§4.360ἔνθα μʼ ἐείκοσιν ἤματʼ ἔχον θεοί, οὐδέ ποτʼ οὖροι §4.361πνείοντες φαίνονθʼ ἁλιαέες, οἵ ῥά τε νηῶν §4.362πομπῆες γίγνονται ἐπʼ εὐρέα νῶτα θαλάσσης.
There for twenty days the gods held me, nor did the sea-breezes ever appear blowing, which are the guides of ships over the broad back of the sea.
§4.363καί νύ κεν ἤια πάντα κατέφθιτο καὶ μένεʼ ἀνδρῶν, §4.364εἰ μή τίς με θεῶν ὀλοφύρατο καί μʼ ἐσάωσε, §4.365Πρωτέος ἰφθίμου θυγάτηρ ἁλίοιο γέροντος, §4.366Εἰδοθέη· τῇ γάρ ῥα μάλιστά γε θυμὸν ὄρινα.
And now would all our food have been spent and the strength of our men, had not one of the gods taken pity on me and saved me, even Eidothea, daughter of mighty Proteus, the old man of the sea; for her heart above all did I move.
§4.367ἥ μʼ οἴῳ ἔρροντι συνήντετο νόσφιν ἑταίρων· §4.368αἰεὶ γὰρ περὶ νῆσον ἀλώμενοι ἰχθυάασκον §4.369γναμπτοῖς ἀγκίστροισιν, ἔτειρε δὲ γαστέρα λιμός.
She met me as I wandered alone, apart from my companions; for they ever roamed about the island fishing with curved hooks, and hunger pinched their bellies.
§4.370ἡ δέ μευ ἄγχι στᾶσα ἔπος φάτο φώνησέν τε· §4.371νήπιός εἰς, ὦ ξεῖνε, λίην τόσον ἠδὲ χαλίφρων, §4.372ἦε ἑκὼν μεθίεις καὶ τέρπεαι ἄλγεα πάσχων; §4.373ὡς δὴ δήθʼ ἐνὶ νήσῳ ἐρύκεαι, οὐδέ τι τέκμωρ §4.374εὑρέμεναι δύνασαι, μινύθει δέ τοι ἦτορ ἑταίρων. §4.375ὣς ἔφατʼ, αὐτὰρ ἐγώ μιν ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπον· §4.376ἐκ μέν τοι ἐρέω, ἥ τις σύ πέρ ἐσσι θεάων, §4.377ὡς ἐγὼ οὔ τι ἑκὼν κατερύκομαι, ἀλλά νυ μέλλω §4.378ἀθανάτους ἀλιτέσθαι, οἳ οὐρανὸν εὐρὺν ἔχουσιν.
And she stood near me, and spoke, and addressed me: 'Are you so utterly foolish, stranger, and light of mind, or do you willingly give up and take pleasure in suffering pain, seeing that you are so long cooped up in this island, and can find no way out, while the heart of your companions wastes away?' So she spoke, and I answered her, saying: 'I will tell you plainly, whoever of the goddesses you may be, that I am in no wise willingly held back, but I must have sinned against the immortals, who hold the broad heaven.
§4.379ἀλλὰ σύ πέρ μοι εἰπέ, θεοὶ δέ τε πάντα ἴσασιν, §4.380ὅς τίς μʼ ἀθανάτων πεδάᾳ καὶ ἔδησε κελεύθου, §4.381νόστον θʼ, ὡς ἐπὶ πόντον ἐλεύσομαι ἰχθυόεντα. §4.382ὣς ἐφάμην, ἡ δʼ αὐτίκʼ ἀμείβετο δῖα θεάων· §4.383τοιγὰρ ἐγώ τοι, ξεῖνε, μάλʼ ἀτρεκέως ἀγορεύσω.
But tell me, for the gods know all things, who of the immortals binds me and bars me from my path, and tell me of my return, how I may go over the teeming sea.' So I spoke, and the beautiful goddess straightway answered: 'Then, stranger, will I tell you most truly.
§4.384πωλεῖταί τις δεῦρο γέρων ἅλιος νημερτὴς §4.385ἀθάνατος Πρωτεὺς Αἰγύπτιος, ὅς τε θαλάσσης §4.386πάσης βένθεα οἶδε, Ποσειδάωνος ὑποδμώς· §4.387τὸν δέ τʼ ἐμόν φασιν πατέρʼ ἔμμεναι ἠδὲ τεκέσθαι.
There comes hither a certain unerring old man of the sea, immortal Proteus of Egypt, who knows the depths of every sea, and is the servant of Poseidon; him they say is my father and the one who begot me.
§4.388τόν γʼ εἴ πως σὺ δύναιο λοχησάμενος λελαβέσθαι, §4.389ὅς κέν τοι εἴπῃσιν ὁδὸν καὶ μέτρα κελεύθου §4.390νόστον θʼ, ὡς ἐπὶ πόντον ἐλεύσεαι ἰχθυόεντα.
If you could somehow lay an ambush and seize him, he will tell you your way and the measure of your path, and of your return, how you may go over the teeming sea.
