(There was) No hope for the traveller in that dark prison of stone. To flee from starvation, he led his men there. (There, where a giant one-eyed creature greedily gorged his fearful friends alive. So what is to do when freedom is barred? When everything seems hopeless and futile? When darkness shackles the mind and the will to survive has almost dried out?)
Trapped in No way out Got trapped inside of Polyphemus’ cave
With greed the one-eyed gorged fearful friends alive So what is to do when freedom is barred?
Trapped in No way out Got trapped and Polyphemus is feasting on them
Friends: “Desperate eyes stare into darkness, Pray to Athena for help. How to leave this cell of gray stone? How to see the sunlight again? Anxious eyes stare into weak flames. We all pray to Zeus for aid. How to leave this cell of cold stone? How to see the rising sun again?”
Odysseus: “Wine! Give it to him. A tired mind can't see clear. Cyclops, here I am! Nobody is my name! Wine! Give it to him. A tired mind can't see clear. Cyclops, here I am! Nobody is my name!”
The sharpened pale in slyly hands Crafted key in useful flames Took Polyphemus' single sight And all the gods, they shall hear his cries
Polyphemus: “Help me friends! Why don't you come? Nobody did me harm! Nobody stabbed my eye! Poseidon, father, hear my cries!”
b: The Escape
The forlorn traveller, he must return To his family and his throne
On Polyphemus’ nurtured sheep They left behind their misery As cyclop hands rolled stones away And let those poor ones free
The forlorn traveller must return To family and throne With fraud and courage he has won The freedom for his men
In rage about his tortured soul The giant throws the rocks with force But Laertes' son is laughing now About Poseidons one-eyed descendent And in supposed splendor he leaves this coast of doom
Come forlorn traveller, now return To family and throne With fraud and courage you have won The freedom for your men The freedom for your men The freedom for your men