e as best I may.
There is a certain isle, Ogygia, placed 300
Far distant in the Deep; there dwells, by man
Alike unvisited, and by the Gods,
Calypso, beauteous nymph, but deeply skill'd
In artifice, and terrible in pow'r,
Daughter of Atlas. Me alone my fate
Her miserable inmate made, when Jove
Had riv'n asunder with his candent bolt
My bark in the mid-sea. There perish'd all
The valiant partners of my toils, and I
My vessel's keel embracing day and night 310
With folded arms, nine days was borne along.
But on the tenth dark night, as pleas'd the Gods,
They drove me to Ogygia, where resides
Calypso, beauteous nymph, dreadful in pow'r;
She rescued, cherish'd, fed me, and her wish
Was to confer on me immortal life,
Exempt for ever from the sap of age.
But me her offer'd boon sway'd not. Sev'n years
I there abode continual, with my tears
Bedewing ceaseless my ambrosial robes, 320
Calypso's gift divine; but when, at length,
(Sev'n years elaps'd) the circling eighth arrived,
She then, herself, my quick departure thence
Advised, by Jove's own mandate overaw'd,
Which even her had influenced to a change.
On a well-corded raft she sent me forth
With num'rous presents; bread she put and wine
On board, and cloath'd me in immortal robes;
She sent before me also a fair wind
Fresh-blowing, but not dang'rous. Sev'nteen days 330
I sail'd the flood continual, and descried,
On the eighteenth, your shadowy mountains tall
When my exulting heart sprang at the sight,
All wretched as I was, and still ordain'd
To strive with difficulties many and hard
From adverse Neptune; he the stormy winds
Exciting opposite, my wat'ry way
Impeded, and the waves heav'd to a bulk
Immeasurable, such as robb'd me soon
Deep-groaning, of the raft, my only hope; 340
For her the tempest scatter'd, and myself
This ocean measur'd swimming, till the winds
And mighty waters cast me on your shore.
Me there emerging, the huge waves had dash'd
Full on the land, where, incommodious most,
The shore presented only roughest rocks,
But, leaving it, I swam the Deep again,
Till now, at last, a river's gentle stream
Receiv'd me, by no rocks deform'd, and where