Original subtitles

WWW.MY-SUBS.CO

THE ODYSSEY based on Homer's epic poem

EPISODE FOUR

Strangers, what are you doing in my home?

Come near so I can see you!

Who are you?

Few are the men who come this lonely land.

We are Greek, we fought the Trojan War...

...and the winds pushed us across the sea towards Africa.

We are in your home now, you who are so strong and mighty

Give us hospitality, we hope you will be generous.

Accept our friendship, we ask for yours in the name of our protector Zeus...

...he who guides travelers, and wants guests to be honored...

- Stranger, you are talking like a simpleton or a child!

... indeed, you must come from afar to mention the Gods and their laws...

I am Polyphemus, from the race of Cyclopes!

We are stronger than all the Gods together...

I will spare you and your fellows only if I please...

... and I do not fear the wrath of Zeus...

Tell me where your ship is hiding! Close to here? Near the cape?

Our coasts are dangerous, and the winds are rough...

...I know a real harbor where your ship would be safe.

His words took all my hopes away. Polyphemus was an evil creature...

...trying to fool me to take hold of my ship.

His only eye was staring at me, the beast was looking at his prey.

We couldn't escape the cave, as the hole was now impossible to reach.

I decided to answer to deceit by deceit.

- Poseidon has smashed my ship against this island...

...and here we are, barely escaping death.

- Who of us will be his next victim?

- No one for now. Look, he's getting asleep...

You are a hero, Odysseus. But don't risk your life for us.

- We have to act! No use for waiting...

I know what you think, Odysseus But you have no chance...

...even if your dagger pierced his heart, it would be no use...

... we can never move the rock closing the way out of the cave ...

- You are right...

...the atrocities we just saw have obscured my mind...

More than by terror and horror, I was thwarted by the unability to fight.

My shipmates prayed the Gods. I wondered how to escape the monster...

... there had to be a way, but which?

The longest night in our lives started.

Only the weakest among us, terrified and exhausted, fell asleep.

The night was a torture to me.

..the idea of such an end outraged me...

...I could not admit to die in this cave, away from the sunlight...

At dawn, the monster went out with his sheep...

... and locked up our prison with the rock.

We had one day ahead of us, and we were alive...

...in my mind, I started to figure out desperate plans...

- Such a miserable fate! Surviving so many perils...

...only to die here, where courage is of no use...

...and our hands unable to fight.

- You are to blame, Odysseus! I should never have followed you...

- Shut up! You have a short memory. - Let him talk.

- We have been wandering on sea for years...

...without ever finding our homes and our wives... Odysseus is to blame!

- Odysseus, I don't want to be devoured by the monster...

...the Lotus Eaters were good, why did we leave them, why?

- Quiet!

We will save ourselves...

....but you must obey me once more....

...it is still time to refuse, my friends...

- Well I do! I no longer trust your plans!

- We are only men against this monster, but we are brave.

I found a way.

Let's prune this trunk. I want it polished like a mast, help me!

We smoothed the trunk, cut an edge, hardened it with fire, then hid it..

... then until dusk, we had to wait, anxious for the Cyclops to return...

...he would obviously devour more of us....

...we let chance decide who would be sacrified...

... in the endeavour.

Wait! Put my luck beside yours!

Fate favored me by chosing the four I would have selected myself...

...for a task requiring to be bold, skilled and selfless...

... Heraclius, Philetor, Elpenor, Eurylochus and myself.

Once more, we were inflicted the sight of his ghastly meal.

Time had come to serve him wine and make him numb...

... there was plenty, and I blessed my instinct to bring it with me...

...a man could only drink it if watered down twenty times...

Cyclops, now you reveled on human flesh, quench your thirst!

This is wine I had brought confident in your hospitality.

- Too kind of you, offering this to me! It might be a ploy though...

You drink first!

What a nectar! Pour some more!

Hear me? Give me more of your wine!

You earned the gift which a guest deserves.

After this, you won't say I ignore the traditions of hospitality....

... and don't respect the Gods.

What are you called? Speak!

- I will tell you my name, Polyphemus...

...but once told, you must give me what you promised...

...now listen...

- Speak!

My name is....

...Nobody!

My father called me so, and my friends also call me Nobody!

- Nobody? You will be devoured last...

... after I have eaten up all of your fellows.

This is how I shall thank you, my guest!

- Odysseus, I also want to avenge our friends!

Help me! Brother Cyclopes, help me! They kill me! They kill me!

