Humanitext Reader

Homer · Odyssey §7.282-7.347

Encounter with Nausicaa and Alcinous' Promise of Conveyance

Passage 48 of 173 · Greek

Summary

Odysseus recounts how he slept in the bushes by the river and was saved the next day by Nausicaa. Alcinous acknowledges his daughter's lapse in etiquette but welcomes Odysseus, promising to send him home the following day.

§7.282λεῖος πετράων, καὶ ἐπὶ σκέπας ἦν ἀνέμοιο.
It was smooth of rocks, and there was a shelter from the wind.
§7.283ἐκ δʼ ἔπεσον θυμηγερέων, ἐπὶ δʼ ἀμβροσίη νὺξ §7.284ἤλυθʼ.
And I collapsed, recovering my breath, and immortal night came on.
ἐγὼ δʼ ἀπάνευθε διιπετέος ποταμοῖο §7.285ἐκβὰς ἐν θάμνοισι κατέδραθον, ἀμφὶ δὲ φύλλα §7.286ἠφυσάμην· ὕπνον δὲ θεὸς κατʼ ἀπείρονα χεῦεν.
And I, going out away from the rain-fed river, lay down to sleep in the bushes, and gathered leaves all around myself; and a god poured boundless sleep upon me.
§7.287ἔνθα μὲν ἐν φύλλοισι φίλον τετιημένος ἦτορ §7.288εὗδον παννύχιος καὶ ἐπʼ ἠῶ καὶ μέσον ἦμαρ.
There indeed among the leaves, sorrowing in my heart, I slept all night long, and through the dawn, and into the middle of the day.
§7.289δείλετό τʼ ἠέλιος καί με γλυκὺς ὕπνος ἀνῆκεν.
And the sun went down, and sweet sleep released me.
§7.290ἀμφιπόλους δʼ ἐπὶ θινὶ τεῆς ἐνόησα θυγατρὸς §7.291παιζούσας, ἐν δʼ αὐτὴ ἔην ἐικυῖα θεῇσι·
And I noticed the handmaids of your daughter on the shore playing, and among them she herself was, looking like the goddesses.
§7.292τὴν ἱκέτευσʼ· ἡ δʼ οὔ τι νοήματος ἤμβροτεν ἐσθλοῦ, §7.293ὡς οὐκ ἂν ἔλποιο νεώτερον ἀντιάσαντα §7.294ἐρξέμεν· αἰεὶ γάρ τε νεώτεροι ἀφραδέουσιν.
I supplicated her; and she did not at all fail in good understanding, such as you would not expect a younger person meeting you to show; for always younger people are thoughtless.
§7.295ἥ μοι σῖτον ἔδωκεν ἅλις ἠδʼ αἴθοπα οἶνον §7.296καὶ λοῦσʼ ἐν ποταμῷ καί μοι τάδε εἵματʼ ἔδωκε.
She gave me food enough and sparkling wine, and bathed me in the river, and gave me these garments.
§7.297ταῦτά τοι ἀχνύμενός περ ἀληθείην κατέλεξα. §7.298τὸν δʼ αὖτʼ Ἀλκίνοος ἀπαμείβετο φώνησέν τε· §7.299ξεῖνʼ, ἦ τοι μὲν τοῦτο γʼ ἐναίσιμον οὐκ ἐνόησε §7.300παῖς ἐμή, οὕνεκά σʼ οὔ τι μετʼ ἀμφιπόλοισι γυναιξὶν §7.301ἦγεν ἐς ἡμέτερον, σὺ δʼ ἄρα πρώτην ἱκέτευσας. §7.302τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς· §7.303ἥρως, μή τοι τοὔνεκʼ ἀμύμονα νείκεε κούρην· §7.304ἡ μὲν γάρ μʼ ἐκέλευε σὺν ἀμφιπόλοισιν ἕπεσθαι, §7.305ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ οὐκ ἔθελον δείσας αἰσχυνόμενός τε, §7.306μή πως καὶ σοὶ θυμὸς ἐπισκύσσαιτο ἰδόντι· §7.307δύσζηλοι γάρ τʼ εἰμὲν ἐπὶ χθονὶ φῦλʼ ἀνθρώπων. §7.308τὸν δʼ αὖτʼ Ἀλκίνοος ἀπαμείβετο φώνησέν τε· §7.309ξεῖνʼ, οὔ μοι τοιοῦτον ἐνὶ στήθεσσι φίλον κῆρ §7.310μαψιδίως κεχολῶσθαι· ἀμείνω δʼ αἴσιμα πάντα.
