§24.281ξεῖνʼ, ἦ τοι μὲν γαῖαν ἱκάνεις, ἣν ἐρεείνεις, §24.282ὑβρισταὶ δʼ αὐτὴν καὶ ἀτάσθαλοι ἄνδρες ἔχουσιν·
“Stranger, surely indeed you have come to the land which you ask of, but insolent and reckless men hold it.
§24.283δῶρα δʼ ἐτώσια ταῦτα χαρίζεο, μυρίʼ ὀπάζων·
And those countless gifts you bestowed in vain.
§24.284εἰ γάρ μιν ζωόν γʼ ἐκίχεις Ἰθάκης ἐνὶ δήμῳ, §24.285τῷ κέν σʼ εὖ δώροισιν ἀμειψάμενος ἀπέπεμψε §24.286καὶ ξενίῃ ἀγαθῇ ἡ γὰρ θέμις, ὅς τις ὑπάρξῃ.
For if you had found him alive in the land of Ithaca, then he would have sent you on your way with a good return of gifts and with good entertainment; for that is the custom of him who begins it.
§24.287ἀλλʼ ἄγε μοι τόδε εἰπὲ καὶ ἀτρεκέως κατάλεξον, §24.288πόστον δὴ ἔτος ἐστίν, ὅτε ξείνισσας ἐκεῖνον §24.289σὸν ξεῖνον δύστηνον, ἐμὸν παῖδʼ, εἴ ποτʼ ἔην γε, §24.290δύσμορον;
But come, tell me this and declare it truly, how many years is it now since you entertained him, that guest of yours, unhappy one, my son—if he ever was— ill-fated one?
ὅν που τῆλε φίλων καὶ πατρίδος αἴης §24.291ἠέ που ἐν πόντῳ φάγον ἰχθύες, ἢ ἐπὶ χέρσου §24.292θηρσὶ καὶ οἰωνοῖσιν ἕλωρ γένετʼ·
Whom surely far from his friends and native land either the fish in the sea devoured, or on the dry land he became a prey to beasts and birds.
οὐδέ ἑ μήτηρ §24.293κλαῦσε περιστείλασα πατήρ θʼ, οἵ μιν τεκόμεσθα· §24.294οὐδʼ ἄλοχος πολύδωρος, ἐχέφρων Πηνελόπεια, §24.295κώκυσʼ ἐν λεχέεσσιν ἑὸν πόσιν, ὡς ἐπεῴκει, §24.296ὀφθαλμοὺς καθελοῦσα· τὸ γὰρ γέρας ἐστὶ θανόντων.
Nor did his mother weep over him and wrap him for burial, nor his father, we who begot him; nor did his wife of many dowries, wise Penelope, wail over her own husband on his bed, as was fitting, closing his eyes; for that is the honor due to the dead.
And tell me this truly, so that I may know well: who are you among men, and from where?
πόθι τοι πόλις ἠδὲ τοκῆες;
Where are your city and parents?
And where is the swift ship stationed that brought you here and your godlike companions?
ἦ ἔμπορος εἰλήλουθας §24.301νηὸς ἐπʼ ἀλλοτρίης, οἱ δʼ ἐκβήσαντες ἔβησαν; §24.302τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς· §24.303τοιγὰρ ἐγώ τοι πάντα μάλʼ ἀτρεκέως καταλέξω.
Or did you come as a passenger on another's ship, and they set you ashore and departed?” Then in answer to him spoke resourceful Odysseus: “Therefore I will tell you all very truly.
§24.304εἰμὶ μὲν ἐξ Ἀλύβαντος, ὅθι κλυτὰ δώματα ναίω, §24.305υἱὸς Ἀφείδαντος Πολυπημονίδαο ἄνακτος· §24.306αὐτὰρ ἐμοί γʼ ὄνομʼ ἐστὶν Ἐπήριτος·
I am from Alybas, where I dwell in a glorious home, the son of Apheidas, son of the lord Polypemon; and my own name is Eperitus.
ἀλλά με δαίμων §24.307πλάγξʼ ἀπὸ Σικανίης δεῦρʼ ἐλθέμεν οὐκ ἐθέλοντα· §24.308νηῦς δέ μοι ἥδʼ ἕστηκεν ἐπʼ ἀγροῦ νόσφι πόληος.
But some deity drove me from Sicania to come here against my will; and my ship is stationed yonder by the field, away from the city.
§24.309αὐτὰρ Ὀδυσσῆϊ τόδε δὴ πέμπτον ἔτος ἐστίν, §24.310ἐξ οὗ κεῖθεν ἔβη καὶ ἐμῆς ἀπελήλυθε πάτρης, §24.311δύσμορος· ἦ τέ οἱ ἐσθλοὶ ἔσαν ὄρνιθες ἰόντι, §24.312δεξιοί, οἷς χαίρων μὲν ἐγὼν ἀπέπεμπον ἐκεῖνον, §24.313χαῖρε δὲ κεῖνος ἰών· θυμὸς δʼ ἔτι νῶϊν ἐώλπει §24.314μίξεσθαι ξενίῃ ἠδʼ ἀγλαὰ δῶρα διδώσειν. §24.315ὣς φάτο, τὸν δʼ ἄχεος νεφέλη ἐκάλυψε μέλαινα·
But for Odysseus, this is now the fifth year since he went thence and departed from my country, ill-fated one; and yet there were good birds for him as he went, on the right, in which I rejoiced as I sent him on his way, and he rejoiced as he went; and our hearts still hoped to join in friendship and to give splendid gifts.” So he spoke, and a black cloud of grief covered Laertes.
