§4.289τόφρα δʼ ἔχʼ, ὄφρα σε νόσφιν ἀπήγαγε Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη.
so long did he hold it, until Pallas Athena led you away.
§4.290τὸν δʼ αὖ Τηλέμαχος πεπνυμένος ἀντίον ηὔδα· §4.291Ἀτρεΐδη Μενέλαε διοτρεφές, ὄρχαμε λαῶν, §4.292ἄλγιον· οὐ γάρ οἵ τι τάδʼ ἤρκεσε λυγρὸν ὄλεθρον, §4.293οὐδʼ εἴ οἱ κραδίη γε σιδηρέη ἔνδοθεν ἦεν.
Then wise Telemachus answered him, saying: "Son of Atreus, Menelaus, nurtured by Zeus, leader of the people, all the more painful is it; for in no wise did these things ward off sad destruction from him, not even if his heart within had been of iron.
§4.294ἀλλʼ ἄγετʼ εἰς εὐνὴν τράπεθʼ ἡμέας, ὄφρα καὶ ἤδη §4.295ὕπνῳ ὕπο γλυκερῷ ταρπώμεθα κοιμηθέντες. §4.296ὣς ἔφατʼ, Ἀργείη δʼ Ἑλένη δμῳῇσι κέλευσεν §4.297δέμνιʼ ὑπʼ αἰθούσῃ θέμεναι καὶ ῥήγεα καλὰ §4.298πορφύρεʼ ἐμβαλέειν στορέσαι τʼ ἐφύπερθε τάπητας, §4.299χλαίνας τʼ ἐνθέμεναι οὔλας καθύπερθεν ἕσασθαι.
But come, send us to bed, so that now at length we may lull ourselves to rest and enjoy sweet sleep." So he spoke, and Argive Helen bade her handmaids to place bedsteads beneath the portico, and to cast on them fair purple blankets, and to spread rugs above them, and to put thick cloaks thereon for them to wrap themselves withal.
§4.300αἱ δʼ ἴσαν ἐκ μεγάροιο δάος μετὰ χερσὶν ἔχουσαι, §4.301δέμνια δὲ στόρεσαν· ἐκ δὲ ξείνους ἄγε κῆρυξ.
And they went forth from the hall, holding torches in their hands, and strewed the beds; and a herald led forth the guests.
§4.302οἱ μὲν ἄρʼ ἐν προδόμῳ δόμου αὐτόθι κοιμήσαντο, §4.303Τηλέμαχός θʼ ἥρως καὶ Νέστορος ἀγλαὸς υἱός· §4.304Ἀτρεΐδης δὲ καθεῦδε μυχῷ δόμου ὑψηλοῖο, §4.305πὰρ δʼ Ἑλένη τανύπεπλος ἐλέξατο, δῖα γυναικῶν.
So they slept there in the vestibule of the house, the hero Telemachus and the glorious son of Nestor; but the son of Atreus slept in the inmost chamber of the high house, and by his side lay long-robed Helen, peerless among women.
§4.306ἦμος δʼ ἠριγένεια φάνη ῥοδοδάκτυλος Ἠώς, §4.307ὤρνυτʼ ἄρʼ ἐξ εὐνῆφι βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Μενέλαος §4.308εἵματα ἑσσάμενος, περὶ δὲ ξίφος ὀξὺ θέτʼ ὤμῳ, §4.309ποσσὶ δʼ ὑπὸ λιπαροῖσιν ἐδήσατο καλὰ πέδιλα, §4.310βῆ δʼ ἴμεν ἐκ θαλάμοιο θεῷ ἐναλίγκιος ἄντην, §4.311Τηλεμάχῳ δὲ παρῖζεν, ἔπος τʼ ἔφατʼ ἔκ τʼ ὀνόμαζεν· §4.312τίπτε δέ σε χρειὼ δεῦρʼ ἤγαγε, Τηλέμαχʼ ἥρως, §4.313ἐς Λακεδαίμονα δῖαν, ἐπʼ εὐρέα νῶτα θαλάσσης;
But as soon as early-ruling, rosy-fingered Dawn appeared, Menelaus, good at the war-cry, rose from his bed, and put on his garments, and slung his sharp sword about his shoulder, and beneath his shining feet bound his fair sandals, and went forth from his chamber like unto a god to look upon, and sat down by Telemachus, and spoke, and addressed him: "What need has brought you hither, hero Telemachus, to divine Lacedaemon, over the broad back of the sea?
