GCSE Ancient Greek OCR - Verse 5-9

the Odyssey book 10 lines 224 - 245 and 302 - 309

τοῖσι δὲ μύθων ἦρχε Πολίτης ὄρχαμος ἀνδρῶν

And Polites, leader of men, began his words to them

ὅς μοι κήδιστος ἑτάρων ἦν κεδνότατός τε

he who was dearest to me of my companions and most cherished

ὦ φίλοι, ἔνδον γάρ τις ἐποιχομένη μέγαν ἱστὸν καλὸν ἀοιδιάει

o friends, for sure someone inside, going to and fro at a great loom, is singing beautifully

δάπεδον δ ̓ ἅπαν ἀμφιμέμυκεν, ἢ θεὸς ἠὲ γυνή· ἀλλὰ φθεγγώμεθα θᾶσσον

and the whole floor echoes around, either a god or a woman. But let us call out rather quickly

ὣς ἄρ ̓ ἐφώνησεν, τοὶ δὲ φθέγγοντο καλεῦντες

So he spoke then, and they spoke up, calling

ἡ δ ̓ αἶψ ̓ ἐξελθοῦσα θύρας ὤϊξε φαεινὰς καὶ κάλει:

And she, immediately having come out, opened the gleaming doors and began to call:

οἱ δ ̓ ἅμα πάντες ἀιδρείῃσιν ἕποντο·

and they all began to follow together in their ignorance.

Εὐρύλοχος δ ̓ ὑπέμεινεν, ὀϊσάμενος δόλον εἶναι.

But Eurylochus remained behind, thinking it to be a trap.

εἷσεν δ ̓ εἰσαγαγοῦσα κατὰ κλισμούς τε θρόνους τε,

And she, having led them in, sat them down both on couches and chairs,

ἐν δέ σφιν τυρόν τε καὶ ἄλφιτα καὶ μέλι χλωρὸν οἴνῳ Πραμνείῳ ἐκύκα·

And she mixed both cheese and barley grain and yellow honey into Pramnian wine for them

ἀνέμισγε δὲ σίτῳ φάρμακα λύγρ ̓, ἵνα πάγχυ λαθοίατο πατρίδος αἴης.

And into the food she mixed ruinous drugs, so that they might altogether forget their native land.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δῶκέν τε καὶ ἔκπιον, αὐτίκ ̓ ἔπειτα ῥάβδῳ πεπληγυῖα κατὰ συφεοῖσιν ἐέργνυ.

But when she had both given it and the had drunk it, then at once, having struck them with a stick, she shut them up in pigsties.

οἱ δὲ συῶν μὲν ἔχον κεφαλὰς φωνήν τε τρίχας τε καὶ δέμας,

On one hand, they had the heads of pigs and voice and hair and body

αὐτὰρ νοῦς ἦν ἔμπεδος, ὡς τὸ πάρος περ.

But their minds were unimpaired, just as before.

ὣς οἱ μὲν κλαίοντες ἐέρχατο·

So they were shut up, crying.

τοῖσι δὲ Κίρκη πάρ ῥ ̓ ἄκυλον βάλανόν τε βάλεν καρπόν τε κρανείης ἔδμεναι, οἷα σύες χαμαιευνάδες αἰὲν ἔδουσιν.

And for them Circe then threw down acorns and mast and the fruit of the cornel-tree to each, such things as pigs, sleeping on the ground, always eat.

Εὐρύλοχος δ ̓ ἂψ ἦλθε θοὴν ἐπὶ νῆα μέλαιναν ἀγγελίην ἑτάρων ἐρέων καὶ ἀδευκέα πότμον.

And Eurylochus came back to the swift, black ship to tell of the news of his companions and their dreadful fate.

ὣς ἄρα φωνήσας πόρε φάρμακον ἀργειφόντης ἐκ γαίης ἐρύσας, καί μοι φύσιν αὐτοῦ ἔδειξε.

Then, having spoken thus, the Argos-slayer gave me the drug, having pulled it up from the earth, and he showed its nature to me.

ῥίζῃ μὲν μέλαν ἔσκε, γάλακτι δὲ εἴκελον ἄνθος: μῶλυ δέ μιν καλέουσι θεοί·

On one hand, it was black at the root, but on the other hand the flower was like milk. And the gods call it ‘moly’

χαλεπὸν δέ τ ̓ ὀρύσσειν ἀνδράσι γε θνητοῖσι, θεοὶ δέ τε πάντα δύνανται.

And it is difficult for mortal men at least to dig it up, but the gods are capable of all things.

Ἑρμείας μὲν ἔπειτ ̓ ἀπέβη πρὸς μακρὸν Ὄλυμπον νῆσον ἀν ̓ ὑλήεσσαν, ἐγὼ δ ̓ ἐς δώματα Κίρκης ἤια,

Then, Hermes went away to tall Olympus up through the wooded island, and I went to the house of Circe and my heart was seething as I went.