§24.316ἀμφοτέρῃσι δὲ χερσὶν ἑλὼν κόνιν αἰθαλόεσσαν §24.317χεύατο κὰκ κεφαλῆς πολιῆς, ἁδινὰ στεναχίζων.
With both hands he took the dusty ashes and poured them over his gray head, groaning deeply.
§24.318τοῦ δʼ ὠρίνετο θυμός, ἀνὰ ῥῖνας δέ οἱ ἤδη §24.319δριμὺ μένος προὔτυψε φίλον πατέρʼ εἰσορόωντι.
And the heart of Odysseus was stirred, and already through his nostrils a sharp pain struck as he looked upon his dear father.
§24.320κύσσε δέ μιν περιφὺς ἐπιάλμενος, ἠδὲ προσηύδα· §24.321κεῖνος μέν τοι ὅδʼ αὐτὸς ἐγώ, πάτερ, ὃν σὺ μεταλλᾷς, §24.322ἤλυθον εἰκοστῷ ἔτεϊ ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν.
He sprang toward him, embraced and kissed him, and spoke: “That very man indeed am I, father, whom you ask about; I have come in the twentieth year to my native land.
§24.323ἀλλʼ ἴσχεο κλαυθμοῖο γόοιό τε δακρυόεντος. §24.324ἐκ γάρ τοι ἐρέω· μάλα δὲ χρὴ σπευδέμεν ἔμπης· §24.325μνηστῆρας κατέπεφνον ἐν ἡμετέροισι δόμοισι, §24.326λώβην τινύμενος θυμαλγέα καὶ κακὰ ἔργα. §24.327τὸν δʼ αὖ Λαέρτης ἀπαμείβετο φώνησέν τε· §24.328εἰ μὲν δὴ Ὀδυσεύς γε ἐμὸς πάϊς ἐνθάδʼ ἱκάνεις, §24.329σῆμά τί μοι νῦν εἰπὲ ἀριφραδές, ὄφρα πεποίθω. §24.330τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς· §24.331οὐλὴν μὲν πρῶτον τήνδε φράσαι ὀφθαλμοῖσι, §24.332τὴν ἐν Παρνησῷ μʼ ἔλασεν σῦς λευκῷ ὀδόντι §24.333οἰχόμενον· σὺ δέ με προΐεις καὶ πότνια μήτηρ §24.334ἐς πατέρʼ Αὐτόλυκον μητρὸς φίλον, ὄφρʼ ἂν ἑλοίμην §24.335δῶρα, τὰ δεῦρο μολών μοι ὑπέσχετο καὶ κατένευσεν.
But hold yourself from weeping and tearful wailing, for I will tell you—and we must indeed make great haste— I have slain the suitors in our halls, avenging their painful insolence and evil deeds.” And Laertes in turn answered him and said: “If you are indeed Odysseus, my son, come here, tell me now some clear sign, so that I may be sure.” Then in answer to him spoke resourceful Odysseus: “First examine this scar with your eyes, which a boar inflicted on me with his white tusk on Parnassus when I went there; and you sent me forth, and my lady mother, to Autolycus, my mother's dear father, so that I might receive the gifts which he promised and agreed to give when I came here.
§24.336εἰ δʼ ἄγε τοι καὶ δένδρεʼ ἐϋκτιμένην κατʼ ἀλωὴν §24.337εἴπω, ἅ μοί ποτʼ ἔδωκας, ἐγὼ δʼ ᾔτεόν σε ἕκαστα §24.338παιδνὸς ἐών, κατὰ κῆπον ἐπισπόμενος· διὰ δʼ αὐτῶν §24.339ἱκνεύμεσθα, σὺ δʼ ὠνόμασας καὶ ἔειπες ἕκαστα.
And come, let me tell you also of the trees in the well-tilled orchard which you once gave me, and I asked you for each of them when I was a child, following you through the garden; and through them we passed, and you named them and told me of each.
§24.340ὄγχνας μοι δῶκας τρισκαίδεκα καὶ δέκα μηλέας, §24.341συκέας τεσσαράκοντʼ· ὄρχους δέ μοι ὧδʼ ὀνόμηνας §24.342δώσειν πεντήκοντα, διατρύγιος δὲ ἕκαστος §24.343ἤην· ἔνθα δʼ ἀνὰ σταφυλαὶ παντοῖαι ἔασιν— §24.344ὁππότε δὴ Διὸς ὧραι ἐπιβρίσειαν ὕπερθεν. §24.345ὣς φάτο, τοῦ δʼ αὐτοῦ λύτο γούνατα καὶ φίλον ἦτορ, §24.346σήματʼ ἀναγνόντος τά οἱ ἔμπεδα πέφραδʼ Ὀδυσσεύς.
Pears you gave me thirteen, and ten apple trees, and forty fig trees; and rows you named to me thus, that you would give fifty, and each was harvested at different times; there were grapes of all kinds in them, whenever the seasons of Zeus weighed them down from above.” So he spoke, and his knees and his heart at once were loosened, as he recognized the signs which Odysseus declared to him so surely.