Just as a man turns a paunch full of fat and blood around a burning fire, eager for it to be roasted quickly, so did he turn, pondering how he alone might lay his hands on the shameless suitors, being one man against many.
Then Athena came near him, descending from heaven. She appeared in the form of a woman and stood above his head, speaking to him: “Why do you lie awake again, most wretched of men?
Like a man who is turning a sausage, full of fat and blood, back and forth, over a flickering fire, anxious to roast it quickly, Odysseus tossed and turned, again and again, wondering how he, just one against so many, might get his hands upon the arrogant suitors. Athena came down from the sky and drew near to him, in the body of a woman. She stood above his head and said these words to him.
“Why are you still awake? Are you a man who is unluckier than any other?
Imagine a man at a vast blazing fire, flipping a paunch filled with fat and blood over and over in his impatience to get the sausage roasted all the more quickly; that’s exactly the way he was tossing and turning as he plotted ways and means of getting his hands on those suitors, lost to all sense of shame, though he was only one against so many. Then Athena came down from the heavens and drew near him, her form like that of a woman, and stood over his head and spoke her words to him:
“Sleepless yet again, you who are ill-treated by fate beyond all other men?
Like a paunch filled with fat and blood turning in front of a blazing fire, twisted about by the man who roasts it, eager to see it done, so Odysseus turned from side to side, considering how to tackle the shameless Suitors, one man against many. Then it was that Athene descended from heaven, and approached him in the form of a mortal woman. She stood by his head and spoke to him, saying: ‘Why are you awake still, most ill-fated of men?
like a cook turning a bloody and fat sausage on the fire, rolling it left and right to keep it from burning. And so Odysseus tossed and turned, searching for a means to defeat the suitors.
Suddenly Athene appeared beside him in the form of a lovely mortal woman. She said, “What, again, Odysseus? Why are you still sleepless? True, you are among the most sorrowful of men,
as when a man cooking a paunch full of fat and blood over a fierce fire turns it round and round to have it roasted as soon as he can. So he tossed to and fro, pondering how he could indeed lay his hands on the shameless suitors, when he was alone and they so many. But now Athene came down from heaven and came close to him, taking the form of a woman. She stood above his head and said to him: ‘Why sleepless again, you poor man? Ill-fated beyond all others,
And as when a man before a big blazing fire turns this way and that a paunch full of fat and blood, and is very eager to have it roasted quickly, so Odysseus tossed from side to side, pondering how at last he might lay his hands on the shameless suitors, one man against so many. Then Athene drew near to him, coming down from the sky; in form she was like a woman; and she stood above his head and spoke to him, and said:
“Why now again are you wakeful, ill-fated above all
men?
As a man, a large fire blazing, quickly turns a haggis full of fat and blood, and longs for it to be cooked really quickly, so he twisted this way and that, thinking over how he was going to lay hands on the shameless suitors, being one against many. Athene came up to him, descending from the sky; in her body she resembled a woman. She stood above his head and addressed these words to him: ‘Whty ever are you awake, of all men the one most dogged by fate?
just as a paunch stuffed with fat and blood is turned this way and that in the blaze of the roaring fire by a man who wants to get it quickly roasted. Twisting and turning, he pondered how, single-handed against such odds, he could get his hands on the shameless Suitors, when Athene descended from heaven and approached him in the form of a woman. She stood above his head and spoke to him: ‘Sleepless again, Odysseus, most ill-fated of mortals?
Often in front of a blazing fire you see the spitted paunch of some beast, all filled with blood and fat, and a man keeps turning it to and fro, anxious that it should be roasted as soon as may be; just so did Odysseus twist and turn, wondering how he by himself should make assault on the multitude of shameless suitors.
But now Athene descending from heaven drew near him, wearing the likeness of a woman. She stood at his bedside and said to him: ‘Odysseus, more than most men you have been fortune’s plaything, yet why should you thus lie sleepless now?
As when an animal paunch well-filled with fat and blood is tossed this way and that before a large and glowing fire by one who wants it roasted very quickly, so was Odysseus tossing to and fro as he pondered how he, being just one person, might lay destructive hands on the shameless suitors, who were many. Athene, then, descending out of heaven, came and stood near him in the form of a mortal woman. She took her stand at his head and addressed to him this word: “Why are you, the most ill-fated of all men, lying awake?
just as a paunch stuffed with fat and blood is tossed this way and that in the blaze of the fire by a cook who wants to get it quickly roasted. Twisting and turning thus to one side and the other, he was wondering how single-handed against such odds he should come to grips with his unprincipled rivals, when Athene descended from heaven and approached him in the form of a woman. She leant over his head and spoke to him: ‘Sleepless again, poor wretch?
