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The Odyssey

by Homer

rendered into English prose for the use of those who cannot read the original

BOOK I.

Sing to me, O Muse, of the man of many ways, the man of many wanderings, who was driven to rove full many ways after he had sacked the sacred citadel of Troy. Many were the men whose cities he saw and whose minds he learnt, aye, and many the woes he suffered in his heart upon the sea, striving to win his own life and the return of his company. Howbeit, even so he saved not his company, though he desired it sore. For through their own blind folly they perished, fools, who devoured the kine of the Sun-god Helios; but he took from them the day of their returning. Of these things, O goddess, daughter of Zeus, beginning where thou wilt, tell thou even to us.

Now at that time all the rest of those who had escaped sheer death were safe at home, free from war and from the sea, even those who had survived for Odysseus alone of all these men their lady, the fair goddess Calypso, kept in her hollow caves, yearning that he should be her husband. But when, as the seasons revolved, the year came in which the gods had ordained that he should return home to Ithaca, not even there was he to be free from toil, even among his own people. And all his comrades were now dead, for they perished every one by their own blind folly when they devoured the kine of the most high Helios; but he, the day of their returning, had taken from them.

As for Odysseus, he was sitting upon the seashore, upon the rocks and the sand, ever weeping and wasting his life away, looking out over the barren sea with his ceaseless lamentation. And as the evening fell, he would take the fair, bright-eyed nymph Calypso to his cave and lie with her by night on the rocky floor, as she wished, but by day he would sit on the shore and torment his heart with sighs and groans, looking seaward.

Now when, as the seasons revolved, the year came in which the gods had ordained that he should return home to Ithaca, not even there was he to be free from toil. Then he was on the island of Calypso, dwelling in her caves, the fair, bright-eyed nymph, who kept him there against his will, yearning that he should be her husband. But the other gods from that time forth had all been pitying him, except Poseidon, who was still raging unceasingly against wise Odysseus until he should reach his own land.

But now Poseidon was gone to the Ethiopians, who were far off, the Ethiopians who were divided, that they might receive sacrifice, and he was away from Ithaca. And the other gods were gathered together in their assembly, and the Father of gods and men, Zeus, spoke among them first.

And he spoke, addressing Hermes, and said: “Hermes, messenger, thou who servest me in all things, go now to the nymph Calypso and tell her that we have decreed that wise Odysseus is to return home, for it is not his destiny to die here, forlorn, on the island of the nymph. He is to see his wife again, and to return to his own land, where he shall have his perfect end. Go now, and tell her all this as we command.”

So spoke the Father of gods and men; and Hermes, the messenger, obeyed him straightway. He left the peaks of Olympus and sped through the upper air till he came to the island of Calypso, and he flew low over the sea. He rested not till his feet touched the dry land, and then he walked along the shore, and found the fair, bright-eyed nymph in her cave. Within, she was weaving with her shuttle, and sang a beautiful song, so that the air was filled with the sound of her weaving. Before the opening of the cave, as she sang, lay piles of timber that she had gathered. And she was bathing and combing her long, bright hair.

Then Hermes, the messenger, called out to her: “Hail, goddess! Why is it that here you dwell in solitude, grieving and pining? Here is no other comfort for you, no fellowship of men or gods. Have you heard any news? Have you been told of the purpose of Zeus concerning Odysseus, whom you keep here, desiring that he should be your husband?”

When Calypso heard this, she cried out in fear, and drew a veil before her. And she spoke to Hermes, saying: “Great Hermes, what need have you of me? I am no goddess of unkindly heart. If you have come with any message from Zeus, you know that I would do his bidding. Never have I been slow to obey. But I am grieved that I should ever have sent him away, when I had him here, that he might return to his own land. For I sheltered him when, shipwrecked and alone, he came to my island, when all his comrades had been lost. I treated him kindly and gave him food and drink, and swore to him that I would make him an immortal and ageless lord, if he would only consent to stay with me. But it is the destiny of Odysseus never to know the sweetness of home until he has seen his own people, and reached his own land.”

