My Oedipus at Colonus Translation (Lines 150-298)

ΧΟΡΟΣ
ἐή ἀλαῶν ὀμμάτων ἆρα καὶ ἦσθα φυτάλμιος; δυσαίων μακραίων θ´, ὅς᾽ ἐπεικάσαι. ἀλλ᾽ οὐ μὰν ἔν γ᾽ ἐμοὶ προσθήσεις τάσδ᾽ ἀράς. Περᾷς γάρ, περᾷς ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα τῷδ᾽ ἐν ἀφθέγκτῳ μὴ προπέσῃς νάπει ποιάεντι, κάθυδρος οὗ κρατήρ μειλιχίων ποτῶν ῥεύματι συντρέχει, τῶν, ξένε πάμμορ᾽ εὖ φύλαξαι μετάσταθ᾽, ἀπόβαθι. Πολλὰ κέλευθος ἐρατύοι κλύεις, ὦ πολύμοχθ᾽ ἀλᾶτα; λόγον εἴ τιν᾽ οἴσεις πρὸς ἐμὰν λέσχαν, ἀβάτων ἀποβάς, ἵνα πᾶσι νόμος φώνει πρόςθεν δ᾽ ἀπερύκου.

Chorus
Were you blind from birth? For it seems yours has been miserable and long. But you will not bring these curses on me. For you try, you try but so that you do not fall into this grassy valley in silence, where the bowl full of water runs with the flight of the current of honey, from there, hapless stranger - divide well - remove (yourself) and leave! Let a long path restrain you, do you hear, much-suffering beggar? If you will bring a word against my tavern, stand away from the unattainable, and speak (where) it is the law for everyone but until then, refrain!

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Θύγατερ, ποῖ τις φροντίδος ἔλθῃ;

Oedipus
Daughter, where are our thoughts going?

ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΗ
ὦ πάτερ, ἀστοῖς ἴσα χρὴ μελετᾶν, εἴκοντας ἅ δεῖ κἀκούντας.

Antigone
O father, (we) must share our concerns with citizens, being willing (to do) what is necessary.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Πρόσθιγέ νύν μου.

Oedipus
Hold me now.

ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΗ
Ψαύω καὶ δή.

Antigone
I am touching you.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ὦ ξεῖνοι, μὴ δῆτ᾽ ἀδικηθῶ, σοὶ πιστεύσας, μεταναστάς.

Oedipus
O stranger do not let me be wronged, moving, having trusted you.

ΧΟΡΟΣ
Οὔ τοι μήποτέ σ᾽ ἐκ τῶνδ᾽ ἑδράνων, ὦ γέρον, ἄκοντά τις ἄξει.

Chorus
Never shall someone lead you from your seat, old man, against your will.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ἔτ᾽ οὖν;

Oedipus
So then?

ΧΟΡΟΣ
ἔτι βαῖνε πόρσω.

Chorus
Come further then.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ἔτι;

Oedipus
Still?

ΧΟΡΟΣ
Προβίβαζε, κούρα, πόρσω σὐ γἀρ ἀίεις.

Chorus
Lead him, daughter, forward for you hear (us).

ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΗ
ἕρεο μάν, ἔπε᾽ ὧδ᾽ ἀμαυρῷ κώλῳ, πάτερ, ᾆ σ᾽ ἄγω.

Antigone
Follow me, with your shadowy footsteps, father, where I shall lead you.

ΧΟΡΟΣ
Τόλμα ξεῖνος ἐπὶ ξένας, ὦ τλάμων, ὅ τι καὶ πόλις τέτροφεν ἄφιλον ἀποστυγεῖν καὶ τὸ φίλον σέβεσθαι.

Chorus
You dare to be a stranger in a strange land, o wretched one, he fosters what the city hates and is ashamed of what it (holds) dear.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ἄγε νυν σύ με, παῖς, ἵν᾽ ἄν εὐσεβίας ἐπιβαίνοντες τὸ μὲν εἴποιμεν, τὸ δ᾽ ἀκούσαιμεν, καὶ μὴ χρείᾳ πολεμῶμεν.

Oedipus
Lead me now child, walking in piety, so that we may speak and listen, and not fight with necessity.

ΧΟΡΟΣ
Αὐτοῦ μηκέτι τοῦδ᾽ αὐτοπέτρου βήματος ἔξω πόδα κλίνῃς.

Chorus
Here! Don’t incline your steps over this ledge.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Οὕτως;

Oedipus
In this way?