§4.391καὶ δέ κέ τοι εἴπῃσι, διοτρεφές, αἴ κʼ ἐθέλῃσθα, §4.392ὅττι τοι ἐν μεγάροισι κακόν τʼ ἀγαθόν τε τέτυκται §4.393οἰχομένοιο σέθεν δολιχὴν ὁδὸν ἀργαλέην τε. §4.394ὣς ἔφατʼ, αὐτὰρ ἐγώ μιν ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπον· §4.395αὐτὴ νῦν φράζευ σὺ λόχον θείοιο γέροντος, §4.396μή πώς με προϊδὼν ἠὲ προδαεὶς ἀλέηται· §4.397ἀργαλέος γάρ τʼ ἐστὶ θεὸς βροτῷ ἀνδρὶ δαμῆναι. §4.398ὣς ἐφάμην, ἡ δʼ αὐτίκʼ ἀμείβετο δῖα θεάων· §4.399τοιγὰρ ἐγώ τοι, ξεῖνε, μάλʼ ἀτρεκέως ἀγορεύσω.
And he will also tell you, nurtured of Zeus, if you wish, what evil and what good has been wrought in your halls while you have been gone on this long and grievous way.' So she spoke, and I answered her, saying: 'Do you yourself now devise the ambush against the divine old man, lest by any means he see me beforehand or know of me and escape; for hard is a god for a mortal man to master.' So I spoke, and the beautiful goddess straightway answered: 'Then, stranger, will I tell you most truly.
§4.400ἦμος δʼ ἠέλιος μέσον οὐρανὸν ἀμφιβεβήκῃ, §4.401τῆμος ἄρʼ ἐξ ἁλὸς εἶσι γέρων ἅλιος νημερτὴς §4.402πνοιῇ ὕπο Ζεφύροιο μελαίνῃ φρικὶ καλυφθείς, §4.403ἐκ δʼ ἐλθὼν κοιμᾶται ὑπὸ σπέσσι γλαφυροῖσιν· §4.404ἀμφὶ δέ μιν φῶκαι νέποδες καλῆς ἁλοσύδνης §4.405ἁθρόαι εὕδουσιν, πολιῆς ἁλὸς ἐξαναδῦσαι, §4.406πικρὸν ἀποπνείουσαι ἁλὸς πολυβενθέος ὀδμήν.
When the sun has reached mid-heaven, then comes the unerring old man of the sea from the deep, veiled in a dark ripple under the breath of the West Wind, and having come forth he sleeps beneath the hollow caves; and around him the seals, the brood of the fair daughter of the sea, sleep in a herd, rising from the gray sea, breathing out the bitter smell of the deep sea.
§4.407ἔνθα σʼ ἐγὼν ἀγαγοῦσα ἅμʼ ἠοῖ φαινομένηφιν §4.408εὐνάσω ἑξείης· σὺ δʼ ἐὺ κρίνασθαι ἑταίρους §4.409τρεῖς, οἵ τοι παρὰ νηυσὶν ἐυσσέλμοισιν ἄριστοι.
Thither will I lead you at the dawning of the day, and lay you in order; but do you choose well three companions who are the best you have by your well-benched ships.
§4.410πάντα δέ τοι ἐρέω ὀλοφώια τοῖο γέροντος.
And I will tell you all the magic arts of this old man.
§4.411φώκας μέν τοι πρῶτον ἀριθμήσει καὶ ἔπεισιν· §4.412αὐτὰρ ἐπὴν πάσας πεμπάσσεται ἠδὲ ἴδηται, §4.413λέξεται ἐν μέσσῃσι νομεὺς ὣς πώεσι μήλων.
First he will count the seals and go over them; but when he has numbered them all and beheld them, he will lay himself down in their midst, like a shepherd among his flocks of sheep.
§4.414τὸν μὲν ἐπὴν δὴ πρῶτα κατευνηθέντα ἴδησθε, §4.415καὶ τότʼ ἔπειθʼ ὑμῖν μελέτω κάρτος τε βίη τε, §4.416αὖθι δʼ ἔχειν μεμαῶτα καὶ ἐσσύμενόν περ ἀλύξαι.
And as soon as you see him first laid to rest, then let strength and force be your care, and hold him firmly there, though he be eager and strive to escape.
§4.417πάντα δὲ γιγνόμενος πειρήσεται, ὅσσʼ ἐπὶ γαῖαν §4.418ἑρπετὰ γίγνονται, καὶ ὕδωρ καὶ θεσπιδαὲς πῦρ· §4.419ὑμεῖς δʼ ἀστεμφέως ἐχέμεν μᾶλλόν τε πιέζειν.
He will make trial of you by turning into all things that are beasts upon the earth, and into water, and into wondrous burning fire; but do you hold him unflinchingly and press him yet more.
§4.420ἀλλʼ ὅτε κεν δή σʼ αὐτὸς ἀνείρηται ἐπέεσσι, §4.421τοῖος ἐὼν οἷόν κε κατευνηθέντα ἴδησθε, §4.422καὶ τότε δὴ σχέσθαι τε βίης λῦσαί τε γέροντα, §4.423ἥρως, εἴρεσθαι δέ, θεῶν ὅς τίς σε χαλέπτει, §4.424νόστον θʼ, ὡς ἐπὶ πόντον ἐλεύσεαι ἰχθυόεντα. §4.425ὣς εἰποῦσʼ ὑπὸ πόντον ἐδύσετο κυμαίνοντα.
But when at last he himself questions you with words, being in such shape as you saw him when he was laid to rest, then hold your force, and set the old man free, hero, and ask him which of the gods is angry with you, and of your return, how you may go over the teeming sea.' So saying, she plunged beneath the surging sea.