§4.430δὴ τότε κοιμήθημεν ἐπὶ ῥηγμῖνι θαλάσσης.
Then indeed we fell asleep upon the breaker-line of the sea.
§4.431ἦμος δʼ ἠριγένεια φάνη ῥοδοδάκτυλος Ἠώς, §4.432καὶ τότε δὴ παρὰ θῖνα θαλάσσης εὐρυπόροιο §4.433ἤια πολλὰ θεοὺς γουνούμενος· αὐτὰρ ἑταίρους §4.434τρεῖς ἄγον, οἷσι μάλιστα πεποίθεα πᾶσαν ἐπʼ ἰθύν.
And when the early-born, rosy-fingered Dawn appeared, then indeed along the shore of the wide-wayed sea I walked, making many prayers to the gods; but my companions I took, three of them, in whom I most trusted for every enterprise.
§4.435τόφρα δʼ ἄρʼ ἥ γʼ ὑποδῦσα θαλάσσης εὐρέα κόλπον §4.436τέσσαρα φωκάων ἐκ πόντου δέρματʼ ἔνεικε· §4.437πάντα δʼ ἔσαν νεόδαρτα· δόλον δʼ ἐπεμήδετο πατρί.
Meanwhile she, having plunged beneath the wide bosom of the sea, brought out from the deep four skins of seals; and all were newly flayed; and she was plotting a trick against her father.
§4.438εὐνὰς δʼ ἐν ψαμάθοισι διαγλάψασʼ ἁλίῃσιν §4.439ἧστο μένουσʼ· ἡμεῖς δὲ μάλα σχεδὸν ἤλθομεν αὐτῆς· §4.440ἑξείης δʼ εὔνησε, βάλεν δʼ ἐπὶ δέρμα ἑκάστῳ.
And having scooped out sleeping-places in the sea-sands, she sat waiting; and we came very near her; she laid us down in order, and cast a skin over each.
§4.441ἔνθα κεν αἰνότατος λόχος ἔπλετο· τεῖρε γὰρ αἰνῶς §4.442φωκάων ἁλιοτρεφέων ὀλοώτατος ὀδμή· §4.443τίς γάρ κʼ εἰναλίῳ παρὰ κήτεϊ κοιμηθείη;
There indeed would have been a most dreadful ambush; for terribly did pinch us the most destructive smell of the sea-nourished seals; for who indeed would lie down beside a monster of the sea?
§4.444ἀλλʼ αὐτὴ ἐσάωσε καὶ ἐφράσατο μέγʼ ὄνειαρ· §4.445ἀμβροσίην ὑπὸ ῥῖνα ἑκάστῳ θῆκε φέρουσα §4.446ἡδὺ μάλα πνείουσαν, ὄλεσσε δὲ κήτεος ὀδμήν.
But she herself saved us and devised a great help; she brought and placed ambrosia under the nose of each, breathing very sweetly, and she destroyed the smell of the monster.
And all the morning we waited with enduring heart; and the seals came from the sea in crowds.
αἱ μὲν ἔπειτα §4.449ἑξῆς εὐνάζοντο παρὰ ῥηγμῖνι θαλάσσης·
Then they laid themselves down in order along the breaker-line of the sea.
§4.450ἔνδιος δʼ ὁ γέρων ἦλθʼ ἐξ ἁλός, εὗρε δὲ φώκας §4.451ζατρεφέας, πάσας δʼ ἄρʼ ἐπῴχετο, λέκτο δʼ ἀριθμόν· §4.452ἐν δʼ ἡμέας πρώτους λέγε κήτεσιν, οὐδέ τι θυμῷ §4.453ὠΐσθη δόλον εἶναι· ἔπειτα δὲ λέκτο καὶ αὐτός.
And at midday the old man came from the sea, and found the well-fed seals, and went over them all, and counted their number; and among them he counted us first among the monsters, nor did his heart suspect that there was a trick; and then he too laid himself down.
§4.454ἡμεῖς δὲ ἰάχοντες ἐπεσσύμεθʼ, ἀμφὶ δὲ χεῖρας §4.455βάλλομεν· οὐδʼ ὁ γέρων δολίης ἐπελήθετο τέχνης, §4.456ἀλλʼ ἦ τοι πρώτιστα λέων γένετʼ ἠυγένειος, §4.457αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα δράκων καὶ πάρδαλις ἠδὲ μέγας σῦς· §4.458γίγνετο δʼ ὑγρὸν ὕδωρ καὶ δένδρεον ὑψιπέτηλον· §4.459ἡμεῖς δʼ ἀστεμφέως ἔχομεν τετληότι θυμῷ.
But we with a shout rushed upon him, and threw our arms around him; nor did the old man forget his cunning art, but indeed first of all he became a well-maned lion, and then a serpent, and a leopard, and a great boar; and he became flowing water, and a tree of lofty foliage; but we held him unflinchingly with enduring heart.
§4.460ἀλλʼ ὅτε δή ῥʼ ἀνίαζʼ ὁ γέρων ὀλοφώια εἰδώς, §4.461καὶ τότε δή μʼ ἐπέεσσιν ἀνειρόμενος προσέειπε· §4.462τίς νύ τοι, Ἀτρέος υἱέ, θεῶν συμφράσσατο βουλάς, §4.463ὄφρα μʼ ἕλοις ἀέκοντα λοχησάμενος;
But when at last the old man, knowing mischievous arts, grew weary, then indeed questioning me with words he spoke: 'Who of the gods, son of Atreus, planned counsels with you, that you might take me against my will by ambush?
