§5.427εἰ μὴ ἐπὶ φρεσὶ θῆκε θεά, γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη·
had not the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena, put it in his mind.
§5.428ἀμφοτέρῃσι δὲ χερσὶν ἐπεσσύμενος λάβε πέτρης, §5.429τῆς ἔχετο στενάχων, ἧος μέγα κῦμα παρῆλθε.
He rushed forward and with both hands seized the rock, to which he clung groaning, until the great wave had passed.
§5.430καὶ τὸ μὲν ὣς ὑπάλυξε, παλιρρόθιον δέ μιν αὖτις §5.431πλῆξεν ἐπεσσύμενον, τηλοῦ δέ μιν ἔμβαλε πόντῳ.
And this wave indeed he thus escaped, but the backwash again struck him as it rushed upon him, and cast him far out into the sea.
§5.432ὡς δʼ ὅτε πουλύποδος θαλάμης ἐξελκομένοιο §5.433πρὸς κοτυληδονόφιν πυκιναὶ λάιγγες ἔχονται, §5.434ὣς τοῦ πρὸς πέτρῃσι θρασειάων ἀπὸ χειρῶν §5.435ῥινοὶ ἀπέδρυφθεν· τὸν δὲ μέγα κῦμα κάλυψεν.
And as when a polypus is dragged out from its lair, many pebbles cling to its suckers, so from his strong hands against the rocks the skin was stripped off; and the great wave covered him.
There indeed wretched Odysseus would have perished beyond his fate, had not flashing-eyed Athena given him prudence.
§5.438κύματος ἐξαναδύς, τά τʼ ἐρεύγεται ἤπειρόνδε, §5.439νῆχε παρέξ, ἐς γαῖαν ὁρώμενος, εἴ που ἐφεύροι §5.440ἠιόνας τε παραπλῆγας λιμένας τε θαλάσσης.
Emerging from the wave, which vomited toward the mainland, he swam along, looking toward the land, if perchance he might find beaches that take the waves slantwise, and harbors of the sea.
§5.441ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ ποταμοῖο κατὰ στόμα καλλιρόοιο §5.442ἷξε νέων, τῇ δή οἱ ἐείσατο χῶρος ἄριστος, §5.443λεῖος πετράων, καὶ ἐπὶ σκέπας ἦν ἀνέμοιο, §5.444ἔγνω δὲ προρέοντα καὶ εὔξατο ὃν κατὰ θυμόν· §5.445κλῦθι, ἄναξ, ὅτις ἐσσί· πολύλλιστον δέ σʼ ἱκάνω, §5.446φεύγων ἐκ πόντοιο Ποσειδάωνος ἐνιπάς.
But when indeed he came swimming to the mouth of a fair-flowing river, there indeed seemed to him to be the best place, smooth of rocks, and there was shelter from the wind, and he recognized the flowing river and prayed in his heart: "Hear me, lord, whoever you are; with many prayers I come to you, fleeing from the sea, from the threats of Poseidon.
§5.447αἰδοῖος μέν τʼ ἐστὶ καὶ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσιν §5.448ἀνδρῶν ὅς τις ἵκηται ἀλώμενος, ὡς καὶ ἐγὼ νῦν §5.449σόν τε ῥόον σά τε γούναθʼ ἱκάνω πολλὰ μογήσας.
Respectable indeed even to the immortal gods is that man who comes wandering, as I too now come to your stream and to your knees after suffering much.
§5.450ἀλλʼ ἐλέαιρε, ἄναξ· ἱκέτης δέ τοι εὔχομαι εἶναι. §5.451ὣς φάθʼ, ὁ δʼ αὐτίκα παῦσεν ἑὸν ῥόον, ἔσχε δὲ κῦμα, §5.452πρόσθε δέ οἱ ποίησε γαλήνην, τὸν δʼ ἐσάωσεν §5.453ἐς ποταμοῦ προχοάς.
But have pity, lord; for I claim to be your suppliant." So he spoke, and the river god straightway stayed his stream, and held back the wave, and made a calm before him, and saved him, bringing him into the mouth of the river.
ὁ δʼ ἄρʼ ἄμφω γούνατʼ ἔκαμψε §5.454χεῖράς τε στιβαράς. ἁλὶ γὰρ δέδμητο φίλον κῆρ.
And he bent both his knees and his strong hands; for his heart was subdued by the sea.
§5.455ᾤδεε δὲ χρόα πάντα, θάλασσα δὲ κήκιε πολλὴ §5.456ἂν στόμα τε ῥῖνάς θʼ· ὁ δʼ ἄρʼ ἄπνευστος καὶ ἄναυδος §5.457κεῖτʼ ὀλιγηπελέων, κάματος δέ μιν αἰνὸς ἵκανεν.
All his skin was swollen, and much sea-water bubbled up through his mouth and nostrils; and he lay breathless and voiceless, fainting, and a terrible weariness came upon him.
§5.458ἀλλʼ ὅτε δή ῥʼ ἄμπνυτο καὶ ἐς φρένα θυμὸς ἀγέρθη, §5.459καὶ τότε δὴ κρήδεμνον ἀπὸ ἕο λῦσε θεοῖο.
But when indeed he gasped and the spirit was gathered into his mind, then indeed he loosed the veil of the goddess from himself.