§4.314δήμιον ἦ ἴδιον;
Is it a public matter or a private one?
τόδε μοι νημερτὲς ἐνίσπες. §4.315τὸν δʼ αὖ Τηλέμαχος πεπνυμένος ἀντίον ηὔδα· §4.316Ἀτρεΐδη Μενέλαε διοτρεφές, ὄρχαμε λαῶν, §4.317ἤλυθον, εἴ τινά μοι κληηδόνα πατρὸς ἐνίσποις.
Tell me this truly." Then wise Telemachus answered him, saying: "Son of Atreus, Menelaus, nurtured by Zeus, leader of the people, I have come to see if you could tell me some tidings of my father.
§4.318ἐσθίεταί μοι οἶκος, ὄλωλε δὲ πίονα ἔργα, §4.319δυσμενέων δʼ ἀνδρῶν πλεῖος δόμος, οἵ τέ μοι αἰεὶ §4.320μῆλʼ ἁδινὰ σφάζουσι καὶ εἰλίποδας ἕλικας βοῦς, §4.321μητρὸς ἐμῆς μνηστῆρες ὑπέρβιον ὕβριν ἔχοντες.
My home is being devoured, my rich estates are ruined, and my house is full of hostile men, who ever slay my thronging sheep and my shambling, crook-horned kine, even the suitors of my mother, overbearing in their insolence.
§4.322τοὔνεκα νῦν τὰ σὰ γούναθʼ ἱκάνομαι, αἴ κʼ ἐθέλῃσθα §4.323κείνου λυγρὸν ὄλεθρον ἐνισπεῖν, εἴ που ὄπωπας §4.324ὀφθαλμοῖσι τεοῖσιν ἢ ἄλλου μῦθον ἄκουσας §4.325πλαζομένου· περὶ γάρ μιν ὀιζυρὸν τέκε μήτηρ.
Therefore am I now come to your knees, if perchance you will tell me of his sad destruction, whether you have seen it anywhere with your own eyes, or have heard the story from another, some wanderer; for to exceeding sorrow did his mother bear him.
§4.326μηδέ τί μʼ αἰδόμενος μειλίσσεο μηδʼ ἐλεαίρων, §4.327ἀλλʼ εὖ μοι κατάλεξον ὅπως ἤντησας ὀπωπῆς.
And do not out of respect for me speak soothing words, nor out of pity, but tell me plainly how you came to behold him.
§4.328λίσσομαι, εἴ ποτέ τοί τι πατὴρ ἐμός, ἐσθλὸς Ὀδυσσεὺς §4.329ἢ ἔπος ἠέ τι ἔργον ὑποστὰς ἐξετέλεσσε §4.330δήμῳ ἔνι Τρώων, ὅθι πάσχετε πήματʼ Ἀχαιοί, §4.331τῶν νῦν μοι μνῆσαι, καί μοι νημερτὲς ἐνίσπες. §4.332τὸν δὲ μέγʼ ὀχθήσας προσέθη ξανθὸς Μενέλαος·
I beseech you, if ever my father, noble Odysseus, promised and fulfilled any word or deed for you in the land of the Trojans, where you Achaeans suffered woes, remember these things now, I pray you, and tell me the truth." Then, deeply moved, fair-haired Menelaus spoke to him: "Out upon them!
§4.333ὢ πόποι, ἦ μάλα δὴ κρατερόφρονος ἀνδρὸς ἐν εὐνῇ §4.334ἤθελον εὐνηθῆναι ἀνάλκιδες αὐτοὶ ἐόντες.
