Seba.Health
The Odyssey 17.6–15
Lead this wretched stranger to the city, that there he may beg his food, and whoso will shall give him a loaf and a cup of water. For my part, I can in no wise burden myself with all men, seeing that I have grief at heart. But if the stranger is sore angered at this, it will be the worse for him. I verily love to speak the truth.”
Then Odysseus of many wiles answered him, and said: “Friend, be sure I am not myself fain to be left here. For a beggar it is better to beg his food in the town than in the fields, and whoso will shall give it me.
ἄττʼ, ἦ τοι μὲν ἐγὼν εἶμʼ ἐς πόλιν, ὄφρα με
μήτηρ
ὄψεται· οὐ γάρ μιν πρόσθεν παύσεσθαι ὀΐω
κλαυθμοῦ τε στυγεροῖο γόοιό τε δακρυόεντος,
πρίν γʼ αὐτόν με ἴδηται· ἀτὰρ σοί γʼ ὧδʼ ἐπιτέλλω.
τὸν ξεῖνον δύστηνον ἄγʼ ἐς πόλιν, ὄφρʼ ἂν ἐκεῖθι
δαῖτα πτωχεύῃ· δώσει δέ οἱ ὅς κʼ ἐθέλῃσι
πύρνον καὶ κοτύλην· ἐμὲ δʼ οὔ πως ἔστιν ἅπαντας
ἀνθρώπους ἀνέχεσθαι, ἔχοντά περ ἄλγεα θυμῷ·
ὁ ξεῖνος δʼ εἴ περ μάλα μηνίει, ἄλγιον αὐτῷ
ἔσσεται· ἦ γὰρ ἐμοὶ φίλʼ ἀληθέα μυθήσασθαι.