Then Hermes, the messenger, answered her: “Great Calypso, why do you thus question me? I am but a messenger. I have no power to question the decrees of Zeus. I have come here on a mission which I must carry out. For it is the will of the gods that wise Odysseus shall return home at last. He is not destined to die here. So you must dismiss him, however unwilling you may be to part with him. Prepare him a raft, and send him on his way. I will be his escort as far as the sun’s course, but the rest of his journey he must make himself.”

When Calypso heard this, she was sore distressed, and she wept as she spoke to Hermes: “Miserable me! Truly I have brought disaster upon myself, for I have sheltered a man whom the gods have doomed to a bitter end. I will let him go, but I have no raft here. I will fetch him timbers, and I will build him a raft, and I will give him clothes and provisions for his journey. But I will curse those gods who have envied me my happiness.”

Then Hermes departed, and as he went, Calypso went to Odysseus, who was sitting on the shore and weeping as before.

“Odysseus,” she said, “why do you sit here weeping and grieving? Does not your heart grow faint within you? I will help you to go home. I have prepared a raft for you, and provisioned it well. Farewell now, and may the gods speed you on your way to your own land.”

Odysseus was overjoyed when he heard this, but he answered her craftily: “O goddess, you wish me to sail on a raft, but you ask me to take a perilous journey, and you promise me a safe return. I do not trust you. You might send me to some terrible place, or you might destroy me on the sea. For I have suffered much already at sea, and I have no ship nor crew to help me.”

Calypso answered him: “You are indeed the man of many wiles! You have no ship, but you have the skill to build one. I swear to you by the earth and the heavens above, and by the waters of the Styx, that I will help you on your journey, and I will send you to your own land in safety. I will give you food and drink, and I will give you clothes, and I will send you a fair wind to blow you on your way. You shall be in safety, though I grieve to see you go.”

Odysseus believed her, and he thanked her for her kindness. So he went into the cave, and Calypso gave him food and drink, and he ate and drank with relish. Then he went out to the shore and began to build his raft. He cut down twenty stout trees with his axe, and lashed them together with the ropes that Calypso gave him. He built a strong raft, and he made a mast and a sail, and he set it all up ready for sea. He gathered provisions of wine and water, and dried figs and loaves of bread, and he stowed them all away.

Then Calypso came to him, and gave him a goatskin full of wine, and a wineskin full of water, and a great piece of meat wrapped in a napkin. And she told him to set his breast against the mast, and to hold fast to the raft.

Then Odysseus launched his raft into the sea, and set his sail. The wind blew fair and strong, and he sailed on day and night, and the sea was calm. For seventeen days he sailed, and on the eighteenth he saw the land of the Phaeacians, and he drew near to the shore. But as he approached, the sea began to grow rough, and a great storm rose up, and Poseidon sent a terrible gale against him. The waves crashed over the raft, and the mast broke, and the sail was torn to shreds. Odysseus was thrown into the sea, and tossed about like a rag by the waves. He clung to the mast, and fought with the sea, and was covered with spray. He prayed to the gods for help, but no god heard him.

He was tossed about for two whole days and two whole nights, and he suffered terribly. On the third day, as the morning dawned, he saw land. It was the island of Scheria, the land of the Phaeacians. He swam towards it with all his might, but the waves beat him back. He was almost drowned, when the goddess Ino, the daughter of Athamas, took pity on him. She rose from the sea, in the form of a gull, and she threw him a thin veil, saying: “Mortal, take this veil, and wrap it round your breast. You will be safe from harm as long as you wear it. Then, when you have set foot on dry land, cast it back into the sea, and turn your face away.”

Odysseus took the veil, and wrapped it round his breast, and he swam on with new strength. He swam for a whole day, and as evening approached, he saw the land again. He swam towards it with all his might, and at last his hands touched the shore. He crawled up the sand, exhausted and worn out. He threw the veil back into the sea, and it floated away. Then he fell down on the sand, and covered himself with leaves and sticks, and fell into a deep sleep.

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