名人诗歌|The Trunk of the Olive Tree (an excerpt)

by Homer （Translated by Robert Fitzgerald）

An old trunk of olive

grew like a pillar on the building plot，

and I laid out our bedroom round that tree，

lined up the stone walls， built the walls and roof，

gave it a doorway^{1 and smooth-fitting doors.}

Then I lopped off the silvery leaves and branches，

hewed^{2 and shaped that stump3 from the roots up}

into a bedpost， drilled it， let it serve

as model for the rest. I planed them all，

inlaid them all with silver， gold and ivory，

and stretched a bed betweena pliant^{4 web}

of oxhide thongs^{5 dyed crimson6.}