So she spake, and the steadfast goodly Odysseus shuddered, and uttering his voice spake to her winged words:  ’Herein, goddess, thou hast plainly some other thought, and in no wise my furtherance, for that thou biddest me to cross in a raft the great gulf of the sea so dread and difficult, which not even the swift gallant ships pass over rejoicing in the breeze of Zeus.  Nor would I go aboard a raft to displeasure thee, unless thou wilt deign, O goddess, to swear a great oath not to plan any hidden guile to mine own hurt.’

So spake he, and Calypso, the fair goddess, smiled and caressed him with her hand, and spake and hailed him: 

’Knavish thou art, and no weakling {*} in wit, thou that hast conceived and spoken such a word.  Let earth be now witness hereto, and the wide heaven above, and that falling water of the Styx, the greatest oath and the most terrible to the blessed gods, that I will not plan any hidden guile to thine own hurt.  Nay, but my thoughts are such, and such will be my counsel, as I would devise for myself, if ever so sore a need came over me.  For I too have a righteous mind, and my heart within me is not of iron, but pitiful even as thine.’

{* [Greek], from root [Greek], ‘ill-grown,’ i. e. a weakling, in the literal sense as B. xi.249, xiv.212, or metaphorical, as here and viii. 177.}

Therewith the fair goddess led the way quickly, and he followed hard in the steps of the goddess.  And they reached the hollow cave, the goddess and the man; so he sat him down upon the chair whence Hermes had arisen, and the nymph placed by him all manner of food to eat and drink, such as is meat for men.  As for her she sat over against divine Odysseus, and the handmaids placed by her ambrosia and nectar.  So they put forth their hands upon the good cheer set before them.  But after they had taken their fill of meat and drink, Calypso, the fair goddess, spake first and said: 

’Son of Laertes, of the seed of Zeus, Odysseus of many devices, so it is indeed thy wish to get thee home to thine own dear country even in this hour?  Good fortune go with thee even so!  Yet didst thou know in thine heart what a measure of suffering thou art ordained to fulfil, or ever thou reach thine own country, here, even here, thou wouldst abide with me and keep this house, and wouldst never taste of death, though thou longest to see thy wife, for whom thou hast ever a desire day by day.  Not in sooth that I avow me to be less noble than she in form or fashion, for it is in no wise meet that mortal women should match them with immortals, in shape and comeliness.’

And Odysseus of many counsels answered, and spake unto her:  ’Be not wroth with me hereat, goddess and queen.  Myself I know it well, how wise Penelope is meaner to look upon than thou, in comeliness and stature.  But she is mortal and thou knowest not age nor death.  Yet even so, I wish and long day by day to fare homeward and see the day of my returning.  Yea, and if some god shall wreck me in the wine-dark deep, even so I will endure, with a heart within me patient of affliction.  For already have I suffered full much, and much have I toiled in perils of waves and war; let this be added to the tale of those.’