ΧΟΡΟΣ
ἅλις, ὡς ἀκούεις.

Chorus
Enough, you hear!

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ἦ ἑσθῶ;

Oedipus
Shall I be seated?

ΧΟΡΟΣ
Λέχριός γ᾽ ἐπ᾽ ἄκρου λάου βραχὺς ὀκλάσας.

Chorus
Incline yourself sideways having crouched down on the edge of the rock.

ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΗ
Πάτερ, ἐμὸν τόδ᾽ ἐν ἡσυχαιᾳ βάσει βάσιν ἅρμοσαι

Antigone
Father this is for me, join step by step gently.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ἰώ μοί μοι.

Oedipus
Ah me!

ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΗ
Γεραὸν ἐσ χέρα σῶμα σὸν προκλίνας φιλίαν ἐμάν.

Antigone
Leaning your old body against my loving arm!

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ὤμοι δύσφρονος ἄτας.

Oedipus
Oh my wretched affliction!

ΧΟΡΟΣ
ὦ τλάμων, ὅτε νῦν χαλᾷς, αὔδασον, τίς ἔφυς βροτῶν; τίς ὁ πολύπονος ἄγῃ; τίν᾽ ἄν σοῦ πατρίδ᾽ ἐκπυτοίμαν;

Chorus
O wretched one, now that you have relaxed, tell us who among men have you produced? Who has endured pain? Can we learn your specific fatherland?

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ὤ ξένοι, ἀπόπολισ ἀλλὰ μή

Oedipus
O stranger, I am an exile, but don’t…

ΧΟΡΟΣ
Τί τόδ᾽ ἀπεννέπεις, γέρον;

Chorus
What are you forbidding us, old man?

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Μὴ μή μ᾽ ἀνέρῃ τίς εἰμι, μηδ᾽ ἐξετάσῃς πέρα ματεύνω.

Oedipus
Don’t ask me who I am, don’t examine me, enquiring any further!

ΧΟΡΟΣ
Τί δέ;

Chorus
Why?

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Δεινὰ φύσις.

Oedipus
My nature is terrible!

ΧΟΡΟΣ
Αὔδα.

Chorus
Tell us!

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Τέκνον, ὤμοι, τί γεγώνω;

Oedipus
My child, what shall I say?

ΧΟΡΟΣ
Τίνος εἶ σπέρματος, ὦ ξένε, φώνει, πατρόθεν;

Chorus
From what seed are you, stranger, coming from your father’s side?

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ὤμοι ἐγώ, τί πάθω, τέκνον ἐμόν;

Oedipus
Oh men, what will I endure, my child?

ΧΟΡΟΣ
Λέγ᾽, ἐπείπερ ἐπ᾽ ἔσχατα βαίνεις.

Chorus
Speak! Since you are driven to the extreme!

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ἀλλ᾽ ἐρῶ οὐ γὰρ ἔχω κατακρυφάν.

Oedipus
But I will speak for I do not have (any means of) concealment.

ΧΟΡΟΣ
Μακρὰ μέλλεται ἀλλὰ τάχυνε.

Chorus
You wait too long but (speak) quickly!

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Λαΐου ἴστε τιν᾽

Oedipus
Do you know the son of Laius?

ΧΟΡΟΣ
ὤ ἰοὺ ἰού.

Chorus
Ah yes!

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Τό τε Λαβδακιδᾶν γένος;

Oedipus
And the race of the Labdacids?

ΧΟΡΟΣ
ὦ Ζεῦ.

Chorus
O Zeus!

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ἄθλιον Οἰδιπόδαν;

Oedipus
And the wretched man Oedipus?

ΧΟΡΟΣ
Σὺ γὰρ ὅδ᾽ εἶ;

Chorus
Are you he?

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Δέος ἴσχετε μηδὲν ὅσ᾽ αὐδῶ.

Oedipus
Do not have fear for what I say!

ΧΟΡΟΣ
ἰὼ ὤ ὤ.

Chorus
Ah!

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Δύσμορος.

Oedipus
I am miserable!

ΧΟΡΟΣ
ὤ ὤ.

Chorus
Oh!

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Θύγατερ, τί ποτ᾽ αὐτίκα κύρσει;

Oedipus
Daughter, what is going to happen?

ΧΟΡΟΣ
ἔξω πόρσω βαίνετε χώρας.

Chorus
Leave far away from this land!

