The famous singer sang this song, and Odysseus’s heart melted, and the tears flowed out from under his eyelids down over his cheeks.
Like a woman who cries out and then throws herself upon her beloved husband, who has fallen before his city and its people, trying to hold back the merciless day for his city and his children. She watches him as he is dying, gasping for breath, and she throws herself upon him, shrieking loudly. They beat on her back and shoulders with the shafts of their spears, then lead her away to servitude, to suffer hardship and misery, her cheeks wasting away with the most pitiful grief. In this way, Odysseus let his own mournful tears fall under his brow.
This was the song sung by the singer famed far and wide. But Odysseus melted in tears, and each tear that escaped his eyelids would wet his cheek. Just as a woman wails as she crouches over her beloved husband, who lies fallen in front of his city and people, where he tried to keep off the ruthless day from his town and his children, and as she watches him dying and gasping she drapes herself around him and shrieks aloud, while the men behind her strike her back and shoulders with their spears, and lead her off into slavery and a life filled with toil and sorrow, her cheeks ravaged with the most piteous grief—just so was Odysseus shedding one pitiful tear after another from his eyes.
So sang the famous bard. And Odysseus’ heart melted, and tears poured from his eyes. He wept pitifully, as a woman weeps who throws herself on her husband’s dying body, fallen in front of his city and people, trying to ward off that evil moment from the city and his own children: watching him gasping for breath in dying, she clings to him and screams aloud, while behind her the enemy beat her back and shoulders with their spears: then she is led into captivity to endure a life of toil and suffering, her cheeks wasted pitifully with grief.
And while he sang, Odysseus’s heart swelled with pride and then melted with grief, and hot tears ran down his cheeks as he remembered the old deaths and his own cruelty in the burning streets when he ruthlessly slaughtered the Trojans with his terrible sword. Tears flooded his eyes and fell to the ground, and he wept as a woman weeps when she clasps her slain husband or son to her breast on the battlefield and wails her loss to the heavens while around her swords flash and crash upon bronze shields and she shrieks her loss like a wind demon. Equally pitiful were the tears that welled up in mighty Odysseus’s eyes,
Such was the famous bard’s song. But Odysseus melted in tears, and his cheeks were wet with the tears flowing from his eyes. As when a woman weeps, throwing herself over the the body of her dear husband who has fallen in front of his city and his people, trying to keep the pitiless hour of death away from his town and his children: she sees him gasping there and dying, and folds herself over him shrieking loud: and behind her they beat her back and shoulders with their spears, and carry her off into slavery, to suffer hardship and misery: and her cheeks are wasted in her most piteous grief. So Odysseus shed piteous tears from his eyes.
This song the famous minstrel sang. But the heart of Odysseus was melted and tears wet his cheeks beneath his eyelids. And as a woman wails and throws herself upon her dear husband, who has fallen in front of his city and his people, seeking to ward off from his city and his children the pitiless day; and as she beholds him dying and gasping for breath, she clings to him and shrieks aloud, while the foe behind her beat her back and shoulders with their spears, and lead her away to captivity to bear toil and woe, while with most pitiful grief her cheeks are wasted—so did Odysseus let fall pitiful tears from beneath his brows.
That then was what the very famous minstrel was singing about, and Odysseus was overcome; a tear dampened his cheeks below his eyes. As a woman weeps, stooping to embrace her dear husband who has fallen before his city and people, trying to stave off the pitiless day for the town and his children, and sees him dying, gasping for breath, and she collapses over him crying aloud, while others behind her strike at her back and shoulders with their spears, bringing bondage upon her, for her to have pain and sorrow, and her cheeks are wasted with the most pitiful grief — so Odysseus shed a pitiful tear from below his brow.
