§24.214ὑμεῖς μὲν νῦν ἔλθετʼ ἐϋκτίμενον δόμον εἴσω, §24.215δεῖπνον δʼ αἶψα συῶν ἱερεύσατε ὅς τις ἄριστος· §24.216αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ πατρὸς πειρήσομαι ἡμετέροιο, §24.217αἴ κέ μʼ ἐπιγνώῃ καὶ φράσσεται ὀφθαλμοῖσιν, §24.218ἦέ κεν ἀγνοιῇσι, πολὺν χρόνον ἀμφὶς ἐόντα. §24.219ὣς εἰπὼν δμώεσσιν ἀρήϊα τεύχεʼ ἔδωκεν.
“Go now within the well-built house, and quickly sacrifice for dinner whichever of the swine is best; but I will make trial of our father, to see if he will recognize me and know me with his eyes, or if he will fail to know me, since I have been away for a long time.” Thus speaking, he gave his weapons of war to the thralls.
§24.220οἱ μὲν ἔπειτα δόμονδε θοῶς κίον, αὐτὰρ Ὀδυσσεὺς §24.221ἆσσον ἴεν πολυκάρπου ἀλωῆς πειρητίζων.
They then went quickly to the house, but Odysseus went nearer to the fruitful orchard to make trial.
§24.222οὐδʼ εὗρεν Δολίον, μέγαν ὄρχατον ἐσκαταβαίνων, §24.223οὐδέ τινα δμώων οὐδʼ υἱῶν· ἀλλʼ ἄρα τοί γε §24.224αἱμασιὰς λέξοντες ἀλωῆς ἔμμεναι ἕρκος §24.225ᾤχοντʼ, αὐτὰρ ὁ τοῖσι γέρων ὁδὸν ἡγεμόνευε.
And he did not find Dolius as he went down into the great orchard, nor any of the thralls nor of his sons; but indeed they had gone to gather stones for the vineyard wall to be a fence, and the old man was leading them on the way.
§24.226τὸν δʼ οἶον πατέρʼ εὗρεν ἐϋκτιμένῃ ἐν ἀλωῇ, §24.227λιστρεύοντα φυτόν· ῥυπόωντα δὲ ἕστο χιτῶνα §24.228ῥαπτὸν ἀεικέλιον, περὶ δὲ κνήμῃσι βοείας §24.229κνημῖδας ῥαπτὰς δέδετο, γραπτῦς ἀλεείνων, §24.230χειρῖδάς τʼ ἐπὶ χερσὶ βάτων ἕνεκʼ· αὐτὰρ ὕπερθεν §24.231αἰγείην κυνέην κεφαλῇ ἔχε, πένθος ἀέξων.
He found his father alone in the well-tilled orchard, clearing the ground about a plant; and he was clad in a dirty tunic, patched and unseemly, and about his shins he had bound patched leggings of ox-hide, to avoid scratches, and gloves upon his hands because of the briars; and above he wore a goat-skin cap on his head, nursing his grief.
§24.232τὸν δʼ ὡς οὖν ἐνόησε πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεὺς §24.233γήραϊ τειρόμενον, μέγα δὲ φρεσὶ πένθος ἔχοντα, §24.234στὰς ἄρʼ ὑπὸ βλωθρὴν ὄγχνην κατὰ δάκρυον εἶβε.
When much-enduring noble Odysseus saw him, worn with old age and having great grief in his heart, he stood under a tall pear tree and shed tears.
§24.235μερμήριξε δʼ ἔπειτα κατὰ φρένα καὶ κατὰ θυμὸν §24.236κύσσαι καὶ περιφῦναι ἑὸν πατέρʼ, ἠδὲ ἕκαστα §24.237εἰπεῖν, ὡς ἔλθοι καὶ ἵκοιτʼ ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν, §24.238ἦ πρῶτʼ ἐξερέοιτο ἕκαστά τε πειρήσαιτο.
Then he debated in his mind and in his heart whether to kiss and embrace his father, and to tell him everything, how he had come and returned to his native land, or whether he should first question him and make trial of him.
And as he thought thus, it seemed to him to be better to make trial of him first with mocking words.
§24.241τὰ φρονέων ἰθὺς κίεν αὐτοῦ δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς.
With this intent, noble Odysseus went straight toward him.
§24.242ἦ τοι ὁ μὲν κατέχων κεφαλὴν φυτὸν ἀμφελάχαινε· §24.243τὸν δὲ παριστάμενος προσεφώνεε φαίδιμος υἱός· §24.244ὦ γέρον, οὐκ ἀδαημονίη σʼ ἔχει ἀμφιπολεύειν §24.245ὄρχατον, ἀλλʼ εὖ τοι κομιδὴ ἔχει, οὐδέ τι πάμπαν, §24.246οὐ φυτόν, οὐ συκέη, οὐκ ἄμπελος, οὐ μὲν ἐλαίη, §24.247οὐκ ὄγχνη, οὐ πρασιή τοι ἄνευ κομιδῆς κατὰ κῆπον.
Indeed, the old man was digging about a plant, holding his head down; and his glorious son stood by him and spoke to him: “Old man, no lack of skill possesses you to tend this orchard, but indeed care is well kept, nor is there anything at all, no plant, no fig tree, no vine, no olive tree, no pear tree, no garden bed in the garden without care.
