§23.1γρηῢς δʼ εἰς ὑπερῷʼ ἀνεβήσετο καγχαλόωσα, §23.2δεσποίνῃ ἐρέουσα φίλον πόσιν ἔνδον ἐόντα· §23.3γούνατα δʼ ἐρρώσαντο, πόδες δʼ ὑπερικταίνοντο.
And the old dame went up to the upper chamber, laughing aloud, to tell her mistress that her dear husband was within; and her knees moved nimbly, and her feet stumbled over one another in her haste.
§23.4στῆ δʼ ἄρʼ ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς καί μιν πρὸς μῦθον ἔειπεν· §23.5ἔγρεο, Πηνελόπεια, φίλον τέκος, ὄφρα ἴδηαι §23.6ὀφθαλμοῖσι τεοῖσι τά τʼ ἔλδεαι ἤματα πάντα.
She stood over her head, and spoke to her, saying: "Awake, Penelope, dear child, that thou mayest see with thine own eyes what thou hast longed for all thy days.
§23.7ἦλθʼ Ὀδυσεὺς καὶ οἶκον ἱκάνεται, ὀψέ περ ἐλθών.
Odysseus is come, and has reached his house, though late in coming.
§23.8μνηστῆρας δʼ ἔκτεινεν ἀγήνορας, οἵ θʼ ἑὸν οἶκον §23.9κήδεσκον καὶ κτήματʼ ἔδον βιόωντό τε παῖδα. §23.10τὴν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε περίφρων Πηνελόπεια· §23.11μαῖα φίλη, μάργην σε θεοὶ θέσαν, οἵ τε δύνανται §23.12ἄφρονα ποιῆσαι καὶ ἐπίφρονά περ μάλʼ ἐόντα, §23.13καί τε χαλιφρονέοντα σαοφροσύνης ἐπέβησαν· §23.14οἵ σέ περ ἔβλαψαν·
And he has slain the proud suitors, who were wasting his house, and devouring his substance, and oppressing his son." Then wise Penelope answered her: "Dear nurse, the gods have made thee mad, they who are able to make foolish even one who is very wise, and have set the simple-minded on the path of wisdom; It is they who have marred thy wits, though before thou wast of an understanding heart.
πρὶν δὲ φρένας αἰσίμη ἦσθα. §23.15τίπτε με λωβεύεις πολυπενθέα θυμὸν ἔχουσαν §23.16ταῦτα παρὲξ ἐρέουσα καὶ ἐξ ὕπνου μʼ ἀνεγείρεις §23.17ἡδέος, ὅς μʼ ἐπέδησε φίλα βλέφαρʼ ἀμφικαλύψας;
Why dost thou mock me, who have a heart full of sorrow, telling this wild tale, and rouse me from the sweet sleep which bound me and shrouded my eyes?
For never have I slept such a sleep since the day when Odysseus went forth to look upon Evil-Ilium, that should not be named.
§23.20ἀλλʼ ἄγε νῦν κατάβηθι καὶ ἂψ ἔρχευ μέγαρόνδε.
But come now, go down, and back to the hall.
§23.21εἰ γάρ τίς μʼ ἄλλη γε γυναικῶν, αἵ μοι ἔασι, §23.22ταῦτʼ ἐλθοῦσʼ ἤγγειλε καὶ ἐξ ὕπνου ἀνέγειρεν, §23.23τῷ κε τάχα στυγερῶς μιν ἐγὼν ἀπέπεμψα νέεσθαι §23.24αὖτις ἔσω μέγαρον· σὲ δὲ τοῦτό γε γῆρας ὀνήσει. §23.25τὴν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε φίλη τροφὸς Εὐρύκλεια· §23.26οὔ τί σε λωβεύω, τέκνον φίλον, ἀλλʼ ἔτυμόν τοι §23.27ἦλθʼ Ὀδυσεὺς καὶ οἶκον ἱκάνεται, ὡς ἀγορεύω, §23.28ὁ ξεῖνος, τὸν πάντες ἀτίμων ἐν μεγάροισι.
For if any other of the women who are mine had come and told me this, and roused me from sleep, then I would soon have sent her back in sorry wise to go within the hall; but as for thee, thy old age shall stand thee in good stead." Then the dear nurse Eurycleia answered her: "I mock thee not, dear child, but in very truth Odysseus is come, and has reached his house, even as I tell thee, even that stranger whom all men did dishonour in the halls.
§23.29Τηλέμαχος δʼ ἄρα μιν πάλαι ᾔδεεν ἔνδον ἐόντα, §23.30ἀλλὰ σαοφροσύνῃσι νοήματα πατρὸς ἔκευθεν, §23.31ὄφρʼ ἀνδρῶν τίσαιτο βίην ὑπερηνορεόντων. §23.32ὣς ἔφαθʼ, ἡ δʼ ἐχάρη καὶ ἀπὸ λέκτροιο θοροῦσα §23.33γρηῒ περιπλέχθη, βλεφάρων δʼ ἀπὸ δάκρυον ἧκεν· §23.34καί μιν φωνήσασʼ ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα· §23.35εἰ δʼ ἄγε δή μοι, μαῖα φίλη, νημερτὲς ἐνίσπες, §23.36εἰ ἐτεὸν δὴ οἶκον ἱκάνεται, ὡς ἀγορεύεις, §23.37ὅππως δὴ μνηστῆρσιν ἀναιδέσι χεῖρας ἐφῆκε §23.38μοῦνος ἐών, οἱ δʼ αἰὲν ἀολλέες ἔνδον ἔμιμνον. §23.39τὴν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε φίλη τροφὸς Εὐρύκλεια· §23.40οὐκ ἴδον, οὐ πυθόμην, ἀλλὰ στόνον οἶον ἄκουσα §23.41κτεινομένων· ἡμεῖς δὲ μυχῷ θαλάμων εὐπήκτων §23.42ἥμεθʼ ἀτυζόμεναι, σανίδες δʼ ἔχον εὖ ἀραρυῖαι, §23.43πρίν γʼ ὅτε δή με σὸς υἱὸς ἀπὸ μεγάροιο κάλεσσε §23.44Τηλέμαχος· τὸν γάρ ῥα πατὴρ προέηκε καλέσσαι.
