oft Here makes his haunt. To him are fully known— For he is Neptune’s subject—all the depths Of the great ocean. It is said I owe To him my birth. If him thou canst insnare And seize, he will disclose to thee thy way And all its distances, and tell thee how To reach thy home across the fishy deep; And further will reveal, if so he choose, O foster-child of Jove, whate’er of good Or ill has in thy palace come to pass, While thou wert wandering long and
“So said the goddess, and I spake again:—
‘Explain by what device to snare and hold The aged deity, lest he foreknow Or else suspect our purpose and escape. ’Twere hard for mortals to constrain a god.’
“I ended, and the glorious goddess thus Made answer: ‘When the climbing sun has reached The middle heaven, the Ancient of the Deep, Who ne’er deceives, emerges from the waves, And, covered with the dark scum of the sea, Walks forth, and in a cavern vault lies down. Thither fair Halosydna’s progeny, The sea-calves from the hoary ocean, throng, Rank with the bitter odor of the brine, And slumber near him. With the break of day I will conduct thee thither and appoint Thy place, but thou shalt choose to go with thee Three of the bravest men in thy good ships. And let me now relate the stratagems Of the old prophet. He at first will count The sea-calves, going o’er them all by fives; And when he has beheld and numbered all, Amidst them all will he lie down, as lies A shepherd midst his flock. And then, as soon As ye behold him stretched at length, exert Your utmost strength to hold him there, although He strive and struggle to escape your hands; For he will try all stratagems, and take The form of every reptile on the earth, And turn to water and to raging flame— Yet hold him firmly still, and all the more Make fast the bands. When he again shall take The form in which thou sawest him asleep, Desist from force, and loose the bands that held The ancient prophet. Ask of him what god Afflicts thee thus, and by what means to cross The fishy deep and find thy home again.’