Thus he spoke, and having fastened a ship’s dark-prowed cable to a tall pillar
of the dome, he stretched it high up, so that no one might touch the ground
with her feet. And as when long-winged thrushes or doves strike against a net
placed in a bush, seeking a nest, and a hateful bed receives them, so their heads
were all in a row, and around each of their necks were nooses, so that they
might die most pitifully. They twitched with their feet for a little while, but not
for long.
As he spoke, he tied the rope from a dark-prowed ship to a huge pillar and threw it about the round house. He stretched it up high, so none of them would be able to touch the ground with their feet—as doves or thrushes with long wings, trying to reach their nest, go rushing into a trap set in a thicket, and the bed that welcomes them is bitter. That’s how the women held their heads—close to each other, in a row—and nooses were placed around their necks so they would die in the most miserable manner. Their feet fidgeted for a while, but not for long.
As he spoke these words, he took a rope made for a dark-prowed ship and fastened it to a tall pillar, and then looped it over the round tower, stretching it taut high up where no one could reach the ground with her feet. Just as, when long-winged thrushes or doves that are coming in to roost plunge into a snare that’s been strung among the bushes, and find themselves in a hateful resting place, so too did the women hold their heads in a row as nooses were slipped around all their necks so they could die as miserably as possible. They flailed their legs a little while, but not very long.
So saying, he took a cable from a dark-prowed ship, tied it to a tall pillar, high-up, and noosed it over the round house, so that their feet would not reach the ground. The row of women held up their heads, and the rope was looped round their necks so they might die pitiably, like long-winged thrushes or doves, that are caught in a snare as they try to roost in their thicket, and are welcomed to a grimmer nest. For a little while their feet twitched: but not for long.
Instead, he took a long rope that had seen service on one of the great sailing ships and tied one end to a pillar and threw the other over a beam. Then he passed a noose around their necks and raised them until their toes did not touch the ground. He left them there, dancing and dangling, caught as certainly as thrushes in a snare set in a thicket. And then their feet ceased to twitch and jump.
So he spoke. He took the cable of a dark-prowed ship, fastened it to one of the tall pillars, then pulled it high and taut over the round-house, so none of their feet could reach the ground. As when long-winged thrushes or doves strike into a snare set in the bushes – they are flying in to roost, but it is a grim sleep that awaits them – so those women had their heads held fast, all in a row, a noose round every neck, for them to die the most pitiable death. Their feet twitched for a while, but not very long.
So he spoke, and tied the cable of a dark-prowed ship to a great pillar and cast it about the round house, stretching it high up that none might reach the ground with her feet. And as when long-winged thrushes or doves fall into a snare that is set in a thicket, as they seek to reach their roosting place, and hateful is the bed that gives them welcome, even so the women held their heads in a row, and round the necks of all nooses were laid, that they might die most piteously. And they writhed a little while with their feet, but not for long.
So he spoke, and fastening the cable of a ship with a dark-blue bow from a pillar of the great round-house he put it round them, making it taut on top so that no one could reach the ground with her feet. As long-winged thrushes or doves dash against a net which receives them, so they had their heads in a row, and there were nooses round all their necks so that they would die in the most pitiful way. They twitched with their feet — for a short while, not very long.
With that he took a cable which had seen service on a blue-bowed ship, made one end fast to a high column in the portico, and threw the other over the round-house, high up, so that their feet would not touch the ground. As when long-winged thrushes or doves get entangled in a snare, which has been set in a thicket – they are on their way to roost, but find a grim reception – so the women’s heads were held fast in a row, with nooses round their necks, to bring them to the most pitiable end. For a little while their feet twitched but not for very long.
So he spoke, and stretched a ship’s cable between a tall pillar and the round-house, fastening it high up so that no woman’s feet could touch the ground. Just as long-winged thrushes or just as doves, on their way to roost, strike against a snare set in a thicket and find their death in what should have been their sleeping-place, so with their heads in a single line the women’s necks were all caught and noosed, to make them die the most piteous death. For a little while their feet kept writhing, but not for long.
Such were his words. He thereupon fastened a strong rope of a dark-prowed ship to a large pillar and lashed the other end around the roundhouse, drawing it high and tight so that no one’s feet might touch the ground. As when doves or long-winged thrushes, rushing into their roosting-place, become entangled in a net set in a thicket and a fateful resting place receives them, so were the necks of these women, holding their heads in a row, enmeshed in nooses, that they might die a most disgraceful death. Their feet twitched about for a little while but not for very long.
With that he took a hawser which had seen service on a blue-bowed ship, made one end fast to a high column in the portico, threw the other over the round-house, and pulled it taut at such a level as would keep their feet from touching earth. And then, like doves or long-winged thrushes caught in a net across the thicket where they come to roost, and meeting death where they had only looked for sleep, the women held their heads out in a row, and a noose was cast round each one’s neck to dispatch them in the most miserable way. For a little while their feet kicked out, but not for very long.
