Odyssey 8.254 · Book 8, lines 254–257
Fetch Demodocus his lyre
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Δημοδόκῳ δέ τις αἶψα κιὼν φόρμιγγα λίγειαν οἰσέτω ἥ που κεῖται ἐν ἡμετέροισι δόμοισιν. ὣς ἔφατʼ Ἀλκίνοος θεοείκελος, ὦρτο δὲ κῆρυξ οἴσων φόρμιγγα γλαφυρὴν δόμου ἐκ βασιλῆος.
And let someone go quickly and bring Demodocus the clear-toned lyre, which lies somewhere in our halls. So spoke godlike Alcinous, and the herald rose to bring the hollow lyre from the king's house.
Word by word
The setting
Alcinous closes his speech by sending for the court bard's instrument. Demodocus, the blind singer, has already performed once at the feast.
A note on this passage
The speech ends with a small errand. Let someone fetch Demodocus the clear-toned lyre, which is lying somewhere in the halls. Alcinous finishes, and the herald rises at once to bring the hollow lyre from the king's house. A request becomes an action in the space of a line.
The undercurrent is how ready this court keeps its music. The lyre is simply on hand, waiting to be carried in; song is standing equipment in Alcinous's palace, as available as wine. That effortless summoning of the bard is the mark of a settled, prosperous house — and it readies the very instrument that will, before the book ends, sing the one song that undoes the guest.
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