He might have been a good fat black pudding going round in front of a blazing fire, while the cook basted it on the spit to roast it quickly. As he rolled over and over, thinking how he could get his hands on that shameless crew, one against many, Athena came down from heaven and stood by his side in the shape of a woman, saying:
“Why are you wakeful, poor fellow?
like the basting paunch stuffed with blood and fat that a man who wants it immediately cooked will turn over and over before a blazing fire. In such fashion did Odysseus roll to this side and to that in the throes of wondering how his single self could get the many shameless suitors into his grasp. Upon his perplexity Athene in her woman’s shape came down from Heaven, to stand above his head and say, “Why still awake and watchful, O sorriest man of men,
As a man, when the fire is hot, quickly tosses a sausage, full of fat and blood, over and over, as he is eager for it to be roasted very quickly, so Odysseus kept turning himself over and over as he pondered in what possible way he might lay hands on these shameless suitors, since he was but one against so many.
Then Athene came down from heaven and drew near to his side in the likeness of a woman. She stood above his head and said:
“Why are you keeping vigil again, most unhappy of mortals?
as when a man keeps turning over on a blazing fire a paunch filled with fat and blood, yet longs for it to be speedily roast, so did he keep tossing from side to side, pondering how he should, albeit one among many, lay hands on the shame-less suitors. Down from heaven came Athene and stood at his side. She took the likeness of a woman, and, standing above his head, spake to him: “Why are you so wakeful, most hapless of men?
And as when a man before a great blazing fire turns swiftly this way and that a paunch full of fat and blood, and is very eager to have it roasted quickly, so Odysseus tossed from side to side, pondering how he might put forth his hands upon the shameless wooers, one man as he was against so many. Then Athene came down from heaven and drew near to him in the likeness of a woman, and she stood above his head, and spoke to him, and said:
“Why now again art thou wakeful, ill-fated above all men?
as one who turns a paunch full of blood and fat in front of a hot fire, doing it first on one side and then on the other, that he may get it cooked as soon as possible, even so did he turn himself about from side to side, thinking all the time how, single handed as he was, he should contrive to kill so large a body of men as the wicked suitors. But by and by Minerva came down from heaven in the likeness of a woman, and hovered over his head saying, “My poor unhappy man, why do you lie awake in this way?
As when a man near a great glowing fire turns to and fro a sausage, full of fat and blood, anxious to have it quickly roast; so to and fro Odysseus tossed, and pondered how to lay hands upon the shameless suitors,—he being alone, and they so many. Near him Athene drew, descending out of heaven. In a woman’s form she stood beside his head, and thus addressed him:
“Why wakeful still, unhappiest of men?
And as when a man by a great fire burning takes a paunch full of fat and blood, and turns it this way and that and longs to have it roasted most speedily, so Odysseus tossed from side to side, musing how he might stretch forth his hands upon the shameless wooers, being but one man against so many. Then down from heaven came Athene and drew nigh him, fashioned in the likeness of a woman. And she stood over his head and spake to him, saying:
“Lo now again, wherefore art thou watching, most luckless of all men living?
But as when a man, when a large fire is burning, turns a paunch, filled with fat and blood, from side to side, and is anxious that it should be roasted very quickly. So then he rolled himself hither and thither, deliberating how he might lay his hands on the shameless suitors, being alone amongst many. But there came near him Minerva descending from heaven: and in person she was like a woman, and she stood over his head, and addressed to him this speech:
‘Why do you still lie awake, O ill-fated one above all mortals?
Ὡς δε but as ὁτε when ανηρ a man, πολεος πυρος much fire αιθομενοιο burning, αιολλη turns ενθα this way και ενθα and that way γαστερα a paunch εμπλειην full κνισσης τε both of fat και and αἱματος of blood, λιλαιεται δε and is desirous οπτηθηναι that it be roasted μαλ’ ωκα very quickly, ὡς αρα so then ὁγε he ἑλισσετο rolled ενθα και ενθα hither and thither, μερμηριζων pondering ὁπως δη how indeed εων being μουνος alone εφησει he should lay χειρας his hands μνηστηρσιν αναιδεσιν on the shameless suitors πολεσι who were many. Αθηνη δε but Minerva ηλθε came σχεδον near οἱ to him, καταβασα having come down ουρανοθεν from heaven, δεμας δε but in person εικτο she was like γυναικι a woman, στῃ δ’ αρα and stood ὑπερ κεφαλης above his head και and προς μιν εειπε spoke to him μυθον a word.
“Τιπτε αυτε why still εγρησσεις dost thou keep watch, καμμορε thou ill-fated παντων περι φωτων above all men?
As when a man, while a large fire is blazing, turns a paunch full of fat and blood, from side to side, and is anxious that it should be roasted very quickly; so did he roll himself on one side and the other, meditating how he might lay his hands upon the shameless suitors, being alone amongst many; but Minerva came near to him, descending from heaven: and in her person she was like unto a woman, and she stood over his head, and addressed him in words:
“Why dost thou still watch, thou who art ill-fated above all mortals?
As when a man, when a large fire is burning, turns a paunch, filled with fat and blood, from side to side, and he is anxious that it should be roasted very quickly. So he rolled himself on one side and the other, meditating, how he might lay his hands on the shameless suitors, being alone amongst many: and Minerva came near him, descending from heaven: and in her person she was like a woman, and she stood over his head, and addressed him;
“Why do you still watch, you who are ill-fated above all mortals?