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Saturday, October 31, 2009

My Oedipus at Colonus Translation (Lines 299-460)

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ἦ καὶ δοκεῖτε τοῦ τυφλοῦ τιν᾽ ἐντροπὴν ἤ φροντίδ᾽ ἕξειν, αὐτὸν ὥστ᾽ ἐλθεῖν πέλας;

Oedipus
Does it seem like he has any regard or thoughts for a blind man, such that he will come near?

ΧΟΡΟΣ
Καὶ κάρθ᾽, ὅταν περ τοὔνομ᾽ αἴσθηται τὸ σόν.

Chorus
Indeed, when he hears your name.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Τίς δ᾽ ἔσθ᾽ ὁ κείνῳ τοῦτο τοὔπος ἀγγελῶν;

Oedipus
Who is the one bringing the message?

ΧΟΡΟΣ
Μακρὰ κέλευθος πολλὰ δ᾽ἐμπόρων ἔπη φιλεῖ πλανᾶσθαι, τῶν ἐκεῖνος ἀίων, θάρσει, παρέσται. Πολὺ γάρ, ὦ γέρον, τὸ σὸν ὄνομα διήκει πάντας, ὥστε κεἰ βραδὺς εὕδει, κλυών σου δεῦρ᾽ ἀφίξεται ταχύς.

Chorus
The distance is long; many epochs of travelers desire to wander, when hearing this, take courage, he will be here. For you name, old man, has extended greatly to many, so that if he sleeps slowly, hearing about you he will arrive quickly.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ἀλλ εὐτυχὴς ἵκοιτο τῇ θ᾽αὑτοῦ πόλει ἐμοί τε τίς γὰρ ἐσθλὸς οὐχ αὑτῷ φίλος;

Oedipus
Let fortune come for the city and me; for what good man is not a friend to himself?

ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΗ
ὦ Ζεῦ, τί λέξω; ποῖ φρενῶν ἔλθω, πάτερ;

Antigone
Oh Zeus, what will I say? Where will thoughts go, father?

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Τί δ᾽ ἔστι, τέκνον Ἀντιγόνη;

Oedipus
What is it, child?

ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΗ
Γυναῖχ᾽ὁρῶ στείζουσαν ἡμῶν ἆσσον, Αἰτναίας ἐπὶ πώλου βεβῶσαν κρατὶ δ᾽ ἡλιοστερὴς κυνῆ πρόσωπα Ξεσσαλίς νιν ἀμπέχει. Τί φωνῶ; ἆρ᾽ ἔστιν; ἆρ᾽ οὐκ ἔστιν; ἦ γνώμη πλανᾷ; καὶ φημὶ κἀπόφημι κοὐκ ἔχω τί φῶ. Τἀλαινα, οὺκ ἔστιν ἄλλη. Φαιδρὰ γοῦν ἀπ᾽ ὀμμάτων σαίνει με προστείχουσα σημαίνει δ᾽ ὅτι μόνης τόδ᾽ ἐστί, δῆλον, Ἰσμήνης κάρα.

Antigone
I see a woman coming near us, riding an Etnean colt; and a Thessalian sunhat on her head hides her face; what will I say? Is it, or is it not? Do my thoughts wander? I say yes or no, and I don’t know what to say. Poor wretch, it is not the other. So approaching me she greets with her eyes and indicates that it is clear it is only one, Ismene!

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Πὼς εἶπας, ὦ παῖ;

Oedipus
What did you say child?

ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΗ
Παὶδα σήν, ἐμὴν δ᾽ ὁρᾶν ὅμαιμον αὐδῇ δ᾽ αὐτίκ᾽ ἔξεστιν μαθεῖν.

Antigone
I see you daughter and my sister, and now we are able to know her by voice.

ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
ὦ δισσὰ πατρὸς καὶ κασιγνήτης ἐμοὶ ἥδιστα προσξωνήμαθ᾽, ὡς ὑμᾶς μόλις εὑροῦσα λύπῃ δεύτερον μόλις βλέπω.

Ismene
O father and sister, most delightful to address, it has been difficult to find you and difficult to look at you two, with pain of my body!

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ὦ τέκνον, ἥκεις;

Oedipus
Child, have you come?

ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
ὦ πάτερ δύσμορφ᾽ ὁρᾶν.

Ismene
Father you are a terrible sight!

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Τέκνον, πέφηνας;

Oedipus
Child, have you appeared?

ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
Οὐκ ἄνευ μόχθου γ᾽ἐμοῦ.

Ismene
Not without trouble for me.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Πρόσψαυσον, ὦ παῖ.

