§4.707κῆρυξ, τίπτε δέ μοι πάϊς οἴχεται;
"Herald, why indeed has my son gone?
οὐδέ τί μιν χρεὼ §4.708νηῶν ὠκυπόρων ἐπιβαινέμεν, αἵ θʼ ἁλὸς ἵπποι §4.709ἀνδράσι γίγνονται, περόωσι δὲ πουλὺν ἐφʼ ὑγρήν.
He had no need at all to embark on swift-faring ships, which are horses of the sea for men, and cross the wide watery waste.
§4.710ἦ ἵνα μηδʼ ὄνομʼ αὐτοῦ ἐν ἀνθρώποισι λίπηται; §4.711τὴν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα Μέδων πεπνυμένα εἰδώς· §4.712οὐκ οἶδʼ ἤ τίς μιν θεὸς ὤρορεν, ἦε καὶ αὐτοῦ §4.713θυμὸς ἐφωρμήθη ἴμεν ἐς Πύλον, ὄφρα πύθηται §4.714πατρὸς ἑοῦ ἢ νόστον ἢ ὅν τινα πότμον ἐπέσπεν. §4.715ὣς ἄρα φωνήσας ἀπέβη κατὰ δῶμʼ Ὀδυσῆος.
Is it so that not even his name may be left among men?" Then Medon answered her, with wise understanding: "I know not whether some god impelled him, or if his own heart was stirred to go to Pylos, so that he might learn of his father’s return or what fate he has met." So saying, he went away through the house of Odysseus.
§4.716τὴν δʼ ἄχος ἀμφεχύθη θυμοφθόρον, οὐδʼ ἄρʼ ἔτʼ ἔτλη §4.717δίφρῳ ἐφέζεσθαι πολλῶν κατὰ οἶκον ἐόντων, §4.718ἀλλʼ ἄρʼ ἐπʼ οὐδοῦ ἷζε πολυκμήτου θαλάμοιο §4.719οἴκτρʼ ὀλοφυρομένη· περὶ δὲ δμῳαὶ μινύριζον §4.720πᾶσαι, ὅσαι κατὰ δώματʼ ἔσαν νέαι ἠδὲ παλαιαί.
But heart-wasting grief was poured around her, nor did she still endure to sit upon any of the chairs that were many in the house, but down she sat upon the threshold of her well-wrought chamber, piteously wailing; and all around her her handmaids whimpered, all that were in the house, both young and old.
To them, wailing aloud, Penelope spoke: "Listen, my friends!
πέρι γάρ μοι Ὀλύμπιος ἄλγεʼ ἔδωκεν §4.723ἐκ πασέων, ὅσσαι μοι ὁμοῦ τράφεν ἠδʼ ἐγένοντο·
For the Olympian has given me sorrows beyond all those who were bred and born with me.
§4.724ἣ πρὶν μὲν πόσιν ἐσθλὸν ἀπώλεσα θυμολέοντα, §4.725παντοίῃς ἀρετῇσι κεκασμένον ἐν Δαναοῖσιν, §4.726ἐσθλόν, τοῦ κλέος εὐρὺ καθʼ Ἑλλάδα καὶ μέσον Ἄργος.
Who first lost a noble husband of lion-hearted spirit, adorned with all manner of virtues among the Danaans, noble, whose fame was wide through Hellas and mid-Argos.
And now again the storm-winds have snatched away my beloved son ingloriously from the halls, nor did I hear of his setting forth.
§4.729σχέτλιαι, οὐδʼ ὑμεῖς περ ἐνὶ φρεσὶ θέσθε ἑκάστη §4.730ἐκ λεχέων μʼ ἀνεγεῖραι, ἐπιστάμεναι σάφα θυμῷ, §4.731ὁππότʼ ἐκεῖνος ἔβη κοίλην ἐπὶ νῆα μέλαιναν.
Cruel ones, not even you laid it in your hearts, each of you, to rouse me from my bed, though you knew it clearly in your hearts, when he went on board the hollow black ship.
§4.732εἰ γὰρ ἐγὼ πυθόμην ταύτην ὁδὸν ὁρμαίνοντα, §4.733τῷ κε μάλʼ ἤ κεν ἔμεινε καὶ ἐσσύμενός περ ὁδοῖο, §4.734ἤ κέ με τεθνηκυῖαν ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν ἔλειπεν.
For had I learned that he was planning this journey, then would he surely either have remained, however eager for the journey, or would have left me dead in the halls.
§4.735ἀλλά τις ὀτρηρῶς Δολίον καλέσειε γέροντα, §4.736δμῶʼ ἐμόν, ὅν μοι δῶκε πατὴρ ἔτι δεῦρο κιούσῃ, §4.737καί μοι κῆπον ἔχει πολυδένδρεον, ὄφρα τάχιστα §4.738Λαέρτῃ τάδε πάντα παρεζόμενος καταλέξῃ, §4.739εἰ δή πού τινα κεῖνος ἐνὶ φρεσὶ μῆτιν ὑφήνας §4.740ἐξελθὼν λαοῖσιν ὀδύρεται, οἳ μεμάασιν §4.741ὃν καὶ Ὀδυσσῆος φθῖσαι γόνον ἀντιθέοιο. §4.742τὴν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε φίλη τροφὸς Εὐρύκλεια· §4.743νύμφα φίλη, σὺ μὲν ἄρ με κατάκτανε νηλέι χαλκῷ §4.744ἢ ἔα ἐν μεγάρῳ· μῦθον δέ τοι οὐκ ἐπικεύσω.
