Epeisodion 3
Bewailing what concerned thee, those torch-holdings
890
For ever unattended to. In dreams — why,
Beneath the light wing-beats o’ the gnat, I woke up
As he went buzzing — sorrows that concerned thee
Seeing, that filled more than their fellow-sleep-time.
Now, all this having suffered, from soul grief-free
895
I would style this man here the dog o’ the stables,
The saviour forestay of the ship, the high roof’s
Ground-prop, son sole-begotten to his father,
— Ay, land appearing to the sailors past hope,
Loveliest day to see after a tempest,
900
To the wayfaring-one athirst a well-spring,
— The joy, in short, of ’scaping all that ’s — fatal!
I judge him worth addresses such as these are
— Envy stand off! — for many those old evils
We underwent. And now, to me — dear headship! —
905
Dismount thou from this car, not earthward setting
The foot of thine, O king, that’s Ilion’s spoiler!
Slave-maids, why tarry? — whose the task allotted
To strew the soil o’ the road with carpet-spreadings.