τέο σε χρή; §4.464ὣς ἔφατʼ, αὐτὰρ ἐγώ μιν ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπον· §4.465οἶσθα, γέρον, τί με ταῦτα παρατροπέων ἐρεείνεις;
What is there need of for you?' So he spoke, and I answered him, saying: 'You know, old man; why do you question me with these things, trying to turn me aside?
§4.466ὡς δὴ δήθʼ ἐνὶ νήσῳ ἐρύκομαι, οὐδέ τι τέκμωρ §4.467εὑρέμεναι δύναμαι, μινύθει δέ μοι ἔνδοθεν ἦτορ.
Seeing that I am so long cooped up in this island, and can find no way out, and my heart within me wastes away.
§4.468ἀλλὰ σύ πέρ μοι εἰπέ, θεοὶ δέ τε πάντα ἴσασιν, §4.469ὅς τίς μʼ ἀθανάτων πεδάᾳ καὶ ἔδησε κελεύθου, §4.470νόστον θʼ, ὡς ἐπὶ πόντον ἐλεύσομαι ἰχθυόεντα. §4.471ὣς ἐφάμην, ὁ δέ μʼ αὐτίκʼ ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπεν· §4.472ἀλλὰ μάλʼ ὤφελλες Διί τʼ ἄλλοισίν τε θεοῖσι §4.473ῥέξας ἱερὰ κάλʼ ἀναβαινέμεν, ὄφρα τάχιστα §4.474σὴν ἐς πατρίδʼ ἵκοιο πλέων ἐπὶ οἴνοπα πόντον.
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 he straightway answered, saying: 'Nay, surely you ought to have made to Zeus and the other gods fine sacrifices before embarking, so that most quickly you might reach your fatherland, sailing over the wine-dark sea.
§4.475οὐ γάρ τοι πρὶν μοῖρα φίλους τʼ ἰδέειν καὶ ἱκέσθαι §4.476οἶκον ἐυκτίμενον καὶ σὴν ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν, §4.477πρίν γʼ ὅτʼ ἂν Αἰγύπτοιο, διιπετέος ποταμοῖο, §4.478αὖτις ὕδωρ ἔλθῃς ῥέξῃς θʼ ἱερὰς ἑκατόμβας §4.479ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσι, τοὶ οὐρανὸν εὐρὺν ἔχουσι· §4.480καὶ τότε τοι δώσουσιν ὁδὸν θεοί, ἣν σὺ μενοινᾷς. §4.481ὣς ἔφατʼ, αὐτὰρ ἐμοί γε κατεκλάσθη φίλον ἦτορ, §4.482οὕνεκά μʼ αὖτις ἄνωγεν ἐπʼ ἠεροειδέα πόντον §4.483Αἴγυπτόνδʼ ἰέναι, δολιχὴν ὁδὸν ἀργαλέην τε.
For it is not your fate to see your friends and to reach your well-built house and your fatherland, until you go back to the water of Egypt, the heaven-fallen river, and offer sacred hecatombs to the immortal gods who hold the broad heaven; and then indeed the gods will grant you the path which you desire.' So he spoke, and my heart was broken within me, because he bade me go again over the misty sea to Egypt, a long and grievous way.
§4.484ἀλλὰ καὶ ὣς μύθοισιν ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπον· §4.485ταῦτα μὲν οὕτω δὴ τελέω, γέρον, ὡς σὺ κελεύεις.
But even so, answering him with words I spoke: 'These things indeed will I perform, old man, even as you bid.
§4.486ἀλλʼ ἄγε μοι τόδε εἰπὲ καὶ ἀτρεκέως κατάλεξον, §4.487ἢ πάντες σὺν νηυσὶν ἀπήμονες ἦλθον Ἀχαιοί, §4.488οὓς Νέστωρ καὶ ἐγὼ λίπομεν Τροίηθεν ἰόντες, §4.489ἦέ τις ὤλετʼ ὀλέθρῳ ἀδευκέι ἧς ἐπὶ νηὸς §4.490ἠὲ φίλων ἐν χερσίν, ἐπεὶ πόλεμον τολύπευσεν. §4.491ὣς ἐφάμην, ὁ δέ μʼ αὐτίκʼ ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπεν· §4.492Ἀτρεΐδη, τί με ταῦτα διείρεαι;
But come, tell me this and relate it truly, whether all the Achaeans came home safely with their ships, whom Nestor and I left when we went from Troy, or did anyone perish by a cruel death on his ship, or in the hands of his friends, after he had wound up the war.' So I spoke, and he straightway answered, saying: 'Son of Atreus, why do you question me of these things?
οὐδέ τί σε χρὴ §4.493ἴδμεναι, οὐδὲ δαῆναι ἐμὸν νόον· οὐδέ σέ φημι §4.494δὴν ἄκλαυτον ἔσεσθαι, ἐπὴν ἐὺ πάντα πύθηαι.
You have no need to know, nor to learn my mind; nor do I think you will long be tearless, when you have heard all clearly.
§4.495πολλοὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν γε δάμεν, πολλοὶ δὲ λίποντο· §4.496ἀρχοὶ δʼ αὖ δύο μοῦνοι Ἀχαιῶν χαλκοχιτώνων §4.497ἐν νόστῳ ἀπόλοντο· μάχῃ δέ τε καὶ σὺ παρῆσθα.
For many of them indeed were subdued, and many were left; but of the leaders only two of the bronze-clad Achaeans perished on their return; and in the battle you yourself were present.