A Call to Muses
Oh, muses, I call upon you! Inspire me with your creativity, Fill my mind with new ideas, And guide my hand as I create.
Let your voices be heard in my heart, Your wisdom reflected in my work, Your beauty shining through every stroke, Every note, every word.
Help me to see the world anew, To find inspiration in unexpected places, To express myself with honesty and passion, And to share my creations with others.
Thank you, muses, for your guidance. I am grateful for your presence in my life.
Tell me about that man, Muse, the one rich in many schemes. After destroying the sacred city of Troy, he truly suffered much. He visited many cities and knew their hearts, And on the sea, he bore great suffering in his own heart, Struggling to win back his life and the return of his companions. Even so, he could not save his companions. They perished through their own recklessness, Those fools who devoured the cattle of Hyperion, Helios. Then he took away from them the day of their return. Tell us these things, goddess, daughter of Zeus, no matter where you heard them.
The Only One Who Cannot Return: Odysseus
At that time, the others, as far as those who had escaped a harsh fate, had avoided war and the sea, and were at home. But only he, longing for his return and his wife, was being held back by the beautiful nymph Calypso, who among the goddesses shone brightly, and desired him as her husband in a deep cave. However, after years had passed, finally that year arrived – the year when the gods were destined to weave a path for him to return home to Ithaca. But even there, he could not escape hardship, even among his loved ones. All the gods pitied him, except Poseidon. He alone continued to be enraged, until Odysseus reached his own country.
Poseidon's Absence and Zeus' Words
But he had gone to the land of the Ethiopians, far away. To the people who live at the ends of the earth, divided into two groups: Some dwell where Hyperion sets, and others where he rises, To witness the sacrifice of a hundred bulls and sheep. There, he joined in their festivities, while all the other gods Were gathered in Zeus's palace on Olympus. Among them, the father of gods and men spoke first, Because he remembered Aegisthus, who was blameless in his heart, The son of Atreus whom Orestes killed. Remembering him, he addressed the immortal ones: "Alas, how do mortals blame the gods? They say that misfortunes come from us, but they themselves, Through their own recklessness, suffer pains beyond what is fated. Just now, Aegisthus, too, suffered a fate beyond his destiny, When he married the woman who was meant to be Atreus's son's wife, And killed him upon his return, knowing of the great destruction that would come— A warning we had given him beforehand, Through Hermes, saying: 'Do not kill yourself, nor seek after this woman.' For Orestes will exact revenge on Atreus's son, When he grows up and longs for his own kingdom." Thus spoke Hermes, but he could not persuade Aegisthus to heed the good advice. But now he has paid for everything.
| Simple Japanese.
The poet asks the Muse to tell the story of Odysseus, who has accumulated wisdom and experience. After the Trojan War, Odysseus and his companions aimed to return home, but his companions lost their lives because they ate the cattle of the sun god. Even Odysseus, who survived, was kept by Calypso and could not return to his homeland. Zeus says that humans sometimes suffer due to their own recklessness, citing Aegisthus as an example, who ignored the warnings of the gods and killed Agamemnon. |
Translation Note
A Call to Muses
Muses - Goddesses of poetry. Poets begin epic poems by calling upon the Muses, seeking their wisdom and storytelling ability.
Troy - A city that was besieged by the Greek army for many years. In the beginning, it is shown that even after its fall, the protagonist's return was long delayed.
Return - This refers to a journey back to one's hometown and the achievement of that return. The story places not only the protagonist's own return, but also the returns lost by their companions at the center of its beginning.
Hyperion, the Helios: This refers to the sun god Helios. "Hyperion" is a title that indicates his superior nature. At the beginning of the story, it is foreshadowed that he was prevented from returning home because his companions ate his cattle.
Zeus's daughter - A term referring to the Muses. The poet rephrases "Muse" in the first line and calls out again at the end of the initial meaning unit.
The Only One Who Cannot Return: Odysseus
Nymphe: A female deity associated with natural places such as mountains, springs, trees, and the sea. Here, it refers to Calypso.
Calypso - A goddess who lures Odysseus to her cave and desires him as a husband. For this reason, even after other survivors have returned home, only he remains unable to return.
Ithaca - Odysseus' homeland. The gods weave a destiny for him to return here, but it is foreshadowed that hardships will remain even after his homecoming.
Poseidon: The god who rules over the sea. While other gods pity Odysseus, only he remains angry and prevents his return for a long time.
Odysseus, similar to a god - A poetic epithet used for the protagonist. Here, it creates a contrast because he is a hero who is also subjected to the wrath of a single god.
Poseidon's Absence and Zeus' Words
Ethiopians: In the poem, they are depicted as a people living at the ends of the world, divided into two groups: those who live where the sun sets and those who live where it rises. Here, Poseidon is attending their sacrificial feast.
Hyperion - A designation associated with the sun god Helios. In line 24, its setting and rising are depicted as the ends of regions inhabited by Ethiopians.
Aegisthus — He married the wife of Agamemnon when he returned, and killed Agamemnon upon his return. Zeus mentions him as an example to distinguish between disasters attributed to the gods and human recklessness.
Orestes - Son of Agamemnon. He is foreshadowed as the one who will avenge his father by killing Aegisthus.
Agamemnon – A person also known as "son of Atreus." In line 30, he is mentioned as the father of Orestes. In line 36, he is described as someone who was killed upon his return.
Hermes - A messenger who conveys warnings from the gods to Aegisthus.
Algepontes - A descriptive term used in conjunction with Hermes, referring to the original text. Following the footnotes of the original text, it is transcribed here as a proper noun, and an alternative translation that defines it as "Argos killer" will not be used.