§4.636δώδεκα θήλειαι, ὑπὸ δʼ ἡμίονοι ταλαεργοὶ §4.637ἀδμῆτες· τῶν κέν τινʼ ἐλασσάμενος δαμασαίμην. §4.638ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἱ δʼ ἀνὰ θυμὸν ἐθάμβεον· οὐ γὰρ ἔφαντο §4.639ἐς Πύλον οἴχεσθαι Νηλήιον, ἀλλά που αὐτοῦ §4.640ἀγρῶν ἢ μήλοισι παρέμμεναι ἠὲ συβώτῃ.
twelve female horses, and under them are hard-working, unbroken mules; some of which I would fain drive off and break in." So he spoke, and they were amazed in spirit; for they did not think that he had gone to Neleian Pylos, but that he was somewhere there on his lands, either among the sheep or with the swineherd.
§4.641τὸν δʼ αὖτʼ Ἀντίνοος προσέφη Εὐπείθεος υἱός· §4.642νημερτές μοι ἔνισπε, πότʼ ᾤχετο καὶ τίνες αὐτῷ
Then Antinous, son of Eupeithes, spoke to him, saying: "Tell me the truth, when did he go, and what youths went with him?
Were they chosen ones of Ithaca, or his own hirelings and slaves?
δύναιτό κε καὶ τὸ τελέσσαι.
He might have accomplished even that.
§4.645καί μοι τοῦτʼ ἀγόρευσον ἐτήτυμον, ὄφρʼ ἐὺ εἰδῶ, §4.646ἤ σε βίῃ ἀέκοντος ἀπηύρα νῆα μέλαιναν, §4.647ἦε ἑκών οἱ δῶκας, ἐπεὶ προσπτύξατο μύθῳ. §4.648τὸν δʼ υἱὸς Φρονίοιο Νοήμων ἀντίον ηὔδα· §4.649αὐτὸς ἑκών οἱ δῶκα·
And tell me this truly, that I may know for sure, did he take away your black ship by force against your will, or did you give it to him willingly when he spoke to you and asked for it?" Then Noemon, son of Phronius, answered him, saying: "I gave it to him myself willingly.
What else could anyone do, when a man like him, with cares in his heart, makes request?
χαλεπόν κεν ἀνήνασθαι δόσιν εἴη.
It would be hard to deny the gift.
And the youths who are the best in the land after ourselves, these are they that went with him.
ἐν δʼ ἀρχὸν ἐγὼ βαίνοντʼ ἐνόησα §4.654Μέντορα, ἠὲ θεόν, τῷ δʼ αὐτῷ πάντα ἐῴκει.
And among them I noticed as leader going on board Mentor, or a god who was in all things like Mentor.
§4.655ἀλλὰ τὸ θαυμάζω· ἴδον ἐνθάδε Μέντορα δῖον §4.656χθιζὸν ὑπηοῖον, τότε δʼ ἔμβη νηὶ Πύλονδε. §4.657ὣς ἄρα φωνήσας ἀπέβη πρὸς δώματα πατρός,
But at this I marvel: I saw noble Mentor here yesterday at early dawn, but at that time he had embarked on the ship for Pylos." So saying, he went away to his father's house.
§4.658τοῖσιν δʼ ἀμφοτέροισιν ἀγάσσατο θυμὸς ἀγήνωρ.
But the proud heart of those two was filled with anger.
§4.659μνηστῆρας δʼ ἄμυδις κάθισαν καὶ παῦσαν ἀέθλων.
They made the suitors sit down together and cease from their games.
§4.660τοῖσιν δʼ Ἀντίνοος μετέφη Εὐπείθεος υἱός, §4.661ἀχνύμενος· μένεος δὲ μέγα φρένες ἀμφιμέλαιναι §4.662πίμπλαντʼ, ὄσσε δέ οἱ πυρὶ λαμπετόωντι ἐίκτην·
And Antinous, son of Eupeithes, spoke among them, grieved; and his dark heart was filled with great rage, and his eyes were like flashing fire: "Out upon it!
Verily a great deed has been insolently accomplished, this journey of Telemachus; and we said he would never accomplish it.
§4.665ἐκ τοσσῶνδʼ ἀέκητι νέος πάϊς οἴχεται αὔτως §4.666νῆα ἐρυσσάμενος, κρίνας τʼ ἀνὰ δῆμον ἀρίστους.
In spite of so many of us, a young boy is gone just like that, having launched a ship, and having chosen the best in the land.
§4.667ἄρξει καὶ προτέρω κακὸν ἔμμεναι· ἀλλά οἱ αὐτῷ §4.668Ζεὺς ὀλέσειε βίην, πρὶν ἥβης μέτρον ἱκέσθαι.
He will begin to be a pest to us even further; but to him may Zeus destroy his strength, before he reaches the measure of manhood.
§4.669ἀλλʼ ἄγε μοι δότε νῆα θοὴν καὶ εἴκοσʼ ἑταίρους, §4.670ὄφρα μιν αὐτὸν ἰόντα λοχήσομαι ἠδὲ φυλάξω §4.671ἐν πορθμῷ Ἰθάκης τε Σάμοιό τε παιπαλοέσσης, §4.672ὡς ἂν ἐπισμυγερῶς ναυτίλλεται εἵνεκα πατρός. §4.673ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἱ δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἐπῄνεον ἠδʼ ἐκέλευον.
