Odyssey 5.7-20, trans Mandelbaum
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Ἑλληνική Transliterate
English
Ζεῦ πάτερ ἠδ᾽ ἄλλοι μάκαρες θεοὶ αἰὲν ἐόντες ,
μή τις ἔτι πρόφρων ἀγανὸς καὶ ἤπιος ἔστω
σκηπτοῦχος βασιλεύς , μηδὲ φρεσὶν αἴσιμα εἰδώς ,
ἀλλ᾽ αἰεὶ χαλεπός τ᾽ εἴη καὶ αἴσυλα ῥέζοι :
ὡς οὔ τις μέμνηται Ὀδυσσῆος θείοιο
λαῶν οἷσιν ἄνασσε , πατὴρ δ᾽ ὣς ἤπιος ἦεν .
ἀλλ᾽ ὁ μὲν ἐν νήσῳ κεῖται κρατέρ᾽ ἄλγεα πάσχων
νύμφης ἐν μεγάροισι Καλυψοῦς , ἥ μιν ἀνάγκῃ
ἴσχει : ὁ δ᾽ οὐ δύναται ἣν πατρίδα γαῖαν ἱκέσθαι :
οὐ γάρ οἱ πάρα νῆες ἐπήρετμοι καὶ ἑταῖροι ,
οἵ κέν μιν πέμποιεν ἐπ᾽ εὐρέα νῶτα θαλάσσης .
νῦν αὖ παῖδ᾽ ἀγαπητὸν ἀποκτεῖναι μεμάασιν
οἴκαδε νισόμενον : ὁ δ᾽ ἔβη μετὰ πατρὸς ἀκουὴν
ἐς Πύλον ἠγαθέην ἠδ᾽ ἐς Λακεδαίμονα δῖαν .
μή τις ἔτι πρόφρων ἀγανὸς καὶ ἤπιος ἔστω
σκηπτοῦχος βασιλεύς , μηδὲ φρεσὶν αἴσιμα εἰδώς ,
ἀλλ᾽ αἰεὶ χαλεπός τ᾽ εἴη καὶ αἴσυλα ῥέζοι :
ὡς οὔ τις μέμνηται Ὀδυσσῆος θείοιο
λαῶν οἷσιν ἄνασσε , πατὴρ δ᾽ ὣς ἤπιος ἦεν .
ἀλλ᾽ ὁ μὲν ἐν νήσῳ κεῖται κρατέρ᾽ ἄλγεα πάσχων
νύμφης ἐν μεγάροισι Καλυψοῦς , ἥ μιν ἀνάγκῃ
ἴσχει : ὁ δ᾽ οὐ δύναται ἣν πατρίδα γαῖαν ἱκέσθαι :
οὐ γάρ οἱ πάρα νῆες ἐπήρετμοι καὶ ἑταῖροι ,
οἵ κέν μιν πέμποιεν ἐπ᾽ εὐρέα νῶτα θαλάσσης .
νῦν αὖ παῖδ᾽ ἀγαπητὸν ἀποκτεῖναι μεμάασιν
οἴκαδε νισόμενον : ὁ δ᾽ ἔβη μετὰ πατρὸς ἀκουὴν
ἐς Πύλον ἠγαθέην ἠδ᾽ ἐς Λακεδαίμονα δῖαν .
You
,
father
Zeus
,
and
all
of
this
assembly
of blessed , never-dying gods , hear me :
From this time on , no sceptered king need be
benign and kind , a man of righteous minds :
let kings be cruel and corrupt , malign--
for none among his people now recall
divine Odysseus , though his rule was gentle
and fatherly . And now , against his will ,
Calypso keeps him captive in her grotto ,
her island home , where he can only sorrow .
And he cannot return to his own land :
he has no ships at hand , no oars , no friends
to carry him across the sea ' s broad back .
Now , too , they mean to ambush his dear son ,
to murder him along his homeward run ;
for news of his dear father , he has gone
to sacred Pylos and bright Lacedaemon .
of blessed , never-dying gods , hear me :
From this time on , no sceptered king need be
benign and kind , a man of righteous minds :
let kings be cruel and corrupt , malign--
for none among his people now recall
divine Odysseus , though his rule was gentle
and fatherly . And now , against his will ,
Calypso keeps him captive in her grotto ,
her island home , where he can only sorrow .
And he cannot return to his own land :
he has no ships at hand , no oars , no friends
to carry him across the sea ' s broad back .
Now , too , they mean to ambush his dear son ,
to murder him along his homeward run ;
for news of his dear father , he has gone
to sacred Pylos and bright Lacedaemon .