Oedipus
Touch me, my child!

ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
Θιγγάνω δυοῖν ὁμοῦ.

Ismene
I will touch you both together!

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ὦ σπέρμ᾽ ὅμαιμον.

Oedipus
O children of my kin.

ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
ὦ δυσάθλιαι τροφαί.

Ismene
Oh unhappy state!

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ἦ τῆςδε κἀμοῦ;

Oedipus
Hers or mine?

ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
Δυσμόρου τ᾽ ἐμου τρίτης.

Ismene
All three, since I am miserable myself.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Τέκνον, τί ἦλθες;

Oedipus
Child, why have you come?

ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
Σῇ, πάτερ, προμηθίᾳ.

Ismene
For you, father, with concern.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Πότερα πόθοισι;

Oedipus
With longing?

ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
Καὶ λόγων γ᾽ αὐτάγγελος, ξὺν ᾧπερ εἶχον οἰκετῶν πιστῷ μόνῳ.

Ismene
Yes, and I have news to bring you, together with the only faithful servant I have.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Οἱ δ᾽ αὐθόμαιμοι ποῦ νεανίαι πονεῖν;

Oedipus
But where are your relatives to share (the burden);

ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
Εἴσ᾽ οὗπέρ εἰσι δεινὰ τἀν κείνοις τανῦν.

Ismene
They are where they are. Things are terrible for them as well.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ὤ πάντ᾽ ἐκείνω τοῖς ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ νόμοις φύσιν κατεικασθέντε καὶ βίου τροφάς ἐκεῖ γὰρ οἱ μὲν ἄρσενες κατὰ στέγας θακοῦσιν ἱστουργοῦντες, αἱ δὲ σύννομοι τἄξω βίου τροφεῖα πορσύνουσ᾽ ἀεί. Σφῷν δ᾽, ὦ τέκν᾽, οὕς μὲν εἰκὸς ἦν πονεῖν τάδε, κατ᾽ οἶκον οἰκουροῦσιν ὤστε παρθένοι, σφὼ δ᾽ ἀντ᾽ ἐκείνοιν τἀμὰ δυστήνου κακὰ ὑπερπονεῖτον. ἥ μὲν ἐξ ὅτου νεάς τροφῆς ἔληξε καὶ κατίσχυσεν δέμας, ἀεὶ μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν δύσμορος πλανωμένη, γερονταγωγεῖ. Πολλὰ μὲν κατ᾽ ἀγρίαν ὕλην ἅσιτος νηλίπους τ᾽ ἀλωμένη, πολλοῖσι δ᾽ ὄμβροις ἡλίου τε καύμασι μοχθοῦσα τλήμων δεύτερ᾽ ἡγεῖται τὰ τῆς οἴκοι διαίτης, εἰ πατὴρ τροφὴν ἔχοι. Σὺ δ᾽, ὦ τέκνον, πρόσθεν μὲν ἐξίκου πατρὶ μαντεῖ᾽ ἄγουσα πάντα, Καδμείων λάθρᾳ, ἅ τοῦδ᾽ ἐχρήσθη σώματος, φύλαξ δέ μοι πιστὴ κατέστης, γῆς ὅτ᾽ἐξηλαυνόμην νῦν δ᾽ αὖ τίν᾽ ἤκεις μῦθον, Ἰσμήνη, πατρὶ φέρουσα; τίς σ᾽ ἐξῆρεν οἵκοθεν στόλος; ἥκεις γὰρ οὐ κενή γε, τοῦτ᾽ ἐγὼ σαφῶς ἔξοιδα μή που δεῖμ᾽ ἐμοὶ φέουσά τι;

Oedipus
Those two conform to the laws prevailing in Egypt in their nature and the nurture of the lives! For there the men sit in their houses sitting and working at the loom, and their partners provide the necessities for life outside. For you my children, who ought to work, sit at home like maidens, while you two labor for the things or your miserable father, always wandering with me, guiding an old man; wandering through the wild forest unfed and barefooted, suffering under rain and scorching heat of the sun, the wretched one gives second place to the comforts of home, if she has nurture for her father. You, child, came before, unbeknown to the Cadmeans, bringing many oracles to your father, which had been said with respect to the body, and when I was driven out of the land, you were my faithful guardian, and now you come with what news, Ismene, to bring to your father? What mission sent you from home? For you come not empty-handed, this I know well; are you bringing to me some cause for fear?

ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
ἐγὼ τὰ μὲν παθήμαθ᾽ ἅπαθον, πάτερ, ζητοῦσα τὴν σὴν ποῦ κατοικοίκης τροφήν, παρεῖσ᾽ ἐάσω. Δὶς γὰρ οὐχὶ βούλομαι πονοῦσά τ᾽ ἀλγεῖν καὶ λέγουσ᾽ αὗθις πάλιν. ἅ δ᾽ ἀμφὶ τοῖν σοῖν δυσμόροιν παίδοιν κακὰ νῦν ἐστι, τἀυτα σημανοῦσ᾽ ἐλήλυθα. Πρὶν μὲν γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἤρεσεν Κρέοντί τε θρόνους ἐᾶσθαι μηδὲ χραίνεσθαι πόλιν, λόγῳ σκοποῦσι τὴν πάλαι γένους φθοράν, οἴα κατέσχε τὸν σὸν ἄθλιον δόμον νῦν δ᾽ ἐκ θεῶν του κἀξ ἀλειτηρου φρενὸς εἰσῆλθε τοῖν τρὶς ἀθλίον ἔρις κακή, ἀρχῆς λαβέσθαι καὶ κράτους τυραννικοῦ. Χὠ μὲν νεάζων καὶ χρόνῳ μείων γεγὼς τὸν πρόσθε γεννηθέντα Πολυνείκη θρόνων ἀποστερίσκει κἀξελήλακεν πάτρας. ὀ δ᾽, ὡς καθ᾽ ἡμας ἐσθ᾽ ὁ πληθύων λόγος, τὸ κοῖλον Ἄργος βὰς φυγάς, προσλαμβάνει κῆδός τε καινὸν καὶ ξυνασπιστὰς φίλους, ὡς αὐτίκ᾽ αὐτὸς ἤ πρὸς οὐρανὸν βιβῶν. Ταὐτ᾽ οὐκ ἀριθμός ἐστιν, ὦ πάτερ, λόγων, ἀλλ᾽ ἔργα δεινά τοὺς δὲ σοὺς ὅπῃ θεοὶ πόνους κατοικτιοῦσιν οὐκ ἔχω μαθεῖν.

Ismene
The sufferings I have endured, father, looking for the nourishment where you settled I will allow and let go. For I do not wish to suffer pains and speak them again. I have come to give to you the evils now which are on both of your sons now. First the agreed that the throne be left to Creon and the city to be spared, for they thought of the destruction of the race long ago, who oppressed your miserable house but now contention from the gods and of their sinning minds came to the three wretched ones to have taken rule and tyrannical power. The younger one has stripped the older one Polynices, of his throne, making him inferior having driven him out of the fatherland. And he, as the story is according to us, fled as an exile to hollow Argos, taking care and acquiring friendly friends, in order to hold down the land of Cadmea with honor, or to go to heaven. But this is not a number of words, father, but terrible deeds. When the gods take pity on your sorrows I don’t want to learn the consequences.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ἤδη γὰρ ἔσχες ἐλπίδ᾽ ὡς ἐμοῦ θεοὺς ὤραν τιν᾽ ἕξειν, ὥστε σωθῆναί ποτε;

Oedipus
For do you now have hope that the gods have a care, with the result that I might be saved?

ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
ἔγωγε τοῖς νῦν, ὦ πάτερ, μαντεύμασιν.

Ismene
Now yes, father, from the prophecies.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Ποίοισι τούτοις; τί δὲ τεθέσπισται, τέκνον;

Oedipus
What are these? What have they prophesized, child?

ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
Σὲ τοῖς ἐκεῖ ζητητὸν ἀνθρώποις ποτὲ θανόντ᾽ ἔσεσθαι ζῶντά τ᾽ εὐσοίας χάριν.

Ismene
That you will one day be sought by the people in death and in life or the sake of happiness.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Τίς δ᾽ ἄν τοιοῦδ᾽ ὑπ᾽ ἀνδρὸς εὖ πράξειεν ἄν;

Oedipus
Who could obtain this as a man?

ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
ἐν σοὶ τὰ κείνων φασὶ γίγνεσθαι κράτη.

Ismene
They say the power will become onto you.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ὅτ᾽ οὐκέτ᾽ εἰμί, τηνικαῦτ᾽ ἄρ᾽ εἴμ᾽ ἀνήρ;

Oedipus
When I no longer am here, then I will be a man?

ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
Νῦν γὰρ θεοί σ᾽ ὁρθοῦσι, πρόσθε δ᾽ ὤλλυσαν.

Ismene
Yes for the gods raise you up, just as the destroyed you earlier.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Γέροντα δ᾽ ὀρθοῦν ὅς νεός πέσῃ.