These things, though sorrowing, I have told you in truth." And Alcinous in turn answered him and said: "Guest, surely my daughter did not conceive this proper thing, in that she did not bring you at all with her handmaids to our home; and yet you supplicated her first." Then addressing him in reply spoke resourceful Odysseus: "Hero, do not on that account chide the blameless maiden; for she indeed bade me to follow with her handmaids, but I was not willing, fearing and feeling ashamed, lest somehow your heart should be angered at the sight; for we are jealous, the tribes of humans upon the earth." And Alcinous in turn answered him and said: "Guest, my heart within my breast is not such as to be angered without cause; but all things in due measure are better.
§7.311αἲ γάρ, Ζεῦ τε πάτερ καὶ Ἀθηναίη καὶ Ἄπολλον, §7.312τοῖος ἐὼν οἷός ἐσσι, τά τε φρονέων ἅ τʼ ἐγώ περ, §7.313παῖδά τʼ ἐμὴν ἐχέμεν καὶ ἐμὸς γαμβρὸς καλέεσθαι §7.314αὖθι μένων· οἶκον δέ κʼ ἐγὼ καὶ κτήματα δοίην, §7.315εἴ κʼ ἐθέλων γε μένοις· ἀέκοντα δέ σʼ οὔ τις ἐρύξει §7.316Φαιήκων· μὴ τοῦτο φίλον Διὶ πατρὶ γένοιτο.
Would that, O father Zeus and Athena and Apollo, being such a man as you are, and thinking the things that I think, you might have my daughter and be called my son-in-law, remaining here; and a house and possessions I would give, if you would remain willingly; but against your will no one of the Phaeacians shall keep you; let this not be pleasing to father Zeus.
§7.317πομπὴν δʼ ἐς τόδʼ ἐγὼ τεκμαίρομαι, ὄφρʼ ἐὺ εἰδῇς, §7.318αὔριον ἔς· τῆμος δὲ σὺ μὲν δεδμημένος ὕπνῳ §7.319λέξεαι, οἱ δʼ ἐλόωσι γαλήνην, ὄφρʼ ἂν ἵκηαι §7.320πατρίδα σὴν καὶ δῶμα, καὶ εἴ πού τοι φίλον ἐστίν, §7.321εἴ περ καὶ μάλα πολλὸν ἑκαστέρω ἔστʼ Εὐβοίης, §7.322τήν περ τηλοτάτω φάσʼ ἔμμεναι, οἵ μιν ἴδοντο §7.323λαῶν ἡμετέρων, ὅτε τε ξανθὸν Ῥαδάμανθυν §7.324ἦγον ἐποψόμενον Τιτυὸν Γαιήιον υἱόν.
But your sending-off I appoint for this, so that you may know it well, namely, for tomorrow; and during that time you indeed, overcome by sleep, will lie down, and they will row over the calm sea, until you come to your homeland and house, and wherever else it is pleasing to you, even if it is indeed very much further than Euboea, which those of our people who saw it say is the furthest off, when they led fair-haired Rhadamanthys to visit Tityos, the son of Earth.
§7.325καὶ μὲν οἱ ἔνθʼ ἦλθον καὶ ἄτερ καμάτοιο τέλεσσαν §7.326ἤματι τῷ αὐτῷ καὶ ἀπήνυσαν οἴκαδʼ ὀπίσσω.
And indeed they went there, and without toil completed it on the very same day, and accomplished their journey back home.
§7.327εἰδήσεις δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐνὶ φρεσὶν ὅσσον ἄρισται §7.328νῆες ἐμαὶ καὶ κοῦροι ἀναρρίπτειν ἅλα πηδῷ. §7.329ὣς φάτο, γήθησεν δὲ πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς, §7.330εὐχόμενος δʼ ἄρα εἶπεν, ἔπος τʼ ἔφατʼ ἔκ τʼ ὀνόμαζεν· §7.331Ζεῦ πάτερ, αἴθʼ ὅσα εἶπε τελευτήσειεν ἅπαντα §7.332Ἀλκίνοος·
