Homer: The Odyssey — Chapter 1

"Had I but youth as I have heart, or wereThe blameless brave Ulysses, or his son,Then let a stranger strike me headless there,If against any I leave revenge undone!"

"Girded of ocean in an island-keep,An island clothed with trees, the navel of the deep.

"There dwells the child of Atlas, who can soundAll seas, and eke doth hold the pillars tallWhich keep the skies asunder from the ground.There him, still sorrowing, she doth aye enthral,Weaving serene enticements to forestalThe memory of his island-realm."

"Extreme of men, who diverse ways retire,Some to the setting, some the rising sun."

"So ending, underneath her feet she boundHer faery sandals of ambrosial gold,Which o'er the waters and the solid groundSwifter than wind have borne her from of old;Then on the iron-pointed spear laid hold,Heavy and tall, wherewith she smites the broodOf heroes till her anger waxes cold;Then from Olympus swept in eager mood,And with the island-people in the court she stood

"Fast by the threshold of the outer gateOf brave Odysseus: in her hand she boreThe iron-pointed spear, heavy and great,And, waiting as a guest-friend at the door,Of Mentes, Taphian chief, the likeness wore;There found the suitors, who beguiled with playThe hours, and sat the palace-gates beforeOn hides of oxen which themselves did slay—Haughty of mien they sat, and girt with proud array."

"Know, my name is hightMentes, the son of brave Anchialus,And sea-famed Taphos is my regal right;And with my comrades am I come to-nightHither, in sailing o'er the wine-dark seaTo men far off, who stranger tongues indite.For copper am I bound to Temesè,And in my bark I bring sword-steel along with me.

"Moored is my ship beyond the city walls,Under the wooded cape, within the bay.We twain do boast, each in the other's halls,Our fathers' friendship from an ancient day.Hero Laertes ask, and he will say."

"No more, with thews like these, to weakness cling.Hast thou not heard divine Orestes' fame,Who slew the secret slayer of the kingHis father, and achieved a noble name?Thou also, friend, to thine own strength lay claim—Comely thou art and tall—that men may speakThy prowess, and their children speak the same."

"So when the concourse to the full was grown,He lifted in his hand the steely spear,And to the council moved, but not alone,For as he walked his swift dogs followed near.Also Minerva did with grace endearHis form, that all the people gazed intentAnd wondered, while he passed without a peer.Straight to his father's seat his course he bent,And the old men gave way in reverence as he went."

"Matchless skillTo weave the splendid web; sagacious thought,And shrewdness such as never fame ascribedTo any beauteous Greek of ancient days,Tyro, Mycene, or Alcmene, lovedOf Jove himself, all whom th' accomplished queenTranscends in knowledge—ignorant aloneThat, wooed long time, she should at last be won."—(Cowper.)

"Hear me, ye Ithacans;—be never kingFrom this time forth benevolent, humane,Or righteous; but let every sceptred handRule merciless, and deal in wrong alone;Since none of all his people, whom he swayedWith such paternal gentleness and love,Remembers the divine Ulysses more."—(Cowper.)

"'Ah! bide with thine own people here at ease,There is no call to suffer useless pain,Wandering always on the barren seas.'But he: 'Good nurse, prithee take heart again,These things are not without a god nor vain.Swear only that my mother shall not knowTill twelve days pass, or she herself be fainTo ask thee, or some other the tidings show,Lest her salt tears despoil such loveliness with woe.'"

"Loud and clearSang the bluff Zephyr o'er the wine-dark mereBehind them. By Athene's best he blew.Telemachus his comrades on did cheerTo set the tackling. With good hearts the crewHeard him, and all things ranged in goodly order true.

"The olive mast, planted with care, they bindWith ropes, the white sails stretch on twisted hide,And brace the mainsail to the bellying wind.Loudly the keel rushed through the seething tide.Soon as the good ship's gear was all applied,They ranged forth bowls crowned with dark wine, and pouredTo gods who everlastingly abide,Most to the stern-eyed child of heaven's great lord.All night the ship clave onward till the Dawn upsoared."