So he rigged up a ship’s hawser, fastening one end to a tall pillar and throwing the other round the dome. A noose was looped round the neck of each, and he pulled it up tight so that their feet would not touch the ground. They were strung up with their heads in a row; a pitiable death to die, no lover’s bed indeed! They looked like a lot of thrushes or doves caught in a net when they come to roost in the bushes. Their feet jerked for a little while, but not long.
That was what he said. He made fast a dark-prowed ship’s hawser to a pillar and strained it round the great spiral of the vault, at too great a height for anyone to touch the floor with her feet. Sometimes in a shrubbery men so stretch out nets, upon which long-winged thrushes or doves alight on their way to roost: and fatal the perch proves. Exactly thus were the women’s heads all held a-row with a bight of cord drawn round each throat, to suffer their caitiff’s death. A little while they twittered with their feet—only a little. It was not long.
Then he tied the cable of a dark-prowed ship to a great pillar and lashed it to the round-house, stretching it too high for any one to touch the ground with her feet. And, just as when broad-winged thrushes or doves, seeking to go to roost, dash into a net that has been set in a thicket, and a cruel resting place receives them; so these women held their heads in line. About all their necks were nooses, that they might die most disgracefully. For a while they twitched with their feet, but not long.
So he spoke, and tied the cable of a dark-prowed ship to a great pillar and flung it round the dome, stretching it on high that none might reach the ground with her feet. And as when long-winged thrushes or doves fall into a snare that is set in a thicket, as they seek to reach their resting-place, and hateful is the bed that gives them welcome, even so the women held their heads in a row, and round the necks of all nooses were laid, that they might die most piteously. And they writhed a little while with their feet, but not long.
So saying he made a ship’s cable fast to one of the bearing-posts that supported the roof of the domed room, and secured it all around the building, at a good height, lest any of the women’s feet should touch the ground; and as thrushes or doves beat against a net that has been set for them in a thicket just as they were getting to their nest, and a terrible fate awaits them, even so did the women have to put their heads in nooses one after the other and die most miserably. Their feet moved convulsively for a while, but not for very long.
He spoke, and tied the cable of a dark-bowed ship to a great pillar, then lashed it to the round-house, stretching it high across, too high for one to touch the feet upon the ground. And as the wide-winged thrushes or the doves strike on a net set in the bushes; and when they think to go to roost a cruel bed receives them; even so the women held their heads in line, and around every neck a noose was laid, that they might die most vilely. They twitched their feet a little, but not long.
With that word he tied the cable of a dark-prowed ship to a great pillar and flung it round the vaulted room, and fastened it aloft, that none might touch the ground with her feet. And even as when thrushes, long of wing, or doves fall into a net that is set in a thicket, as they seek to their roosting-place, and a loathly bed harbours them, even so the women held their heads all in a row, and about all their necks nooses were cast, that they might die by the most pitiful death. And they writhed with their feet for a little space, but for no long while.
Thus then he spoke; and fastening a cable of an azure-prowed ship to a tall pillar, he threw it round the dome, stretching it on high, that no one might reach the ground with her feet. As when either broad-winged thrushes, or doves strike against a snare, which stood in a thicket, when anxious to enter their nest, but a hateful bed has received them: so they held their heads in order, and loops were around all their necks, that they might die as miserably as possible. And they struggled with their feet for a short time, but not very long.
‘Ως αρα thus then εφη he said, και and εξαψας having fastened πεισμα the cable νεος of a ship κυανοπρωροιο with azure prow κιονος μεγαλης from a tall pillar περιβαλλεν he threw it round θολοιο the dome, επαντανυσας stretching it υψοσε on high, μη lest τις any one ικοιτο should touch ουδας the pavement ποσι with the feet. ‘Ως δ’ οτε and as when η either κιχλαι thrushes τανυσσιπτεροι with long wings ηε or πελειαι doves ενιπληξησι strike against ερκει a snare το τε which εστηκεl stood εν Θαμνῳ in a thicket, εσιεμεναι when eager to enter αυλιν their nest, στυγερος δε κοιτος and a hateful bed ὑπεδεξατο has received them; ὡς so αιγε they εχον held κεφαλας their heads ἐξεξης in order βροχοι δε and loops ησαν were αμφι around πασαις δειρησιν all their necks, ὁπως that θανοιεν they might die οικτιστα most pitiably, ησπαιρον δε and they struggled ποδεσσι with their feet μινυνθαπερ briefly, ουτι μαλα δη not very much indeed.
Thus he spoke; and fastening the cable of an azure-prowed ship to a tall column, he threw it round the dome, stretching it out on high, that no one might reach the ground with her feet. But as when either broad-winged thrushes or doves strike against a net, which stood in a thicket, as they are entering their nest, and a hateful bed has received them: so they held their heads in order, and around all their necks were cords, that they might die as miserably as possible. And they struggled convulsively with their feet for a little while, not very long.
Thus he spoke; and fastening a cable of an azure-prowed ship to a tall pillar, he threw it round the dome, stretching it on high, that no one might reach the ground with her feet. As when either broad-winged thrushes, or doves strike against a net, which stood in a thicket, entering their nest, but a hateful bed has received them: so they held their heads in order, and there were cords around all their necks, that they might die as miserably as possible. And they struggled with their feet for a little while, not very long.