Homer's Odyssey δ 4.742-57

Greek text is adapted from the edition of M. L. West. The dactylic downbeats are underlined; tonal prominence according to the new theory of the Greek accent is marked in bold:

Greek text hyperlinked to lexica via Perseus (perseus.tufts.edu):

τὴν δ᾽ αὖτε προσέειπε φίλη τροφὸς Εὐρύκλεια:

‘νύμφα φίλη, σὺ μὲν ἄρ με κατάκτανε νηλέι χαλκῷ

ἢ ἔα ἐν μεγάρῳ: μῦθον δέ τοι οὐκ ἐπικεύσω.

ᾔδε᾽ ἐγὼ τάδε πάντα, πόρον δέ οἱ ὅσσ᾽ ἐκέλευε,

σῖτον καὶ μέθυ ἡδύ: ἐμεῦ δ᾽ ἕλετο μέγαν ὅρκον

μὴ πρὶν σοὶ ἐρέειν, πρὶν δωδεκάτην γε γενέσθαι

ἢ σ᾽ αὐτὴν ποθέσαι καὶ ἀφορμηθέντος ἀκοῦσαι,

ὡς ἂν μὴ κλαίουσα κατὰ χρόα καλὸν ἰάπτῃς.

ἀλλ᾽ ὑδρηναμένη, καθαρὰ χροῒ εἵμαθ᾽ ἑλοῦσα,

εἰς ὑπερῷ᾽ ἀναβᾶσα σὺν ἀμφιπόλοισι γυναιξὶν

εὔχε᾽ Ἀθηναίῃ κούρῃ Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο:

ἡ γάρ κέν μιν ἔπειτα καὶ ἐκ θανάτοιο σαώσαι.

μηδὲ γέροντα κάκου κεκακωμένον: οὐ γὰρ ὀίω

πάγχυ θεοῖς μακάρεσσι γονὴν Ἀρκεισιάδαο

ἔχθεσθ᾽, ἀλλ᾽ ἔτι πού τις ἐπέσσεται ὅς κεν ἔχῃσι

δώματά θ᾽ ὑψερεφέα καὶ ἀπόπροθι πίονας ἀγρούς.’

Penelope Awakened by Eurycleia (Odysseus's nurse), oil on canvas by Angelica Kauffman

Samuel Butler’s translation with certain names Hellenised:

Then the dear old nurse Euryclea said, “You may kill me, Madam, or let me live on in your house, whichever you please, but I will tell you the real truth. I knew all about it, and gave him everything he wanted in the way of bread and wine, but he made me take my solemn oath that I would not tell you anything for some ten or twelve days, unless you,asked or happened to hear of his having gone, for he did not want you to spoil your beauty by crying. And now, Madam, wash your face, change your dress, and go upstairs with your maids to offer prayers to Athena, daughter of Aegis-bearing Zeus, for she can save him even though he be in the jaws of death. Do not trouble Laertes: he has trouble enough already. Besides, I cannot think that the gods hate the race of the son of Arceisius so much, but there will be a son left to come up after him, and inherit both the house and the fair fields that lie far all round it.”

Greek recitation with my English translation: