§4.777μῦθον, ὃ δὴ καὶ πᾶσιν ἐνὶ φρεσὶν ἤραρεν ἡμῖν.
the word, which indeed was pleasing to all of us in our hearts.
So saying, he chose twenty of the best men, and they went their way to the swift ship and the shore of the sea.
§4.780νῆα μὲν οὖν πάμπρωτον ἁλὸς βένθοσδε ἔρυσσαν, §4.781ἐν δʼ ἱστόν τʼ ἐτίθεντο καὶ ἱστία νηὶ μελαίνῃ, §4.782ἠρτύναντο δʼ ἐρετμὰ τροποῖς ἐν δερματίνοισιν, §4.783πάντα κατὰ μοῖραν, ἀνά θʼ ἱστία λευκὰ πέτασσαν· §4.784τεύχεα δέ σφʼ ἤνεικαν ὑπέρθυμοι θεράποντες.
First of all, indeed, they drew the ship down to the deep of the sea, and they placed the mast and sails in the black ship, and they fitted the oars in the leather thongs, all in due order, and they spread out the white sails; and their high-hearted attendants bore their armor for them.
§4.785ὑψοῦ δʼ ἐν νοτίῳ τήν γʼ ὥρμισαν, ἐκ δʼ ἔβαν αὐτοί· §4.786ἔνθα δὲ δόρπον ἕλοντο, μένον δʼ ἐπὶ ἕσπερον ἐλθεῖν.
High in the deep water they moored her, and they themselves stepped out; and there they took their supper, and waited for evening to come.
§4.787ἡ δʼ ὑπερωίῳ αὖθι περίφρων Πηνελόπεια §4.788κεῖτʼ ἄρʼ ἄσιτος, ἄπαστος ἐδητύος ἠδὲ ποτῆτος, §4.789ὁρμαίνουσʼ ἤ οἱ θάνατον φύγοι υἱὸς ἀμύμων, §4.790ἦ ὅ γʼ ὑπὸ μνηστῆρσιν ὑπερφιάλοισι δαμείη.
But she, the wise Penelope, in her upper chamber lay fast, tasting neither food nor drink, pondering whether her noble son would escape death, or whether he would be slain by the insolent suitors.
§4.791ὅσσα δὲ μερμήριξε λέων ἀνδρῶν ἐν ὁμίλῳ §4.792δείσας, ὁππότε μιν δόλιον περὶ κύκλον ἄγωσι, §4.793τόσσα μιν ὁρμαίνουσαν ἐπήλυθε νήδυμος ὕπνος· §4.794εὗδε δʼ ἀνακλινθεῖσα, λύθεν δέ οἱ ἅψεα πάντα.
And as a lion in a crowd of men ponders with fear, when they draw their crafty circle about him, even so many things was she pondering when sweet sleep came upon her; and she slept, leaning back, and all her limbs were relaxed.
§4.795ἔνθʼ αὖτʼ ἄλλʼ ἐνόησε θεά, γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη· §4.796εἴδωλον ποίησε, δέμας δʼ ἤικτο γυναικί, §4.797Ἰφθίμῃ, κούρῃ μεγαλήτορος Ἰκαρίοιο, §4.798τὴν Εὔμηλος ὄπυιε Φερῇς ἔνι οἰκία ναίων.
Then again the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena, thought of another thing; she made a phantom, and in form it was like to a woman, Iphthime, daughter of great-hearted Icarius, whom Eumelus wedded, who had his dwelling in Pherae.
§4.799πέμπε δέ μιν πρὸς δώματʼ Ὀδυσσῆος θείοιο, §4.800ἧος Πηνελόπειαν ὀδυρομένην γοόωσαν §4.801παύσειε κλαυθμοῖο γόοιό τε δακρυόεντος.
And she sent it to the house of godlike Odysseus, that it might make Penelope, wailing and lamenting, cease from her weeping and tearful wailing.
§4.802ἐς θάλαμον δʼ εἰσῆλθε παρὰ κληῖδος ἱμάντα, §4.803στῆ δʼ ἄρʼ ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς, καί μιν πρὸς μῦθον ἔειπεν· §4.804εὕδεις, Πηνελόπεια, φίλον τετιημένη ἦτορ;
And it entered into the chamber by the strap of the bolt, and stood above her head, and spoke to her, saying: "Are you sleeping, Penelope, grieved in your dear heart?
§4.805οὐ μέν σʼ οὐδὲ ἐῶσι θεοὶ ῥεῖα ζώοντες §4.806κλαίειν οὐδʼ ἀκάχησθαι, ἐπεί ῥʼ ἔτι νόστιμός ἐστι §4.807σὸς παῖς· οὐ μὲν γάρ τι θεοῖς ἀλιτήμενός ἐστι. §4.808τὴν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα περίφρων Πηνελόπεια, §4.809ἡδὺ μάλα κνώσσουσʼ ἐν ὀνειρείῃσι πύλῃσιν· §4.810τίπτε, κασιγνήτη, δεῦρʼ ἤλυθες;
Verily, the gods who live at ease do not suffer you to weep or be sorrowful, since your son is still to return; for he is in no wise a sinner in the eyes of the gods." Then wise Penelope answered her, slumbering very sweetly at the gates of dreams: "Why, sister, have you come hither?