And you yourself will know in your heart how outstandingly best my ships are, and my young men at throwing up the brine with the oar." So he spoke, and much-enduring noble Odysseus was glad, and praying he spoke and called aloud: "Father Zeus, would that Alcinous might accomplish all that he has said!
τοῦ μέν κεν ἐπὶ ζείδωρον ἄρουραν §7.333ἄσβεστον κλέος εἴη, ἐγὼ δέ κε πατρίδʼ ἱκοίμην. §7.334ὣς οἱ μὲν τοιαῦτα πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀγόρευον· §7.335κέκλετο δʼ Ἀρήτη λευκώλενος ἀμφιπόλοισιν §7.336δέμνιʼ ὑπʼ αἰθούσῃ θέμεναι καὶ ῥήγεα καλὰ §7.337πορφύρεʼ ἐμβαλέειν, στορέσαι τʼ ἐφύπερθε τάπητας §7.338χλαίνας τʼ ἐνθέμεναι οὔλας καθύπερθεν ἕσασθαι.
Then indeed on the grain-giving earth his fame would be unquenchable, and I would return to my homeland." Thus they spoke such words to one another; and white-armed Arete commanded her handmaids to place bedsteads under the portico, and to cast beautiful purple rugs upon them, and to spread blankets above them, and to put woolen cloaks on top for him to wrap himself in.
§7.339αἱ δʼ ἴσαν ἐκ μεγάροιο δάος μετὰ χερσὶν ἔχουσαι· §7.340αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ στόρεσαν πυκινὸν λέχος ἐγκονέουσαι, §7.341ὤτρυνον δʼ Ὀδυσῆα παριστάμεναι ἐπέεσσιν· §7.342ὄρσο κέων, ὦ ξεῖνε· πεποίηται δέ τοι εὐνή. §7.343ὣς φάν, τῷ δʼ ἀσπαστὸν ἐείσατο κοιμηθῆναι.
And they went out of the hall, holding torches in their hands; but when they had spread the sturdy bed, busying themselves, they urged Odysseus, standing by him with words: "Arise to lay yourself down, guest; your bed is made." So they spoke, and to him it seemed welcome to go to sleep.
§7.344ὣς ὁ μὲν ἔνθα καθεῦδε πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεὺς §7.345τρητοῖς ἐν λεχέεσσιν ὑπʼ αἰθούσῃ ἐριδούπῳ· §7.346Ἀλκίνοος δʼ ἄρα λέκτο μυχῷ δόμου ὑψηλοῖο, §7.347πὰρ δὲ γυνὴ δέσποινα λέχος πόρσυνε καὶ εὐνήν.
Thus there slept much-enduring noble Odysseus in the carved bedsteads under the echoing portico; but Alcinous lay down in the innermost part of the high house, and beside him his lady wife prepared the bed.

Notes

  1. 7.282πετράων — Genitive of separation, modified by the adjective `λεῖος` (smooth), expressing the state of being smooth and free from rocks.
  2. 7.293ὡς οὐκ ἂν ἔλποιο — `ὡς` introduces a clause of result or degree ("so that you would not expect..."). `ἔλποιο` is a potential optative with `ἄν`. `νεώτερον` acts as the subject accusative of the future infinitive `ἐρξέμεν`.
  3. 7.313ἐχέμεν — An infinitive of wish used independently, introduced by the particle of wishing `αἲ γάρ` ("would that"). The subject is understood as the second person (Odysseus), expressing a strong desire.
  4. 7.342κέων — Present participle of the verb `κείω` (to lie down, sleep). Accompanying the imperative `ὄρσο` (arise), it functions as a circumstantial participle of purpose ("arise in order to lie down").

Cite this passage

Homer, Odyssey §7.282-7.347. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:7.282-7.347

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.