§9.1τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς· §9.2Ἀλκίνοε κρεῖον, πάντων ἀριδείκετε λαῶν, §9.3ἦ τοι μὲν τόδε καλὸν ἀκουέμεν ἐστὶν ἀοιδοῦ §9.4τοιοῦδʼ οἷος ὅδʼ ἐστί, θεοῖς ἐναλίγκιος αὐδήν.
And in answer to him spoke resourceful Odysseus: "Lord Alcinous, renowned above all the people, truly indeed it is a beautiful thing to listen to a minstrel such as this man is, like the gods in his voice.
§9.5οὐ γὰρ ἐγώ γέ τί φημι τέλος χαριέστερον εἶναι §9.6ἢ ὅτʼ ἐυφροσύνη μὲν ἔχῃ κάτα δῆμον ἅπαντα, §9.7δαιτυμόνες δʼ ἀνὰ δώματʼ ἀκουάζωνται ἀοιδοῦ §9.8ἥμενοι ἑξείης, παρὰ δὲ πλήθωσι τράπεζαι §9.9σίτου καὶ κρειῶν, μέθυ δʼ ἐκ κρητῆρος ἀφύσσων §9.10οἰνοχόος φορέῃσι καὶ ἐγχείῃ δεπάεσσι· §9.11τοῦτό τί μοι κάλλιστον ἐνὶ φρεσὶν εἴδεται εἶναι.
For I say that there is no fulfillment more pleasing than when gladness possesses all the people, and the banqueters in the palace listen to the minstrel, sitting in order, and beside them tables are full of bread and meat, and the wine-bearer, drawing wine from the bowl, carries it and pours it into the cups; this seems to my mind to be the most beautiful thing.
§9.12σοὶ δʼ ἐμὰ κήδεα θυμὸς ἐπετράπετο στονόεντα §9.13εἴρεσθʼ, ὄφρʼ ἔτι μᾶλλον ὀδυρόμενος στεναχίζω·
But your heart was inclined to ask about my grievous sorrows, so that I may lament and groan even more.
§9.14τί πρῶτόν τοι ἔπειτα, τί δʼ ὑστάτιον καταλέξω;
What then shall I relate to you first, and what last?
§9.15κήδεʼ ἐπεί μοι πολλὰ δόσαν θεοὶ Οὐρανίωνες.
Since the heavenly gods have given me many sorrows.
§9.16νῦν δʼ ὄνομα πρῶτον μυθήσομαι, ὄφρα καὶ ὑμεῖς §9.17εἴδετʼ, ἐγὼ δʼ ἂν ἔπειτα φυγὼν ὕπο νηλεὲς ἦμαρ §9.18ὑμῖν ξεῖνος ἔω καὶ ἀπόπροθι δώματα ναίων.
Now first I will tell my name, so that you too may know it, and that I hereafter, having escaped the pitiless day, may be your guest, though I dwell in a home far away.
I am Odysseus, son of Laertes, who for all my wiles am of note among men, and my fame reaches heaven.
§9.21ναιετάω δʼ Ἰθάκην ἐυδείελον· ἐν δʼ ὄρος αὐτῇ §9.22Νήριτον εἰνοσίφυλλον, ἀριπρεπές· ἀμφὶ δὲ νῆσοι §9.23πολλαὶ ναιετάουσι μάλα σχεδὸν ἀλλήλῃσι, §9.24Δουλίχιόν τε Σάμη τε καὶ ὑλήεσσα Ζάκυνθος.
And I dwell in clear-seen Ithaca, wherein is a mountain, Neriton, with shaking leaves, very conspicuous; and around it islands many dwell very close to one another, Dulichium and Same and wooded Zacynthus.
§9.25αὐτὴ δὲ χθαμαλὴ πανυπερτάτη εἰν ἁλὶ κεῖται §9.26πρὸς ζόφον, αἱ δέ τʼ ἄνευθε πρὸς ἠῶ τʼ ἠέλιόν τε, §9.27τρηχεῖʼ, ἀλλʼ ἀγαθὴ κουροτρόφος· οὔ τοι ἐγώ γε §9.28ἧς γαίης δύναμαι γλυκερώτερον ἄλλο ἰδέσθαι.
And Ithaca itself lies low, furthest out in the sea toward the darkness, while the others lie apart toward the dawn and the sun; it is rugged, but a good nurse of youth; indeed, I can see nothing sweeter than a man's own land.
§9.29ἦ μέν μʼ αὐτόθʼ ἔρυκε Καλυψώ, δῖα θεάων, §9.30ἐν σπέσσι γλαφυροῖσι, λιλαιομένη πόσιν εἶναι· §9.31ὣς δʼ αὔτως Κίρκη κατερήτυεν ἐν μεγάροισιν §9.32Αἰαίη δολόεσσα, λιλαιομένη πόσιν εἶναι· §9.33ἀλλʼ ἐμὸν οὔ ποτε θυμὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ἔπειθον.
