The Odyssey: Rendered into English prose for the use of those who cannot read the original — Page 6
Even as of late Aegisthus, beyond that which was ordained, took to him the wedded wife of the son of Atreus, and killed her lord on his return, and that with sheer doom before his eyes, since we had warned him by the embassy of Hermes the keen-sighted, the slayer of Argos, that he should neither kill the man, nor woo his wife.
Pues incluso hace poco Egisto, más allá de lo que estaba ordenado, tomó para sí a la esposa legítima del hijo de Atreo, y mató a su señor a su regreso, y eso con la perdición manifiesta ante sus ojos, ya que le habíamos advertido por medio de la embajada de Hermes el de aguda vista, el matador de Argos, que no debía matar al hombre ni cortejar a su esposa.
For the son of Atreus shall be avenged at the hand of Orestes, so soon as he shall come to man's estate and long for his own country.
Pues el hijo de Atreo será vengado por la mano de Orestes, tan pronto como este alcance la edad viril y anhele su propia patria.
So spake Hermes, yet he prevailed not on the heart of Aegisthus, for all his good will; but now hath he paid one price for all.'
Así habló Hermes, pero no logró convencer el corazón de Egisto, pese a toda su buena voluntad; mas ahora ha pagado un solo precio por todo.
And the goddess, grey-eyed Athene, answered him, saying: 'O father, our father Cronides, throned in the highest; that man assuredly lies in a death that is his due; so perish likewise all who work such deeds!
Y la diosa, Atenea de ojos grises, le respondió diciendo: «Oh padre, nuestro padre Crónida, entronizado en lo más alto; ese hombre yace ciertamente en una muerte que bien merece; ¡que perezcan igualmente todos los que cometan tales actos!
But my heart is rent for wise Odysseus, the hapless one, who far from his friends this long while suffereth affliction in a sea-girt isle, where is the navel of the sea, a woodland isle, and therein a goddess hath her habitation, the daughter of the wizard Atlas, who knows the depths of every sea, and himself upholds the tall pillars which keep earth and sky asunder.
Pero mi corazón se desgarra por el sabio Odiseo, el desventurado, que lejos de sus amigos sufre desde hace tanto tiempo tribulación en una isla ceñida por el mar, donde está el ombligo del mar, una isla boscosa, y en ella tiene su morada una diosa, la hija del mago Atlas, que conoce las profundidades de todos los mares y él mismo sostiene las altas columnas que mantienen separados la tierra y el cielo.
His daughter it is that holds the hapless man in sorrow: and ever with soft and guileful tales she is wooing him to forgetfulness of Ithaca.
Es su hija quien retiene al desdichado hombre en la aflicción: y siempre con suaves y engañosos relatos lo seduce hacia el olvido de Ítaca.
Vocabulary
- Pues
- Well; used as a discourse marker or filler
- incluso
- Even; including something unexpected or surprising
- hace
- Does, makes; third person singular of hacer
- poco
- Little, few; small amount of something
- más
- More; indicates greater degree or quantity
- allá
- Beyond, over there; indicates distant location
- de
- Of, from; common preposition indicating origin or belonging
- lo
- It, the; neuter article or direct object pronoun
- que
- That, which, who; subordinating conjunction or relative pronoun
- estaba
- Was; imperfect past tense of estar (to be)
- ordenado
- Ordered, commanded; past participle of ordenar
- tomó
- Took; third person singular preterite of tomar
- para
- For, in order to; preposition indicating purpose or destination
- sí
- Himself, herself, itself; reflexive pronoun for emphasis
- a
- To, at; preposition indicating direction or indirect object
- la
- The; feminine definite article
- esposa
- Wife, spouse; female partner in marriage
- legítima
- Legitimate, lawful; rightful by law or custom
- del
- Of the; contraction of de and el
- hijo
- Son; male child of a parent
- y
- And; coordinating conjunction joining elements
- mató
- Killed; third person singular preterite of matar
- su
- His, her, its, their; possessive adjective
- señor
- Lord, master, sir; title of respect or authority
- regreso
- Return, homecoming; act of coming back
- eso
- That; neuter demonstrative pronoun
- con
- With; preposition indicating accompaniment or means
- perdición
- Ruin, perdition; complete destruction or downfall
- manifiesta
- Manifest, evident; clearly apparent or obvious
- ante
- Before, in front of; preposition indicating presence
- sus
- His, her, their; plural possessive adjective
- ojos
- Eyes; organs of sight on the face
- ya
- Already, now; indicates something has occurred
- le
- Him, her, you; indirect object pronoun
- habíamos
- We had; first person plural pluperfect of haber
- advertido
- Warned, noticed; past participle of advertir
- por
- By, through, for; preposition of means or cause
- medio
- Means, middle; method or midpoint
- embajada
- Embassy, embassy message; diplomatic mission or message
- el
- The; masculine definite article
- aguda
- Sharp, keen, acute; describes sharp perception or wit
- vista
- Sight, vision; ability or act of seeing
- matador
- Killer, slayer; one who kills
- no
- No, not; negation particle
- debía
- Should, owed; imperfect of deber indicating obligation
- matar
- To kill; to end the life of someone
- al
- To the; contraction of a and el
- hombre
- Man; adult male human being
- ni
- Nor, neither; negative coordinating conjunction
- cortejar
- To court, to woo; to seek romantic affection
- será
- Will be; future tense of ser
- vengado