Telemachus indeed knew long since that he was within, but with wisdom he concealed the plans of his father, that he might take vengeance on the violence of the overbearing men." So she spoke, and Penelope was glad, and springing from her bed she clung to the old woman, and let a tear fall from her eyes; and she spoke and addressed her with winged words: "Go to now, dear nurse, I pray thee, tell me truly, if indeed he is come to his house, as thou sayest, how he laid his hands upon the shameless suitors, being all alone, while they remained always in a body within." Then the dear nurse Eurycleia answered her: "I saw not, I asked not, but only heard the groaning of them that were being slain; but we sat in terror in the innermost corner of our well-built chambers, and the close-fitting doors kept us in, until thy son Telemachus called me from the hall, for his father had sent him forth to call me.
§23.45εὗρον ἔπειτʼ Ὀδυσῆα μετὰ κταμένοισι νέκυσσιν §23.46ἑσταόθʼ· οἱ δέ μιν ἀμφί, κραταίπεδον οὖδας ἔχοντες, §23.47κείατʼ ἐπʼ ἀλλήλοισιν· ἰδοῦσά κε θυμὸν ἰάνθης.
Then I found Odysseus standing among the bodies of the slain, and they around him, covering the hard floor, lay piled one upon another; thou wouldst have rejoiced in heart at the sight.
§23.48νῦν δʼ οἱ μὲν δὴ πάντες ἐπʼ αὐλείῃσι θύρῃσιν §23.50ἀθρόοι, αὐτὰρ ὁ δῶμα θεειοῦται περικαλλές, §23.51πῦρ μέγα κηάμενος· σὲ δέ με προέηκε καλέσσαι.
And now they are all gathered together at the gates of the court, but he is purifying the beautiful house with sulphur, and has kindled a great fire; and he sent me to call thee.
But follow me, that ye may both enter into gladness of heart, for ye have suffered many evils.
§23.54νῦν δʼ ἤδη τόδε μακρὸν ἐέλδωρ ἐκτετέλεσται· §23.55ἦλθε μὲν αὐτὸς ζωὸς ἐφέστιος, εὗρε δὲ καὶ σὲ §23.56καὶ παῖδʼ ἐν μεγάροισι· κακῶς δʼ οἵ πέρ μιν ἔρεζον §23.57μνηστῆρες, τοὺς πάντας ἐτίσατο ᾧ ἐνὶ οἴκῳ.
And now at length this thy long-cherished desire is fulfilled: he has come back himself alive to his hearth, and has found thee and his son in the halls; and on those who did him evil, even the suitors, he has taken vengeance on them all in his own house." Then wise Penelope answered her: "Dear nurse, boast not yet aloud with laughter.
§23.58τὴν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε περίφρων Πηνελόπεια· §23.59μαῖα φίλη, μή πω μέγʼ ἐπεύχεο καγχαλόωσα. §23.60οἶσθα γὰρ ὥς κʼ ἀσπαστὸς ἐνὶ μεγάροισι φανείη §23.61πᾶσι, μάλιστα δʼ ἐμοί τε καὶ υἱέϊ, τὸν τεκόμεσθα·
For thou knowest how welcome his appearing would be in the halls to all, and most of all to me and to his son, whom we begot.
§23.62ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἔσθʼ ὅδε μῦθος ἐτήτυμος, ὡς ἀγορεύεις, §23.63ἀλλά τις ἀθανάτων κτεῖνε μνηστῆρας ἀγαυούς, §23.64ὕβριν ἀγασσάμενος θυμαλγέα καὶ κακὰ ἔργα.
But this is no true tale, as thou tellest it; nay, some one of the immortals has slain the proud suitors, in wrath at their grievous insolence and their evil deeds.
§23.65οὔ τινα γὰρ τίεσκον ἐπιχθονίων ἀνθρώπων, §23.66οὐ κακὸν οὐδὲ μὲν ἐσθλόν, ὅτις σφέας εἰσαφίκοιτο· §23.67τῷ διʼ ἀτασθαλίας ἔπαθον κακόν·
For they respected no man on earth, bad or good, whoever came among them; wherefore through their own wantonness they have suffered this evil.
αὐτὰρ Ὀδυσσεὺς §23.68ὤλεσε τηλοῦ νόστον Ἀχαιΐδος, ὤλετο δʼ αὐτός. §23.69τὴν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα φίλη τροφὸς Εὐρύκλεια· §23.70τέκνον ἐμόν, ποῖόν σε ἔπος φύγεν ἕρκος ὀδόντων, §23.71ἣ πόσιν ἔνδον ἐόντα παρʼ ἐσχάρῃ οὔ ποτʼ ἔφησθα §23.72οἴκαδʼ ἐλεύσεσθαι· θυμὸς δέ τοι αἰὲν ἄπιστος.
But Odysseus has lost his return far from Achaea, and has perished himself." Then the dear nurse Eurycleia answered her: "My child, what a word has escaped the barrier of thy teeth, in that thou saidst that thy husband, who is even now within by the hearth, would never return home; thy heart is ever unbelieving.