Thus while he spoke, the beamy sun descends,
And rising night her friendly shade extends,
To the close grot the lonely pair remove,
And slept delighted with the gifts of love. 
When rose morning call’d them from their rest,
Ulysses robed him in the cloak and vest. 
The nymph’s fair head a veil transparent graced,
Her swelling loins a radiant zone embraced
With flowers of gold; an under robe, unbound,
In snowy waves flow’d glittering on the ground. 
Forth issuing thus, she gave him first to wield
A weighty axe with truest temper steeled,
And double-edged; the handle smooth and plain,
Wrought of the clouded olive’s easy grain;
And next, a wedge to drive with sweepy sway
Then to the neighboring forest led the way. 
On the lone island’s utmost verge there stood
Of poplars, pine, and firs, a lofty wood,
Whose leafless summits to the skies aspire,
Scorch’d by the sun, or seared by heavenly fire
(Already dried).  These pointing out to view,
The nymph just show’d him, and with tears withdrew.

Now toils the hero:  trees on trees o’erthrown
Fall crackling round him, and the forests groan: 
Sudden, full twenty on the plain are strow’d,
And lopp’d and lighten’d of their branchy load. 
At equal angles these disposed to join,
He smooth’d and squared them by the rule and line,
(The wimbles for the work Calypso found)
With those he pierced them and with clinchers bound. 
Long and capacious as a shipwright forms
Some bark’s broad bottom to out-ride the storms,
So large he built the raft; then ribb’d it strong
From space to space, and nail’d the planks along;
These form’d the sides:  the deck he fashion’d last;
Then o’er the vessel raised the taper mast,
With crossing sail-yards dancing in the wind;
And to the helm the guiding rudder join’d
(With yielding osiers fenced, to break the force
Of surging waves, and steer the steady course). 
Thy loom, Calypso, for the future sails
Supplied the cloth, capacious of the gales. 
With stays and cordage last he rigged the ship,
And, roll’d on levers, launch’d her in the deep.

Four days were pass’d, and now the work complete,
Shone the fifth morn, when from her sacred seat
The nymph dismiss’d him (odorous garments given),
And bathed in fragrant oils that breathed of heaven: 
Then fill’d two goatskins with her hands divine,
With water one, and one with sable wine: 
Of every kind, provisions heaved aboard;
And the full decks with copious viands stored. 
The goddess, last, a gentle breeze supplies,
To curl old Ocean, and to warm the skies.