§9.217εὕρομεν, ἀλλʼ ἐνόμευε νομὸν κάτα πίονα μῆλα.
We did not find him, but he was shepherding his fat flocks in the pasture.
§9.218ἐλθόντες δʼ εἰς ἄντρον ἐθηεύμεσθα ἕκαστα.
Having entered the cave, we gazed at each and every thing with wonder.
§9.219ταρσοὶ μὲν τυρῶν βρῖθον, στείνοντο δὲ σηκοὶ §9.220ἀρνῶν ἠδʼ ἐρίφων· διακεκριμέναι δὲ ἕκασται §9.221ἔρχατο, χωρὶς μὲν πρόγονοι, χωρὶς δὲ μέτασσαι, §9.222χωρὶς δʼ αὖθʼ ἕρσαι.
The cheese-crates indeed were heavy, and the pens were crowded with lambs and kids; and they were penned separately, each group by themselves: the firstlings apart, the summer-born apart, and the newly-born again apart.
ναῖον δʼ ὀρῷ ἄγγεα πάντα, §9.223γαυλοί τε σκαφίδες τε, τετυγμένα, τοῖς ἐνάμελγεν.
And all the vessels were swimming with whey, the well-wrought pails and bowls, into which he used to milk.
§9.224ἔνθʼ ἐμὲ μὲν πρώτισθʼ ἕταροι λίσσοντʼ ἐπέεσσιν §9.225τυρῶν αἰνυμένους ἰέναι πάλιν, αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα §9.226καρπαλίμως ἐπὶ νῆα θοὴν ἐρίφους τε καὶ ἄρνας §9.227σηκῶν ἐξελάσαντας ἐπιπλεῖν ἁλμυρὸν ὕδωρ· §9.228ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ οὐ πιθόμην, ἦ τʼ ἂν πολὺ κέρδιον ἦεν, §9.229ὄφρʼ αὐτόν τε ἴδοιμι, καὶ εἴ μοι ξείνια δοίη.
Then indeed, first of all, my companions pleaded with me with words to take some cheeses and go back, and then quickly to drive the kids and lambs out of the pens to our swift ship and sail away over the salty water; but I did not listen, though indeed it would have been much better, so that I might see him himself, and if he would give me guest-gifts.
§9.230οὐδʼ ἄρʼ ἔμελλʼ ἑτάροισι φανεὶς ἐρατεινὸς ἔσεσθαι.
Yet he was not, when he appeared, to be a source of joy to my companions.
§9.231ἔνθα δὲ πῦρ κήαντες ἐθύσαμεν ἠδὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ §9.232τυρῶν αἰνύμενοι φάγομεν, μένομέν τέ μιν ἔνδον §9.233ἥμενοι, ἧος ἐπῆλθε νέμων.
There indeed, having kindled a fire, we made offerings, and we ourselves took some cheeses and ate, and we waited for him inside, sitting there, until he came back from shepherding.
φέρε δʼ ὄβριμον ἄχθος §9.234ὕλης ἀζαλέης, ἵνα οἱ ποτιδόρπιον εἴη, §9.235ἔντοσθεν δʼ ἄντροιο βαλὼν ὀρυμαγδὸν ἔθηκεν· §9.236ἡμεῖς δὲ δείσαντες ἀπεσσύμεθʼ ἐς μυχὸν ἄντρου.
And he carried a mighty load of dry wood, so that it might be for him for his supper; and throwing it down inside the cave, he made a great crash; and we, being terrified, rushed away into the innermost part of the cave.
§9.237αὐτὰρ ὅ γʼ εἰς εὐρὺ σπέος ἤλασε πίονα μῆλα §9.238πάντα μάλʼ ὅσσʼ ἤμελγε, τὰ δʼ ἄρσενα λεῖπε θύρηφιν, §9.239ἀρνειούς τε τράγους τε, βαθείης ἔκτοθεν αὐλῆς.
But he drove his fat flocks into the wide cave, indeed all those that he milked, but the males he left at the door, both the rams and the goats, outside the deep yard.
