The Odyssey: Book 7

Pallas Athena, harboring kindness for the hero,
drifted a heavy mist around him, shielding him
from any swaggering islander who'd cross his path,
provoke him with taunts and search out who he was.

Athena the one with lovely braids would not permit it,
the awesome goddess poured an enchanted mist around him,
harboring kindness for Odysseus in her heart.

And he marveled now at the balanced ships and havens,
the meeting grounds of the great lords and the long ramparts
looming, coped and crowned with palisades of stakes—
an amazing sight to see...

And he marveled now at the balanced ships and havens,
the meeting grounds of the great lords and the long ramparts
looming, coped and crowned with palisades of stakes—
an amazing sight to see...

And once they reached the king's resplendent halls
the bright-eyed goddess cried out, "Good old stranger,
here, here is the very palace that you're after..."

Walls plated in bronze, crowned with a circling frieze
glazed as blue as lapis, ran to left and right
from outer gates to the deepest court recess,
and solid golden doors enclosed the palace.

Up from the bronze threshold silver doorposts rose
with silver lintel above, and golden handles too.

Here luxuriant trees are always in their prime,
pomegranates and pears, and apples glowing red,
succulent figs and olives swelling sleek and dark.

And the yield of all these trees will never flag or die,
neither in winter nor in summer...

May the gods endow them with fortune all their lives,
may each hand down to his sons the riches in his house
and the pride of place the realm has granted him...

At last the old revered Echeneus broke the spell,
the eldest lord in Phaeacia, finest speaker too,
a past master at all the island's ancient ways.

This is no way, Alcinous. How indecent, look,
our guest on the ground, in the ashes by the fire!

Alcinous, poised in all his majesty, took the hand
of the seasoned, worldly-wise Odysseus, raised him up
from the hearth and sat him down in a burnished chair,
displacing his own son, the courtly Lord Laodamas
who had sat beside him, the son he loved the most.

At that Pontonous mixed the heady, honeyed wine
and tipped first drops for the god in every cup,
then poured full rounds for all.

The white-armed Queen Arete took the lead;
she'd spotted the cape and shirt Odysseus wore,
fine clothes she'd made herself with all her women,
so now her words flew brusquely, sharply: "Stranger,
I'll be the first to question you—myself.
Who are you? Where are you from?..."

Still, this much I will tell you...
seeing you probe and press me so intently.

There all the rest of my loyal shipmates died
but I, locking my arms around my good ship's keel,
drifted along nine days.

She saw me on my way in a solid craft,
tight and trim, and gave me full provisions,
food and mellow wine, immortal clothes to wear
and summoned a wind to bear me onward, fair and warm.

No, the squalls shattered her stem to stern, but I,
I swam hard, I plowed my way through those dark gulfs
till at last the wind and current bore me to your shores.

So, fighting for life, I flung myself ashore
and the godsent, bracing night came on at once.