The Odyssey of Homer. Homer

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       On his paternal Throne. Then grave arose

       The Hero, old Ægyptius; bow’d with age

       Was he, and by experience deep-inform’d. 20

       His son had with Ulysses, godlike Chief,

       On board his fleet to steed-fam’d Ilium gone,

       The warrior Antiphus, whom in his cave

       The savage Cyclops slew, and on his flesh

       At ev’ning made obscene his last regale.

       Three sons he had beside, a suitor one,

       Eurynomus; the other two, employ

       Found constant managing their Sire’s concerns.

       Yet he forgat not, father as he was

       Of these, his absent eldest, whom he mourn’d 30

       Ceaseless, and thus his speech, weeping, began.

       Hear me, ye men of Ithaca, my friends!

       Nor council here nor session hath been held

       Since great Ulysses left his native shore.

       Who now convenes us? what especial need

       Hath urged him, whether of our youth he be,

       Or of our senators by age matured?

       Have tidings reach’d him of our host’s return,

       Which here he would divulge? or brings he aught

       Of public import on a diff’rent theme? 40

       I deem him, whosoe’er he be, a man

       Worthy to prosper, and may Jove vouchsafe

       The full performance of his chief desire!

       He ended, and Telemachus rejoiced

       In that good omen. Ardent to begin,

       He sat not long, but, moving to the midst,

       Received the sceptre from Pisenor’s hand,

       His prudent herald, and addressing, next,

       The hoary Chief Ægyptius, thus began.

       Not far remote, as thou shalt soon thyself 50

       Perceive, oh venerable Chief! he stands,

       Who hath convened this council. I, am He.

       I am in chief the suff’rer. Tidings none

       Of the returning host I have received,

       Which here I would divulge, nor bring I aught

       Of public import on a different theme,

       But my own trouble, on my own house fall’n,

       And two-fold fall’n. One is, that I have lost

       A noble father, who, as fathers rule

       Benign their children, govern’d once yourselves; 60

       The other, and the more alarming ill,

       With ruin threatens my whole house, and all

       My patrimony with immediate waste.

       Suitors, (their children who in this our isle

       Hold highest rank) importunate besiege

       My mother, though desirous not to wed,

       And rather than resort to her own Sire

       Icarius, who might give his daughter dow’r,

       And portion her to whom he most approves,

       (A course which, only named, moves their disgust) 70

       They chuse, assembling all within my gates

       Daily to make my beeves, my sheep, my goats

       Their banquet, and to drink without restraint

       My wine; whence ruin threatens us and ours;

       For I have no Ulysses to relieve

       Me and my family from this abuse.

       Ourselves are not sufficient; we, alas!

       Too feeble should be found, and yet to learn

       How best to use the little force we own;

       Else, had I pow’r, I would, myself, redress 80

       The evil; for it now surpasses far

       All suff’rance, now they ravage uncontroul’d,

       Nor show of decency vouchsafe me more.

Oh be ashamed6 yourselves; blush at the thought Of such reproach as ye shall sure incur From all our neighbour states, and fear beside The wrath of the Immortals, lest they call Yourselves one day to a severe account. I pray you by Olympian Jove, by her Whose voice convenes all councils, and again 90 Dissolves them, Themis, that henceforth ye cease, That ye permit me, oh my friends! to wear My days in solitary grief away, Unless Ulysses, my illustrious Sire, Hath in his anger any Greecian wrong’d, Whose wrongs ye purpose to avenge on me, Inciting these to plague me. Better far Were my condition, if yourselves consumed My substance and my revenue; from you I might obtain, perchance, righteous amends 100 Hereafter; you I might with vehement suit O’ercome, from house to house pleading aloud For recompense, till I at last prevail’d. But now, with darts of anguish ye transfix My inmost soul, and I have no redress. He spake impassion’d, and to earth cast down His sceptre, weeping. Pity at that sight Seiz’d all the people; mute the assembly sat Long time, none dared to greet Telemachus With answer rough, till of them all, at last, 110 Antinoüs, sole arising, thus replied. Telemachus, intemp’rate in harangue, High-sounding orator! it is thy drift To make us all odious; but the offence Lies not with us the suitors; she alone Thy mother, who in subtlety excels, And deep-wrought subterfuge, deserves the blame. It is already the third year, and soon Shall be the fourth, since with delusive art Practising on their minds, she hath deceived 120 The Greecians; message after message sent Brings hope to each, by turns, and promise fair, But she, meantime, far otherwise intends. Her other arts exhausted all, she framed This stratagem; a web of amplest size And subtlest woof beginning, thus she spake. Princes, my suitors! since the noble Chief Ulysses is no more, press not as yet My nuptials, wait till I shall finish, first, A fun’ral robe (lest all my threads decay) 130 Which for the antient Hero I prepare, Laertes, looking for the mournful hour When fate shall snatch him to eternal rest; Else I the censure dread of all my sex, Should he, so wealthy, want at last a shroud. So spake the Queen, and unsuspicious, we With her request complied. Thenceforth, all day She wove the ample web, and by the aid Of torches ravell’d it again at night. Three years by such contrivance she deceived 140 СКАЧАТЬ