But come, give me a swift ship and twenty companions, so that I may lie in wait for him as he returns, and watch in the strait between Ithaca and rugged Samos, that so to his own sorrow he may voyage in search of his father." So he spoke, and they all approved and urged him on.
§4.674αὐτίκʼ ἔπειτʼ ἀνστάντες ἔβαν δόμον εἰς Ὀδυσῆος.
Thereupon they rose up straightway and went to the house of Odysseus.
§4.675οὐδʼ ἄρα Πηνελόπεια πολὺν χρόνον ἦεν ἄπυστος §4.676μύθων, οὓς μνηστῆρες ἐνὶ φρεσὶ βυσσοδόμευον· §4.677κῆρυξ γάρ οἱ ἔειπε Μέδων, ὃς ἐπεύθετο βουλὰς §4.678αὐλῆς ἐκτὸς ἐών· οἱ δʼ ἔνδοθι μῆτιν ὕφαινον.
Nor indeed was Penelope long without knowledge of the words that the suitors were planning deep in their hearts; for the herald Medon told her, who had heard their counsels as he stood outside the court, while they within were weaving their plan.
§4.679βῆ δʼ ἴμεν ἀγγελέων διὰ δώματα Πηνελοπείῃ· §4.680τὸν δὲ κατʼ οὐδοῦ βάντα προσηύδα Πηνελόπεια· §4.681κῆρυξ, τίπτε δέ σε πρόεσαν μνηστῆρες ἀγαυοί;
And he went through the house to bring the news to Penelope; and as he stepped over the threshold Penelope spoke to him: "Herald, why have the lordly suitors sent you forth?
Is it to tell the handmaids of divine Odysseus to cease from their labors, and make ready a feast for themselves?
Would that they might neither woo me nor gather elsewhere, but make this their last and latest feast now here!
§4.686οἳ θάμʼ ἀγειρόμενοι βίοτον κατακείρετε πολλόν, §4.687κτῆσιν Τηλεμάχοιο δαΐφρονος· οὐδέ τι πατρῶν §4.688ὑμετέρων τὸ πρόσθεν ἀκούετε, παῖδες ἐόντες, §4.689οἷος Ὀδυσσεὺς ἔσκε μεθʼ ὑμετέροισι τοκεῦσιν, §4.690οὔτε τινὰ ῥέξας ἐξαίσιον οὔτε τι εἰπὼν §4.691ἐν δήμῳ, ἥ τʼ ἐστὶ δίκη θείων βασιλήων· §4.692ἄλλον κʼ ἐχθαίρῃσι βροτῶν, ἄλλον κε φιλοίη.
You who gather often and waste much livelihood, the wealth of wise Telemachus; and you have not heard at all from your fathers in times past, when you were children, what sort of man Odysseus was among your parents, in that he did no wrong to any man nor spoke any lawless word among the people, which is the way of divine kings; one man a king will hate, another he may love.
§4.693κεῖνος δʼ οὔ ποτε πάμπαν ἀτάσθαλον ἄνδρα ἐώργει.
But he never did an unrighteous deed to any man at all.
§4.694ἀλλʼ ὁ μὲν ὑμέτερος θυμὸς καὶ ἀεικέα ἔργα §4.695φαίνεται, οὐδέ τίς ἐστι χάρις μετόπισθʼ ἐυεργέων. §4.696τὴν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε Μέδων πεπνυμένα εἰδώς· §4.697αἲ γὰρ δή, βασίλεια, τόδε πλεῖστον κακὸν εἴη.
But your mind and your unseemly deeds are made manifest, and there is no gratitude hereafter for good deeds done." Then Medon answered her, with wise understanding: "Would indeed, O queen, that this were the greatest evil.
But a far greater and more grievous thing the suitors are planning, which may the son of Cronos never accomplish!
§4.700Τηλέμαχον μεμάασι κατακτάμεν ὀξέι χαλκῷ §4.701οἴκαδε νισόμενον· ὁ δʼ ἔβη μετὰ πατρὸς ἀκουὴν §4.702ἐς Πύλον ἠγαθέην ἠδʼ ἐς Λακεδαίμονα δῖαν. §4.703ὣς φάτο, τῆς δʼ αὐτοῦ λύτο γούνατα καὶ φίλον ἦτορ, §4.704δὴν δέ μιν ἀμφασίη ἐπέων λάβε· τὼ δέ οἱ ὄσσε §4.705δακρυόφι πλῆσθεν, θαλερὴ δέ οἱ ἔσχετο φωνή.
They are eager to slay Telemachus with the sharp bronze as he returns home; and he has gone for tidings of his father to sacred Pylos and to divine Lacedaemon." So he spoke, and her knees and her heart failed her there, and long time speechlessness took possession of her; and her eyes were filled with tears, and her clear voice was choked.
§4.706ὀψὲ δὲ δή μιν ἔπεσσιν ἀμειβομένη προσέειπε·
But at last she found words, and answered him, saying: