I’m noticing a sort of parallel construction here with the two phrases of the line each beginning with prepositions (epi and ek although what is the “ek” doing?) chiasmus is it almost? with Odysseus dropping and the night coming and with the night smelling fragrant and Odysseus fighting for his life (as if the night’s fragrance suggested its own continuing struggle to exist?):
And out I fell, fighting for my life, and on came the fragrant smelling night.
εκ δε επεσον θυμηγερεων, επι δ’ αμβροσιη νυξ ηλυθ’.
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θυμηγερεων: endeavoring to rally one’s spirit, making a fight for life. αμβροσιη: sweet-smelling, fragrant.
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[And I fell, fighting for my life; and the night came, smelling fragrant.]
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Lat.: I came out and dropped, nursing a hold on life, and immortal/ night came on..
Fag.: So, fighting for life, I flung myself ashore/ and the godsent, bracing night came on at once.
.i`` * ^ / . . . . . ` `~ 