“In Egypt still, though longing to come home, The gods detained me; for I had not paid The sacrifice of chosen hecatombs, And ever do the gods require of us Remembrance of their laws. There is an isle Within the billowy sea before you reach The coast of Egypt—Pharos is its name— At such a distance as a ship could pass In one whole day with a shrill breeze astern. A sheltered haven lies within that isle, Whence the good ships go forth with fresh supplies Of water. There the gods constrained my stay For twenty days, and never in that time Blew favoring winds across the waters, such As bear the galley over the great deep. Now would our stores of food have been consumed, Now would the courage of my men have died, Had not a goddess pitied me, and come To my relief, by name Eidothea, born To the great Proteus, Ancient of the Deep. For she was moved by my distress, and came To me while I was wandering alone, Apart from all the rest. They through the isle Roamed everywhere from place to place, and, pinched With hunger, threw the hook for fish. She came, And, standing near, accosted me and said:—
“ ‘Stranger, thou art an idiot, or at least Of careless mood, or else art willingly Neglectful, and art pleased with suffering, That thou dost linger in this isle so long And find no means to leave it, while the hearts Of thy companions faint with the delay.’
“She spake, and I replied:
‘Whoe’er thou art, goddess, let me say, not willingly I linger here. I surely must have sinned Against the immortal dwellers of high heaven; But tell me—for the gods know all things—who Of all the immortals holds me windbound here, Hindering my voyage; tell me also how To reach my home across the fishy deep.’
“I ended, and the glorious goddess said In answer: > ‘Stranger, I will truly speak; The deathless Ancient of the Deep, whose words Are ever true, Egyptian Proteus,