So I spoke, but his ruthless heart gave no reply. Instead, he sprang up and laid his hands on my companions, snatching two of them together and smashing them against the ground like puppies. Their brains flowed out and soaked the earth. He cut them limb from limb to make his meal. He ate like a mountain-reared lion, leaving nothing behind—entrails, flesh, and bones filled with marrow. We could only weep and raise our hands to Zeus, seeing this terrible deed; helplessness seized our spirits.
When the Cyclops had filled his great belly with human flesh and unmixed milk, he lay down inside his cave, stretched out among his sheep.
“After I spoke, he did not answer, given his merciless heart. He jumped up and reached out his hands for my mates. He grabbed two of them together and dashed them both against the ground like puppies. Their brains flowed out on the ground and drenched the earth. He cut off their limbs and prepared his meal. Like a mountain lion, he devoured the entrails, the flesh, and the bones with all their marrow, leaving nothing. We watched this vicious act, and we cried out, holding our hands up to Zeus. Helplessness clutched our hearts.
“After the Kyklops had filled his enormous belly by eating human flesh and drinking down pure milk, he lay down inside the cave and stretched himself out among his sheep.
“Those were my words, but his pitiless heart answered not a word. He just jumped up and snatched up my shipmates in his hands; holding two of them up at once like puppies, and bashed them against the ground, and their brains splashed on the earth, staining the floor of the cave. Then he tore them limb from limb and made himself a supper of them; he ate them the way a lion feeding in the mountains would, leaving nothing behind, devouring the entrails, the flesh, and the bones full of marrow. We cried aloud and raised our hands to Zeus as we stood there watching the cold-blooded cruelty of his deeds, our spirits powerless to prevent them. But when the Cyclops had filled his gigantic belly by eating human flesh, and washed it down with a drink of whole milk, he lay down to sleep in the cave, stretched out full length among the sheep.
Devoid of pity, he was silent in response, but leaping up laid hands on my crew. Two he seized and dashed to the ground like whelps, and their brains ran out and stained the earth. He tore them limb from limb for his supper, eating the flesh and entrails, bone and marrow, like a mountain lion, leaving nothing. Helplessly we watched these cruel acts, raising our hands to heaven and weeping. When the Cyclops had filled his huge stomach with human flesh, and had drunk pure milk, he lay down in the cave, stretched out among his flocks.
“He didn’t answer my words but rushed in among us and seized two of my mates by their ankles, swung them high, and dashed their brains out against the rock-hard earth of the cavern floor as easily as if they had been puppies. Their brains splattered out and soaked into the earth. Then, like a lion among two lambs, he tore the flesh from the bodies and stuffed the raw meat and unclean guts into his mouth, wiping the dripping gore and blood from his thick lips with the back of his hand. He smacked his lips and rolled his eye merrily, murderously, at us, and we wept and raised our hands in prayer to Zeus at the horrid sight before us. He roared with laughter and rocked back on his heels at our pitiful prayers, belched, worried a piece of meat from a tooth with a dirty forefinger, then lifted a heavy bowl of unwatered milk and drained it. He belched again and laughed at our prayers, then yawned and stretched out over the floor among his flock.
So I spoke, and he gave me no answer from his pitiless heart, but sprang up and laid his hands on my companions. He snatched up two together and smashed them on the ground like puppies: their brains ran out and soaked the earth. Then he tore them limb from limb and made them his supper. And he ate them like a mountain lion, leaving nothing – guts, flesh, bones and marrow.
We wept and lifted up our hands to Zeus, as we watched these hideous deeds, and hopelessness gripped our hearts. When the Cyclops had filled his great belly with his meal of human flesh and the undiluted milk he drank on top, he lay down inside the cave, stretched out among his flocks.
“So I spoke, but from his pitiless heart he made no answer, but sprang up and laid his hands upon my comrades. Two of them together he seized and dashed to the earth like puppies, and their brains flowed forth upon the ground and wetted the earth. Then he cut them limb from limb and made ready his supper, and ate them like a mountain-nurtured lion, leaving nothing—ate the entrails, and the flesh, and the bones and marrow. And we with wailing held up our hands to Zeus, seeing these cruel deeds; and helplessness possessed our spirits. But when the Cyclops had filled his huge belly by eating human flesh and thereafter drinking pure milk, he lay down within the cave, stretched out among the sheep.
So I spoke. He made no reply with his pitiless heart, but heaping up laid hands upon my comrades, and snatching two together knocked them like puppies on to the ground, and their brains ran out on the earth making the ground wet. Cutting them up limb by limb he furnished his supper. He ate like a mountain lion, without stopping, innards and flesh and the bones with their marrow. We in tears lifted up our hands to Zeus as we saw the frightful acts, and a feeling of helplessness held our spirits. When the Cyclops had filled his great belly, eating human flesh and drinking unmixed milk on top of it, he lay down inside the cave, stretching himself out through the sheep.
