Fabulae Faciles 89

89.1Hāc ōrātiōne habitā, postquam extrēmum pālum ignī calefēcit, oculum Polyphēmī dormientis ferventī lignō perfōdit; quō factō omnēs in dīversās spēluncae partīs sē abdidērunt.

When he had made this speech, after he had heated the end of the stake in the fire, he bored out the eye of the sleeping Polyphemus with the glowing wood; when this was done, they all hid in different parts of the cave.

89.2At ille subitō illō dolōre oculī ē somnō excitātus clāmōrem terribilem sustulit, et dum per spēluncam errat, Ulixem manū prehendere cōnābātur; cum tamen iam omnīnō caecus esset, nūllō modō hoc efficere potuit.

But Polyphemus, woken from sleep by the sudden pain in his eye, raised a terrible shout, and while he wandered through the cave, he tried to catch Ulysses with his hand; but since he was now completely blind, he could not do this in any way.

89.3Intereā reliquī Cyclōpēs clāmōre audītō undique ad spēluncam convēnērunt, et ad introitum adstantēs quid Polyphēmus ageret quaesīvērunt, et quam ob causam tantum clāmōrem sustulisset.

Meanwhile the other Cyclopes, hearing the shout, gathered at the cave from every side, and standing at the entrance they asked what Polyphemus was doing and why he had raised so great a shout.

Note. quam ob causam: 'for what reason', an indirect question.

89.4Ille respondit sē graviter vulnerātum esse et magnō dolōre adficī.

He answered that he had been badly wounded and was suffering great pain.

89.5Cum tamen posteā quaesīvissent quis eī vim intulisset, respondit ille Nēminem id fēcisse; quibus rēbus audītīs ūnus ē Cyclōpibus: "At sī nēmō," inquit, "tē vulnerāvit, haud dubium est quīn cōnsiliō deōrum, quibus resistere nec possumus nec volumus, hōc suppliciō adficiāris."

But when they then asked who had done him violence, he answered that Nobody had done it; on hearing this one of the Cyclopes said, "Well, if nobody has wounded you, there is no doubt that it is by the will of the gods, whom we neither can nor wish to resist, that you are being punished in this way."

Note. haud dubium est quīn … adficiāris: 'there is no doubt that you are being afflicted'. The Cyclops understands nēmō as 'nobody'.

89.6Hoc cum dīxisset, abiērunt Cyclōpēs eum in īnsāniam incidisse arbitrātī.

When he had said this, the Cyclopes went away, thinking that Polyphemus had gone mad.