιελπόμενος τό γε θυμῷ, §21.127νευρὴν ἐντανύειν διοϊστεύσειν τε σιδήρου.
Thrice he made it tremble, eager to draw it, and thrice he relaxed his strength, though hoping in his heart to string the bow and shoot through the iron.
§21.128καί νύ κε δή ῥʼ ἐτάνυσσε βίῃ τὸ τέταρτον ἀνέλκων, §21.129ἀλλʼ Ὀδυσεὺς ἀνένευε καὶ ἔσχεθεν ἱέμενόν περ.
And now indeed he would have strung it by force, pulling it for the fourth time, but Odysseus shook his head and restrained him, eager though he was.
§21.130τοῖς δʼ αὖτις μετέειφʼ ἱερὴ ἲς Τηλεμάχοιο· §21.131ὢ πόποι, ἦ καὶ ἔπειτα κακός τʼ ἔσομαι καὶ ἄκικυς, §21.132ἠὲ νεώτερός εἰμι καὶ οὔ πω χερσὶ πέποιθα §21.133ἄνδρʼ ἀπαμύνασθαι, ὅτε τις πρότερος χαλεπήνῃ.
And to them spoke again the sacred strength of Telemachus: “Alas, indeed I shall be both a coward and weak hereafter, or I am too young and do not yet trust my hands to ward off a man when someone is the first to provoke me.
§21.134ἀλλʼ ἄγεθʼ, οἵ περ ἐμεῖο βίῃ προφερέστεροί ἐστε, §21.135τόξου πειρήσασθε, καὶ ἐκτελέωμεν ἄεθλον. §21.136ὣς εἰπὼν τόξον μὲν ἀπὸ ἕο θῆκε χαμᾶζε, §21.137κλίνας κολλητῇσιν ἐϋξέστῃς σανίδεσσιν, §21.138αὐτοῦ δʼ ὠκὺ βέλος καλῇ προσέκλινε κορώνῃ, §21.139ἂψ δʼ αὖτις κατʼ ἄρʼ ἕζετʼ ἐπὶ θρόνου ἔνθεν ἀνέστη.
But come, you who are superior to me in strength, try the bow, and let us finish the contest.” So speaking, he set the bow down from him on the ground, 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.
§21.140τοῖσιν δʼ Ἀντίνοος μετέφη, Εὐπείθεος υἱός· §21.141ὄρνυσθʼ ἑξείης ἐπιδέξια πάντες ἑταῖροι, §21.142ἀρξάμενοι τοῦ χώρου ὅθεν τέ περ οἰνοχοεύει. §21.143ὣς ἔφατʼ Ἀντίνοος, τοῖσιν δʼ ἐπιήνδανε μῦθος.
Then Antinous spoke among them, the son of Eupeithes: “Rise up in order, all comrades, from left to right, beginning from the place where the wine is poured.” So spoke Antinous, and the saying pleased them.
§21.144Λειώδης δὲ πρῶτος ἀνίστατο, Οἴνοπος υἱός, §21.145ὅ σφι θυοσκόος ἔσκε, παρὰ κρητῆρα δὲ καλὸν §21.146ἷζε μυχοίτατος αἰέν· ἀτασθαλίαι δέ οἱ οἴῳ §21.147ἐχθραὶ ἔσαν, πᾶσιν δὲ νεμέσσα μνηστήρεσσιν·
And Leiodes was the first to rise, the son of Oenops, who was their priest, and by the beautiful mixing-bowl he always sat in the innermost corner; and to him alone their wickedness was hateful, and he was indignant with all the suitors.