§4.146ἤλθεθʼ ὑπὸ Τροίην πόλεμον θρασὺν ὁρμαίνοντες.
came under Troy, pondering bold war.
§4.147τὴν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη ξανθὸς Μενέλαος· §4.148οὕτω νῦν καὶ ἐγὼ νοέω, γύναι, ὡς σὺ ἐίσκεις· §4.149κείνου γὰρ τοιοίδε πόδες τοιαίδε τε χεῖρες §4.150ὀφθαλμῶν τε βολαὶ κεφαλή τʼ ἐφύπερθέ τε χαῖται.
And fair-haired Menelaus answered her, saying: "So now I too am thinking, lady, even as you liken him; for such indeed are his feet, and such his hands, and the glances of his eyes, and his head, and his hair above.
§4.151καὶ νῦν ἦ τοι ἐγὼ μεμνημένος ἀμφʼ Ὀδυσῆι §4.152μυθεόμην, ὅσα κεῖνος ὀιζύσας ἐμόγησεν §4.153ἀμφʼ ἐμοί, αὐτὰρ ὁ πικρὸν ὑπʼ ὀφρύσι δάκρυον εἶβε, §4.154χλαῖναν πορφυρέην ἄντʼ ὀφθαλμοῖιν ἀνασχών. §4.155τὸν δʼ αὖ Νεστορίδης Πεισίστρατος ἀντίον ηὔδα· §4.156Ἀτρεΐδη Μενέλαε διοτρεφές, ὄρχαμε λαῶν, §4.157κείνου μέν τοι ὅδʼ υἱὸς ἐτήτυμον, ὡς ἀγορεύεις·
And indeed, just now, as I was speaking of Odysseus in remembrance, and telling of all the troubles he endured and labored for my sake, he let fall a bitter tear from beneath his brows, holding up his purple cloak before his eyes." And Nestor's son Peisistratus answered him: "Son of Atreus, Menelaus, nurtured by Zeus, leader of the people, this is indeed that man's son, even as you say.
§4.158ἀλλὰ σαόφρων ἐστί, νεμεσσᾶται δʼ ἐνὶ θυμῷ §4.159ὧδʼ ἐλθὼν τὸ πρῶτον ἐπεσβολίας ἀναφαίνειν §4.160ἄντα σέθεν, τοῦ νῶι θεοῦ ὣς τερπόμεθʼ αὐδῇ.
But he is prudent, and shrinks in his heart from showing forwardness of speech on first coming here before you, in whose voice we both delight as in a god's.
§4.161αὐτὰρ ἐμὲ προέηκε Γερήνιος ἱππότα Νέστωρ §4.162τῷ ἅμα πομπὸν ἕπεσθαι· ἐέλδετο γάρ σε ἰδέσθαι, §4.163ὄφρα οἱ ἤ τι ἔπος ὑποθήσεαι ἠέ τι ἔργον.
And Gerenian horseman Nestor sent me forth to follow as his guide; for he longed to see you, that you might suggest to him some word or some deed.
§4.164πολλὰ γὰρ ἄλγεʼ ἔχει πατρὸς πάϊς οἰχομένοιο §4.165ἐν μεγάροις, ᾧ μὴ ἄλλοι ἀοσσητῆρες ἔωσιν, §4.166ὡς νῦν Τηλεμάχῳ ὁ μὲν οἴχεται, οὐδέ οἱ ἄλλοι §4.167εἴσʼ οἵ κεν κατὰ δῆμον ἀλάλκοιεν κακότητα. §4.168τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη ξανθὸς Μενέλαος·
For many griefs has a son of an absent father in his halls, when he has no other helpers, even as now it is with Telemachus; his father is gone, nor are there others among the people who might ward off ruin from him." And fair-haired Menelaus answered him, saying: "Alas!
§4.169ὢ πόποι, ἦ μάλα δὴ φίλου ἀνέρος υἱὸς ἐμὸν δῶ §4.170ἵκεθʼ, ὃς εἵνεκʼ ἐμεῖο πολέας ἐμόγησεν ἀέθλους·
Truly the son of a very dear friend has come to my house, one who for my sake endured many struggles.
§4.171καί μιν ἔφην ἐλθόντα φιλησέμεν ἔξοχον ἄλλων §4.172Ἀργείων, εἰ νῶιν ὑπεὶρ ἅλα νόστον ἔδωκε §4.173νηυσὶ θοῇσι γενέσθαι Ὀλύμπιος εὐρύοπα Ζεύς.
And I thought that on his return I would welcome him beyond all other Argives, if Olympian Zeus, who voices wide, had granted that a return home over the sea should be ours in our swift ships.
§4.174καί κέ οἱ Ἄργεϊ νάσσα πόλιν καὶ δώματʼ ἔτευξα, §4.175ἐξ Ἰθάκης ἀγαγὼν σὺν κτήμασι καὶ τέκεϊ ᾧ §4.176καὶ πᾶσιν λαοῖσι, μίαν πόλιν ἐξαλαπάξας, §4.177αἳ περιναιετάουσιν, ἀνάσσονται δʼ ἐμοὶ αὐτῷ.
And I would have settled a city for him in Argos, and built him a house, bringing him from Ithaca with his goods and his son and all his people, having cleared one city of those that lie round about and are ruled by myself.
§4.178καί κε θάμʼ ἐνθάδʼ ἐόντες ἐμισγόμεθʼ· οὐδέ κεν ἡμέας §4.179ἄλλο διέκρινεν φιλέοντέ τε τερπομένω τε,
And we would have mingled here often, nor would anything have parted us, loving and delighting in each other, until the black cloud of death enfolded us.
