My Oedipus at Colonus Translation (Lines 1-149)

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Τἐκνον τυφλοῦ γέροντος Ἀντιγόνη, τίνας χὠρους ἀφίγμεθ´ ἤ τίνων ἀνδρῶν πόλιν; τίς τὸν πλανήτην Οἰδίπουν καθ᾽ ἡμέραν τὴν νῦν σπανιστοῖς δέξεται δωρήμασιν, σμικρὸν μὲν ἐξαιτοῦντα, τοῦ σμικροῦ δ´ἔτι μεῖον φέροντα, καὶ τ´δ᾽ἐξαρκοῦν ἐμοί; στέργειν γὰρ αἱ πάθαι με χὠ χρὀνος ξυνὼν μακρὸς διδάσκει καὶ τὸ γενναῖον τρίτον. ἀλλ᾽, ὦ τέκνον, θάκησιν ἔι τινα βλέπεις ἤ πρὸς βεβήλοις ἤ πρὸς ἄλσεσιν θεῶν, στῆσόν με κἀξίδρυσον, ὡς πυθώμεθα ὅπου ποτ᾽ ἐσμέν μανθάνειν γὰρ ἥκομεν ξένοι πρὸς ἀστῶν, ἅν δ´ἀκούσωμεν τελεῖν.

Oedipus
Antigone, child of a blind man, to what lands have we arrived or what city of men? Who now will receive the wandering Oedipus today with scanty gifts, asking very little, and bringing even less, and yet is satisfying to me. For my sufferings, having been with me for a long time, teach me, as well as my nobility, thirdly, to be satisfied. But child, if you see some place to sit either near permittable (ground) or near the groves of the gods, stop me and sit me down, so that we may learn where we are. For we have come to this city as strangers, so we must listen and obey (the citizens).

ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΗ
Πἀτερ ταλαίπωρ´ Οἰδίπους, πύργοι μὲν ὅι πόλιν στέφουσιν, ὡς ἀπ´ ὀμμάτων, πρόσω χῶρος δ´ ὅδ᾽ ἱερος, ὡς σάφ´ εἱκασαι, Βρύων δάφνης, ἐλαίας, ἀμπέλου´πυκνόπτεροι δ´εἴσω κατ´ αὐτὸν εὐστομοῦσ´ ἀηδόνες οὗ κῶλα κάμψον τοῦδ´έπ´ ἀξέστου πέτρου μακρὰν γὰρ ὡς γέροντι προὐτάλης ὁδόν.

Antigone
O miserable father Oedipus, the walls which are protecting this city, as seen with my eyes, are far off; for this place is sacred, as it seems, from which the bay, the olive, and the vine are growing; in which thick-feathered nightingales sing; come, bend your knees over this unwrought rock, since as an old man a long journey has been laid upon you.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Κάθιζέ νύν με καὶ φύλασσε τὸν τυφλόν.

Oedipus
Then sit me down and watch over me, being blind.

ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΗ
Χρόνου μὲν οὕνεκ´οὐ μαθεῖν με δεῖ τόδε.

Antigone
After a long time, it is not necessary to tell me that.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ἔχεις διδάξαι δή μ´ ὅποι καθέσταμεν;

Oedipus
Are you able to tell me where we have arrived at?

ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΗ
Τὰς γοῦν Ἀθήνας οἶδα, τὸν δὲ χῶρον οὔ.

Antigone
I know (we have come) to the land of Athens, but the specific place, (I am not familiar).

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Πᾶς γάρ τισ ηὔδα τοῦτό γ´ἡμὶν ἐμπόρων.

Oedipus
Yes, for someone of the travelers told us so.

ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΗ
ἀλλ᾽ὅστις ὁ τόπος ἦ μάθω μολοῦσά ποί;

Antigone
Yes, but now having come here, shall I learn what kind of place this is?

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Ναί, τέκνον, εἴπερ ἐστί γ´ ἐξοικήσιμος.

Oedipus
Yes, child, if it is indeed inhabitable.

ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΗ
ἀλλ᾽ ἐστὶ μὴν οἰκητός οἴμαι δὲ δεῖν οὐδέν πέλας γὰρ ἄνδρα τόνδε νῷν ὁρῶ.

Antigone
But is it inhabited! I think there isn’t a need (to go), for I see a man near us.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ἦ δεῦρο προστείχοντα κἀξωρμημένον;

Oedipus
Is he heading this direction?

ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΗ
Καἰ δἢ μὲν οὖν παρόντα χὤ τι σοι λέγειν εὔκαιρόν ἐστιν, ἔννεφ᾽, ὡς ἁνὴρ ὅδε.

Antigone
But he is present! Speak whatever is reasonable, since the man is here.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ὦ ξεῖν´, ἀκούων τῆσδε τῆς ὑπέρ τ᾽ ἐμοῦ αὑτῆς θ᾽ ὁρώσης οὕνεχ᾽ ἡμὶν αἴσιος σκοπὸς προσήκεις ὧν ἀδηλοῦμεν φράσαι -

Oedipus
Stranger, hearing this girl, seeing for me and for herself, you have come at a good time to ask of us being confused.

ΞΕΝΟΣ
Πρὶν νῦν τὰ πλείον᾽ ἱστορεῖν, ἐκ τῆςδ᾽ ἕδρας ἔξελθ᾽ ἔχεις γὰρ χῶρον οὐχ ἁγνὸν πατεῖν.

Stranger
Before you ask me many things, leave this seating area; for you cannot walk on this holy ground!

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Τίς δ᾽ ἔσθ᾽ ὁχῶρος; τοῦ θεῶν νομίζεται;

Oedipus
But what is this place? It is considered (property) of which gods?

ΞΕΝΟΣ
ἄθικτος οὐδ᾽ οἰκητός. Αἱ γὰρ ἔμφοβοι θεαί σφ᾽ἕχουσι, Γῆς τε καὶ Σκότου κόραι.

Stranger
It is virgin (land) and not inhabited; for the terrible goddess own it, daughters of Earth and Darkness.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Τίνων τὸ σεμνὸν ὅνομ᾽ ἄν εὐξαίμην κλυών;

Oedipus
Of whom shall I call revered when hearing (this) I pray?

ΞΕΝΟΣ
Τὰς πάνθ᾽ ὁρώσας Εὐμενίδας ὅ γ᾽ ἑνθάδ᾽ ἄν εἴποι λεώς νιν ἄλλα δ᾽ἀλλαχοῦ καλά.

Stranger
The people here now call them the all-seeing Eumenides, but other names (work as well).

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ἀλλ᾽ ἵλεῳ μὲν τὸν ἱκέτην δεξαίτο ὡς οὐκ ἕδρας γε τῆςδ᾽ἄν ἐξέλθοιμ᾽ ἔτι.

Oedipus
But they receive suppliants with grace; for I shall not leave this seat ever.

ΞΕΝΟΣ
Τί δ᾽ ἐστὶ τοῦτο;

Stranger
What is this?

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Ξυμφορᾶς ξύνθημ᾽ ἐμῆς.

Oedipus
It is a signal of my misfortune!

ΞΕΝΟΣ
ἀλλ᾽ οὐδ᾽ ἐμοί τοι τοὐξανιστάναι πόλεως δίχ᾽ ἐστι θάρος, πρίν γ᾽ ἄν ἐνδείξω τί δρᾷς.

Stranger
But there is no audacity from me to turn you away from the city before I report what you are doing.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Πρός νυν θεῶν, ὦ ξεῖνε, μή μ᾽ ἀτιμάσῃς, τοιόνδ᾽ ἀλήτην, ὧν σε προστρέπω φράσαι.

Oedipus
Now for the gods, o stranger, do not refuse me, being a beggar, from which I turn to you to show.

ΞΕΝΟΣ
Σήμαινε, κοὐκ ἄτιμος ἔκ γ᾽ἐμοῦ φανῇ.

