Euripides, Orestes 140-207
Sep. 16th, 2012 04:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hawkwing_lbΧορός
[140]σῖγα σῖγα, λεπτὸν ἴχνος ἀρβύλης
τίθετε, μὴ κτυπεῖτ᾽.
Chorus
Softly, softly: set down lightly your half-boot's step,
don't crash about.
Ἠλέκτρα
ἀποπρὸ βᾶτ᾽ ἐκεῖσ᾽, ἀποπρό μοι κοίτας.
Elektra
Go far off from this here, far off from his bed with me.
Χορός
ἰδού, πείθομαι.
Chorus
Look, I am obeying.
Ἠλέκτρα
[145] ἆ ἆ σύριγγος ὅπως πνοὰ
λεπτοῦ δόνακος, ὦ φίλα, φώνει μοι.
Elektra
Ah, ah, like a breath from a small reed shepherd's pipe
O friend, speak to me.
Χορός
ἴδ᾽, ἀτρεμαῖον ὡς ὑπόροφον φέρω
βοάν.
Chorus
Look, I bear myself soft as the whisper of a reedpipe.
Ἠλέκτρα
ναί, οὕτως:
κάταγε κάταγε, πρόσιθ᾽ ἀτρέμας, ἀτρέμας ἴθι:
[150] λόγον ἀπόδος ἐφ᾽ ὅ τι χρέος ἐμόλετέ ποτε.
χρόνια γὰρ πεσὼν ὅδ᾽ εὐνάζεται.
Elektra
Yes, like so:
Draw down, draw down, be soft, go softly,
[150] give up a reckoning on that business for which you came now.
For after a long time, after falling down, he is sleeping here.
Χορός
πῶς ἔχει; λόγου μετάδος, ὦ φίλα:
τίνα τύχαν εἴπω; τίνα δὲ συμφοράν;
Chorus
How is he? Share some word, O friend:
Should I speak some good fortune? Or some lament?
Ἠλέκτρα
[155] ἔτι μὲν ἐμπνέει, βραχὺ δ᾽ ἀναστένει.
Elektra
[155] He breathes yet, but he groans aloud seldom.
Χορός
τί φῄς; ὦ τάλας.
Chorus
What are you saying? Oh dear.
Ἠλέκτρα
ὀλεῖς, εἰ βλέφαρα κινήσεις
ὕπνου γλυκυτάταν φερομένῳ χάριν.
Elektra
You'll do away with him, if you set his eyelids in motion
from most sweet sleep bearing him grace.
Χορός
[160] μέλεος ἐχθίστων θεόθεν ἐργμάτων,
τάλας.
Chorus
[160] Unhappy one, most hated of deeds at the hands of the gods,
alas.
Ἠλέκτρα
φεῦ μόχθων.
ἄδικος ἄδικα τότ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἔλακεν ἔλακεν, ἀπό-
φονον ὅτ᾽ ἐπὶ τρίποδι Θέμιδος ἄρ᾽ ἐδίκασε
[165] φόνον ὁ Λοξίας ἐμᾶς ματέρος.
Elektra
Oh, what distress.
Injustice cried out then, it screamed, "unjust!"
unnatural that on the tripod of Themis Loxias adjudged
[165] the murder of my mother.
Χορός
ὁρᾷς; ἐν πέπλοισι κινεῖ δέμας.
Chorus
Do you see? His body moves under the sheets.
Ἠλέκτρα
σὺ γάρ νιν, ὦ τάλαινα,
θωΰξασ᾽ ἔβαλες ἐξ ὕπνου.
Elektra
You, you wretched thing,
by making noise you've cast him out of sleep!
Χορός
εὕδειν μὲν οὖν ἔδοξα.
Chorus
But it seems to me he is sleeping.
Ἠλέκτρα
[170] οὐκ ἀφ᾽ ἡμῶν, οὐκ ἀπ᾽ οἴκων
πάλιν ἀνὰ πόδα σὸν εἱλίξεις
μεθεμένα κτύπου;
Elektra
[170] Not from us, not from the house,
back by foot [won't you] turn yourself,
ceasing from this din?
Χορός
ὑπνώσσει.
Chorus
He sleeps.
Ἠλέκτρα
λέγεις εὖ.
πότνια, πότνια νύξ,
[175] ὑπνοδότειρα τῶν πολυπόνων βροτῶν,
ἐρεβόθεν ἴθι, μόλε μόλε κατάπτερος
τὸν Ἀγαμεμνόνιον ἐπὶ δόμον.
[180] ὑπὸ γὰρ ἀλγέων ὑπό τε συμφορᾶς
διοιχόμεθ᾽, οἰχόμεθα. κτύπον ἠγάγετ᾽: οὐχὶ σῖγα
σῖγα φυλασσομένα στόματος
[185] ἄνα κέλαδον ἀπὸ λέχεος ἥ-
συχον ὕπνου χάριν παρέξεις, φίλα;
Elektra
You speak truth.