§5.460καὶ τὸ μὲν ἐς ποταμὸν ἁλιμυρήεντα μεθῆκεν, §5.461ἂψ δʼ ἔφερεν μέγα κῦμα κατὰ ῥόον, αἶψα δʼ ἄρʼ Ἰνὼ §5.462δέξατο χερσὶ φίλῃσιν·
And this he let go into the salt-flowing river, and a great wave bore it back down the stream, and straightway Ino received it in her friendly hands.
ὁ δʼ ἐκ ποταμοῖο λιασθεὶς §5.463σχοίνῳ ὑπεκλίνθη, κύσε δὲ ζείδωρον ἄρουραν.
But he, turning away from the river, reclined in the reeds, and kissed the grain-giving earth.
Deeply moved he spoke to his own great-hearted spirit: "Ah me, what will happen to me?
τί νύ μοι μήκιστα γένηται;
What at last will become of me?
§5.466εἰ μέν κʼ ἐν ποταμῷ δυσκηδέα νύκτα φυλάσσω, §5.467μή μʼ ἄμυδις στίβη τε κακὴ καὶ θῆλυς ἐέρση §5.468ἐξ ὀλιγηπελίης δαμάσῃ κεκαφηότα θυμόν· §5.469αὔρη δʼ ἐκ ποταμοῦ ψυχρὴ πνέει ἠῶθι πρό.
If I watch through the painful night in the river bed, I fear lest the evil frost and the fresh dew together should conquer my fainting spirit because of my exhaustion; and a cold breeze blows from the river before dawn.
§5.470εἰ δέ κεν ἐς κλιτὺν ἀναβὰς καὶ δάσκιον ὕλην §5.471θάμνοις ἐν πυκινοῖσι καταδράθω, εἴ με μεθείη §5.472ῥῖγος καὶ κάματος, γλυκερὸς δέ μοι ὕπνος ἐπέλθῃ, §5.473δείδω, μὴ θήρεσσιν ἕλωρ καὶ κύρμα γένωμαι. §5.474ὣς ἄρα οἱ φρονέοντι δοάσσατο κέρδιον εἶναι· §5.475βῆ ῥʼ ἴμεν εἰς ὕλην· τὴν δὲ σχεδὸν ὕδατος εὗρεν §5.476ἐν περιφαινομένῳ· δοιοὺς δʼ ἄρʼ ὑπήλυθε θάμνους, §5.477ἐξ ὁμόθεν πεφυῶτας· ὁ μὲν φυλίης, ὁ δʼ ἐλαίης.
But if I go up the slope and enter the shady wood, and lie down to sleep in the thick bushes, if cold and weariness should leave me, and sweet sleep come upon me, I fear lest I should become a prey and spoil for wild beasts." As he was thinking, this seemed to him to be more profitable; he went to the wood; and he found it near the water in an open view; and he went under two bushes, growing from the same spot, one of wild olive, and the other of olive.
§5.478τοὺς μὲν ἄρʼ οὔτʼ ἀνέμων διάη μένος ὑγρὸν ἀέντων, §5.479οὔτε ποτʼ ἠέλιος φαέθων ἀκτῖσιν ἔβαλλεν, §5.480οὔτʼ ὄμβρος περάασκε διαμπερές· ὣς ἄρα πυκνοὶ §5.481ἀλλήλοισιν ἔφυν ἐπαμοιβαδίς·
Through these neither did the force of wet-blowing winds blow, nor did the shining sun ever strike with its rays, nor did rain penetrate through; so thickly did they grow close-interwoven with one another.
οὓς ὑπʼ Ὀδυσσεὺς §5.482δύσετʼ.
Under these Odysseus crept.
ἄφαρ δʼ εὐνὴν ἐπαμήσατο χερσὶ φίλῃσιν §5.483εὐρεῖαν· φύλλων γὰρ ἔην χύσις ἤλιθα πολλή, §5.484ὅσσον τʼ ἠὲ δύω ἠὲ τρεῖς ἄνδρας ἔρυσθαι §5.485ὥρῃ χειμερίῃ, εἰ καὶ μάλα περ χαλεπαίνοι.
And straightway he scraped together a wide bed with his own hands; for there was a very great heap of leaves, enough to shelter either two or three men in winter time, even if it were very severe.
§5.486τὴν μὲν ἰδὼν γήθησε πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς, §5.487ἐν δʼ ἄρα μέσσῃ λέκτο, χύσιν δʼ ἐπεχεύατο φύλλων.
Seeing this, the much-enduring noble Odysseus was glad, and he lay down in the midst, and poured a heap of leaves over himself.
§5.488ὡς δʼ ὅτε τις δαλὸν σποδιῇ ἐνέκρυψε μελαίνῃ §5.489ἀγροῦ ἐπʼ ἐσχατιῆς, ᾧ μὴ πάρα γείτονες ἄλλοι, §5.490σπέρμα πυρὸς σώζων, ἵνα μή ποθεν ἄλλοθεν αὔοι, §5.491ὣς Ὀδυσεὺς φύλλοισι καλύψατο· τῷ δʼ ἄρʼ Ἀθήνη §5.492ὕπνον ἐπʼ ὄμμασι χεῦʼ, ἵνα μιν παύσειε τάχιστα §5.493δυσπονέος καμάτοιο φίλα βλέφαρʼ ἀμφικαλύψας.
And as when someone hides a brand in black embers on the border of a field, where there are no other neighbors near, saving the seed of fire, lest he should have to kindle it from elsewhere; so Odysseus covered himself with leaves; and Athena poured sleep upon his eyes, so that she might cease him as quickly as possible from painful weariness, covering his dear eyelids.