§4.180πρίν γʼ ὅτε δὴ θανάτοιο μέλαν νέφος ἀμφεκάλυψεν. §4.181ἀλλὰ τὰ μέν που μέλλεν ἀγάσσεσθαι θεὸς αὐτός, §4.182ὃς κεῖνον δύστηνον ἀνόστιμον οἶον ἔθηκεν. §4.183ὣς φάτο, τοῖσι δὲ πᾶσιν ὑφʼ ἵμερον ὦρσε γόοιο.
But of this, I suppose, the god himself must have been jealous, who made that unhappy man alone to have no return." So he spoke, and in them all he aroused the desire of weeping.
§4.184κλαῖε μὲν Ἀργείη Ἑλένη, Διὸς ἐκγεγαυῖα, §4.185κλαῖε δὲ Τηλέμαχός τε καὶ Ἀτρεΐδης Μενέλαος, §4.186οὐδʼ ἄρα Νέστορος υἱὸς ἀδακρύτω ἔχεν ὄσσε·
Argive Helen wept, daughter of Zeus, and Telemachus wept, and Menelaus, son of Atreus; nor indeed did the son of Nestor keep his eyes tearless.
For he remembered in his heart noble Antilochus, whom the glorious son of the bright Dawn had slain.
§4.189τοῦ ὅ γʼ ἐπιμνησθεὶς ἔπεα πτερόεντʼ ἀγόρευεν· §4.190Ἀτρεΐδη, περὶ μέν σε βροτῶν πεπνυμένον εἶναι §4.191Νέστωρ φάσχʼ ὁ γέρων, ὅτʼ ἐπιμνησαίμεθα σεῖο §4.192οἷσιν ἐνὶ μεγάροισι, καὶ ἀλλήλους ἐρέοιμεν.
Remembering him, he spoke winged words: "Son of Atreus, the old man Nestor used to say that you were wise beyond other mortals, whenever we mentioned you in his halls and questioned one another.
§4.193καὶ νῦν, εἴ τί που ἔστι, πίθοιό μοι· οὐ γὰρ ἐγώ γε §4.194τέρπομʼ ὀδυρόμενος μεταδόρπιος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἠὼς §4.195ἔσσεται ἠριγένεια·
And now, if it may be so, hearken to me; for I do not delight in weeping after supper, and moreover tomorrow early-born Dawn will be here.
νεμεσσῶμαί γε μὲν οὐδὲν §4.196κλαίειν ὅς κε θάνῃσι βροτῶν καὶ πότμον ἐπίσπῃ.
I do not indeed think it wrong to weep for anyone who dies and meets his fate.
§4.197τοῦτό νυ καὶ γέρας οἶον ὀιζυροῖσι βροτοῖσιν, §4.198κείρασθαί τε κόμην βαλέειν τʼ ἀπὸ δάκρυ παρειῶν.
This indeed is the only honor we pay to miserable mortals, to cut the hair and let a tear fall from the cheeks.
For my brother too is dead, who was by no means the worst of the Argives.
μέλλεις δὲ σὺ ἴδμεναι· οὐ γὰρ ἐγώ γε §4.201ἤντησʼ οὐδὲ ἴδον· περὶ δʼ ἄλλων φασὶ γενέσθαι §4.202Ἀντίλοχον, πέρι μὲν θείειν ταχὺν ἠδὲ μαχητήν. §4.203τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη ξανθὸς Μενέλαος· §4.204ὦ φίλʼ, ἐπεὶ τόσα εἶπες, ὅσʼ ἂν πεπνυμένος ἀνὴρ §4.205εἴποι καὶ ῥέξειε, καὶ ὃς προγενέστερος εἴη· §4.206τοίου γὰρ καὶ πατρός, ὃ καὶ πεπνυμένα βάζεις,
You must have known him; for I never met him or saw him, but they say that Antilochus was beyond others, swift of foot and a warrior." And fair-haired Menelaus answered him, saying: "My friend, since you have said all that a wise man would say and do, even one who was older than you; for from such a father are you born, which is why you speak so wisely.
§4.207ῥεῖα δʼ ἀρίγνωτος γόνος ἀνέρος ᾧ τε Κρονίων §4.208ὄλβον ἐπικλώσῃ γαμέοντί τε γεινομένῳ τε, §4.209ὡς νῦν Νέστορι δῶκε διαμπερὲς ἤματα πάντα §4.210αὐτὸν μὲν λιπαρῶς γηρασκέμεν ἐν μεγάροισιν, §4.211υἱέας αὖ πινυτούς τε καὶ ἔγχεσιν εἶναι ἀρίστους.
Easily recognized is the offspring of a man for whom the son of Cronos spins happiness, both when he marries and when he is born, even as now he has given to Nestor continuously all his days that he himself should grow old sleekly in his halls, and that his sons in turn should be wise and best with the spear.
§4.212ἡμεῖς δὲ κλαυθμὸν μὲν ἐάσομεν, ὃς πρὶν ἐτύχθη, §4.213δόρπου δʼ ἐξαῦτις μνησώμεθα, χερσὶ δʼ ἐφʼ ὕδωρ §4.214χευάντων.
But we will let be the weeping that was made before, and let us turn our minds again to supper, and let them pour water over our hands.
μῦθοι δὲ καὶ ἠῶθέν περ ἔσονται §4.215Τηλεμάχῳ καὶ ἐμοὶ διαειπέμεν ἀλλήλοισιν.
There will be stories in the morning too for Telemachus and me to tell to one another."