§7.143καὶ τότε δή ῥʼ αὐτοῖο πάλιν χύτο θέσφατος ἀήρ.
And just then the wondrous mist was poured back away from him.
And they became speechless, seeing a man through the house; they marveled as they looked upon him.
ὁ δὲ λιτάνευεν Ὀδυσσεύς· §7.146Ἀρήτη, θύγατερ Ῥηξήνορος ἀντιθέοιο, §7.147σόν τε πόσιν σά τε γούναθʼ ἱκάνω πολλὰ μογήσας §7.148τούσδε τε δαιτυμόνας· τοῖσιν θεοὶ ὄλβια δοῖεν §7.149ζωέμεναι, καὶ παισὶν ἐπιτρέψειεν ἕκαστος §7.150κτήματʼ ἐνὶ μεγάροισι γέρας θʼ ὅ τι δῆμος ἔδωκεν· §7.151αὐτὰρ ἐμοὶ πομπὴν ὀτρύνετε πατρίδʼ ἱκέσθαι §7.152θᾶσσον, ἐπεὶ δὴ δηθὰ φίλων ἄπο πήματα πάσχω. §7.153ὣς εἰπὼν κατʼ ἄρʼ ἕζετʼ ἐπʼ ἐσχάρῃ ἐν κονίῃσιν §7.154πὰρ πυρί· οἱ δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἀκὴν ἐγένοντο σιωπῇ.
But Odysseus made his prayer: "Arete, daughter of godlike Rexenor, to your husband and to your knees I come, after having suffered much, and to these guests as well; to them may the gods grant happiness to live, and may each one hand down to his children the possessions in his halls and the honor which the people have given; but for me, urge a convoy that I may reach my homeland more swiftly, since indeed for a long time far from friends I suffer hardships." So saying, he sat down upon the hearth in the ashes by the fire; and they all became hushed in silence.
§7.155ὀψὲ δὲ δὴ μετέειπε γέρων ἥρως Ἐχένηος, §7.156ὃς δὴ Φαιήκων ἀνδρῶν προγενέστερος ἦεν §7.157καὶ μύθοισι κέκαστο, παλαιά τε πολλά τε εἰδώς· §7.158ὅ σφιν ἐὺ φρονέων ἀγορήσατο καὶ μετέειπεν· §7.159Ἀλκίνοʼ, οὐ μέν τοι τόδε κάλλιον, οὐδὲ ἔοικε, §7.160ξεῖνον μὲν χαμαὶ ἧσθαι ἐπʼ ἐσχάρῃ ἐν κονίῃσιν, §7.161οἵδε δὲ σὸν μῦθον ποτιδέγμενοι ἰσχανόωνται.
But at last the old hero Echeneus spoke among them, who indeed was the eldest of the Phaeacian men and excelled in speech, knowing many ancient things; who with wise intent addressed them and spoke: "Alcinous, this is indeed not the better way, nor is it fitting, that a guest should sit on the ground upon the hearth in the ashes, while these men, waiting for your word, hold back.
§7.162ἄλλʼ ἄγε δὴ ξεῖνον μὲν ἐπὶ θρόνου ἀργυροήλου §7.163εἷσον ἀναστήσας, σὺ δὲ κηρύκεσσι κέλευσον §7.164οἶνον ἐπικρῆσαι, ἵνα καὶ Διὶ τερπικεραύνῳ §7.165σπείσομεν, ὅς θʼ ἱκέτῃσιν ἅμʼ αἰδοίοισιν ὀπηδεῖ· §7.166δόρπον δὲ ξείνῳ ταμίη δότω ἔνδον ἐόντων. §7.167αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ τό γʼ ἄκουσʼ ἱερὸν μένος Ἀλκινόοιο, §7.168χειρὸς ἑλὼν Ὀδυσῆα δαΐφρονα ποικιλομήτην §7.169ὦρσεν ἀπʼ ἐσχαρόφιν καὶ ἐπὶ θρόνου εἷσε φαεινοῦ, §7.170υἱὸν ἀναστήσας ἀγαπήνορα Λαοδάμαντα, §7.171ὅς οἱ πλησίον ἷζε, μάλιστα δέ μιν φιλέεσκεν.
But come, raise the guest and seat him upon a silver-studded seat, and command the heralds to mix wine, so that we may pour libations also to Zeus who delights in thunder, who attends upon revered suppliants; and let the housekeeper give supper to the guest from what is within." But when the sacred might of Alcinous heard this, taking by the hand the wise and crafty Odysseus, he raised him from the hearth and seated him upon a shining seat, having made his manly son Laodamas rise, who sat near him, and whom he loved most.
§7.172χέρνιβα δʼ ἀμφίπολος προχόῳ ἐπέχευε φέρουσα §7.173καλῇ χρυσείῃ ὑπὲρ ἀργυρέοιο λέβητος, §7.174νίψασθαι· παρὰ δὲ ξεστὴν ἐτάνυσσε τράπεζαν.
And a handmaid brought water for the hands and poured it from a pitcher, beautiful and golden, over a silver basin, to wash; and beside him she drew a polished table.
And the revered housekeeper brought and set before him food, putting on many dainties, giving freely from what was at hand.
§7.177αὐτὰρ ὁ πῖνε καὶ ἦσθε πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς.
But he drank and ate, the much-enduring noble Odysseus.