‘To this the cruel brute made no reply. Instead, he jumped up, and reaching out towards my men, seized a couple and dashed their heads against the floor as though they had been puppies. Their brains ran out on the ground and soaked the earth. Limb by limb he tore them to pieces to make his meal, which he devoured like a mountain lion, leaving nothing, neither entrails nor flesh, marrow nor bones, while we, weeping, lifted up our hands to Zeus in horror at the ghastly sight. We felt completely helpless. When the Cyclops had filled his great belly with this meal of human flesh, which he washed down with unwatered milk, he stretched himself out for sleep among his flocks inside the cave.
‘To these words of mine the savage creature made no response; he only sprang up, and stretching his hands towards my companions clutched two at once and battered them on the floor like puppies; their brains gushed out and soaked the ground. Then tearing them limb from limb he made his supper of them. He began to eat like a mountain lion, leaving nothing, devouring flesh and entrails and bones and marrow, while we in our tears and helplessness looked on at these monstrous doings and held up imploring hands to Zeus.
‘But when the Cyclops had filled his great belly with the human flesh that he devoured and the raw milk he washed it down with, he laid himself on the cavern floor with his limbs stretched out among his beasts.
“Such was my answer to him, to which he made no reply whatever from his pitiless heart, but, darting up, he lunged with his hands into my comrades, and, when he had clutched two of them together, he bashed them against the ground, as though they were puppies, so that their brains ran out and wet the ground. He then cut them up limb by limb and prepared them for his supper. He ate them as a mountain-bred lion would, entrails, flesh, marrowy bones and all, leaving nothing. We, in tears, held up our hands to Zeus as we beheld these inhuman deeds and utter helplessness seized our hearts. When Cyclops had filled his mighty paunch with human flesh and pure milk, he lay stretched out in the cave among his flocks.
‘To this the cruel brute made no reply. Instead, he jumped up, and reaching out towards my men, seized a couple and dashed their heads against the floor as though they had been puppies. Their brains ran out on the ground and soaked the earth. Limb by limb he tore them to pieces to make his meal, which he devoured like a mountain lion, never pausing till entrails and flesh, marrow and bones, were all consumed, while we could do nothing but weep and lift up our hands to Zeus in horror at the ghastly sight, paralysed by our sense of utter helplessness. When the Cyclops had filled his great belly with this meal of human flesh, which he washed down with unwatered milk, he stretched himself out for sleep among his flocks inside the cave.
“The cruel monster made no answer, but just jumped up and reached out towards my men, grabbed two like a pair of puppies and dashed them on the ground: their brains ran out and soaked into the earth. Then he cut them up limb by limb, and made them ready for supper. He devoured them like a mountain lion, bowels and flesh and marrow-bones, and left nothing. We groaned aloud, lifting our hands to Zeus, when we saw this brutal business; but there was nothing to be done.
“When Goggle-eye had filled his great belly with his meal of human flesh, washed down with a draught of milk neat, he lay and stretched himself among the sheep.
“His savagery disdained me one word in reply. He leapt to his feet, lunged with his hands among my fellows, snatched up two of them like whelps and rapped their heads against the ground. The brains burst out from their skulls and were spattered over the cave’s floor, while he broke them up, limb from limb, and supped off them to the last shred, eating ravenously like a mountain lion, everything—bowels and flesh and bones, even to the marrow in the bones. We wept and raised our hands to Zeus in horror at this crime committed before our eyes: yet there was nothing we could do. Wherefore the Cyclops, unhindered, filled his great gut with the human flesh, and washed it down with raw milk. Afterwards he stretched himself out across the cavern, among the flocks, and slept.
“So I spoke, and from his savage heart he gave no answer, but sprang up and seized my comrades. He grabbed up two at once, as if they were puppies, and dashed them against the floor, spattering the ground with their brains. Then cutting them in pieces he made a meal of them, eating them as would a mountain lion—entrails, flesh, marrow-filled bones, and all. Wailing aloud at sight of this outrageous deed, we raised our hands to Zeus; but we were helpless. Stuffing his monstrous maw with this human flesh, the Cyclops ate and, after gulping down some pure milk besides, lay down full length in the cave among his flocks.
“Thus I spake, and he, in the cruelty of his heart, made no answer. Up he leapt and laid hands on my men, and, seizing two of them, dashed them to earth like puppies. Like a mountain lion he devoured them.
So I spoke, but from his pitiless heart he made no reply, but sprang up and put forth his hands upon my comrades. Two of them at once he seized and dashed to the ground like puppies, and their brains flowed forth upon the ground and wet the earth. Then he cut them limb from limb and made ready his supper, and ate them as a mountain-nurtured lion, leaving nothing—ate the entrails, and the flesh and the marrowy bones. And we with wailing held up our hands to Zeus, beholding the cruel deeds; and helplessness possessed our souls. But when the Cyclops had filled his great belly by eating human flesh and thereafter drinking pure milk, he lay down within the cave, stretched out among his flocks.
‘ “The cruel wretch vouchsafed me not one word of answer, but with a sudden clutch he gripped up two of my men at once and dashed them down upon the ground as though they had been puppies. Their brains were shed upon the ground, and the earth was wet with their blood. Then he tore them limb from limb and supped upon them. He gobbled them up like a lion in the wilderness, flesh, bones, marrow, and entrails, without leaving anything uneaten. As for us, we wept and lifted up our hands to heaven on seeing such a horrid sight, for we did not know what else to do; but when the Cyclops had filled his huge paunch, and had washed down his meal of human flesh with a drink of neat milk, he stretched himself full length upon the ground among his sheep, and went to sleep.
“So I spoke, and from a ruthless heart he answered nothing, but starting up laid hands on my companions. He seized on two and dashed them to the ground as if they had been dogs. Their brains ran out upon the floor, and wet the earth. Tearing them limb from limb, he made his supper, and ate as does a mountain lion, leaving nothing, entrails, or flesh, or marrow bones. We in our tears held up our hands to Zeus, at sight of his cruel deeds; helplessness held our hearts. But when the Cyclops had filled his monstrous maw by eating human flesh and pouring down pure milk, he laid himself in the cave full length among his flock.
“So I spake, and out of his pitiless heart he answered me not a word, but sprang up, and laid his hands upon my fellows, and clutching two together dashed them, as they had been whelps, to the earth, and the brain flowed forth upon the ground, and the earth was wet. Then cut he them up piecemeal, and made ready his supper. So he ate even as a mountain-bred lion, and ceased not, devouring entrails and flesh and bones with their marrow. And we wept and raised our hands to Zeus, beholding the cruel deeds; and we were at our wits’ end. And after the Cyclops had filled his huge maw with human flesh and the milk he drank thereafter, he lay within the cave, stretched out among his sheep.
‘Thus I spoke; but he, with cruel mind, did not answer me at all; but rising up, quickly he laid his hands on my companions, and snatching two together, like whelps he dashed them against the earth, and the brains flowed out on the ground, and moistened the earth. And cutting these up, limb by limb, he prepared supper: and he devoured them like a lion nourished in the mountains, nor did he leave both the entrails or flesh, and marrowy bones. But we, weeping, held up our hands to Jupiter, beholding cruel deeds; and perplexity possessed my mind. But when the Cyclops had filled his large belly, eating men’s flesh, and drinking pure milk after it, he lay within the cave extended in the midst of the sheep.
‘Ως thus εφαμην Ι spake, ο δε but he νηλεϊ θυμω with cruel mind με αμειβετο answered με μηδεν nothing, αλλα but ο γε he αναϊξας rising up επι ιαλλε laid upon εταροις my companions χειρας his hands, μαψας δε and snatching δυω two συν together ωτα σκυλακας as if puppies κοπτε dashed them ποτς γαιη on the earth: εγκεφαλος δε and the brain εκ ρεε flowed forth χαμαδις on the ground δευε δε and moistened γαιαν the earth. Διαταμων δε and cutting τους them μελειστι limb from limb ωπλισσατο he prepared δορπον his supper; ησθιε δε and ate them ωστε like λεων a lion ορεσιτροφος bred in the mountains, ουδ’ απελειπε nor left εγκατα τε both entrails σαρκας τε and flesh και οστεα μυελοεντα and marrow-bones. Ἡμεις δε but we κλαιοντες weeping ανεσοχεδομεν lifted up χειρας our hands Διι to Jove, ορωντες beholding σχετλια εργα cruel deeds;
“Thus I spoke; but he answered me not at all with his cruel mind; but he rushing, threw his hands on my companions, and snatching two together, like whelps, he dashed them against the earth, and the brains flowed out on the ground, and bedewed the earth. And cutting these up, limb by limb, he made ready supper: and he eat like a mountain-nurtured lion, nor did he leave entrails or flesh, or marrowy bones. But we weeping held up our hands to Jove, beholding the cruel deeds; and despair possessed our mind. But when the Cyclops had filled his enormous belly, eating men’s flesh, and chinking pure milk after it, he lay within the cave, stretched out in the midst of the sheep.
“Thus I spoke; but he did not answer me at all with his cruel mind; but rushing he threw his hands on my companions, and snatching two together, like whelps he dashed them against the earth, and the brains flowed out on the ground, and moistened the earth. And cutting these up, limb by limb, he prepared supper: and he eat like a lion nourished in the mountains, nor did he leave the entrails or flesh, and marrowy bones. But we weeping held up our hands to Jupiter, beholding cruel deeds; and doubt possessed our mind. But when the Cyclops had filled his large belly, eating man’s flesh, and drinking pure milk after it, he lay within the cave extended in the midst of the sheep.