Homer's Odyssey δ 4.460-83
Syllables in bold are dynamically prominent according to the new theory of the ancient Greek pitch accent. Digammas occasionally obtrude. Translation © A. P. David 2022:
Samuel Butler’s translation with certain names Hellenised:
“ … till at last the cunning
old creature became distressed, and said, ‘Which of the gods was it,
Son of Atreus, that hatched this plot with you for snaring me and
seizing me against my will? What do you want?’
“‘You know that yourself, old man,’ I answered, ‘you will gain nothing
by trying to put me off. It is because I have been kept so long in
this island, and see no sign of my being able to get away. I am losing
all heart; tell me, then, for you gods know everything, which of the
immortals it is that is hindering me, and tell me also how I may sail
the sea so as to reach my home?’
“‘Then,’ he said, ‘if you would finish your voyage and get home quickly,
you must offer sacrifices to Zeus and to the rest of the gods before
embarking; for it is decreed that you shall not get back to your friends,
and to your own house, till you have returned to the heaven fed stream
of Egypt, and offered holy hecatombs to the immortal gods that reign
in heaven. When you have done this they will let you finish your voyage.’
“I was broken hearted when I heard that I must go back all that long
and terrible voyage to Egypt … ”
Greek text hyperlinked to lexica via Perseus (perseus.tufts.edu):
ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε δή ῥ᾽ ἀνίαζ᾽ ὁ γέρων ὀλοφώια εἰδώς,
καὶ τότε δή μ᾽ ἐπέεσσιν ἀνειρόμενος προσέειπε:
‘τίς νύ τοι, Ἀτρέος υἱέ, θεῶν συμφράσσατο βουλάς,
ὄφρα μ᾽ ἕλοις ἀέκοντα λοχησάμενος; τέο σε χρή;’
ὣς ἔφατ᾽, αὐτὰρ ἐγώ μιν ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπον:
‘οἶσθα, γέρον, τί με ταῦτα παρατροπέων ἐρεείνεις;
ὡς δὴ δήθ᾽ ἐνὶ νήσῳ ἐρύκομαι, οὐδέ τι τέκμωρ
εὑρέμεναι δύναμαι, μινύθει δέ μοι ἔνδοθεν ἦτορ.
ἀλλὰ σύ πέρ μοι εἰπέ, θεοὶ δέ τε πάντα ἴσασιν,
ὅς τίς μ᾽ ἀθανάτων πεδάᾳ καὶ ἔδησε κελεύθου,
νόστον θ᾽, ὡς ἐπὶ πόντον ἐλεύσομαι ἰχθυόεντα.’
ὣς ἐφάμην, ὁ δέ μ᾽ αὐτίκ᾽ ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπεν:
‘ἀλλὰ μάλ᾽ ὤφελλες Διί τ᾽ ἄλλοισίν τε θεοῖσι
ῥέξας ἱερὰ κάλ᾽ ἀναβαινέμεν, ὄφρα τάχιστα
σὴν ἐς πατρίδ᾽ ἵκοιο πλέων ἐπὶ οἴνοπα πόντον.
οὐ γάρ τοι πρὶν μοῖρα φίλους τ᾽ ἰδέειν καὶ ἱκέσθαι
οἶκον ἐυκτίμενον καὶ σὴν ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν,
πρίν γ᾽ ὅτ᾽ ἂν Αἰγύπτοιο, διιπετέος ποταμοῖο,
αὖτις ὕδωρ ἔλθῃς ῥέξῃς θ᾽ ἱερὰς ἑκατόμβας
ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσι, τοὶ οὐρανὸν εὐρὺν ἔχουσι:
καὶ τότε τοι δώσουσιν ὁδὸν θεοί, ἣν σὺ μενοινᾷς.’ ’
‘ὣς ἔφατ᾽, αὐτὰρ ἐμοί γε κατεκλάσθη φίλον ἦτορ,