by Ezra Pound

    And then went down to the ship，

    Set keel to breakers， forth² on the godly sea， and

    We set up mast and sail on tha swart ship，

    Bore sheep aboard her， and our bodies also

    Heavy with weeping， so winds from sternward

    Bore us out onward⁴ with bellying⁵ canvas，

    Circe's this craft， the trim-coifed goddess.

    Then sat we amidships， wind jamming the tiller，

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

    Sun to his slumber⁷， shadows o'er all the ocean，

    Came we then to the bounds of deepest water，

    To the Kimmerian lands， and peopled cities

    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 wretched men there.

    The ocean flowing backward， came we then to the place

    Aforesaid by Circe.

    Here did they rites⁸， Perimedes and Eurylochus，

    And drawing sword from my hip¹

    I dug the ell-square pitkin；

    Poured we libations unto each the dead，

    First mead⁹ and then sweet wine， water mixed with white flour.

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

    As set in Ithaca， sterile¹⁰ 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 at 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；

    Slaughtered¹¹ the heards， sheep slain¹² of bronze；

    Poured ointment¹³， cried to the gods，

    To Pluto¹⁴ 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 sepulchre， since toils¹⁵ urged other.

    Pitiful spirit.  And I cried in hurried speech：

    "Elpenor， how art thou come to this dark coast？

    Cam'st thou afoot， outstripping¹⁶ seamen¹⁷？"

    And he in heavy speech：

    "Ill fate and abundant wine. I slept in Circe's ingle.

    Going down the long ladder unguarded，

    I fell against the buttress¹⁸，

    Shattered the nape-nerve， the soul sought Avernus.

    But thou， O King， I bid remember me， unwept， unburied，

    Heap up mine arms， be tomb by sea-bord， and inscribed¹⁹：

    A man of no fortune， and with a name to come.

    And set my oar³ up， that I swung mid⁶ fellows."

    And Anticlea came， whom I beat off， and then Tiresias Theban，

    Holding his golden wand， knew me， and spoke²⁰ first：

    "A second time？ why？ man of ill star，

    Facing the sunless dead and this joyless region？

    Stand from the fosse， leave me my bloody²¹ bever

    For soothsay."

    And I stepped back，

    And he stong with the blood， said then： "Odysseus

    Shalt return through spiteful Neptune²²， over dark seas，

    Lose all companions." And then Anticlea came.

    Lie quiet Divus. I mean， that is Andreas Divus，

    In officina Wecheli， 1538， out of Homer.

    And he sailed， by Sirens and thence outward and away

    And unto Circe.

    Venerandam，

    In the Creatan's phrase， with the golden crown， Aphrodite，

    Cypri munimenta sortita est， mirthful， orichalchi， with golden

    Girdles and breast bands， thou with dark eyelids²³

    Bearing the golden bough²⁴ of Argicida. So that

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