one by one I stopped the ears of all my crew; and on the
deck they bound me hand and foot, upright upon the mast-block, round which
they wound the rope; and sitting down they smote the foaming water with
their oars. But when we were as far away as one can call, and driving
swiftly onward, our speeding ship, as it drew near, did not escape the
Sirens, and thus they lifted up their penetrating voice:--

"Come hither, come, Ulysses, whom all praise! great glory to the Achaians!
Bring on your ship, and listen to our song. For none has ever passed us in
a black-hulled ship till from our lips he heard ecstatic song, then went
his way rejoicing and with larger knowledge. For we know all that on the
plain of Troy Argives and Trojans suffered at the Gods' behest; we know
whatever happens on the bounteous earth."

So spoke they, sending forth their glorious song, and my heart longed to
listen. Knitting my brows, I signed my men to set me free; but bending
forward, on they rowed. And straightway Perimedes and Eurylochus arose and
laid upon me still more cords, and drew them tighter. Then, after passing
by, when we could hear no more the Sirens' voice nor any singing, quickly
my trusty crew removed the wax with which I stopped their ears, and set me
free from bondage.

Soon after we left the island, I observed a smoke, I saw high waves and
heard a plunging sound. From the hands of my frightened men down fell the
oars, and splashed against the current. There the ship stayed, for they
worked the tapering oars no more. Along the ship I passed, inspiriting my
men with cheering words, standing by each in turn:--

"Friends, hitherto we have not been untried in danger. Here is no greater
danger than when the Cyclops penned us with brutal might in the deep cave.
Yet out of that, through energy of mine, through will and wisdom, we
escaped. These dangers, too, I think some day we shall remember. Come
then, and what I say let us all follow. You with your oars strike the deep
breakers of the sea, while sitting at the pins, and see if Zeus will set
us free from present death and let us go in safety. And, helmsman, these
are my commands for you; lay them to heart, for you control the rudders of
our hollow ship: keep the ship off that smoke and surf and hug the crags,
or else, before you know it, she may veer off that way, and you will bring
us into danger."

So I spoke, and my words they quickly heeded. But Scylla I did not
name,--that hopel