AtthistheWandererwasafraid,knowingthatanimmortalwasathand;
forthecomingsandgoingsofthegodswereattended,ashehadseen,bythiswonderfullightofunearthlyfire。Sohebowedhishead,andhidhisfaceashesatbythealtarintheholiestoftheholyshrine,andwithhisrighthandhegraspedthehornsofthealtar。Ashesatthere,perchancehewoke,andperchanceheslept。Howeveritwas,itseemedtohimthatsoontherecameamurmuringandawhisperingofthemyrtleleavesandlaurels,andasoundinthetopsofthepines,andthenhisfacewasfannedbyabreathmorecoldthanthewindthatwakesthedawn。AtthetouchofthisbreaththeWanderershuddered,andthehaironhisfleshstoodup,socoldwasthestrangewind。
Therewassilence;andheheardavoice,andheknewthatitwasthevoiceofnomortal,butofagoddess。Forthespeechofgoddesseswasnotstrangeinhisears;heknewtheclarioncryofAthene,theQueenofWisdomandofWar;andthewinningwordsofCirce,theDaughteroftheSun,andthesweetsongofCalypso’svoiceasshewovewithhergoldenshuttleattheloom。Butnowthewordscamesweeterthanthemoaningofdoves,moresoftthansleep。Socamethegoldenvoice,whetherhewokeorwhetherhedreamed。
“Odysseus,thouknowestmenot,noramIthylady,norhastthoueverbeenmyservant!Whereisshe,theQueenoftheAir,Athene,andwhycomest/thou/hereasasuppliantatthekneesofthedaughterofDione?“
Heanswerednothing,buthebowedhisheadindeepersorrow。
Thevoicespakeagain:
“Behold,thyhouseisdesolate;thyhearthiscold。Thewildharebreedsonthyhearthstone,andthenight-birdroostsbeneaththyroof-
tree。Thouhastneitherchildnorwifenornativeland,and/she/hathforsakenthee——thyLadyAthene。Manyatimedidstthousacrificetoherthethighsofkineandsheep,butdidstthouevergivesomuchasapairofdoveto/me/?Hathsheleftthee,astheDawnforsookTithonus,becausetherearenowthreadsofsilverinthedarknessofthyhair?Isthewisegoddessfickleasanymphofthewoodlandorthewells?Dothsheloveamanonlyforthebloomofhisyouth?Nay,I
knownot;butthisIknow,thatonthee,Odysseus,oldagewillsoonbehastening——oldagethatispitiless,andruinous,andweary,andweak——agethatcomethonallmen,andthatishatefultotheGods。
Therefore,Odysseus,ereyetitbetoolate,Iwouldboweventheetomywill,andholdtheeformythrall。ForIamshewhoconquersallthingsliving:Godsandbeastsandmen。AndhastthouthoughtthatthouonlyshaltescapeAphrodite?ThouthathastneverlovedasI
wouldhavemenlove;thouthathastneverobeyedmeforanhour,noreverknownthejoyandthesorrowthatareminetogive?ForthoudidstbutensurethecaressesofCirce,theDaughteroftheSun,andthouwertawearyinthearmsofCalypso,andtheSeaKing’sdaughtercamenevertoherlonging。Asforherwhoisdead,thydearwifePenelope,thoudidstloveherwithaloyalheart,butneverwithaheartoffire。Nay,shewasbutthycompanion,thyhousewife,andthemotherofthychild。Shewasmingledwithallthememoriesofthelandthoulovest,andsothougavestheralittlelove。Butsheisdead;
andthychildtooisnomore;andthyverycountryisastheashesofaforsakenhearthwhereoncewasacampofmen。Whathaveallthywarsandwanderingswonforthee,allthylabours,andalltheadventuresthouhastachieved?Forwhatdidstthouseekamongthelivingandthedead?Thousoughtestthatwhichallmenseek——thousoughtest/TheWorld’sDesire/。Theyfinditnot,norhastthoufoundit,Odysseus;
andthyfriendsaredead;thylandisdead;nothinglivesbutHope。
Butthelifethatliesbeforetheeisnew,withoutaremnantoftheolddays,exceptforthebitternessoflongingandremembrance。Outofthisnewlife,andtheunbornhours,wiltthounotgive,whatneverbeforethougavest,onehourtome,tobemyservant?“
Thevoice,asitseemed,grewsofterandcamenearer,tilltheWandererhearditwhisperinhisveryear,andwiththevoicecameadivinefragrance。Thebreathofherwhospokeseemedtotouchhisneck;theimmortaltressesoftheGoddessweremingledwiththedarkcurlsofhishair。
Thevoicespakeagain:
“Nay,Odysseus,didstthounotoncegivemeonelittlehour?Fearnot,forthoushaltnotseemeatthistime,butliftthyheadandlookonTheWorld’sDesire!“
