Eksodos
Odysseus
Noman. What boon shall I receive of thee to earn my thanks?
Cyclops
I will feast on thee last, after all thy comrades.
550
Odysseus
Fair indeed the honour thou bestowest on thy guest, sir Cyclops!
Cyclops
(turning suddenly to Silenus.) Ho, sirrah! what art thou about? taking a stealthy pull at the wine?
Silenus
No, but it kissed me for my good looks.
Cyclops
Thou shalt smart, if thou kiss the wine when it kisses not thee.
Silenus
Oh! but it did, for it says it is in love with my handsome face.
555
Cyclops
(holding out his cup.) Pour in; only give me my cup full.
Silenus
H’m! how is it mixed? just let me make sure. (Takes another pull.)
Cyclops
Perdition! give it me at once.
Silenus
Oh, no! I really cannot, till I see thee with a crown on, and have another taste myself.
Cyclops
My cup-bearer is a cheat.
560
Silenus
No really, but the wine is so luscious. Thou must wipe thy lips, though, to get a draught.
560
Cyclops
There! my lips and beard are clean now.
Silenus
Bend thine elbow gracefully, and then quaff thy cup, as thou seest me do, and as now thou seest me not. (Burying his face in his cup.)
Cyclops
Aha! what next?
565
Silenus
I drank it off at a draught with much pleasure.
565
Cyclops
Stranger, take the skin thyself and be my cup-bearer.
Odysseus
Well, at any rate the grape is no stranger to my hand.
Cyclops
Come, pour it in.
Odysseus
In it goes! keep silence, that is all.
Cyclops
A difficult task when a man is deep in his cups.
Odysseus
Here, take and drink it off; leave none.
570
Cyclops
Paley supposes a line to have been lost here in which the Cyclops asked And how must I drink this?
570
Odysseus
Thou must be silentσιγῶντα, but many editors follow Casaubon in reading δὲ σπῶντα drink it off. and only give in when the liquor does.
Cyclops
God wot! it is a clever stock that bears the grape.
Odysseus
Aye, and if thou but swallow plenty of it after a plentiful meal, moistening thy belly till its thirst is gone, it will throw thee into slumber;
but if thou leave aught behind, the Bacchic god will parch thee for it.
575
Cyclops
Ha! ha! what a trouble it was getting out! This is pleasure unalloyed; earth and sky seem whirling round together; I see the throne of Zeus
and all the godhead’s majesty. Kiss thee! no! There are the Graces trying to tempt me. I shall rest well enough with my Ganymede here; yea, by the Graces, right fairly.
580
