[420] "I stuck to the ship till the sea
knocked her sides from her keel (which drifted about by itself) and
struck the mast out of her in the direction of the keel; but there
was a backstay of stout ox-thong still hanging about it, and with
this I lashed the mast and keel together, and getting astride of them
was carried wherever the winds chose to take me.
[426] "The gale from the West had now
spent its force, and the wind got into the South again, which
frightened me lest I should be taken back to the terrible whirlpool
of Charybdis. This indeed was what actually happened, for I was borne
along by the waves all night, and by sunrise had reached the rock of
Scylla, and the whirlpool. She was then sucking down the salt sea
water, but I was carried aloft toward the fig tree, which I caught
hold of and clung on to like a bat. I could not plant my feet
anywhere so as to stand securely, for the roots were a long way off
and the boughs that overshadowed the whole pool were too high, too
vast, and too far apart for me to reach them; so I hung patiently on,
waiting till the pool should discharge my mast and raft again - and a
very long while it seemed. A juryman
[krn] is not more glad to get home to
supper, after having been long detained in court by troublesome
cases, than I was to see my raft beginning to work its way out of the
whirlpool again. At last I let go with my hands and feet, and fell
heavily into the sea, hard by my raft on to which I then got, and
began to row with my hands. As for Scylla, the father of gods and men
would not let her get further sight of me - otherwise I should have
certainly been lost.
[447] "Hence I was carried along for
nine days till on the tenth night the gods stranded me on the Ogygian
island, where dwells the great and powerful goddess Calypso. She took
me in and was kind to me, but I need say no more about this, for I
told you and your noble wife all about it yesterday, and it is
hateful [ekhthron] for me to say the same thing over
and over again." [453]
Book 13
Scroll 13
[1] Thus did he speak, and they all
held their peace throughout the covered room, enthralled by the charm
of his story, till presently Alkinoos began to speak.
[3] "Odysseus," said he, "now that you
have reached my house I doubt not you will get home without further
misadventure no matter how much you have suffered in the past. To you
others, however, who come here night after night to drink my choicest
wine and listen to my bard, I would insist as follows. Our guest has
already packed up the clothes, wrought gold, and other valuables
which you have brought for his acceptance; let us now, therefore,
present him further, each one of us, with a large tripod and a
cauldron. We will recoup ourselves by the levy of a general rate
throughout the dmos; for private individuals cannot be
expected to bear the burden of such a handsome present."
[16] Every one approved of this, and
then they went home to bed each in his own abode. When the child of
morning, rosy-fingered Dawn, appeared, they hurried down to the ship
and brought their cauldrons with them. Alkinoos went on board and saw
everything so securely stowed under the ship's benches that
nothing could break adrift and injure the rowers. Then they went to
the house of Alkinoos to get dinner, and he sacrificed a bull for
them in honor of Zeus who is the lord of all. They set the meats to
grill and made an excellent dinner, after which the inspired bard,
Demodokos, who was a favorite with every one, sang to them; but
Odysseus kept on turning his eyes towards the sun, as though to
hasten his setting, for he was longing to be on his way. As one who
has been all day ploughing a fallow field with a couple of oxen keeps
thinking about his supper and is glad when night comes that he may go
and get it, for it is all his legs can do to carry him, even so did
Odysseus rejoice when the sun went down, and he at once said to the
Phaeacians, addressing himself more particularly to King
Alkinoos:
[38] "Sir, and all of you, farewell.
Make your drink-offerings and send me on my way rejoicing, for you
have fulfilled my heart's desire by giving me an escort, and
making me presents, which heaven grant that I may turn to good
account [olbios]; may I find my admirable wife living
in peace among friends, and may you whom I leave behind me give
satisfaction to your wives and children; may heaven grant you every
good grace [aret], and may no evil thing come
among your people."