So they spoke, the suitors. But Odysseus of many devices, immediately when he took the great bow and saw it everywhere, as when a man who knows the lyre and singing easily stretches a cord around a new peg, fastening both ends of well-twisted sheep-gut, so without effort did Odysseus stretch the great bow. Taking it in his right hand, he tested the string, which sang beautifully, like a swallow’s voice.
The suitors kept on talking. But Odysseus himself, always thinking ahead, raised the huge bow and looked it over. As a man who is knowledgeable in lyre and song casually stretches the string about a new peg and tightens the twisted sheep gut at both ends, Odysseus strung the enormous bow without effort. He grasped it firmly in his right hand and tried the string. It sang like the voice of a swallow under his touch.
That’s the way the suitors talked. But soon resourceful Odysseus was finished holding up the great bow and looking over all of it, and then, just as a man who’s expert at using a lyre to accompany a song will easily stretch a string to fit around a new peg, fastening a cord made of sheep-gut strands well twisted from both ends, so now, without the slightest exertion, Odysseus strung the great bow. And holding it in his right hand, he tried out the bowstring, and it sang beautifully under his touch, like a note sung by a swallow.
So they chattered, but once wily Odysseus had flexed the great bow and checked it all over, he strung it easily, as a man skilled in song and the lyre stretches a new string onto its leather tuning strap, fixing the twisted sheep-gut at either end. Then grasping the bow in his right hand, he plucked the string that sang sweetly to his touch with the sound of a swallow’s note.
And so they babbled among themselves while the man of masquerades finished his inspection. Then as a minstrel skilled at the harp tunes the strings easily with the pegs, he effortlessly bent the bow under and over his leg and pushed the twisted cord over the tip of the bow and plucked the cord. A high, clear note sang a swallow’s song in the room and all fell still in wonder.
So spoke the suitors. Resourceful Odysseus finished checking the great bow all over with eye and hand. Then in an instant, as when a skilled musician and singer fits the string to a new peg on his lyre with practised ease, looping the twisted sheep-gut at each end, so Odysseus effortlessly strung the great bow. With his right hand he plucked the string to try it: and the string sang sweetly to his touch, a note like a swallow’s.
So spoke the suitors, but resourceful Odysseus, as soon as he had lifted the great bow and scanned it on every side—just as when a man well-skilled in the lyre and in song easily stretches the string about a new peg, making fast at either end the twisted sheep-gut—so without effort did Odysseus string the great bow. And taking it in his right hand, he tried the string, which sang sweetly beneath his touch, like a swallow in tone.
So said the suitors, but the resourceful Odysseus at once, after he had taken up the bow and looked all round, as a man who knows about lyres and singing easily tautens a new string on its peg, fastening the well-twisted sheep-gut at both ends, so without effort Odysseus tautened the great bow, and with his right hand took and tried the string; it gave a nice sound in response, its voice like a swallow’s.
While they were talking Odysseus, master of stratagems, had picked up the great bow and checked it all over. As a minstrel skilled at the lyre and in song easily stretches a string round a new leather strap, fixing the twisted sheep-gut at both ends, so he strung the great bow without effort or haste. Then with his right hand he tested the string, and it sang as he plucked it with a sound like a swallow’s note.
So the suitors chattered. As for Odysseus, he finished first his handling and scrutiny of the bow; then, like a master of lyre and song who with utmost ease winds a new string round a peg, fitting the pliant sheepgut at either end, so did Odysseus string the great bow tranquilly. Then he put his right hand to the string to try it, and it sang out beneath his fingers as clear as a swallow’s note.
Thus spoke the suitors. Meantime, resourceful Odysseus, immediately after he had handled the bow and viewed it from all angles, strung the great bow without effort, just as when one skilled to play the lyre and sing easily stretches a string on a new peg after fastening the well-twisted sheep-gut at both ends. Then, taking the bow in his right hand, he tested the string, which sang out sweetly and clearly, like the sound of a swallow, under his plucking.
Amid all their banter, the cool-headed Odysseus had poised the great bow and given it a final inspection. And now, as easily as a musician who knows his lyre strings the cord on a new peg after looping the twisted sheep-gut at both ends, he strung the great bow without effort or haste and with his right hand proved the string, which gave a lovely sound in answer like a swallow’s note.
Amid all this talk Odysseus balanced the bow and scanned it over. Then as easily as a skilful musician stretches a new string on his harp, fastening the sheepgut over the pegs at each end, so without an effort Odysseus strung the great bow. Then he took the bow in his right hand, and twanged the string; at his touch it sang a clear note like a swallow.
