The Voyage (Canto I)

Thus with stretched sail, we went over sea till day's end

Sun to his slumber, shadows o'er all the ocean

Came we then to the bounds of deepest water

Covered with close-webbed mist, unpierced ever

With glitter of sun-rays

Nor with stars stretched, nor looking back from heaven

Swartest night stretched over wreteched men there

The ocean flowing backward, came we then to the place

Aforesaid by Circe

Here did they rites, Perimedes and Eurylochus

And drawing sword from my hip

I dug the ell-square pitkin;

Poured we libations unto each the dead

First mead and then sweet wine, water mixed with white flour

Then prayed I many a prayer to the sickly death's-heads;

As set in Ithaca, sterile bulls of the best

For sacrifice, heaping the pyre with goods

A sheep to Tiresias only, black and a bell-sheep

Dark blood flowed in the fosse

Souls out of Erebus, cadaverous dead, of brides

Of youths and of the old who had borne much;

Souls stained with recent tears, girls tender

Men many, mauled with bronze lance heads

Battle spoil, bearing yet dreory arms

These many crowded about me; with shouting

Pallor upon me, cried to my men for more beasts;

Slaughtered the herds, sheep slain of bronze;

Poured ointment, cried to the gods

To Pluto the strong, and praised Proserpine;

Unsheathed the narrow sword

I sat to keep off the impetuous impotent dead

Till I should hear Tiresias

But first Elpenor came, our friend Elpenor

Unburied, cast on the wide earth

Limbs that we left in the house of Circe

Unwept, unwrapped in the sepulchre, since toils urged other

Pitiful spirit