Oedipus
But to raise an old man is trivial, who has suffered as a young man.

ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
Καὶ μὴν Κρέοντά γ᾽ ἴσθι σοι τούτων χάριν ἥξοντα βαιοῦ κοὐχὶ μυρίου χρόνου.

Ismene
Know that Creon will come to you for this sake not after a long time, but a short one.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ὅπως τί δράσῃ, θύγατερ; ἑρμήνευέ μοι.

Oedipus
What should I do, daughter, tell me!

ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
ὥς σ᾽ ἄγχι γῆς στήσωσι Καδμείας, ὅπως κρατῶσι μὲν σοῦ, γῆς δὲ μὴ ᾽μβαίνῃς ὅρων.

Ismene
So that they can set you up near the Cadmean land, where they control you, so that you don’t cross the boundaries of the land.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ἡ δ᾽ ὠφέλησις τίς θύρασι κειμένου;

Oedipus
What kind of help having been placed outside?

ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
Κείνοις ὁ τύμβος δυστυχῶν ὁ σὸς βαρύς.

Ismene
Your heavy tomb will be unlucky with these things.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Κἄνευ θεοῦ τις τοῦτό γ᾽ ἄν γνώμῃ μάθοι.

Oedipus
Without a god, one might learn by guessing.

ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
Τούτου χάριν τοίνυν σε προσθέσθαι πέλας χώρασ θέλουσι, μηδ᾽ ἵν᾽ ἄν σαυτοῦ κρατοῖς.

Ismene
For the sake of this, they wish you to be placed near this land, lest you are master over yourself.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ἦ καὶ κατασκιῶσι Θηβαίᾳ κόνει;

Oedipus
Will they shroud my body with Theban soil?

ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἐᾷ τοὔμφυλον αἷμά γ᾽, ὦ πάτερ.

Ismene
But the blood of the same tribe does not allow it, father!

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Οὐκ ἆρ᾽ ἐμοῦ γε μὴ κρατήσωσίν ποτε.

Oedipus
They will never control me again!

ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
ἔσται ποτ᾽ ἆρα τοῦτο Καδμείοις βάρος.

Ismene
This will be heavy on the Cadmeans.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Ποίας φανείσης, ὦ τέκνον, συναλλαγῆς;

Oedipus
What sort of interchange has appeared, child?

ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
Τῆς σῆς ὑπ᾽ ὀργῆς, σοῖς ὅτ᾽ ἀντῶσιν τάφοις.

Ismene
By your anger, they come up to your burial site.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ἅ δ᾽ ἐννέπεις, κλυοῦσα τοῦ λέγεις, τέκνον;

Oedipus
What you are describing, child, hearing this from where?

ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
ἀνδρῶν θεωρῶν Δελφικῆς ἀφ᾽ ἑστίας.

Ismene
From the envoys of Delphi from the hearth.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Καὶ ταῦτ᾽ ἐφ᾽ ἡμῖν Φοῖβος εἰρηκὼς κυρεῖ;

Oedipus
Did Phoebus have the strength having said these things about me?

ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
ὥς φασιν οἱ μολόντες ἐσ Θήβης πέδον.

Ismene
So say the ones coming from the land of Thebes.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Παίδων τις οὖν ἤκουσε τῶν ἐμῶν τάδε;

Oedipus
So have my sons heard these things about me?

ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
ἄμφω γ᾽ ὁμοίως, κἀξεπίστασθον καλῶς.

Ismene
Both alike, and are well aware.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Κᾆθ᾽ οἱ κάκιςτοι τῶνδ᾽ ἀκούσαντες πάρος τοὐμοῦ πόθου προὔθεντο τὴν τυραννίδα;

Oedipus
And after hearing these things these evil men put kingship before a desire for me?

ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
ἀλγῶ κλύουσα ταῦτ᾽ ἐγώ, φέρω δ᾽ ὅμως.

