Page:The Odyssey of Homer, with the Hymns, Epigrams, and Battle of the Frogs and Mice (Buckley 1853).djvu/161

351—389. thou think any one else of many men would come to thee hereafter, since thou hast not acted rightly?'

"Thus I spoke; but he received it and drank it off: and he was greatly pleased on drinking the sweet liquor; and he again asked of me a second time: 'Kindly give me more, and forthwith tell me thy name, that I may give thee a hospitable gift, in which thou mayest rejoice. For the fruitful plain bears for the Cyclops, wine that is produced from large clusters, and the shower from Jove nourishes it. But this is what comes of ambrosia and nectar.'

"Thus he spoke; and I again gave him dark wine; thrice bearing it I gave it, and thrice he without thought quaffed it. But when the wine came about the mind of the Cyclops, then at length I addressed him with mild words: 'O Cyclops, didst thou ask of me my name in common report? I will tell thee; but do thou give me a hospitable gift, as thou didst promise: No-man is my name; my mother, and my father, and all the rest of my companions call me No-man.'

"Thus I spoke; but he again answered me with a cruel mind: 'No-man I will eat the last after his companions, but the others first; this indeed shall be thy hospitable present.'

"He spoke, and reclining fell supine; but then he lay slanting his fat neck; and all-subduing sleep seized on him; and the wine and human gobbets rushed out of his throat; and he, heavy with wine, belched. And then I drove the bar under a great quantity of cinders, until it was warm; and I encouraged all my companions with words, lest any one fearing should decline it. But when the bar of olive wood was soon about to be kindled in the fire, although it was green, for it shone very much, then I carried it near him from the fire, and my companions stood around; but a deity inspired them with great courage. They, taking the bar of olive wood, sharp at the point, thrust it into his eye; but I raised above on high moved it round; as when any man bores a timber plank with an auger, but they below, having bound it with a thong on each side, move it, and it constantly runs round; thus taking the fire-tipt bar we moved it round in his eye, and the blood flowed round it, being hot. And the vapour burnt all his eye around, and his eye-brows, when the pupil was