whatever blessing thou canst wish, Husband and home and wedded harmony. There is no better, no more blessed state, Than when the wife and husband in accord Order their household lovingly. Then those Repine who hate them, those who wish them well Rejoice, and they themselves the most of all.” And then the white-armed maid Nausicaä said:— “Since then, O stranger, thou art not malign Of purpose nor weak-minded—yet, in truth, Olympian Jupiter bestows the goods Of fortune on the noble and the base To each one at his pleasure; and thy griefs Are doubtless sent by him, and it is fit That thou submit in patience—now that thou Hast reached our lands, and art within our realm, Thou shalt not lack for garments nor for aught Due to a suppliant stranger in his need. The city I will show thee, and will name Its dwellers—the Phaeacians—they possess The city; all the region lying round Is theirs, and I am daughter of the prince Alcinoüs, large of soul, to whom are given The rule of the Phaeacians and their power.”
So spake the damsel, and commanded thus Her fair-haired maids: “Stay! whither do ye flee, My handmaids, when a man appears in sight? Ye think, perhaps, he is some enemy. Nay, there is no man living now, nor yet Will live, to enter, bringing war, the land Of the Phaeacians. Very dear are they To the great gods. We dwell apart, afar Within the unmeasured deep, amid its waves The most remote of men; no other race Hath commerce with us. This man comes to us A wanderer and unhappy, and to him Our cares are due. The stranger and the poor Are sent by Jove, and slight regards to them Are grateful. Maidens, give the stranger food And drink, and take him to the riverside To bathe where there is shelter from the wind.”
So spake the mistress; and they stayed their flight And bade each other stand, and led the chief Under a shelter as the royal maid, Daughter of stout Alcinoüs, gave command, And laid a cloak and tunic near the spot To be his raiment, and a golden cruse Of limpid oil. Then, as they bade him bathe In the fresh stream, the noble chieftain said:—