Lady, Lady Night,
[175] she who gives sleep to long-suffering mortals,
come from the nether gloom, come, come winged-swift
to the hall of Agamemnon.
[180] For from agony and from misfortune
I'm ended, we're ruined. You bring such a battle-din: [why don't you]
be quiet, be soft, and keeping guard on your mouth's
rushing-water-sound turn aside away from [where
my brother] sleeps silently in his bier.
Χορός
θρόει τίς κακῶν τελευτὰ μένει.
Chorus
Say what extremity of wickedness awaits.
Ἠλέκτρα
θανεῖν θανεῖν, τί δ᾽ ἄλλο;
οὐδὲ γὰρ πόθον ἔχει βορᾶς.
Elektra
To die, to die, what else?
For he has no desire for nourishment.
Χορός
[190] πρόδηλος ἆρ᾽ ὁ πότμος.
Chorus
[190] Then his fate is clear.
Ἠλέκτρα
ἐξέθυσ᾽ ὁ Φοῖβος ἡμᾶς
μέλεον ἀπόφονον αἷμα δοὺς
πατροφόνου ματρός.
Elektra
Phoebus offered us for sacrifice
when he gave [us] the miserable unnatural blood
of a father-slaying mother.
Χορός
δίκᾳ μέν.
Chorus
It was just.
Ἠλέκτρα
καλῶς δ᾽ οὔ.
[195] ἔκανες ἔθανες, ὦ
τεκομένα με μᾶτερ, ἀπὸ δ᾽ ὤλεσας
πατέρα τέκνα τε τάδε σέθεν ἀφ᾽ αἵματος:
[200] ὀλόμεθ᾽ ἰσονέκυες, ὀλόμεθα.
σύ τε γὰρ ἐν νεκροῖς, τό τ᾽ ἐμὸν οἴχεται
βίου τὸ πλέον μέρος ἐν στοναχαῖσί τε καὶ γόοισι
[205] δάκρυσί τ᾽ ἐννυχίοις, ἄγαμος
ἐπὶ δ᾽ ἄτεκνος ἅτε βίοτον ἁ
μέλεος ἐς τὸν αἰὲν ἕλκω χρόνον.
Elektra
But not noble!
You killed, you perished, O
mother who bore me, from which you've slain
a father and the children of your own blood.
[200]We are destroyed, dying alike, we are destroyed.
For you are among the dead, and it has ruined me
the greater part of my life in wailing and in weeping,
[205] in tears by night, unwed,
with a childless life which
I drag out for a miserable eternity.
[140]σῖγα σῖγα, λεπτὸν ἴχνος ἀρβύλης
τίθετε, μὴ κτυπεῖτ᾽.
Chorus
Softly, softly: set down lightly your half-boot's step,
don't crash about.
Ἠλέκτρα
ἀποπρὸ βᾶτ᾽ ἐκεῖσ᾽, ἀποπρό μοι κοίτας.
Elektra
Go far off from this here, far off from his bed with me.
Χορός
ἰδού, πείθομαι.
Chorus
Look, I am obeying.
Ἠλέκτρα
[145] ἆ ἆ σύριγγος ὅπως πνοὰ
λεπτοῦ δόνακος, ὦ φίλα, φώνει μοι.
Elektra
Ah, ah, like a breath from a small reed shepherd's pipe
O friend, speak to me.
Χορός
ἴδ᾽, ἀτρεμαῖον ὡς ὑπόροφον φέρω
βοάν.
Chorus
Look, I bear myself soft as the whisper of a reedpipe.
Ἠλέκτρα
ναί, οὕτως:
κάταγε κάταγε, πρόσιθ᾽ ἀτρέμας, ἀτρέμας ἴθι:
[150] λόγον ἀπόδος ἐφ᾽ ὅ τι χρέος ἐμόλετέ ποτε.
χρόνια γὰρ πεσὼν ὅδ᾽ εὐνάζεται.
Elektra
Yes, like so:
Draw down, draw down, be soft, go softly,
[150] give up a reckoning on that business for which you came now.
For after a long time, after falling down, he is sleeping here.
Χορός
πῶς ἔχει; λόγου μετάδος, ὦ φίλα:
τίνα τύχαν εἴπω; τίνα δὲ συμφοράν;
Chorus
How is he? Share some word, O friend:
Should I speak some good fortune? Or some lament?
Ἠλέκτρα
[155] ἔτι μὲν ἐμπνέει, βραχὺ δ᾽ ἀναστένει.
Elektra
[155] He breathes yet, but he groans aloud seldom.
Χορός
τί φῄς; ὦ τάλας.
Chorus
What are you saying? Oh dear.
Ἠλέκτρα
ὀλεῖς, εἰ βλέφαρα κινήσεις
ὕπνου γλυκυτάταν φερομένῳ χάριν.
Elektra
You'll do away with him, if you set his eyelids in motion
from most sweet sleep bearing him grace.
