The Voyage (Canto I)

歌詞

Thus with stretched sail, we went over sea till day's end Sun to his slumber, shadows o'er all the ocean Came we then to the bounds of deepest water Covered with close-webbed mist, unpierced ever With glitter of sun-rays Nor with stars stretched, nor looking back from heaven Swartest night stretched over wreteched men there The ocean flowing backward, came we then to the place Aforesaid by Circe Here did they rites, Perimedes and Eurylochus And drawing sword from my hip I dug the ell-square pitkin; Poured we libations unto each the dead First mead and then sweet wine, water mixed with white flour Then prayed I many a prayer to the sickly death's-heads; As set in Ithaca, sterile bulls of the best For sacrifice, heaping the pyre with goods A sheep to Tiresias only, black and a bell-sheep Dark blood flowed in the fosse Souls out of Erebus, cadaverous dead, of brides Of youths and of the old who had borne much; Souls stained with recent tears, girls tender Men many, mauled with bronze lance heads Battle spoil, bearing yet dreory arms These many crowded about me; with shouting Pallor upon me, cried to my men for more beasts; Slaughtered the herds, sheep slain of bronze; Poured ointment, cried to the gods To Pluto the strong, and praised Proserpine; Unsheathed the narrow sword I sat to keep off the impetuous impotent dead Till I should hear Tiresias But first Elpenor came, our friend Elpenor Unburied, cast on the wide earth Limbs that we left in the house of Circe Unwept, unwrapped in the sepulchre, since toils urged other Pitiful spirit