Ismene
I am pained hearing these things, but I must all the same endure.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ἀλλ᾽ οἱ θεοί σφιν μήτε τὴν πεπρωμένην ἔριν κατασβέσειαν, ἐν δ᾽ ᾽μοί τέλος αὐτοῖν γένοιτο τῆσδε τῆς μάχης πέρι, ἧς νῦν ἔρχονται κἀπαναίονται δόρυ ὡς οὔτ᾽ ἄν ὅς νῦν σκῆπτρα καὶ θρόνους ἔχει μείνειεν, οὔτ᾽ ἄν οὑξεληλυθὼς πὰλιν ἔλθοι ποτ᾽αὖθις οἵ γε τὸν φύσαντ᾽ ἐμὲ οὕτως ἀτίμως πατρίδος ἐξωθούμενον οὐκ ἔσχον οὐδ᾽ ἤμυναν, ἀλλ᾽ ἀνάστατος αὐτοῖν ἐπέμφθην κἀξεκηρύχθην φυγάς. Εἴποις ἄν ὡς θέλοντι τοῦτ᾽ ἐμοὶ τότε πὸλις τὸ δῶρον εἰκότως κατῄνεσεν; οὐ δῆτ᾽, ἐπεί τον τὴν μὲν αὐτίχ᾽ ἡμέραν, ὁπηνίκ᾽ ἔζει θυμός, ἥδιστον δέ μοι τὸ κατθανεῖν ἦν καὶ τὸ λευσθῆναι πέτροις, οὐδεὶς ἔρωτ᾽ ἐς τόνδ᾽ ἐφαίνετ᾽ ὠφελῶν χρόνῳ δ᾽, ὅτ᾽ ἤδη πᾶς ὁ μόχθος ἦν πέπων, κἀμάνθανον τὸν θυμὸν ἐκδραμόντα μοι μείζω κολαστὴν τῶν πρὶν πόλις βίᾳ ἤλαυνέ μ᾽ ἐκ γῆς χρόνιον, οἱ δ᾽ ἐπωφελεῖν, οἱ τοῦ πατρός, ἀλλ᾽ ἔπους σμικροῦ χάριν φυγάς σφιν ἔξω πτωχὸς ἠλώμην ἀεί ἐκ ταῖνδε δ᾽, οὔσαιν παρθένοιν, ὅσον φύσις δίδωσιν αὐταῖν, καὶ τροφὰς ἔχω βίου καὶ γῆς ἄδειαν καὶ γένους ἐπάρκεσιν τὼ δ᾽ἀντὶ τοῦ φύσαντος εἱλέσθην θρόνους καὶ σκῆπτρα κραίνειν καὶ τυραννεύειν χθονός. ἀλλ᾽ οὔ τι μὴ λάχωσι τοῦδε συμμάχου, οὐδέ σφιν ἀρχῆς τῆςδε Καδμείας ποτὲ ὄνησις ἥξει τοῦτ᾽ ἐγᾦδα, τῆσδέ τε μαντεῖ᾽ ἀκούων, συννοῶν τε θέσφατα παλαίφαθ᾽ ἁμοὶ Φοῖβος ἤνυσέν ποτε.
Πρὸς ταῦτα καὶ Κρέοντα πεμπόντων ἐμοῦ μαστῆρα, κεἴ τις ἄλλος ἐν πόλει σθένει. ἐὰν γὰρ ὑμεῖς, ὦ ξένοι, θέλητ᾽ ἐμοὶ σύν ταῖσδε ταῖς σεμναῖσι δημούχοις θεαῖς ἀλκῆν ποεῖσθαι, τῇδε μὲν πόλει μέγαν σωτῆρ᾽ ἀρεῖσθε, τοῖς δ᾽ ἐμοῖς ἐχθροῖς πόνους.

Oedipus
But let not the gods extinguish the destined strife, concerning this battle on which they have made an end for me, which they now have, picking up their spears, so that now he who holds the scepter and the throne doesn’t stay, and (he who) went away may not come again, since their father was so shamefully thrown out of the fatherland they neither had him nor defended him, but having left I was sent away and was declared an exile. Would you say the city willingly granted me a gift, as I wished? No, since that day when my soul was burning, and to die was the sweetest thing to me and to be stoned with rocks, but no one came forward and it appeared no one (wanted) to help but after some time, when my pain became mild, I came to learn that my anger had gone too far with respect to punishing my former actions and on that day, when the city drove me out of the city for a long time by force, and (my sons) able to help their father, they wished to do nothing, but for their lack of a few words I was put outside as a beggar, wandering forever and from these two, who are maidens, however their nature allows for them, I have the nurture of life and freedom from fear of the land and help from my family; but these two chose to control the scepter and the throne and to rule the land over their heritage. But they will not obtain anthing from me as an ally, nor will they have an benefits from the Cadmean kingship, this I know, hearing the prophecies, and interpreting the meditations uttered long ago which Phoebus has finally accomplished.
For these things, let Creon send a messenger for me, if anyone else has strength in this city! For if you, strangers, wish to give me defence with these revered and people protecting gods, you will lift up a great protector for this city as well as troubles for my enemies.

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