οὔ τι πάρος γε §4.811πωλέʼ, ἐπεὶ μάλα πολλὸν ἀπόπροθι δώματα ναίεις· §4.812καί με κέλεαι παύσασθαι ὀιζύος ἠδʼ ὀδυνάων §4.813πολλέων, αἵ μʼ ἐρέθουσι κατὰ φρένα καὶ κατὰ θυμόν, §4.814ἣ πρὶν μὲν πόσιν ἐσθλὸν ἀπώλεσα θυμολέοντα, §4.815παντοίῃς ἀρετῇσι κεκασμένον ἐν Δαναοῖσιν, §4.816ἐσθλόν, τοῦ κλέος εὐρὺ καθʼ Ἑλλάδα καὶ μέσον Ἄργος· §4.817νῦν αὖ παῖς ἀγαπητὸς ἔβη κοίλης ἐπὶ νηός, §4.818νήπιος, οὔτε πόνων ἐὺ εἰδὼς οὔτʼ ἀγοράων.
In no wise did you before visit us, since you dwell in a home very far away; and you bid me cease from my grief and my many pains, which vex me in my mind and in my heart, I 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 my beloved son has gone on board a hollow ship, a child, knowing well neither of labors nor of assemblies.
§4.819τοῦ δὴ ἐγὼ καὶ μᾶλλον ὀδύρομαι ἤ περ ἐκείνου· §4.820τοῦ δʼ ἀμφιτρομέω καὶ δείδια, μή τι πάθῃσιν, §4.821ἢ ὅ γε τῶν ἐνὶ δήμῳ, ἵνʼ οἴχεται, ἢ ἐνὶ πόντῳ· §4.822δυσμενέες γὰρ πολλοὶ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ μηχανόωνται, §4.823ἱέμενοι κτεῖναι πρὶν πατρίδα γαῖαν ἱκέσθαι. §4.824τὴν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενον προσέφη εἴδωλον ἀμαυρόν· §4.825θάρσει, μηδέ τι πάγχυ μετὰ φρεσὶ δείδιθι λίην· §4.826τοίη γάρ οἱ πομπὸς ἅμʼ ἔρχεται, ἥν τε καὶ ἄλλοι §4.827ἀνέρες ἠρήσαντο παρεστάμεναι, δύναται γάρ, §4.828Παλλὰς Ἀθηναίη· σὲ δʼ ὀδυρομένην ἐλεαίρει· §4.829ἣ νῦν με προέηκε τεῒν τάδε μυθήσασθαι. §4.830τὴν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε περίφρων Πηνελόπεια· §4.831εἰ μὲν δὴ θεός ἐσσι θεοῖό τε ἔκλυες αὐδῆς, §4.832εἰ δʼ ἄγε μοι καὶ κεῖνον ὀιζυρὸν κατάλεξον, §4.833ἤ που ἔτι ζώει καὶ ὁρᾷ φάος ἠελίοιο, §4.834ἦ ἤδη τέθνηκε καὶ εἰν Ἀίδαο δόμοισι. §4.835τὴν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενον προσέφη εἴδωλον ἀμαυρόν· §4.836οὐ μέν τοι κεῖνόν γε διηνεκέως ἀγορεύσω, §4.837ζώει ὅ γʼ ἦ τέθνηκε· κακὸν δʼ ἀνεμώλια βάζειν. §4.838ὣς εἰπὸν σταθμοῖο παρὰ κληῖδα λιάσθη §4.839ἐς πνοιὰς ἀνέμων.
For him indeed I lament even more than for that other; and for him I tremble and fear lest he suffer some harm, either from those in the land where he has gone, or on the sea; for many enemies are plotting against him, eager to kill him before he reaches his native land." Then the dim phantom answered her and said: "Take courage, and do not fear too much in your heart; for such a guide goes with him, whom others also have prayed to stand by them, for she has the power, Pallas Athena; and she pities you in your lamenting; she it is who has now sent me forth to tell you these things." Then wise Penelope spoke to her again: "If indeed you are a god, and have heard the voice of a god, come, tell me also of that luckless one, whether he still lives and sees the light of the sun, or whether he is already dead and in the house of Hades." Then the dim phantom answered her and said: "Of him indeed I will not speak to you at length, whether he lives or is dead; for it is an evil thing to speak vain words." So saying, the phantom glided away by the bolt of the doorpost into the breath of the winds.
ἡ δʼ ἐξ ὕπνου ἀνόρουσε §4.840κούρη Ἰκαρίοιο· φίλον δέ οἱ ἦτορ ἰάνθη, §4.841ὥς οἱ ἐναργὲς ὄνειρον ἐπέσσυτο νυκτὸς ἀμολγῷ.
And she started up from sleep, the daughter of Icarius, and her dear heart was warmed, so vivid a dream had sped to her in the darkness of the night.
§4.842μνηστῆρες δʼ ἀναβάντες ἐπέπλεον ὑγρὰ κέλευθα §4.843Τηλεμάχῳ φόνον αἰπὺν ἐνὶ φρεσὶν ὁρμαίνοντες.
But the suitors embarked and sailed over the watery ways, harboring in their hearts sheer slaughter for Telemachus.
§4.844ἔστι δέ τις νῆσος μέσσῃ ἁλὶ πετρήεσσα, §4.845μεσσηγὺς Ἰθάκης τε Σάμοιό τε παιπαλοέσσης, §4.846Ἀστερίς, οὐ μεγάλη· λιμένες δʼ ἔνι ναύλοχοι αὐτῇ §4.847ἀμφίδυμοι· τῇ τόν γε μένον λοχόωντες Ἀχαιοί.
There is a rocky island in the midst of the sea, between Ithaca and rugged Samos, Asteris, of no great size; and in it are double harbors, safe for ships; there the Achaeans waited, lying in ambush for him.