While the famous minstrel was singing, Odysseus’ heart was melting with grief and his cheeks were wet with the tears that ran down from his eyes. He wept as a woman weeps when she throws her arms round the body of her beloved husband, fallen in battle in the defence of his city and his comrades, fighting to save his city and his children from the evil day. She has found him gasping in the throes of death; she clings to him wailing and lamenting. But the enemy come up and beat her back and shoulders with spears, as they lead her off into slavery and a life of miserable toil, with her cheeks wasted by her pitiful grief. Equally pitiful were the tears that now welled up in Odysseus’ eyes,
These were the things the great bard sang of. Odysseus meanwhile was greatly moved, and down from his eyes the tears came coursing over his cheeks. It was as when a woman weeps with her arms around her darling husband, one who has been defending his country and countrymen, striving to keep the day of mercilessness far from his city and his children, but now has fallen and is dying and gasping out his life. She gazes at him, she clings to him and she shrieks aloud, but the victors behind her, with their spears, beat her on back and shoulders and lead her away into captivity to suffer lamentable oppression; her cheeks are wasted with piteous sorrow. So from Odysseus’ eyes the tears fell piteously.
That was the lay the highly renowned minstrel chanted. Odysseus was brought to tears which bedewed his cheeks beneath his eyelids. As a wife embraces and weeps over her dear husband who has fallen in defense of his city and people, trying to ward off from his city and children the pitiless day of defeat; she, seeing him gasping and dying, flings herself over him wailing aloud, while the enemy behind are smiting her back and shoulders with spears as they lead her into slavery to endure toil and woe, her cheeks worn and wan with pitiful grief, so from the eyes of Odysseus fell pitiful tears.
Odysseus broke down as the famous minstrel sang this lay, and his cheeks were wet with the tears that ran down from his eyes. He wept as a woman weeps when she throws her arms round the body of her beloved husband, fallen in battle before his city and his comrades, fighting to save his home-town and his children from disaster. She has found him gasping in the throes of death; she clings to him and lifts her voice in lamentation. But the enemy come up and belabour her back and shoulders with spears, as they lead her off into slavery and a life of miserable toil, with her cheeks wasted by her pitiful grief. Equally pitiful were the tears that now welled up in Odysseus’ eyes,
So sang the famous minstrel. Odysseus was melted, and tears ran over his cheeks. He wept as a woman weeps with her arms about a beloved husband, who has fallen in front of his people, fighting to keep the day of ruin from city and children; when she sees him panting and dying, she throws her arms around him and wails aloud, but the enemies behind her beat her about the back and shoulders with their spears, and drag her away into slavery, where labour and sorrow will be her lot and her cheeks will grow thin with pining.
Thus ran the famous singer’s song: but Odysseus melted and tears from his eyelids bedewed his cheeks. So it is when a loving wife flings herself, wailing, about the body of her man who has fallen before his township and fellow-citizens, defending the town and his children from their cruel day of sack and rapine. The sight of him labouring his last breath and dying makes her wail aloud and wind herself about him. Yet do the enemy from behind beat her with their spearshafts across her bowed shoulders and lead her into servitude, to her fate of toil and grief. Just as that woman’s cheeks are ravaged with despair, just so piteously did the tears fall from Odysseus’ brows.
Thus sang the famous bard. Odysseus was greatly moved and wet his cheeks with tears. A woman whose dear husband has perished trying to save his city and his children, clings to him and weeps piteously as she sees him gasping in the throes of death. Throwing herself upon him, she utters a heart-rending cry, while foemen behind her smite her on the back and shoulders with their spears and force her away into bondage to suffer toil and trouble, her cheeks wasted with grief. Even as piteously as hers fell the tears beneath the brows of Odysseus.
This song the famous minstrel sang. But the heart of Odysseus was melted and tears wet his cheeks beneath his eyelids. And as a woman wails and flings herself about her dear husband, who has fallen in front of his city and his people, seeking to ward off from his city and his children the pitiless day; and she clings to him as he gasps and dies, and lifts up her voice to wail, while the foe behind her strike her back and shoulders with their spears and lead her away into bondage to bear toil and woe, while with most pitiful grief her cheeks are wasted; even so did Odysseus shed pitiful tears from beneath his brows.
