Homer : Returning to Ithaca ( Odyssey - Rhapsody 13 )

"You are always taking something of that sort in your head," replied Minerva, "and that is why I cannot desert you in your afflictions; you are so plausible, shrewd and shifty. Any one but yourself on returning from so long a voyage would at once have gone home to see his wife and children, but you do not seem to care about asking after them or hearing any news about them till you have exploited your wife, who remains at home vainly grieving for you, and having no peace night or day for the tears she sheds on your behalf. As for my not coming near you, I was never uneasy about you, for I was certain you would get back safely though you would lose all your men, and I did not wish to quarrel with my uncle Neptune, who never forgave you for having blinded his son. I will now, however, point out to you the lie of the land, and you will then perhaps believe me. This is the haven of the old merman Phorcys, and here is the olive tree that grows at the head of it; [near it is the cave sacred to the Naiads;] here too is the overarching cavern in which you have offered many an acceptable hecatomb to the nymphs, and this is the wooded mountain Neritum." As she spoke the goddess dispersed the mist and the land appeared. Then Ulysses rejoiced at finding himself again in his own land, and kissed the bounteous soil; he lifted up his hands and prayed to the nymphs, saying, "Naiad nymphs, daughters of Jove, I made sure that I was never again to see you, now therefore I greet you with all loving salutations, and I will bring you offerings as in the old days, if Jove's redoubtable daughter will grant me life, and bring my son to manhood."

τὸν δ΄ ἠμείβετ΄ ἔπειτα θεὰ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη· αἰεί τοι τοιοῦτον ἐνὶ στήθεσσι νόημα· τῶ σε καὶ οὐ δύναμαι προλιπεῖν δύστηνον ἐόντα͵ οὕνεκ΄ ἐπητής ἐσσι καὶ ἀγχίνοος καὶ ἐχέφρων. ἀσπασίως γάρ κ΄ ἄλλος ἀνὴρ ἀλαλήμενος ἐλθὼν ἵετ΄ ἐνὶ μεγάροισ΄ ἰδέειν παῖδάς τ΄ ἄλοχόν τε· σοὶ δ΄ οὔ πω φίλον ἐστὶ δαήμεναι οὐδὲ πυθέσθαι͵ πρίν γ΄ ἔτι σῆς ἀλόχου πειρήσεαι͵ ἥ τέ τοι αὔτως ἧσται ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν͵ ὀϊζυραὶ δέ οἱ αἰεὶ φθίνουσιν νύκτες τε καὶ ἤματα δάκρυ χεούσῃ. αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ τὸ μὲν οὔ ποτ΄ ἀπίστεον͵ ἀλλ΄ ἐνὶ θυμῷ ᾔδε΄͵ ὃ νοστήσεις ὀλέσας ἄπο πάντας ἑταίρους· ἀλλά τοι οὐκ ἐθέλησα Ποσειδάωνι μάχεσθαι πατροκασιγνήτῳ͵ ὅς τοι κότον ἔνθετο θυμῷ͵ χωόμενος ὅτι οἱ υἱὸν φίλον ἐξαλάωσας. ἀλλ΄ ἄγε τοι δείξω Ἰθάκης ἕδος͵ ὄφρα πεποίθῃς· Φόρκυνος μὲν ὅδ΄ ἐστὶ λιμήν͵ ἁλίοιο γέροντος͵ ἥδε δ΄ ἐπὶ κρατὸς λιμένος τανύφυλλος ἐλαίη· [ἀγχόθι δ΄ αὐτῆς ἄντρον ἐπήρατον ἠεροειδές͵ ἱρὸν Νυμφάων͵ αἳ Νηϊάδες καλέονται·] τοῦτο δέ τοι σπέος εὐρὺ κατηρεφές͵ ἔνθα σὺ πολλὰς ἕρδεσκες Νύμφῃσι τεληέσσας ἑκατόμβας· τοῦτο δὲ Νήριτόν ἐστιν ὄρος καταειμένον ὕλῃ. ὣς εἰποῦσα θεὰ σκέδασ΄ ἠέρα͵ εἴσατο δὲ χθών· γήθησέν τ΄ ἄρ΄ ἔπειτα πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεὺς χαίρων ᾗ γαίῃ͵ κύσε δὲ ζείδωρον ἄρουραν. αὐτίκα δὲ Νύμφῃσ΄ ἠρήσατο χεῖρας ἀνασχών· Νύμφαι Νηϊάδες͵ κοῦραι Διός͵ οὔ ποτ΄ ἐγώ γε ὄψεσθ΄ ὔμμ΄ ἐφάμην· νῦν δ΄ εὐχωλῇσ΄ ἀγανῇσι χαίρετ΄· ἀτὰρ καὶ δῶρα διδώσομεν͵ ὡς τὸ πάρος περ͵ αἴ κεν ἐᾷ πρόφρων με Διὸς θυγάτηρ ἀγελείη αὐτόν τε ζώειν καί μοι φίλον υἱὸν ἀέξῃ.

Homer Bilingual Anthology : RETURNING TO ITHACA - 15

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