Truly Calypso, divine among goddesses, kept me there in her hollow caves, longing for me to be her husband; and in like manner wily Circe of Aeaea held me back in her halls, longing for me to be her husband; yet they never persuaded the heart in my breast.
§9.34ὣς οὐδὲν γλύκιον ἧς πατρίδος οὐδὲ τοκήων §9.35γίγνεται, εἴ περ καί τις ἀπόπροθι πίονα οἶκον §9.36γαίῃ ἐν ἀλλοδαπῇ ναίει ἀπάνευθε τοκήων.
So true is it that nothing is sweeter than a man's own country and his parents, even if one dwells in a rich house far away in a foreign land, apart from his parents.
But come, let me tell you also of my troublesome return, which Zeus laid upon me as I came from Troy.
From Ilium the wind bearing me brought me near to the Cicones, to Ismarus.
ἔνθα δʼ ἐγὼ πόλιν ἔπραθον, ὤλεσα δʼ αὐτούς· §9.41ἐκ πόλιος δʼ ἀλόχους καὶ κτήματα πολλὰ λαβόντες §9.42δασσάμεθʼ, ὡς μή τίς μοι ἀτεμβόμενος κίοι ἴσης.
There I sacked the city and slew the men; and taking from the city their wives and many possessions we divided them, so that no man might go deprived of an equal share.
Then indeed I ordered that we should flee with swift foot, but they, very foolish, did not obey.
§9.45ἔνθα δὲ πολλὸν μὲν μέθυ πίνετο, πολλὰ δὲ μῆλα §9.46ἔσφαζον παρὰ θῖνα καὶ εἰλίποδας ἕλικας βοῦς·
There much wine was drunk, and many sheep they slaughtered by the shore, and shamble-footed, crumple-horned cattle.
§9.47τόφρα δʼ ἄρʼ οἰχόμενοι Κίκονες Κικόνεσσι γεγώνευν, §9.48οἵ σφιν γείτονες ἦσαν, ἅμα πλέονες καὶ ἀρείους, §9.49ἤπειρον ναίοντες, ἐπιστάμενοι μὲν ἀφʼ ἵππων §9.50ἀνδράσι μάρνασθαι καὶ ὅθι χρὴ πεζὸν ἐόντα.
Meanwhile the Cicones went and called to other Cicones, who were their neighbors, at once more numerous and braver, dwelling on the mainland, knowing well how to fight from horses and where need was as foot-soldiers.
§9.51ἦλθον ἔπειθʼ ὅσα φύλλα καὶ ἄνθεα γίγνεται ὥρῃ, §9.52ἠέριοι· τότε δή ῥα κακὴ Διὸς αἶσα παρέστη §9.53ἡμῖν αἰνομόροισιν, ἵνʼ ἄλγεα πολλὰ πάθοιμεν.
They came then, as many as leaves and flowers come in their season, in the morning; then indeed an evil doom from Zeus stood by us ill-fated men, that we might suffer many griefs.
And setting their battle in array they fought by the swift ships, and struck one another with bronze-tipped spears.
As long as it was morning and the sacred day was waxing, so long we held our ground and warded them off, though they were more.
But when the sun turned to the time of unyoking oxen, then indeed the Cicones prevailed and routed the Achaeans.
§9.60ἓξ δʼ ἀφʼ ἑκάστης νηὸς ἐυκνήμιδες ἑταῖροι §9.61ὤλονθʼ· οἱ δʼ ἄλλοι φύγομεν θάνατόν τε μόρον τε.
Six of my well-greaved companions from each ship perished; but the rest of us escaped death and doom.
And thence we sailed onward, grieved in heart, glad to have escaped death, though we had lost our dear companions.
§9.64οὐδʼ ἄρα μοι προτέρω νῆες κίον ἀμφιέλισσαι, §9.65πρίν τινα τῶν δειλῶν ἑτάρων τρὶς ἕκαστον ἀῦσαι, §9.66οἳ θάνον ἐν πεδίῳ Κικόνων ὕπο δῃωθέντες.
Nor did my curved ships go further on until we had called thrice upon each of our wretched companions who died on the plain, slain by the Cicones.
§9.67νηυσὶ δʼ ἐπῶρσʼ ἄνεμον Βορέην νεφεληγερέτα Ζεὺς §9.68λαίλαπι θεσπεσίῃ, σὺν δὲ νεφέεσσι κάλυψε §9.69γαῖαν ὁμοῦ καὶ πόντον· ὀρώρει δʼ οὐρανόθεν νύξ.
And against our ships cloud-gathering Zeus aroused the North Wind with a wondrous tempest, and covered with clouds both the land and the sea; and night arose from heaven.