All this he told, but Ulysses was overcome as he heard him, and his cheeks were wet with tears. He wept as a woman weeps when she throws herself on the body of her husband who has fallen before his own city and people, fighting bravely in defence of his home and children. She screams aloud and flings her arms about him as he lies gasping for breath and dying, but her enemies beat her from behind about the back and shoulders, and carry her off into slavery, to a life of labour and sorrow, and the beauty fades from her cheeks—even so piteously did Ulysses weep,
So sang the famous bard. Odysseus melted into tears, and all below his eyes his cheeks were wet. And as a woman wails and clings to her dear husband, who falls for town and people, seeking to shield his home and children from the ruthless day; seeing him dying, gasping, she flings herself on him with a piercing cry; while men behind, smiting her with their spears on back and shoulder, force her along to bondage to suffer toil and trouble; with pain most pitiful her cheeks are thin; so pitifully fell the tears beneath Odysseus’ brows.
This was the song that the famous minstrel sang. But the heart of Odysseus melted, and the tear wet his cheeks beneath the eyelids. And as a woman throws herself wailing about her dear lord, who hath fallen before his city and the host, warding from his town and his children the pitiless day; and she beholds him dying and drawing difficult breath, and embracing his body wails aloud, while the foemen behind smite her with spears on back and shoulders and lead her up into bondage, to bear labour and trouble, and with the most pitiful grief her cheeks are wasted; even so pitifully fell the tears beneath the brows of Odysseus.
These things then the very famous bard sang; but Ulysses was deeply affected [lit. was melted], and a tear moistened his cheeks under his eyelids. But as a woman weeps falling on her dear husband, who falls both before his own city and people, warding off the relentless day from his town and children; she indeed, gazing on him dying and gasping, spread about him, laments shrilly; but they behind striking her with spears on the back and on the shoulders, lead her into captivity, to undergo both toil and sorrow; and her cheeks fade with most pitiable grief; thus Ulysses was shedding the sad tear from under his eye-brows.
Ταυτ’ αρ’ these things then αειδε sang αοιδος περικλυτος the famous bard: αυταρ but Οδυσσευς Ulysses τηκετο was melted, δακρυ δὲ and the tear εδενε moistened παρειας his cheeks ὑπο βλεφαροισιν under his eye-lids. Ὡς δὲ and as γυνη a woman κλαιησι weeps αμφιπεσουσα falling upon φιλον ποσιν her husband, ὁστε who πεσησι falls προσθεν ἐης πολιος in front of his city λαων τε and the people, αμυνων warding off νηλεες ἡμαρ the cruel day αστει from the town και and τεκεεσσι from his children; ἡ μεν she εσιδουσα beholding τον him θνησκοντα dying και and ασπαιροντα palpitating, χυμενη spread αμφ αυτῳ about him λιγα κωκυει utters shrill cries: οἱ δε τε and they οπισθεν behind κοπτοντες striking δουρεσσι with their spears μεταφρενον her back ἡδε και and also ωμους her shoulders, εισαναγουσι lead her ειφερον into servitude εχεμεν to have πονον labour και and οιζυν sorrow: της δε παρειαι and her cheeks φθινυθουσι pine ελεεινοτατῳ αχεϊ with most miserable grief; ὡς thus Οδυσσευς Ulysses ειθε was dropping ελεεινον δακρυον the sad tear ὑπ’ οφρυσι from under his eye-brows.
These things, then, the very famous bard sang; but Ulysses was melted, and a tear moistened his cheeks under his eyelids. And as a woman weeps falling about her dear husband, who falls before his own city and people, warding off the fatal day from his town and children; she indeed, gazing on him dying and gasping, spread about him laments shrilly; but they behind smiting her with spears on the back and the shoulders, lead her into captivity, to have both toil and calamity, and with most piteous grief her cheeks fade. So Ulysses poured a piteous tear from under his eye-brows.
These things the very famous bard sang; but Ulysses melted, and a tear moistened his cheeks under his eyelids. But as a woman weeps falling on her dear husband, who falls both before his own city and people, warding off the fatal day from his town and children; she indeed, gazing on him dying and gasping, spread about him, laments shrilly; but they behind striking her with spears on the back and the shoulders, lead her into captivity, to have both toil and calamity: and her cheeks fade with most pitiable grief; thus Ulysses poured a pitiable tear from under his eye-brows.