“I am your suppliant, princess.  Are you some god or mortal?  If one of the gods who hold the open sky, to Artemis, daughter of mighty Zeus, in beauty, height, and bearing I find you likest.  But if you are a mortal, living on the earth, most happy are your father and your honored mother, most happy your brothers also.  Surely their hearts ever grow warm with pleasure over you, when watching such a blossom moving in the dance.  And then exceeding happy he, beyond all others, who shall with gifts prevail and lead you home.  For I never before saw such a being with these eyes—­no man, no woman.  I am amazed to see.  At Delos once, by Apollo’s altar, something like you I noticed, a young palm shoot springing up; for thither too I came, and a great troop was with me, upon a journey where I was to meet with bitter trials.  And just as when I looked on that I marveled long within, since never before sprang such a stalk from earth; so, lady, I admire and marvel now at you, and greatly fear to touch your knees.  Yet grievous woe is on me.  Yesterday, after twenty days, I escaped from the wine-dark sea, and all that time the waves and boisterous winds bore me away from the island of Ogygia.  Now some god cast me here, that probably here also I may meet with trouble; for I do not think trouble will cease, but much the gods will first accomplish.  Then, princess, have compassion, for it is you to whom through many grievous toils I first am come; none else I know of all who own this city and this land.  Show me the town, and give me a rag to throw around me, if you had perhaps on coming here some wrapper for your linen.  And may the gods grant all that in your thoughts you long for:  husband and home and true accord may they bestow; for a better and higher gift than this there cannot be, when with accordant aims man and wife have a home.  Great grief it is to foes and joy to friends; but they themselves best know its meaning.”

Then answered him white-armed Nausicaae:  “Stranger, because you do not seem a common, senseless person,—­and Olympian Zeus himself distributes fortune to mankind and gives to high and low even as he wills to each; and this he gave to you, and you must bear it therefore,—­now you have reached our city and our land, you shall not lack for clothes nor anything besides which it is fit a hard-pressed suppliant should find.  I will point out the town and tell its people’s name.  The Phaeacians own this city and this land, and I am the daughter of generous Alcinoues, on whom the might and power of the Phaeacians rests.”

She spoke, and called her fair-haired waiting-women:  “My women, stay!  Why do you run because you saw a man?  You surely do not think him evil-minded, The man is not alive, and never will be born, who can come and offer harm to the Phaeacian land:  for we are very dear to the immortals; and then we live apart, far on the surging sea, no other tribe of men has dealings with us.  But this poor man has come here having lost his way, and we should give him aid; for in the charge of Zeus all strangers and beggars stand, and a small gift is welcome.  Then give, my women, to the stranger food and drink, and let him bathe in the river where there is shelter from the breeze.”