- They will be many to help him. Our attempt was of no avail.

- They're coming! Our end is near, comrades.

- We blinded him, and still we're doomed, such a misery!

- At least, we avenged our friends.

- Help me, brother Cyclopes! Help! Help!

- What's up, Polyphemus? What gives you so much trouble and pain?

Why did you wake up? Was your flock stolen?

Somebody wants to kill you?

- It's Nobody! Nobody wants to kill me, Nobody!

If nobody harms you, then your pain comes from Zeus...

...we can do nothing for you... ...call our father Poseidon, he will help.

The trick with the name had fooled them.

All night long, he chased us, groping around, and rolling out of pain.

At dawn, his sheep started bleating...

...and Polyphemus wanted to let them out...

...he found the rock and removed it...

...I knew he would inspect the sheep one by one to stop us fleeing...

...so I told my men to tie themselves up beneath their paunch ...

- Today....

...I can guide you no longer...

...where the grass is fresh and green. You are now without a shepherd.

But those miserable Greeks cannot escape me!

- Hold yourselves tight!

- Those treacherous cowards struck me...

... Nobody blinded me with a vile ploy!

This is how my men fled from their jail.

- And how did you escape?

- I was tied to the paunch of his favorite ram.

- My dearest ram, why are you among the last today?

...you are always ahead of the flock, ready to graze tender grass...

Have the cries of your master stopped you?

I see no more! Woe to this scum who numbed me with his wine!

His wretched name is Nobody!

But let me tell you, he has not escaped death yet!

If you knew my feelings, if you could only speak...

... if only you could tell me where this infamous traitor is hiding!

Go, my dear ram, go.

So without being aware, he pushed me himself out of the cave.

As soon I was out, I yelled: you all run to the boat, run!

I was afraid that other Cyclopes might see us.

Hurry up, take everything you can! Come on, quick!

Odysseus!

What force was keeping me on this rock?

Why did I hesitate to join my men on the shore?

Was it not wiser just to flee as fast as I could, and to keep silent?

Listen, you Cyclops!

You have misjudged the future, now have you paid the price!

I was not a poor wanderer, whose companions you could devour unpunished!

The evil you have done has left its mark on you forever!

Shame is not enough of a penance for the one who kills his guests...

...you learned that Zeus and all the Gods never forgive those who break their laws!

Cyclops, if any mortal happened to ask for...

...the name of the foe who subdued and blinded you...

... tell him it was Odysseus, one of the conquerors of Troy!

Ithaca is my kingdom, and my father Laertes!

- Odysseus!

I was foretold that you would take my sight!

You were my destiny!

But I imagined a hero who would be equal by strength...

...whereas you fooled me by deceit.

Come back here, Odysseus!

Now I know who you are, I will wish you a good journey....

...I shall pray my father to guide you and your ship...

...my father Poseidon, god of the seas!

-Press the oars!

Row faster!

- Oh, help me Poseidon!

- Your only eye will never heal...

...and if Poseidon came up from the abyss, his help would be no use!

My only regret is not to rip out your heart!

- Poseidon, lord of the proud waters...

... if really I am your son, may Odysseus never return home!

That was the plea of Polyphemus to his father, the blue haired god.

That is why you see me here, begging you on my knees...

...because I depend on you, and only you can help me.

- I am afraid it is not in my power to help you.

The forces you have challenged are huge, and I am only a man...

... and they could fall back on us.

- Before you refuse him your support, you should wonder...

...where justice was. The Cyclops was blasphemous by devouring his guests.

- You know that we and the Cyclopes have common ancestry...

... and don't forget the ancient prophecy...

...we Phaeacians will face Poseidon's anger because of a guest...

... a stranger whom we will shelter and escort at sea....

...the prophecy even foretells the sanction...

...the ship that will escort him will be destroyed...

...it also tells that our city will be crushed by a mountain.

- Prophecies often turned out to be false, or only partly true......

... Zeus doesn't want them to prevent us from being just.

- I know, Alcinous, I demand much generosity from the Phaeacians...

... and if a god's curse really made me strand here...

...I shall leave alone on a raft, to keep you out of trouble!

- Noble Phaeacians...

...we will ask our host to continue his story, so we can understand...

...how and why his journey back brought him to our country...

Go on, Odysseus...

...you moved the queens heart, I see a favorable sign of destiny.

- We continued our journey, after we mourned the dead...