- Avenged; past participle of vengar, to avenge
- mano
- Hand; part of the body at end of arm
- tan
- So, as; adverb of degree in comparisons
- pronto
- Soon, quickly; in a short time
- como
- As, like, when; conjunction of comparison or time
- este
- This; masculine singular demonstrative adjective or pronoun
- alcance
- Reaches, attains; subjunctive of alcanzar
- edad
- Age; number of years a person has lived
- viril
- Virile, manly; relating to mature male strength
- anhele
- Yearns for, longs for; subjunctive of anhelar
- propia
- Own, one's own; belonging to oneself
- patria
- Homeland, fatherland; one's native country
- Así
- Thus, so, like this; in this way or manner
- habló
- Spoke; third person singular preterite of hablar
- pero
- But; adversative coordinating conjunction
- logró
- Managed, succeeded; preterite of lograr
- convencer
- To convince, to persuade; change someone's opinion
- corazón
- Heart; organ or seat of emotions
- pese
- Despite; even though, in spite of
- toda
- All, entire; whole or complete
- buena
- Good; positive quality or character
- voluntad
- Will, willingness; desire or intention to act
- mas
- But; literary conjunction, variant of pero
- ahora
- Now; at the present moment
- ha
- Has; third person singular present of haber
- pagado
- Paid; past participle of pagar
- un
- A, an; masculine singular indefinite article
- solo
- Single, only, alone; without others
- precio
- Price, cost; amount paid for something
- todo
- All, everything; the whole of something
- Y
- And; coordinating conjunction joining clauses
- diosa
- Goddess; female divine being
- grises
- Gray; plural adjective describing color gray
- respondió
- Responded; third person singular preterite of responder
- diciendo
- Saying; present participle of decir
- Oh
- Oh; exclamation expressing emotion or address
- padre
- Father; male parent
- nuestro
- Our; first person plural possessive adjective
- entronizado
- Enthroned; seated on a throne with authority
- en
- In, on, at; preposition of location or time
- alto
- High, tall; at great elevation
- ese
- That; masculine singular demonstrative adjective
- yace
- Lies; third person singular of yacer, to lie
- ciertamente
- Certainly, surely; without doubt
- una
- A, an; feminine singular indefinite article
- muerte
- Death; end of life
- bien
- Well; adverb indicating something done correctly
- merece
- Deserves, merits; third person singular of merecer
- perezcan
- May they perish; subjunctive plural of perecer
- igualmente
- Equally, likewise; in the same manner
- todos
- All, everyone; all persons considered together
- los
- The; masculine plural definite article
- cometan
- Commit; subjunctive plural of cometer
- tales
- Such; of that kind or type
- actos
- Acts, deeds; actions performed intentionally
- Pero
- But; adversative conjunction introducing contrast
- mi
- My; first person singular possessive adjective
- se
- Reflexive pronoun; oneself, himself, herself, itself
- desgarra
- Tears apart, rends; third person of desgarrar
- sabio
- Wise, sage; having great wisdom or knowledge
- desventurado
- Unfortunate, wretched; affected by misfortune
- lejos
- Far, far away; at a great distance
- amigos
- Friends; persons with close mutual affection
- sufre
- Suffers; third person singular present of sufrir
- desde
- Since, from; indicates starting point in time or space
- tanto
- So much, so long; great amount or degree
- tiempo
- Time, weather; duration or period
- tribulación
- Tribulation, suffering; great distress or trouble
- isla
- Island; land mass surrounded by water
- ceñida
- Encircled, girt; surrounded closely by something
- mar
- Sea; large body of salt water
- donde
- Where; relative adverb of place
- está
- Is; third person singular present of estar
- ombligo
- Navel, center; central or middle point
- boscosa
- Wooded, forested; covered with dense trees
- ella
- She, her; third person feminine singular pronoun
- tiene
- Has; third person singular present of tener
- morada
- Dwelling, abode; place where someone lives
- hija
- Daughter; female child of a parent
- mago
- Magician, sorcerer; one who practices magic
- conoce
- Knows; third person singular present of conocer
- las
- The; feminine plural definite article
- profundidades
- Depths; deep areas or dimensions of something
- mares
- Seas; plural of mar, large bodies of water
- él
- He; third person masculine singular subject pronoun
- mismo
- Himself, same; used for emphasis or identity
- sostiene
- Holds up, sustains; third person of sostener
- altas
- Tall, high; feminine plural of alto
- columnas
- Columns, pillars; vertical structural supports
- mantienen
- Maintain, keep; third person plural of mantener
- separados
- Separated, apart; kept distinct from each other
- tierra
- Earth, land, ground; solid surface or soil
- cielo
- Sky, heaven; space above the earth
- Es
- Is; third person singular present of ser
- quien
- Who; relative pronoun referring to a person
- retiene
- Retains, holds back; third person of retener
- desdichado
- Wretched, unhappy; deeply unfortunate or miserable
- aflicción
- Affliction, grief; state of pain or sorrow
- siempre
- Always; at all times without exception
- suaves
- Soft, gentle, smooth; pleasant to senses
- engañosos
- Deceptive, misleading; intended to deceive
- relatos
- Tales, accounts, stories; narrative descriptions
- seduce
- Seduces, lures; attracts or entices someone astray
- hacia
- Toward; preposition indicating direction or tendency
- olvido
- Forgetfulness, oblivion; state of being forgotten
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