Truly in the bed of a brave-hearted man did they desire to lie, being themselves cowards.
§4.335ὡς δʼ ὁπότʼ ἐν ξυλόχῳ ἔλαφος κρατεροῖο λέοντος §4.336νεβροὺς κοιμήσασα νεηγενέας γαλαθηνοὺς §4.337κνημοὺς ἐξερέῃσι καὶ ἄγκεα ποιήεντα §4.338βοσκομένη, ὁ δʼ ἔπειτα ἑὴν εἰσήλυθεν εὐνήν, §4.339ἀμφοτέροισι δὲ τοῖσιν ἀεικέα πότμον ἐφῆκεν, §4.340ὣς Ὀδυσεὺς κείνοισιν ἀεικέα πότμον ἐφήσει.
Even as when a hind has laid to sleep in the lair of a strong lion her newborn, suckling fawns, and roams over the mountain slopes and grassy glades seeking pasture, and then the lion comes back to his lair, and upon both of them brings a shameful doom, even so will Odysseus bring a shameful doom upon these men.
§4.341αἲ γάρ, Ζεῦ τε πάτερ καὶ Ἀθηναίη καὶ Ἄπολλον, §4.342τοῖος ἐών, οἷός ποτʼ ἐυκτιμένῃ ἐνὶ Λέσβῳ §4.343ἐξ ἔριδος Φιλομηλεΐδῃ ἐπάλαισεν ἀναστάς, §4.344κὰδ δʼ ἔβαλε κρατερῶς, κεχάροντο δὲ πάντες Ἀχαιοί, §4.345τοῖος ἐὼν μνηστῆρσιν ὁμιλήσειεν Ὀδυσσεύς· §4.346πάντες κʼ ὠκύμοροί τε γενοίατο πικρόγαμοί τε.
Would that, O father Zeus, and Athena, and Apollo, being such a man as when once in well-built Lesbos he rose up and wrestled with Philomeleides in rivalry, and threw him mightily, and all the Achaeans were glad, would that in such strength Odysseus might meet the suitors; then should they all find a swift death and a bitter bridal.
§4.347ταῦτα δʼ ἅ μʼ εἰρωτᾷς καὶ λίσσεαι, οὐκ ἂν ἐγώ γε §4.348ἄλλα παρὲξ εἴποιμι παρακλιδόν, οὐδʼ ἀπατήσω, §4.349ἀλλὰ τὰ μέν μοι ἔειπε γέρων ἅλιος νημερτής, §4.350τῶν οὐδέν τοι ἐγὼ κρύψω ἔπος οὐδʼ ἐπικεύσω.
But as for these things whereof you ask and beseech me, I will not tell you other things, speaking beside the mark, nor will I deceive you; but what the unerring old man of the sea told me, of these things I will hide no word from you, nor conceal it.
§4.351Αἰγύπτῳ μʼ ἔτι δεῦρο θεοὶ μεμαῶτα νέεσθαι §4.352ἔσχον, ἐπεὶ οὔ σφιν ἔρεξα τεληέσσας ἑκατόμβας.
In Egypt the gods still held me back, though eager to return hither, because I offered not to them perfect hecatombs.
§4.353οἱ δʼ αἰεὶ βούλοντο θεοὶ μεμνῆσθαι ἐφετμέων.
For the gods ever wish that we should be mindful of their commandments.
§4.354νῆσος ἔπειτά τις ἔστι πολυκλύστῳ ἐνὶ πόντῳ §4.355Αἰγύπτου προπάροιθε, Φάρον δέ ἑ κικλήσκουσι, §4.356τόσσον ἄνευθʼ ὅσσον τε πανημερίη γλαφυρὴ νηῦς §4.357ἤνυσεν, ᾗ λιγὺς οὖρος ἐπιπνείῃσιν ὄπισθεν·
Now there is an island in the surging sea in front of Egypt, and men call it Pharos, as far distant as a hollow ship runs in a whole day when a shrill wind blows fair behind her.