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
ἅ δ᾽ ὑπέσχεο ποῖ καταθήσεις;

Oedipus
What you promised how will you redeem (it)?

ΧΟΡΟΣ
Οὐδενὶ μοιριδία τίσις ἔρχεται ὧν προπάθῃ τὸ τίνειν ἀπάτα δ᾽ ἀπάταις ἑτέραις ἐτέρα παραβαλλομένα πόνον, οὐ χάριν, ἀντιδίδωσιν ἔχειν. Σὺ δὲ τῶνδ᾽ ἑδράνων πάλιν ἔκτοπος αὗθις ἄφορμος ἐμᾶς χθονὸς ἔκθορε, μή τι πέρα χρέος ἐμᾷ πόλει προσάψῃς.

Chorus
Fate comes to punish no man who suffers first, having been deceived by other deceptions giving pain and not gratitude. Leave this seat now out of this place departing from my land, lest you attach some necessity to my city.

ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΗ
ὦ ξένοι αἰδόφρονες, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπεὶ γεραὸν πατέρα τόνδ᾽ ἐμὸν οὐκ ἀνέτλατ᾽ ἔργων ἀκόντων ἀίοντες αὐδάν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐμὲ τὰν μελέαν, ἱκετεύομεν, ὦ ξένοι, οἰκτίραθ᾽, ἅ πατρὸς ὑπὲρ τοῦ τλάμονος ἄντομαι, ἄντομαι οὐκ ἀλαοῖς προσορωμένα ὄμμα σὸν ὄμμασιν, ὥς τις ἀφ᾽ αἵματος ὑμετέρου προφανεῖσα, τὸν ἀθλιον αἰδοῦς κῦρσαι ἐν ὑμῖν ὡς θεῷ κείμεθα τλάμονες ἀλλ᾽ ἴτε, νεύσατε τὰν ἀδόκητον χάριν, πρός σ᾽ ὅ τι σοι φίλον οἴκοθεν ἄντομαι, ἤ τέκνον, ἤ λέχος, ἤ χρέος, ἤ θεός. Οὐ γὰρ ἴδοις ἄν ἀθρῶν βροτὸν ὅστις ἄν, εἰ θεὸς ἄγοι, ἐκφυγεῖν δύναιτο.

Antigone
O strangers of respectful minds, since you have not been born with my old father hearing of works (committed) unwillingly, we beseech you, strangers, take pity on my miserable father which I appeal to you for the sake of my wretched father, I beseech you, looking on with eyes that are not blind, as having appeared from your blood, that the wretch may meet with reverence in your (hands) as a god we are placed being patient but come, grant the unexpected favor, for I beseech you with what you hold dear, either a child, or a bed (partner) or wealth or a god. For you don’t see gazing a mortal man however he is, if a god drives, is able to escape!

ΧΟΡΟΣ
ἀλλ᾽ ἴσθι, τέκνον Οἰδίπου, σέ τ᾽ ἐξ ἴσου οἰκτίρομεν καὶ τόνδε συμφορᾶς χἀριν τὰ δ᾽ ἐκ θεῶν τρέμοντες οὐ σθένοιμεν ἄν φωνεῖν πέρα τῶν πρὸς σὲ νῦν εἰρημένων.