§9.240αὐτὰρ ἔπειτʼ ἐπέθηκε θυρεὸν μέγαν ὑψόσʼ ἀείρας, §9.241ὄβριμον· οὐκ ἂν τόν γε δύω καὶ εἴκοσʼ ἄμαξαι §9.242ἐσθλαὶ τετράκυκλοι ἀπʼ οὔδεος ὀχλίσσειαν· §9.243τόσσην ἠλίβατον πέτρην ἐπέθηκε θύρῃσιν.
But then he put a great door-stone in place, lifting it high, a mighty stone; not indeed could twenty-two good four-wheeled wagons heave it from the ground; so great a towering rock did he set in the doorway.
§9.244ἑζόμενος δʼ ἤμελγεν ὄις καὶ μηκάδας αἶγας, §9.245πάντα κατὰ μοῖραν, καὶ ὑπʼ ἔμβρυον ἧκεν ἑκάστῃ.
And sitting down, he milked the sheep and bleating goats, all in due order, and under each he put its young.
§9.246αὐτίκα δʼ ἥμισυ μὲν θρέψας λευκοῖο γάλακτος §9.247πλεκτοῖς ἐν ταλάροισιν ἀμησάμενος κατέθηκεν, §9.248ἥμισυ δʼ αὖτʼ ἔστησεν ἐν ἄγγεσιν, ὄφρα οἱ εἴη §9.249πίνειν αἰνυμένῳ καί οἱ ποτιδόρπιον εἴη.
And straightway, having curdled half of the white milk, he gathered it in woven baskets and laid it aside, and the other half he set in vessels, so that it might be for him to take and drink, and might serve as his supper-drink.
§9.250αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ σπεῦσε πονησάμενος τὰ ἃ ἔργα, §9.251καὶ τότε πῦρ ἀνέκαιε καὶ εἴσιδεν, εἴρετο δʼ ἡμέας· §9.252ὦ ξεῖνοι, τίνες ἐστέ;
But when indeed he had busily finished his tasks, then indeed he kindled the fire and saw us, and questioned us: "O strangers, who are you?
πόθεν πλεῖθʼ ὑγρὰ κέλευθα;
From where do you sail the watery paths?
§9.253ἦ τι κατὰ πρῆξιν ἦ μαψιδίως ἀλάλησθε, §9.254οἷά τε ληιστῆρες, ὑπεὶρ ἅλα, τοί τʼ ἀλόωνται §9.255ψυχὰς παρθέμενοι κακὸν ἀλλοδαποῖσι φέροντες; §9.256ὣς ἔφαθʼ, ἡμῖν δʼ αὖτε κατεκλάσθη φίλον ἦτορ, §9.257δεισάντων φθόγγον τε βαρὺν αὐτόν τε πέλωρον.
Is it indeed on some business, or do you wander at random, like pirates, over the sea, who wander around hazarding their lives, bringing evil to men of other lands?" So he spoke, and our dear heart was broken within us, fearing his deep voice and his monstrous self.
§9.258ἀλλὰ καὶ ὥς μιν ἔπεσσιν ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπον· §9.259ἡμεῖς τοι Τροίηθεν ἀποπλαγχθέντες Ἀχαιοὶ §9.260παντοίοις ἀνέμοισιν ὑπὲρ μέγα λαῖτμα θαλάσσης, §9.261οἴκαδε ἱέμενοι, ἄλλην ὁδὸν ἄλλα κέλευθα §9.262ἤλθομεν· οὕτω που Ζεὺς ἤθελε μητίσασθαι.
But even so, answering him with words, I spoke: "We indeed are Achaeans, driven off course from Troy by all kinds of winds over the great gulf of the sea, seeking our home, but by another way, other paths, we have come; thus, I suppose, Zeus willed to devise.