Stranger
Tell me, and you will not get a refusal from me.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Τίς ἔσθ᾽ ὁ χῶρος δῆτ᾽ ἐν ᾧ βεβήκαμεν;

Oedipus
What is this land in which we have arrived?

ΞΕΝΟΣ
ὄσ᾽ οἶδα κἀγὼ πάντ᾽ ἐπιστήσῃ κλυών. Χῶρος μὲν ἱερὸς πᾶς ὅδ᾽ ἔστ᾽ ἔχει δέ νιν σεμνὸς Ποσειδῶν ἐν δ᾽ ὁ πυρφόρος θεὸς Τιτὰν Προμηθεύς ὅν δ᾽ ἐπιστείβεις τόπον χθονὸς καλεῖται τῆδε χαλκόπους ὀδός, ἔρισμ᾽Ἀθηνῶν οἱ πλησίοι γύαι τόνδ᾽ ἱππότην Κολωνὸν εὔχονται σφίσιν ἀρχηγὸν εἶναι, καὶ φέρουσι τοὔωομα τὸ τοῦδε κοινὸν πάντες ὠνομασμένοι. Τοιαῦτά σοι ταῦτ᾽ ἐστίν, ὦ ξέν᾽, οὐ λόγοις τιμώμεν᾽, ἀλλὰ τῇ ξυνουσίᾳ πλέον.

Stranger
You will know listening everything that I know. All of this land is sacred and belongs to the revered Poseidon in which the fire-bearing god Prometheus the Titan (resides) and the piece of land on which you walked is called the path of the brass hoofed, the bulwark of Athens; and the neighboring lands boast their founder to be the horseman Colonus, and the entire community bears his name calling themselves. That is that, stranger, of which in stories we do not honor it, but instead in our hearts.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ἦ γάρ τινες ναίουσι τούσδε τοὺς τόπους;

Oedipus
So these people live in these places?

ΞΕΝΟΣ
Καὶ κάρτα, τοῦδε τοῦ θεοῦ γ᾽ ἐπώνυμοι.

Stranger
Of course, their names are from the god.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ἄρχει τις αὐτῶν, ἤ᾽ πὶ τῷ πλήθει λόγος;

Oedipus
Who among them rules, or do the masses have a say?

ΞΕΝΟΣ
ἐκ τοῦ κατ᾽ ἄστυ βασιλέως τάδ᾽ ἄρχεται.

Stranger
The king in the city rules this place.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Οὖτος δέ τὶς λόγῳ τε καὶ σθένει κρατεῖ;

Oedipus
And by what speech and strength does he have power?

ΞΕΝΟΣ
Θησεὺς καλεῖται, τοῦ πρὶν Αἰγέως τόκος.

Stranger
He is called Theseus, son of the (king) before, Aegeus.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ἆρ᾽ ἄν τις αὐτῷ πομπὸς ἐξ ὑμῶν μόλοι;

Oedipus
Could some envoy go to him from you?

ΞΕΝΟΣ
ὡς πρὸς τί; λέξων ἤ καταρτύσων τί σοι;

Stranger
For what? (With the intention) of speaking or arranging something for you?

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ὡς ἅν προσαρκῶν σμικρὰ κερδάνῃ μέγα.

Oedipus
So that succoring something small he may gain something big.

ΞΕΝΟΣ
Καὶ τίς πρὸς ἀνδρὸς μὴ βλέποντος ἄρκεσις;

Stranger
And what kind of help (could be given) from a man not able to see?

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ὅσ᾽ ἄν λέγωμεν πάνθ᾽ ὁρῶντα λέξομεν.

Oedipus
Everything I say I will say seeing.

ΞΕΝΟΣ
Οἶσθ᾽, ὦ ξέν᾽, ὡς νῦν μὴ σφαλῇς; ἐπείπερ εἶ γενναῖος, ὡς ἰδόντι, πλὴν τοῦ δαίμονος, αὐτοῦ μέν᾽, οὗπερ κἁφάνης, ἕως ἐγὼ τοῖς ἐνθάδ᾽αὐτοῦ μὴ κατ᾽ἄστυ δημόταις λέξω τάδ᾽ ἑλθών. Οἵδε γὰρ κρινοῦσί σοι εἰ χρή μίμνειν, ἤ πορεύσθαι πάλιν.