§7.178καὶ τότε κήρυκα προσέφη μένος Ἀλκινόοιο· §7.179Ποντόνοε, κρητῆρα κερασσάμενος μέθυ νεῖμον §7.180πᾶσιν ἀνὰ μέγαρον, ἵνα καὶ Διὶ τερπικεραύνῳ §7.181σπείσομεν, ὅς θʼ ἱκέτῃσιν ἅμʼ αἰδοίοισιν ὀπηδεῖ. §7.182ὣς φάτο, Ποντόνοος δὲ μελίφρονα οἶνον ἐκίρνα, §7.183νώμησεν δʼ ἄρα πᾶσιν ἐπαρξάμενος δεπάεσσιν.
And then the might of Alcinous spoke to the herald: "Pontonous, mix the bowl and distribute wine to all through the hall, so that we may pour libations also to Zeus who delights in thunder, who attends upon revered suppliants." So he spoke, and Pontonous mixed the honey-hearted wine, and distributed it to all, pouring first into the cups.
§7.184αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ σπεῖσάν τʼ ἔπιόν θʼ, ὅσον ἤθελε θυμός, §7.185τοῖσιν δʼ Ἀλκίνοος ἀγορήσατο καὶ μετέειπε· §7.186κέκλυτε, Φαιήκων ἡγήτορες ἠδὲ μέδοντες §7.187ὄφρʼ εἴπω τά με θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσι κελεύει.
But when they had poured libations and drunk as much as their heart wished, Alcinous addressed them and spoke: "Hear me, leaders and counselors of the Phaeacians, that I may say what the heart in my breast commands me.
§7.188νῦν μὲν δαισάμενοι κατακείετε οἴκαδʼ ἰόντες· §7.189ἠῶθεν δὲ γέροντας ἐπὶ πλέονας καλέσαντες §7.190ξεῖνον ἐνὶ μεγάροις ξεινίσσομεν ἠδὲ θεοῖσιν §7.191ῥέξομεν ἱερὰ καλά, ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ περὶ πομπῆς §7.192μνησόμεθʼ, ὥς χʼ ὁ ξεῖνος ἄνευθε πόνου καὶ ἀνίης §7.193πομπῇ ὑφʼ ἡμετέρῃ ἣν πατρίδα γαῖαν ἵκηται §7.194χαίρων καρπαλίμως, εἰ καὶ μάλα τηλόθεν ἐστί, §7.195μηδέ τι μεσσηγύς γε κακὸν καὶ πῆμα πάθῃσι, §7.196πρίν γε τὸν ἧς γαίης ἐπιβήμεναι· ἔνθα δʼ ἔπειτα §7.197πείσεται, ἅσσα οἱ αἶσα κατὰ κλῶθές τε βαρεῖαι §7.198γιγνομένῳ νήσαντο λίνῳ, ὅτε μιν τέκε μήτηρ.
Now, having feasted, go home and lay down to rest; and in the morning, having called more elders together, we shall entertain the guest in our halls and to the gods we shall offer fine sacrifices, and then also concerning the convoy we shall take thought, so that the guest without toil and pain, under our convoy, may reach his native land, rejoicing swiftly, even if it is very far away, nor suffer any evil and hardship in the meantime, before he sets foot on his own land; but there thereafter he shall suffer whatever fate and the heavy Spinners spun for him with their thread at his birth, when his mother bore him.
§7.199εἰ δέ τις ἀθανάτων γε κατʼ οὐρανοῦ εἰλήλουθεν, §7.200ἄλλο τι δὴ τόδʼ ἔπειτα θεοὶ περιμηχανόωνται.
But if indeed some immortal has come down from heaven, then this is some other thing indeed that the gods are planning.
§7.201αἰεὶ γὰρ τὸ πάρος γε θεοὶ φαίνονται ἐναργεῖς §7.202ἡμῖν, εὖτʼ ἔρδωμεν ἀγακλειτὰς ἑκατόμβας, §7.203δαίνυνταί τε παρʼ ἄμμι καθήμενοι ἔνθα περ ἡμεῖς.
For always in the past indeed the gods appear manifest to us, when we offer glorious hecatombs, and they feast beside us, sitting where we sit.
§7.204εἰ δʼ ἄρα τις καὶ μοῦνος ἰὼν ξύμβληται ὁδίτης, §7.205οὔ τι κατακρύπτουσιν, ἐπεί σφισιν ἐγγύθεν εἰμέν, §7.206ὥς περ Κύκλωπές τε καὶ ἄγρια φῦλα Γιγάντων. §7.207τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς· §7.208Ἀλκίνοʼ, ἄλλο τί τοι μελέτω φρεσίν· οὐ γὰρ ἐγώ γε §7.209ἀθανάτοισιν ἔοικα, τοὶ οὐρανὸν εὐρὺν ἔχουσιν, §7.210οὐ δέμας οὐδὲ φυήν, ἀλλὰ θνητοῖσι βροτοῖσιν.
And if indeed someone meeting them as a wayfarer going alone, they do not hide themselves at all, since we are near to them, just as the Cyclopes and the wild tribes of the Giants are." Then addressing him in reply spoke resourceful Odysseus: "Alcinous, let something else be a care to your mind; for I indeed am not like the immortals, who hold wide heaven, neither in stature nor in build, but to mortal humans.