Euripides, Bacchae, 481-508

[hawkwing_lb]

Πενθεύς

ἦλθες δὲ πρῶτα δεῦρ᾽ ἄγων τὸν δαίμονα;

Διόνυσος

πᾶς ἀναχορεύει βαρβάρων τάδ᾽ ὄργια.

Πενθεύς

φρονοῦσι γὰρ κάκιον Ἑλλήνων πολύ.

Διόνυσος

τάδ᾽ εὖ γε μᾶλλον: οἱ νόμοι δὲ διάφοροι.

Πενθεύς

τὰ δ᾽ ἱερὰ νύκτωρ ἢ μεθ᾽ ἡμέραν τελεῖς; [485]

Διόνυσος

νύκτωρ τὰ πολλά: σεμνότητ᾽ ἔχει σκότος.

Πενθεύς

τοῦτ᾽ ἐς γυναῖκας δόλιόν ἐστι καὶ σαθρόν.


Pentheus:

Did you come here first leading/bringing the god/spirit?

Dionysos:

Each of the barbarians celebrate these secret rites.

Pentheus:

For they are much [more] wicked in mind than the Greeks.

Dionysos:

They are exceedingly good: but the laws [are] different.

Pentheus:

Do you fulfill the sacrifices by night or by day?

Dionysos:

The greater part by night: darkness has dignity.

Pentheus:

This to women is deceitful and unsound.


Διόνυσος

κἀν ἡμέρᾳ τό γ᾽ αἰσχρὸν ἐξεύροι τις ἄν.

Πενθεύς

δίκην σε δοῦναι δεῖ σοφισμάτων κακῶν.

Διόνυσος

σὲ δ᾽ ἀμαθίας γε κἀσεβοῦντ᾽ ἐς τὸν θεόν. [490]

Πενθεύς

ὡς θρασὺς ὁ βάκχος κοὐκ ἀγύμναστος λόγων.

Διόνυσος

εἴφ᾽ ὅ τι παθεῖν δεῖ: τί με τὸ δεινὸν ἐργάσῃ;

Πενθεύς

πρῶτον μὲν ἁβρὸν βόστρυχον τεμῶ σέθεν.

Διόνυσος

ἱερὸς ὁ πλόκαμος: τῷ θεῷ δ᾽ αὐτὸν τρέφω.

Πενθεύς

ἔπειτα θύρσον τόνδε παράδος ἐκ χεροῖν. [495]


Dionysos:

And even during the day someone may invent a shameful thing.

Pentheus:

It is necessary to give you a penalty for evil tricks. You'll pay for your evil schemes.

Dionysos:

And you for ignorance and for sinning against the god.

Pentheus:

How bold the Bacchus, and not untrained in words!

Dionysos:

I said what must befall: what fearful thing will you do to me?

Pentheus:

First I'll shear your pretty hair.

Dionysos:

The braid is sacred: I grow it for the god.

Pentheus:

Next hand over the thyrsos from your hands. [495]



Διόνυσος

αὐτός μ᾽ ἀφαιροῦ: τόνδε Διονύσου φορῶ.

Πενθεύς

εἱρκταῖσί τ᾽ ἔνδον σῶμα σὸν φυλάξομεν.

Διόνυσος

λύσει μ᾽ ὁ δαίμων αὐτός, ὅταν ἐγὼ θέλω.

Πενθεύς

ὅταν γε καλέσῃς αὐτὸν ἐν βάκχαις σταθείς.

Διόνυσος

καὶ νῦν ἃ πάσχω πλησίον παρὼν ὁρᾷ. [500]

Πενθεύς

καὶ ποῦ 'στιν; οὐ γὰρ φανερὸς ὄμμασίν γ᾽ ἐμοῖς.

Διόνυσος

παρ᾽ ἐμοί: σὺ δ᾽ ἀσεβὴς αὐτὸς ὢν οὐκ εἰσορᾷς.

Πενθεύς

λάζυσθε: καταφρονεῖ με καὶ Θήβας ὅδε.

Διόνυσος

αὐδῶ με μὴ δεῖν σωφρονῶν οὐ σώφροσιν.

Πενθεύς

ἐγὼ δὲ δεῖν γε, κυριώτερος σέθεν. [505]


Dionysos:

Take it from me yourself. I carry this for Dionysos.

Pentheus:

Inside a prison we'll keep your body.

Dionysos:

The god himself will release me, when I desire.

Pentheus:

Whenever you call him, standing raving.

Dionysos:

Even now what I suffer he sees, being present nearby.

Pentheus:

And where is he? For he's not visible to my eyes.

Dionysos:

Beside me: you, being impious, don't see him.

Pentheus:

Seize him! He despises me and this here Thebes.

Dionysos:

I say not to bind me who is of sound mind, as you all are not.

Pentheus:

I'll bind you indeed, since I'm more powerful than you! [505]


Διόνυσος

οὐκ οἶσθ᾽ ὅ τι ζῇς, οὐδ᾽ ὃ δρᾷς, οὐδ᾽ ὅστις εἶ.

Πενθεύς

Πενθεύς, Ἀγαύης παῖς, πατρὸς δ᾽ Ἐχίονος.

Διόνυσος

ἐνδυστυχῆσαι τοὔνομ᾽ ἐπιτήδειος εἶ.


Dionysos:

You don't know what you stir up, nor what you do, nor who you are.

Pentheus:

Pentheus, son of Agaue, whose father was Exion.

Dionysos:

You're fit to be unlucky in your name.