Page:The Iliad of Homer in English Hexameter Verse.djvu/40

 " Grievous in sooth it is, unendurable longer the evil, That, for the sake of mortals, ye two thus wrangle together ; Breaking the peace of the Gods, disturbing their ease and enjoyment ; Spoiling the zest of the feast, when thus giving way to your tempers. But to my mother I say, — and she knows I am speaking the hard truth, — E'en let her yield to my father, to Zeus, and assuage his displeasure : Lest he continue to chide, and destroy all the joy of the banquet : For my Olympian father could well, if he wish'd, overcome us ; Dashing us all from our seats — so much is he strongest in heaven. 68 ° Speak to him then, mother dear ! — and entreat him with words of endear- ment : So may the chief of Glympus again be propitious and love us."

Speaking, he fill'd up the cup, with its twofold hollow ; and bore it Unto his mother dear, and presented it, and thus address'd her.

" Comfort thyself, mother mine ; and restrain thyself; — though with a full heart. Lest, all dear as thou art, with these very eyes, I behold thee Come to the worst in the strife ; and, grieved to the soul, be unable Or to avert thy doom, or to render availing assistance. No slight task is it, mother, to strive with the King of Olympus. Once did he seize me before, in his rage, when I tried to assist thee : 69 ° Seized by the foot, and flung me right over the threshold of Heaven. All the day long I fell, till the sun was below the horizon : Then in the Lemnian Isle, came I down — little breath was within me. There did the Sintians find, and they pitied the case of, the fallen."

Thus did he speak; and a smile lit the face of the white-armed Here. Smiling, she took in her hand the cup from her son, from Hephaestus. Then from right unto left, unto all of the Gods in their order,