§24.248ἄλλο δέ τοι ἐρέω, σὺ δὲ μὴ χόλον ἔνθεο θυμῷ §24.249αὐτόν σʼ οὐκ ἀγαθὴ κομιδὴ ἔχει, ἀλλʼ ἅμα γῆρας §24.250λυγρὸν ἔχεις αὐχμεῖς τε κακῶς καὶ ἀεικέα ἕσσαι.
But another thing I will tell you, and do not put anger in your heart: good care does not keep you yourself, but at the same time grim old age you have, and you are miserably squalid and clad in unseemly garments.
§24.251οὐ μὲν ἀεργίης γε ἄναξ ἕνεκʼ οὔ σε κομίζει, §24.252οὐδέ τί τοι δούλειον ἐπιπρέπει εἰσοράασθαι §24.253εἶδος καὶ μέγεθος· βασιλῆϊ γὰρ ἀνδρὶ ἔοικας.
Surely it is not on account of idleness that your master does not tend you, nor does anything of a slave appear in you to look upon, in form and stature; for you are like a kingly man.
§24.254τοιούτῳ δὲ ἔοικας, ἐπεὶ λούσαιτο φάγοι τε, §24.255εὑδέμεναι μαλακῶς· ἡ γὰρ δίκη ἐστὶ γερόντων.
You are like such a one as, when he has bathed and eaten, should sleep softly; for this is the right of old men.
But come, tell me this and declare it truly, whose thrall are you among men?
τεῦ δʼ ὄρχατον ἀμφιπολεύεις;
Whose orchard do you tend?
§24.258καὶ μοι τοῦτʼ ἀγόρευσον ἐτήτυμον, ὄφρʼ ἐῢ εἰδῶ, §24.259εἰ ἐτεόν γʼ Ἰθάκην τήνδʼ ἱκόμεθʼ, ὥς μοι ἔειπεν §24.260οὗτος ἀνὴρ νῦν δὴ ξυμβλήμενος ἐνθάδʼ ἰόντι, §24.261οὔ τι μάλʼ ἀρτίφρων, ἐπεὶ οὐ τόλμησεν ἕκαστα §24.262εἰπεῖν ἠδʼ ἐπακοῦσαι ἐμὸν ἔπος, ὡς ἐρέεινον §24.263ἀμφὶ ξείνῳ ἐμῷ, ἤ που ζώει τε καὶ ἔστιν §24.264ἦ ἤδη τέθνηκε καὶ εἰν Ἀΐδαο δόμοισιν.
And tell me this truly, so that I may know well, if indeed we have come to this Ithaca, as he told me, that man who just now met me as I came here, one not very sound of mind, since he did not dare to tell me everything, nor to listen to my word, when I questioned him about my guest-friend, whether he still lives and exists, or is already dead and in the house of Hades.
§24.265ἐκ γάρ τοι ἐρέω, σὺ δὲ σύνθεο καί μευ ἄκουσον· §24.266ἄνδρα ποτʼ ἐξείνισσα φίλῃ ἐνὶ πατρίδι γαίῃ §24.267ἡμέτερόνδʼ ἐλθόντα, καὶ οὔ πω τις βροτὸς ἄλλος §24.268ξείνων τηλεδαπῶν φιλίων ἐμὸν ἵκετο δῶμα· §24.269εὔχετο δʼ ἐξ Ἰθάκης γένος ἔμμεναι, αὐτὰρ ἔφασκε §24.270Λαέρτην Ἀρκεισιάδην πατέρʼ ἔμμεναι αὐτῷ.
For I will tell you, and do you mark and listen to me: I once entertained a man in my dear native land, when he came to our home, and never yet has any other mortal of strangers from afar come to my house more welcome; he claimed to be by birth from Ithaca, and he said that Laertes, son of Arceisius, was his father.
§24.271τὸν μὲν ἐγὼ πρὸς δώματʼ ἄγων ἐῢ ἐξείνισσα, §24.272ἐνδυκέως φιλέων, πολλῶν κατὰ οἶκον ἐόντων, §24.273καί οἱ δῶρα πόρον ξεινήϊα, οἷα ἐῴκει.
Leading him to my house, I entertained him well, caring for him kindly, since there was abundance in the house, and I gave him guest-gifts, such as were fitting.
§24.274χρυσοῦ μέν οἱ δῶκʼ εὐεργέος ἑπτὰ τάλαντα, §24.275δῶκα δέ οἱ κρητῆρα πανάργυρον ἀνθεμόεντα, §24.276δώδεκα δʼ ἁπλοΐδας χλαίνας, τόσσους δὲ τάπητας, §24.277τόσσα δὲ φάρεα καλά, τόσους δʼ ἐπὶ τοῖσι χιτῶνας, §24.278χωρὶς δʼ αὖτε γυναῖκας, ἀμύμονα ἔργα ἰδυίας, §24.279τέσσαρας εἰδαλίμας, ἃς ἤθελεν αὐτὸς ἑλέσθαι. §24.280τὸν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα πατὴρ κατὰ δάκρυον εἴβων·
Of well-wrought gold I gave him seven talents, and I gave him a mixing-bowl of solid silver, chased with flowers, and twelve cloaks of single fold, and as many coverlets, and as many beautiful robes, and as many tunics besides, and furthermore, women skilled in blameless handiwork, four comely ones, whom he himself wished to choose.” And to him his father thereafter answered, shedding tears: