Words and Verse
Introduction to the Odyssey (Translation-Greek)
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Oh sing! Sing in me muse! And sing the tale
Of him of twists and turns, who roved and roamed
For years on end, a vagrant after plundering
The brooding fortress on the Trojan height.
He saw the cities and learned the ways of men
In distant lands of curious customs as
He weathered many bitter nights and days
Where the ocean hurled its waves, while he strove only
To bring his fellow shipmates safely home.
Do what he could though, he could not forestall
The fated hand of death that touched them all.
All reckless fools, they killed and feasted on
The golden cattle of Lord Hêlios the Sun!
And he who all day roves the shimmering skies
Snatched from their eyes the dawn of their return.
Of these things, sweet-voiced muse, high daughter of Zeus,
Tell now the tale,
ORIGINAL
ἄνδρα μοι ἔννεπε, μοῦσα, πολύτροπον, ὃς μάλα πολλὰ
πλάγχθη, ἐπεὶ Τροίης ἱερὸν πτολίεθρον ἔπερσεν:
πολλῶν δ' ἀνθρώπων ἴδεν ἄστεα καὶ νόον ἔγνω,
πολλὰ δ' ὅ γ' ἐν πόντῳ πάθεν ἄλγεα ὃν κατὰ θυμόν,
ἀρνύμενος ἥν τε ψυχὴν καὶ νόστον ἑταίρων.
ἀλλ' οὐδ' ὣς ἑτάρους ἐρρύσατο, ἱέμενός περ:
αὐτῶν γὰρ σφετέρῃσιν ἀτασθαλίῃσιν ὄλοντο,
νήπιοι, οἳ κατὰ βοῦς Ὑπερίονος Ἠελίοιο
ἤσθιον: αὐτὰρ ὁ τοῖσιν ἀφείλετο νόστιμον ἦμαρ.
τῶν ἁμόθεν γε, θεά, θύγατερ Διός, εἰπὲ καὶ ἡμῖν.
Oh sing! Sing in me muse! And sing the tale
Of him of twists and turns, who roved and roamed
For years on end, a vagrant after plundering
The brooding fortress on the Trojan height.
He saw the cities and learned the ways of men
In distant lands of curious customs as
He weathered many bitter nights and days
Where the ocean hurled its waves, while he strove only
To bring his fellow shipmates safely home.
Do what he could though, he could not forestall
The fated hand of death that touched them all.
All reckless fools, they killed and feasted on
The golden cattle of Lord Hêlios the Sun!
And he who all day roves the shimmering skies
Snatched from their eyes the dawn of their return.
Of these things, sweet-voiced muse, high daughter of Zeus,
Tell now the tale,
ORIGINAL
ἄνδρα μοι ἔννεπε, μοῦσα, πολύτροπον, ὃς μάλα πολλὰ
πλάγχθη, ἐπεὶ Τροίης ἱερὸν πτολίεθρον ἔπερσεν:
πολλῶν δ' ἀνθρώπων ἴδεν ἄστεα καὶ νόον ἔγνω,
πολλὰ δ' ὅ γ' ἐν πόντῳ πάθεν ἄλγεα ὃν κατὰ θυμόν,
ἀρνύμενος ἥν τε ψυχὴν καὶ νόστον ἑταίρων.
ἀλλ' οὐδ' ὣς ἑτάρους ἐρρύσατο, ἱέμενός περ:
αὐτῶν γὰρ σφετέρῃσιν ἀτασθαλίῃσιν ὄλοντο,
νήπιοι, οἳ κατὰ βοῦς Ὑπερίονος Ἠελίοιο
ἤσθιον: αὐτὰρ ὁ τοῖσιν ἀφείλετο νόστιμον ἦμαρ.
τῶν ἁμόθεν γε, θεά, θύγατερ Διός, εἰπὲ καὶ ἡμῖν.
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Introduction to the Odyssey (Translation-Greek)
Introduction to the Odyssey (Translation-Greek)
