Odyssey 9.560 · Book 9, lines 560–566

Out to sea again, glad and grieving

ἦμος δʼ ἠριγένεια φάνη ῥοδοδάκτυλος Ἠώς, δὴ τότʼ ἐγὼν ἑτάροισιν ἐποτρύνας ἐκέλευσα αὐτούς τʼ ἀμβαίνειν ἀνά τε πρυμνήσια λῦσαι· οἱ δʼ αἶψʼ εἴσβαινον καὶ ἐπὶ κληῖσι καθῖζον, ἑξῆς δʼ ἑζόμενοι πολιὴν ἅλα τύπτον ἐρετμοῖς. ἔνθεν δὲ προτέρω πλέομεν ἀκαχήμενοι ἦτορ, ἄσμενοι ἐκ θανάτοιο, φίλους ὀλέσαντες ἑταίρους.

And when early-born Dawn appeared, rosy-fingered, then I urged my companions on and ordered them both to go aboard and to loose the stern-cables; and at once they went aboard and sat down at the oar-benches, and sitting in rows they struck the grey brine with their oars. From there we sailed onward, grieving at heart, glad to have escaped death, having lost our dear companions.

Word by word

ἦμοςêmoswhenδʼd’(and)ἠριγένειαērigéneiaearly-bornφάνηphánēappearedῥοδοδάκτυλοςrhododáktylosrosy-fingeredἨώςĒṓsDawn,δὴdḕ(then)τότʼtót’thenἐγὼνegṑnIἑτάροισινhetároisinmy companionsἐποτρύναςepotrýnasurging onἐκέλευσαekéleusaorderedαὐτούςautoústhemτʼt’(both)ἀμβαίνεινambaíneinto go aboardἀνάaná(up)τεteandπρυμνήσιαprymnḗsiathe stern-cablesλῦσαιlŷsaito loose·οἱhoitheyδʼd’(and)αἶψʼaîps’at onceεἴσβαινονeísbainonwent aboardκαὶkaìandἐπὶepìatκληῖσιklēîsithe oar-benchesκαθῖζονkathîzonsat down,ἑξῆςhexêsin rowsδʼd’(and)ἑζόμενοιhezómenoisittingπολιὴνpoliḕngreyἅλαhálathe brineτύπτονtýptonstruckἐρετμοῖςeretmoîswith the oars.ἔνθενénthenfrom thereδὲdè(and)προτέρωprotérōonwardπλέομενpléomenwe sailedἀκαχήμενοιakachḗmenoigrievingἦτορêtorin heart,ἄσμενοιásmenoigladἐκekto have escapedθανάτοιοthanátoiodeath,φίλουςphílousdearὀλέσαντεςolésanteshaving lostἑταίρουςhetaírouscompanions.

The setting

Dawn comes. Odysseus rouses the crews and they row out from the Cyclops's island. Six men have already been eaten in the cave; the survivors sail on.

A note on this passage

Rosy-fingered Dawn arrives, the standard morning line, and the crews launch: they board, take their benches, and beat the grey sea with their oars. The ships pull away from the Cyclops's island and sail on.

The undercurrent is the last half-line, which carries the whole cost. They sail glad to have escaped death, having lost their dear companions. Relief and mourning in a single clause — the exact Homeric note for a survivor. Book 9 ends not on triumph over the monster but on this divided heart, carried out to sea.

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Odyssey 9.560 — The Great Library Project interlinear edition · greatlibraryproject.com/book/odyssey/9.560/