Chorus
But come, child of Oedipus, we pity you and him equally for the sake of your misfortune fearing things from the gods we do not have strength to say more than what has already been said to you now.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Τί δῆτα δόξης, ἤ τί κληδόνος καλῆς μάτην ῥεούσης ὠφέλημα γίγνεται, εἰ τάς γ᾽ Ἀθήνας φασὶ θεοσεβεστάτας εἶναι, μόνας δὲ τὸν κακούμενον ξένον σῴζειν οἴας τε καὶ μόνας ἀρκεῖν ἔχειν; κἄμοιγε ποῦ ταῦτ᾽ ἐστίν, οἴτινες βάθρων ἐκ τῶνδέ μ᾽ ἐξάραντες εἶτ᾽ ἐλαύνετε, ὄνομα μόνον δείσαντες; οὐ γὰρ δὴ τό γε σῶμ᾽ οὐδὲ τἄργα τἄμ᾽ ἐπεὶ τά γ᾽ ἔργα με πεπονθότ᾽ ἴσθι μᾶλλον ἤ δεδρακότα, εἴ σοι τὰ μητρὸς καὶ πατρὸς χρείη λέγειν, ὧν οὕνεκ᾽ ἐκφοβῇ με τοῦτ᾽ ἐγω καλῶς ἔξοιδα. Καίτο πῶς ἐγὼ κακὸς φύσιν, ὅςτις παθὼν μὲν ἀντέδρων, ὥστ᾽ εἰ φρονῶν ἔπρασσον, οὐδ᾽ ἄν ὧδ᾽ ἐγιγνόμην κακός; νῦν δ᾽ οὐδὲν εἰδὼς ἱκόμην ἵν᾽ ἱκόμην, ὑφ᾽ ὧν δ᾽ ἔπασχον, εἰδότων ἀπωλλύμην. ἀνθ᾽ ὧν ἱκνοῦμαι πρὸς θεῶν ὑμᾶς, ξένοι, ὥςπερ με κἀνεστήσαθ᾽ ὧδε σώσατε, καὶ μὴ θεοὺς τιμῶντες εἶτα τοὺς θεοὺς ποιεῖσθ᾽ ἀμαυροὺς μηδαμῶς ἡγεῖσθε δὲ βλέπειν μὲν αὐτοὺς πρὸς τὸν εὐσεβῆ βροτῶν, βλέπειν δὲ πρὸς τοὺς δυσεβεῖς, φυγὴν δέ του μήπω γενέσθαι φωτὸς ἀνοσίου ποτέ. Ξὺν οἶς σὺ μὴ κάλυπτε τὰς εὐδαίμονας ἔργοις Ἀθήνας ἀνοσίοις ὑπηρετῶν. ἀλλ᾽ ὥσπερ ἔλαβες τὸν ἱκέτην ἐχέγγυον, ῥύου με κἀκφύλασσε μηδέ μου κάρα τὸ δυσπρόσοπτον εἰσορῶν ἀτιμάσῃς. ἥκω γὰρ ἱερὸς εὐσεβής τε καὶ φέρων ὄνησιν ἀστοῖς τοῖδ᾽ ὅταν δ᾽ ὁ κύριος παρῇ τις, ὑμῶν ὅστις ἐστὶν ἡγεμών, τότ᾽εἰσακούων πάντ᾽ ἐπιστήσῃ τὰ δὲ μετξὺ τούτου μηδαμῶς γίγνου κακός.

Oedipus
What kind of expectation or beautiful omen comes from advantage,
flowing in vain if they say that Athens is most reverential, the only one able to protect the afflicted stranger and the only one to help? How are these things for me, being lifted up from the ledges and driven away because of my terrible name? For it is not my person nor my actions that you fear since my actions were of suffering rather than doing, if I must speak of my mother and father, which you are afraid of me, I know well. How is my nature evil, when I retaliated when suffering, just as if I had acted knowingly, would I still be considered evil? But knowing nothing I arrived where I am now, but of the things I suffered, I was destroyed with full intent.
Because of this I beseech you by the gods, strangers, just as you have raised me up to save me, not honoring the gods, and not making for them a portion, lead them to look at the mortals (showing) reverence, to look at the impious men, that no unlawful mortal man has ever escaped. Do not hide fortune of Athens by means of unlawful acts, but just as you take in the holy suppliant, you saved me and watched me and seeing my wretched face do not dishonor me! For I come as holy and reverent and bringing prosperity to the citizens here, whenever the one in power is present whoever is your leader, hearing this he shall know everything but in the midst of everything, do not be evil!

ΧΟΡΟΣ
Ταρβεῖν μέν, ὦ γεραιέ, τἀνθυμήματα πολλή ᾽στ᾽ ἀνάγκη τἀπὸ σοῦ λόγοισι γὰρ οὐκ ὠνόμασται βραχέσι. Τοὺς δὲ τῆςδε γῆς ἄνακτας ἀρκεῖ ταῦτά μοι διειδέναι.

Chorus
It is necessary to be afraid, old man, of the arguments from you, for they have been spoken with no short words. For it has been decided for me that the lords of the land shall rule.

ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
Καὶ ποῦ ᾽σθ᾽ ὁ κραίνων τῆςδε τῆς χώρας, ξένοι;

Oedipus
Where is the ruler of this land, strangers?

ΧΟΡΟΣ
Πατρῷν ἄστυ γῆς ἔχει σκοπὸς δέ νιν, ὅς κἀμὲ δεῦρ᾽ ἔπεμψεν, οἴχεται στελῶν.

Chorus
He is in the city of the fatherland, and now a messenger who sent me here, has departed to fetch (him).