But let someone quickly call the old man Dolius, my servant, whom my father gave me when I was yet coming hither, and who keeps for me my garden of many trees, so that with all speed he may sit by Laertes and tell him all these things, if perchance he may weave some counsel in his heart, and go out and lament to the people, who are eager to destroy his offspring and that of godlike Odysseus." Then her beloved nurse Eurycleia spoke to her: "Dear bride, do you then slay me with the pitiless bronze, or let me be in the hall; but I will not hide my word from you.
§4.745ᾔδεʼ ἐγὼ τάδε πάντα, πόρον δέ οἱ ὅσσʼ ἐκέλευε, §4.746σῖτον καὶ μέθυ ἡδύ· ἐμεῦ δʼ ἕλετο μέγαν ὅρκον §4.747μὴ πρὶν σοὶ ἐρέειν, πρὶν δωδεκάτην γε γενέσθαι §4.748ἢ σʼ αὐτὴν ποθέσαι καὶ ἀφορμηθέντος ἀκοῦσαι, §4.749ὡς ἂν μὴ κλαίουσα κατὰ χρόα καλὸν ἰάπτῃς.
I knew all these things, and gave him whatever he commanded, bread and sweet wine; but he took from me a great oath not to tell you until the twelfth day should come, or until you yourself should miss him and hear of his setting forth, that you might not weep and mar your fair skin.
§4.750ἀλλʼ ὑδρηναμένη, καθαρὰ χροῒ εἵμαθʼ ἑλοῦσα, §4.751εἰς ὑπερῷʼ ἀναβᾶσα σὺν ἀμφιπόλοισι γυναιξὶν §4.752εὔχεʼ Ἀθηναίῃ κούρῃ Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο· §4.753ἡ γάρ κέν μιν ἔπειτα καὶ ἐκ θανάτοιο σαώσαι.
But wash yourself, and take clean raiment for your body, and go up to your upper chamber with your handmaidens, and pray to Athena, daughter of Zeus who bears the aegis; for she may then save him even from death.
§4.754μηδὲ γέροντα κάκου κεκακωμένον· οὐ γὰρ ὀίω §4.755πάγχυ θεοῖς μακάρεσσι γονὴν Ἀρκεισιάδαο §4.756ἔχθεσθʼ, ἀλλʼ ἔτι πού τις ἐπέσσεται ὅς κεν ἔχῃσι §4.757δώματά θʼ ὑψερεφέα καὶ ἀπόπροθι πίονας ἀγρούς. §4.758ὣς φάτο, τῆς δʼ εὔνησε γόον, σχέθε δʼ ὄσσε γόοιο.
And do not vex an old man already vexed; for I do not think that the race of the son of Arceisius is utterly hated by the blessed gods, but there shall still be someone, I ween, to possess the high-roofed halls and the rich fields far away." So she spoke, and she lulled her grief, and stayed her eyes from wailing.
§4.759ἡ δʼ ὑδρηναμένη, καθαρὰ χροῒ εἵμαθʼ ἑλοῦσα §4.760εἰς ὑπερῷʼ ἀνέβαινε σὺν ἀμφιπόλοισι γυναιξίν, §4.761ἐν δʼ ἔθετʼ οὐλοχύτας κανέῳ, ἠρᾶτο δʼ Ἀθήνῃ· §4.762κλῦθί μευ, αἰγιόχοιο Διὸς τέκος, Ἀτρυτώνη,
Then Penelope washed herself, and took clean raiment for her body, and went up to her upper chamber with her handmaidens, and she laid barley-grains in a basket, and prayed to Athena: "Hear me, child of Zeus who bears the aegis, unwearied one!
§4.763εἴ ποτέ τοι πολύμητις ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν Ὀδυσσεὺς §4.764ἢ βοὸς ἢ ὄϊος κατὰ πίονα μηρίʼ ἔκηε, §4.765τῶν νῦν μοι μνῆσαι, καί μοι φίλον υἷα σάωσον, §4.766μνηστῆρας δʼ ἀπάλαλκε κακῶς ὑπερηνορέοντας. §4.767ὣς εἰποῦσʼ ὀλόλυξε, θεὰ δέ οἱ ἔκλυεν ἀρῆς.
If ever Odysseus of many counsels burned for you in his halls fat thigh-pieces of heifer or of sheep, of these things pray be mindful now, and save my beloved son, and ward off the suitors who are so wickedly insolent." So she spoke, and raised the ritual cry, and the goddess heard her prayer.
§4.768μνηστῆρες δʼ ὁμάδησαν ἀνὰ μέγαρα σκιόεντα· §4.769ὧδε δέ τις εἴπεσκε νέων ὑπερηνορεόντων· §4.770ἦ μάλα δὴ γάμον ἄμμι πολυμνήστη βασίλεια §4.771ἀρτύει, οὐδέ τι οἶδεν ὅ οἱ φόνος υἷι τέτυκται. §4.772ὣς ἄρα τις εἴπεσκε, τὰ δʼ οὐκ ἴσαν ὡς ἐτέτυκτο.
But the suitors clamored through the shadowy halls, and thus would one of the insolent youths say: "Verily, the queen of many suitors is preparing our marriage, nor does she know at all that slaughter is prepared for her son." So they would say, but they knew not how things were accomplished.
§4.773τοῖσιν δʼ Ἀντίνοος ἀγορήσατο καὶ μετέειπε· §4.774δαιμόνιοι, μύθους μὲν ὑπερφιάλους ἀλέασθε §4.775πάντας ὁμῶς, μή πού τις ἀπαγγείλῃσι καὶ εἴσω.
But Antinous spoke to them and said: "Foolish ones, avoid insolent words entirely, all of you alike, lest perchance someone report them even within.
§4.776ἀλλʼ ἄγε σιγῇ τοῖον ἀναστάντες τελέωμεν
But come, let us rise up in silence and accomplish our purpose thus."