...we sailed along the coastline, and the winds followed us ...

... finally we arrived at a cliff, towering above us....

...there was no footpath, but on top was a palace worthy of a king...

...I decided to consult my men, as the recent past made them fearful...

... so I mixed truth and tale to comfort them...

Stop!

- I have seen these islands before...

...I recognize the shape of this cliff...

...however, I don't recall this palace, but we must stop there...

...needing the others is the fate of sailors.

Why do you look at me this way?

... are you thinking of the terrible events with the man-eating Cyclops?

No worry, my friends. This time, I shall explore this land on my own.

Have no fear, stranger. Tell us your name.Tell us your needs.

- Noble king, my name is Odysseus, king of Ithaca.

- Oh, you are the destroyer of Troy? - I am, noble king.

- So you had the idea of the wooden horse, right?

Your fame has come to us.

Your host is the god Aeolus. Zeus kindly gave me power over the winds.

Beside me, you can see my wife and my children.

They are my pride. Three males, and three females.

I asked them to marry each other, so they stay near me, and we remain united.

My table is always set, we banquet from dawn till dusk...

... you will be our guest, and may partake as long as I wish.

Odysseus, you are said to have lived through unique adventures .

Why don't you tell us some of them to entertain us?

Eat your fill. Our hospitality will be long and sweet.

- Thanks.

For one month, Aeolus kept me at his court...

... making me go through all our endeavors again...

... having me recall tragedies which sounded like mere fun to them...

... at last, I had enough, and dared to tell him I wanted to leave...

...he did not refuse.

If you don't enjoy yourself, you don't have to stay...

... leave if you like, my children will be sad to see you go...

- Thank you. You love your land so much that your children may not leave it...

... so you can understand how impatient I am to see Ithaca again.

- I understand and I will help, you were worthy of my welcome.

You were guest to the master of the winds.

Order the servants to skin a calf!

Let the skin be bound as a double sheeted sack!

In this sack, have I closed in all the winds which blow over the sea.

I only left one out, Zephyrus.

It will fill your sail all the way to your homeland.

Once you have landed, then throw the sack into the sea.

Before I give you this, you must tell me the truth.

If you answer honestly, the winds will be your friends.

Is there a god after you, stopping you from returning?

...if a god holds a grudge against you the sack will be no use.

No, noble lord, no god has any hate against me.

I piously offered sacrifices. - Swear it, Odysseus.

Swear that you will never insult my lord Poseidon...

... the winds will be sealed inside so you can safely return home.

- I swear I will make him offerings and never offend him...

... nor with thoughts, words or deeds.

We sailed four days on a balmy sea.

I didn't even need to follow a route.

Following the wind was enough.

If the wind changed direction, so I steered the ship.

- Give me the rudder, go to rest. - I will call you when needed.

- Four days you haven't slept. What are you afraid of?

- I shall stay awake until I see Ithaca. I have to

Should I let go now? It is so close I can already feel it.

Just be on your watch too.

- We may follow him to Polyphemus...

...but when a king covers him with gifts, he doesn't care for us...

-Ithaca! Ithaca!

- At last, this is Ithaca, our land!

The battle was won, I could sleep at last.

- Come on, row! Fasten the sail instead of falling asleep!

Aren't you impatient to land?

- What shall we say to our families? We were away for so many years!

And we come back like beggars!

Why do you stare and say nothing? Don't you think the same?

Are you afraid to speak out?

Look at the proud warriors of Troy, once departed on twelve ships...

They are back with only one, and empty handed too!

I wonder if there is gold on board, I want to know right away!

- Isn't that enough that you come back alive?

- No! After going through hunger, thirst and danger, no!

Shame to warriors who go home without booty!

Their sons will never look at them again with due respect!

The booty was lost on the other ships, did you forget that?

And the sack, what is there inside? What is Odysseus hiding from us?

I want to know now! - No!

All the winds were unleashed, pushing the ship far away from Ithaca.

Gusts were blowing...

Trying to steer the ship was just as vain as fighting among us.

But that lord of the winds, Aeolus... have you really met him?

- Polybus, what is your thought?

- Strange is your story, Odysseus, and hard to comprehend.

Blessings favor you for sure, just as opposing forces also persecute you.

However, it seems that you govern your painful road yourself.

... you alone wanted to see the Cyclops, you alone climbed the rock of Aeolus...

... you fell asleep in sight of your homeland...

... all as if you did not really want to return.