Stranger
Do you know, stranger, that now you may not be harmed? Because you are noble, as it seems, regardless of your misfortune, but where you appeared (stay) until I go and speak these things to the men in here and not to the men of the city. For they will decide if it is necessary for you to stay, or be made to go away again.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ὦ τέκνον, ἦ βέβηκεν ἡμὶν ὁ ξένος;

Oedipus
O child, has the stranger left us?

ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΗ
Βέβηκεν, ὥστε πᾶν ἐν ἡσύκῳ, πάτερ, ἔξεστι φωνεῖν, ὡς ἐμοῦ μόνης πέλας.

Antigone
He left, so you are able to speak everything is at peace, father, since I am the only one near.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ὦ πότνιαι δεινῶπες, εὖτε νῦν ἔδρας πρώτων ἐφ᾽ ὑμῶν τῆςδε γῆς ἔκαμψ᾽ ἐγω, Φοίβῳ τε κἀμοὶ μὴ γένησθ᾽ ἀγνώμονες, ὅς μοι, τὰ πόλλ᾽ ἐκεῖν᾽ ὅτ᾽ ἐξέχρη κακά, ταύτην ἔλεξε παῦλαν ἐν χρόνῳ μακρῷ, ἐλθόντι χώραν τερμίαν, ὅπου θεῶν σεμνῶν ἕδραν λάμβοιμι καὶ ξενόστασιν, ἐνταῦθα κάμψειν τὸν ταλαίπωρον βίον, κέρδη μὲν οἰκήσαντα τοὶς δεδεγμένοις, ἄτην δὲ τοῖς πέμψασιν, ὅι μ᾽ ἀπήλασαν σημεῖα δ᾽ ἥξειν τῶνδέ μοι παρηγγύα, ἤ σεισμόν, ἤ βροντήν τιν᾽, ἤ Διὸς σέλας. ἔγνωκα μέν νυν ὥς με τήνδε τὴν ὁδὸν οὐκ ἔσθ᾽ ὅπως οὐ πιστὸν ἐξ ὑμῶν πτερὸν ἐξήγαγ᾽ ἐς τόδ᾽ ἅλσος. Οὐ γὰρ ἄν ποτε πρὠταισιν ὑμῖν ἀντέκυρσ᾽ ὁδοιπορῶν, νήφων ἀοίνοις, κἀπὶ σεμνὸν ἐζόμην βάθρον τόδ᾽ ἀσκέπαρνον. ἀλλά μοι, θεαί, βίου κατ᾽ ὀμφὰς τὰς Ἀπόλλωνος δότε πέρασιν ἤδη καἰ καταστροφήν τινα, εἰ μὴ δοκῶ τι μειόνως ἔχειν, ἀεὶ μόχθοις λατρεύων τοῖς ὑπερτάτοις βροτῶν. ἵτ᾽, ὦ γλυκεῖαι Παλλάδος καλούμεναι πασῶν Ἀθῆναι τιμιωτάτη πόλις, οἰκτίρατ᾽ ἀνδρὸς Οἰδίπου τόδ᾽ ἄθλιον εἴδωλον οὐ γὰρ δὴ τό γ᾽ ἀρχαῖον δέμας.

Oedipus
O terrible ladies, since now I have drawn first near this seat of your land, do not become foolish for Phoebus and me, whom he predicted many evil things, and gave (me) this resting place in a long time, coming to this final place, where I might take a seat of the revered goddesses and shelter, to reach the end of my miserable life here, (bringing) profit to the ones inhabiting here for the ones receiving (me), and ruin for the ones sending me away who drove me away, he promised me signs would come, either an earthquake, or thunder, or the lightening of Zeus. For I know this place is a trustworthy omen sent from you leading me to this grove. For never would I have encountered you as the first walking, sober without wine, and I would not have sat myself on this holy pedestal unhewn. But, goddesses, in accordance with the voice of Apollo, give me the crossing and conclusion of my life now, if I don’t seem to have low esteem, always working by sufferings of men. Come sweet children of ancient Darkness, come o greatest Pallas being called the most honored city of all Athens, take pity on the shadow of this wretched man Oedipus for this form has not always been ancient!

ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΗ
Σίγα. Πορεύνται γὰρ οἵδε δή τινες χρόνῳ παλαιοί, σῆς ἐπίσκοποι.

Antigone
Be silent. For there are some men advanced in age come, spying on your seat.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Σιγήσομαί τε καὶ σύ μ᾽ ἐξὁδοῦ᾽ κποδὼν κρύψον κατ᾽ ἄλσος, τῶνδ᾽ ἕως ἄν ἐκμάθω τίνας λόγους ἐροῦσιν. ἐ γὰρ τῷ μαθεῖν ἔνεστιν ηὑλάβεια τῶν ποιουμένων.

Oedipus
I will be silent and hide me from the road in the grove until I understand
the words they are saying. For in learning this we are cautious of acting.

ΧΟΡΟΣ
ὅρα. Τίς ἄρ᾽ ἦν; ποῦ ναίει; ποῦ κυρεῖ ἐκτόπιος συθεὶς ὁ πάντων, ὁ πάντων ἀκορέστατος; προσδέρκου, προσφθέγγου, προσπεύθου πανταχᾷ. Πλανάτας, πλανάτας τις ὁ πρέςβυς, οὐδ᾽ ἐγχωρος προσέβα γὰρ οὐκ ἄν ποτ᾽ ἀστιβὲς ἄλσος ἐς τᾶνδ᾽ ἀμαιμακετᾶν κορᾶν, ἅς τρέμομεν λέγειν, καἰ παραμειβόμεσθ᾽ ἀδέρκτως, ἀφώνως, ἀλόγως τὸ τᾶς εὐφήμου στόμα φροντίδος ἱέντες τὰ δὲ νῦν τιν᾽ ἥκειν λόγος οὐδὲν ἅζονθ᾽ ὅν ἐγὼ λεύσσων περὶ πᾶν οὔπω δύναμαι τέμενος γνῶναι τοῦ μοί ποτε ναίει.

Chorus
Look! Who is that? Where is he? Where has he rushed out of place, the most insatiable man of all? Look, speak out, enquire everywhere. Wanderer, the old man is a wanderer, and not a native! Or else the old man would not have come to virgin grove of the unconquerable maidens, whom we are afraid to speak of, and whom we pass without looking, without sound, and without speaking, uttering only with our mouths out of reverence. But now someone comes with no reverence, whom I looking around the king’s estate am not able to know where he is.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ὅδ᾽ ἐκεῖνος ἐγώ φωνῇ γὰρ ὁρῶ, τὸ φατιζόμενον.

Oedipus
I am this one for I see with my voice, as they say.

ΧΟΡΟΣ
ἰὼ ἰὼ δεινὸς μὲν ὁρᾶν, δεινὸς δὲ κλύειν.

Chorus
Seeing him is terrible, and listening is terrible!

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Μή μ᾽, ἱκετεύψ, προσίδητ᾽ ἄνομον.

Oedipus
Don’t look at me, I beg you, being lawless.

ΧΟΡΟΣ
Ζεῦ ἀλεξῆτορ, τίς ποθ᾽ ὁ πρεσβυς;

Chorus
Zeus our protector, who ever is this old man?

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
οὐ πάνυ μοίρας εὐδαιμονίσαι πρώτης, ὦ τῆςδ᾽ ἔφοροι χώρας. Δηλῶ δ᾽ οὐ γὰρ ἄν ὧδ᾽ ἀλλοτρίοις ὄμμασιν εἶρπον κἀπὶ σμικροῖς μέγας ὥρμουν.

Oedipus
Not (someone) with lucky fortune you may envy, o guardians of the land for I will make clear not crawling with another’s eyes and being anchored by small things, great as I am.