ThentheWandererliftedhishead,andhesaw,asitwereinapictureorinamirrorofbronze,thevisionofagirl。Shewasmorethanmortaltall,andthoughstillinthefirstflowerofyouth,andalmostachildinyears,sheseemedfairasagoddess,andsobeautifulthatAphroditeherselfmayperchancehaveenviedthisloveliness。Shewasslimandgraciousasayoungshootofapalmtree,andhereyeswerefearlessandinnocentasachild’s。Onherheadsheboreashiningurnofbronze,asifshewerebringingwaterfromthewells,andbehindherwasthefoliageofaplanetree。ThentheWandererknewher,andsawheronceagainashehadseenher,wheninhisboyhoodhehadjourneyedtotheCourtofherfather,KingTyndareus。For,asheenteredSparta,andcamedownthehillTaygetus,andashischariotwheelsflashedthroughthefordofEurotas,hehadmetherthereonherwayfromtheriver。There,inhisyouth,hiseyeshadgazedonthelovelinessofHelen,andhishearthadbeenfilledwiththedesireofthefairestofwomen,andlikealltheprincesofAchaiahehadsoughtherhandinmarriage。ButHelenwasgiventoanotherman,toMenelaus,Atreus’sson,ofanevilhouse,thatthekneesofmanymightbeloosenedindeath,andthattheremightbeasongintheearsofmeninaftertime。
AshebeheldthevisionofyoungHelen,theWanderertoogrewyoungagain。Butashegazedwiththeeyesandlovedwiththefirstloveofaboy,shemeltedlikeamist,andoutofthemistcameanothervision。Hesawhimself,disguisedasabeggar,beatenandbruised,yetseatedinalonghallbrightwithgold,whileawomanbathedhisfeet,andanointedhisheadwithoil。Andthefaceofthewomanwasthefaceofthemaiden,andevenmorebeautiful,butsadwithgriefandwithanancientshame。ThenherememberedhowoncehehadstolenintoTroytownfromthecampoftheAch?ans,andhowhehadcreptinabeggar’sragswithinthehouseofPriamtospyupontheTrojans,andhowHelen,thefairestofwomen,hadbathedhim,andanointedhimwithoil,andsufferedhimtogoinpeace,allforthememoryofthelovethatwasbetweenthemofold。Ashegazed,thatpicturefadedandmeltedinthemist,andagainhebowedhishead,andkneeledbythegoldenaltaroftheGoddess,crying:
“WherebeneaththesunlightdwellsthegoldenHelen?“Fornowhehadonlyonedesire:tolookonHelenagainbeforehedied。
ThenthevoiceoftheGoddessseemedtowhisperinhisear:
“DidInotsaytruth,Odysseus?Wastnotthoumyservantforonehour,anddidnotLovesavetheeinthecityoftheTrojansonthatnightwhenevenWisdomwasofnoavail?“
Heanswered:“Yea,OQueen!“
“Beholdthen,“saidthevoice,“Iwouldagainhavemercyandbekindtothee,forifIaidtheenotthouhastnomorelifeleftamongmen。
Home,andkindred,andnativelandthouhastnone;and,butforme,thoumustdevourthineownheartandbelonelytillthoudiest。
ThereforeIbreatheintothyheartasweetforgetfulnessofeverysorrow,andIbreatheloveintotheeforherwhowasthyfirstloveinthebeginningofthydays。
“ForHelenislivingyetupontheearth。AndIwillsendtheeonthequestofHelen,andthoushaltagaintakejoyinwarandwandering。
Thoushaltfindherinastrangeland,amongastrangepeople,inastrifeofgodsandmen;andthewisestandbravestofmanshallsleepatlastinthearmsofthefairestofwomen。Butlearnthis,Odysseus;
thoumustsetthyheartonnootherwoman,butonlyonHelen。
“AndIgivetheeasigntoknowherbyinalandofmagic,andamongwomenthatdealinsorceries。
“/OnthebreastofHelenajewelshines,agreatstar-stone,thegiftIgaveheronherwedding-nightwhenshewasbridetoMenelaus。Fromthatstonefallreddropslikeblood,andtheydriponhervestment,andtherevanish,anddonotstainit。/
“BytheStarofLoveshaltthouknowher;bythestarshaltthousweartoher;andifthouknowestnottheportentoftheBleedingStar,orifthoubreakestthatoath,neverinthislife,Odysseus,shaltthouwinthegoldenHelen!Andthineowndeathshallcomefromthewater——
theswiftestdeath——thatthesayingofthedeadprophetmaybefulfilled。YetfirstshaltthoulieinthearmsofthegoldenHelen。“
TheWandereranswered:
“Queen,howmaythisbe,forIamaloneonaseagirtisle,andIhavenoshipandnocompanionstospeedmeoverthegreatgulfofthesea?“
Thenthevoiceanswered:
“Fearnot!thegodscanbringtopassevengreaterthingsthanthese。
Gofrommyhouse,andliedowntosleepinmyholyground,withinthenoiseofthewashofthewaves。Theresleep,andtakethyrest!Thystrengthshallcomebacktothee,andbeforethesettingofthenewsunthoushaltbesailingonthepathtoTheWorld’sDesire。Butfirstdrinkfromthechaliceonmyaltar。Faretheewell!“
Thevoicediedintosilence,likethedyingofmusic。TheWandererawokeandliftedhishead,butthelighthadfaded,andthetemplewasgreyinthefirstwakingofthedawn。Yetthere,onthealtarwherenocuphadbeen,stoodadeepchaliceofgold,fullofredwinetothebrim。ThistheWandererliftedanddrained——adraughtofNepenthe,themagiccupthatputstroubleoutofmind。Ashedrank,awaveofsweethopewentoverhisheart,andburiedfarbelowitthesorrowofremembrance,andthetroubleofthepast,andthelongingdesireforlovesthatwerenomore。
Withalightstephewentforthlikeayoungerman,takingthetwospearsinhishand,andthebowuponhisback,andhelaydownbeneathagreatrockthatlookedtowardthedeep,andthereheslept。