§9.263λαοὶ δʼ Ἀτρεΐδεω Ἀγαμέμνονος εὐχόμεθʼ εἶναι, §9.264τοῦ δὴ νῦν γε μέγιστον ὑπουράνιον κλέος ἐστί· §9.265τόσσην γὰρ διέπερσε πόλιν καὶ ἀπώλεσε λαοὺς §9.266πολλούς.
And we claim to be the people of Agamemnon, son of Atreus, whose fame is indeed now the greatest under heaven; for so great a city did he sack and destroyed people many.
ἡμεῖς δʼ αὖτε κιχανόμενοι τὰ σὰ γοῦνα §9.267ἱκόμεθʼ, εἴ τι πόροις ξεινήιον ἠὲ καὶ ἄλλως §9.268δοίης δωτίνην, ἥ τε ξείνων θέμις ἐστίν.
And we in turn have come, clasping your knees in hope that you might provide a guest-gift, or otherwise give us a present, which is the right of guests.
§9.269ἀλλʼ αἰδεῖο, φέριστε, θεούς· ἱκέται δέ τοί εἰμεν, §9.270Ζεὺς δʼ ἐπιτιμήτωρ ἱκετάων τε ξείνων τε, §9.271ξείνιος, ὃς ξείνοισιν ἅμʼ αἰδοίοισιν ὀπηδεῖ. §9.272ὣς ἐφάμην, ὁ δέ μʼ αὐτίκʼ ἀμείβετο νηλέι θυμῷ· §9.273νήπιός εἰς, ὦ ξεῖνʼ, ἢ τηλόθεν εἰλήλουθας, §9.274ὅς με θεοὺς κέλεαι ἢ δειδίμεν ἢ ἀλέασθαι· §9.275οὐ γὰρ Κύκλωπες Διὸς αἰγιόχου ἀλέγουσιν §9.276οὐδὲ θεῶν μακάρων, ἐπεὶ ἦ πολὺ φέρτεροί εἰμεν· §9.277οὐδʼ ἂν ἐγὼ Διὸς ἔχθος ἀλευάμενος πεφιδοίμην §9.278οὔτε σεῦ οὔθʼ ἑτάρων, εἰ μὴ θυμός με κελεύοι.
But revere, most noble lord, the gods; and we are your suppliants, and Zeus is the avenger of suppliants and guests, the god of strangers, who accompanies revered strangers." So I spoke, and he straightway answered me with pitiless heart: "You are foolish, O stranger, or you have come from afar, who bid me either to fear the gods or to avoid them; for the Cyclopes pay no heed to aegis-bearing Zeus nor to the blessed gods, since we are indeed much stronger; nor would I, to avoid the enmity of Zeus, spare either you or your companions, unless my own heart should prompt me.
§9.279ἀλλά μοι εἴφʼ ὅπῃ ἔσχες ἰὼν ἐυεργέα νῆα, §9.280ἤ που ἐπʼ ἐσχατιῆς, ἦ καὶ σχεδόν, ὄφρα δαείω. §9.281ὣς φάτο πειράζων, ἐμὲ δʼ οὐ λάθεν εἰδότα πολλά, §9.282ἀλλά μιν ἄψορρον προσέφην δολίοις ἐπέεσσι· §9.283νέα μέν μοι κατέαξε Ποσειδάων ἐνοσίχθων §9.284πρὸς πέτρῃσι βαλὼν ὑμῆς ἐπὶ πείρασι γαίης, §9.285ἄκρῃ προσπελάσας· ἄνεμος δʼ ἐκ πόντου ἔνεικεν· §9.286αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ σὺν τοῖσδε ὑπέκφυγον αἰπὺν ὄλεθρον.
But tell me where you moored your well-wrought ship when you came, whether perhaps at the edge of the land, or close by, so that I may know." So he spoke, trying me, but he did not escape me who knew much, but I addressed him back with deceitful words: "My ship indeed Poseidon, the earth-shaker, shattered, casting it against the rocks at the borders of your land, bringing it close to the headland; and the wind brought it from the sea; but I, with these men here, escaped sheer destruction."