Thus the suitors: but Odysseus the master of craft had by now handled and surveyed the great bow up and down. Calmly he stretched it out with the effortless ease of a skilled musician who makes fast both ends of a piece of twined cat-gut and strains it to a new peg in his lyre. Changing the bow to his right hand he proved the string, which sang to his pluck, sharp like a swallow’s cry.
So ran the talk of the suitors. Meanwhile crafty Odysseus had taken up the great bow and had examined it carefully on every side. Then, just as an expert at playing the lyre and singing, stretches a string around a new peg, securing the twisted sheep-gut at each end, thus, without effort, at once he strung the mighty bow. Holding it then in his right hand, he tried the bowstring. Clearly it sang at his touch with a tone like the swallow’s.
So spake the suitors. But when wise Odysseus had handled the great bow and looked it all over, with such ease as a man skilled in the lyre and song stretches the string round a new peg, fastening the well-twisted sheep’s gut above and below, even so did Odysseus bend the great bow without effort. Then he took the string in his right hand and tried it, and it sang sweetly to his touch, tuneful as a swallow’s note.
So spoke the wooers, but Odysseus of many wiles, as soon as he had lifted the great bow and scanned it on every side—even as when a man well-skilled in song easily stretches the string about a new peg, making fast at either end the twisted sheep-gut—so without effort did Odysseus string the great bow. And he held it in his right hand, and tried the string, which sang sweetly beneath his touch, like to a swallow in tone.
But Ulysses, when he had taken it up and examined it all over, strung it as easily as a skilled bard strings a new peg of his lyre and makes the twisted gut fast at both ends. Then he took it in his right hand to prove the string, and it sang sweetly under his touch like the twittering of a swallow.
So talked the suitors. Meantime wise Odysseus, when he had handled the great bow and scanned it closely,—even as one well-skilled to play the lyre and sing stretches with ease round its new peg a cord, securing at each end the twisted sheep-gut; so without effort did Odysseus string the mighty bow. Holding it now with his right hand, he tried its cord; and clear to the touch it sang, voiced like the swallow.
So spake the wooers, but Odysseus of many counsels had lifted the great bow and viewed it on every side, and even as when a man that is skilled in the lyre and in minstrelsy, easily stretches a cord about a new peg, after tying at either end the twisted sheep-gut, even so Odysseus straightway bent the great bow, all without effort, and took it in his right hand and proved the bow-string, which rang sweetly at the touch, in tone like a swallow.
Thus then spoke the suitors; but the much-planning Ulysses, as soon as he had handled the large bow, and looked at it on all sides, as when a man skilled in the harp and in song, has easily stretched a string on a new peg, joining on both sides the well-twisted gut of a sheep; so Ulysses bent the great bow without difficulty. But taking it then in his right hand, he made trial of the string; and it sang beautifully in utterance like a swallow.
Ὡς αρα thus then ἐφαν said μνηστηρες the suitors, αταρ but Ὀδυσσευς Ulysses πολυμητις of many wiles, αυτικα immediately επει when ἐβαστασεν he had handled μεγα τοξον the great bow, και ιδεν and looked at it παντη on every side, ὡς as οτε when ανηρ a man επισταμενος having knowledge φορμιγγος of the harp και and αοιδης of song, ῥηιδιως easily ετανυσσεν has stretched χορδην a string νεῳ περι κολλοπι on a new peg ἀψας fastening αμφοτερωθεν on both sides εὐστρεφες εντερον the well-twisted gut οιος of a sheep, ὡς αρα so then Οδυσσευς Ulysses ατερ σπουδης without exertion τανυσσε stretched μεγα τοξον the great bow. Λαβων δ’ αρα and taking then δεξιτερῃ χειρι in his right hand πειρησατο he made trial νευρης of the string, ἠ δε and it αεισε sang καλον a beautiful [sound] ὑπο beneath [the touch], εικελῃ like αυδην in voice χελιδονι to a swallow.
Thus spoke the suitors; but much-planning Ulysses, as soon as he handled the large bow, and looked at it upon all sides, as when a man skilled in the harp and in song easily stretches a cord upon a new pin, joining on both sides the well-twisted entrail of a sheep; so did Ulysses bend the great bow without difficulty. But with his right he laid hold of the string and tried it; and it twanged beautifully, like unto a swallow in voice.
Thus spoke the suitors; but the much-counselling Ulysses, as soon as he bore the large bow, and looked at it on all sides, as when a man skilled in the harp and in song, easily stretches a cord in a new pin, joining on both sides the well-twisted entrail of a sheep; so Ulysses bent the great bow without difficulty. But with his right he laid hold of the string and tried it; and it sang beautifully in voice like a swallow.