Χορός
[160] μέλεος ἐχθίστων θεόθεν ἐργμάτων,
τάλας.
Chorus
[160] Unhappy one, most hated of deeds at the hands of the gods,
alas.
Ἠλέκτρα
φεῦ μόχθων.
ἄδικος ἄδικα τότ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἔλακεν ἔλακεν, ἀπό-
φονον ὅτ᾽ ἐπὶ τρίποδι Θέμιδος ἄρ᾽ ἐδίκασε
[165] φόνον ὁ Λοξίας ἐμᾶς ματέρος.
Elektra
Oh, what distress.
Injustice cried out then, it screamed, "unjust!"
unnatural that on the tripod of Themis Loxias adjudged
[165] the murder of my mother.
Χορός
ὁρᾷς; ἐν πέπλοισι κινεῖ δέμας.
Chorus
Do you see? His body moves under the sheets.
Ἠλέκτρα
σὺ γάρ νιν, ὦ τάλαινα,
θωΰξασ᾽ ἔβαλες ἐξ ὕπνου.
Elektra
You, you wretched thing,
by making noise you've cast him out of sleep!
Χορός
εὕδειν μὲν οὖν ἔδοξα.
Chorus
But it seems to me he is sleeping.
Ἠλέκτρα
[170] οὐκ ἀφ᾽ ἡμῶν, οὐκ ἀπ᾽ οἴκων
πάλιν ἀνὰ πόδα σὸν εἱλίξεις
μεθεμένα κτύπου;
Elektra
[170] Not from us, not from the house,
back by foot [won't you] turn yourself,
ceasing from this din?
Χορός
ὑπνώσσει.
Chorus
He sleeps.
Ἠλέκτρα
λέγεις εὖ.
πότνια, πότνια νύξ,
[175] ὑπνοδότειρα τῶν πολυπόνων βροτῶν,
ἐρεβόθεν ἴθι, μόλε μόλε κατάπτερος
τὸν Ἀγαμεμνόνιον ἐπὶ δόμον.
[180] ὑπὸ γὰρ ἀλγέων ὑπό τε συμφορᾶς
διοιχόμεθ᾽, οἰχόμεθα. κτύπον ἠγάγετ᾽: οὐχὶ σῖγα
σῖγα φυλασσομένα στόματος
[185] ἄνα κέλαδον ἀπὸ λέχεος ἥ-
συχον ὕπνου χάριν παρέξεις, φίλα;
Elektra
You speak truth.
Lady, Lady Night,
[175] she who gives sleep to long-suffering mortals,
come from the nether gloom, come, come winged-swift
to the hall of Agamemnon.
[180] For from agony and from misfortune
I'm ended, we're ruined. You bring such a battle-din: [why don't you]
be quiet, be soft, and keeping guard on your mouth's
rushing-water-sound turn aside away from [where
my brother] sleeps silently in his bier.
Χορός
θρόει τίς κακῶν τελευτὰ μένει.
Chorus
Say what extremity of wickedness awaits.
Ἠλέκτρα
θανεῖν θανεῖν, τί δ᾽ ἄλλο;
οὐδὲ γὰρ πόθον ἔχει βορᾶς.
Elektra
To die, to die, what else?
For he has no desire for nourishment.
Χορός
[190] πρόδηλος ἆρ᾽ ὁ πότμος.
Chorus
[190] Then his fate is clear.
Ἠλέκτρα
ἐξέθυσ᾽ ὁ Φοῖβος ἡμᾶς
μέλεον ἀπόφονον αἷμα δοὺς
πατροφόνου ματρός.
Elektra
Phoebus offered us for sacrifice
when he gave [us] the miserable unnatural blood
of a father-slaying mother.
Χορός
δίκᾳ μέν.
Chorus
It was just.
Ἠλέκτρα
καλῶς δ᾽ οὔ.
[195] ἔκανες ἔθανες, ὦ
τεκομένα με μᾶτερ, ἀπὸ δ᾽ ὤλεσας
πατέρα τέκνα τε τάδε σέθεν ἀφ᾽ αἵματος:
[200] ὀλόμεθ᾽ ἰσονέκυες, ὀλόμεθα.
σύ τε γὰρ ἐν νεκροῖς, τό τ᾽ ἐμὸν οἴχεται
βίου τὸ πλέον μέρος ἐν στοναχαῖσί τε καὶ γόοισι
[205] δάκρυσί τ᾽ ἐννυχίοις, ἄγαμος
ἐπὶ δ᾽ ἄτεκνος ἅτε βίοτον ἁ
μέλεος ἐς τὸν αἰὲν ἕλκω χρόνον.
Elektra
But not noble!
You killed, you perished, O
mother who bore me, from which you've slain
a father and the children of your own blood.
[200]We are destroyed, dying alike, we are destroyed.
For you are among the dead, and it has ruined me
the greater part of my life in wailing and in weeping,
[205] in tears by night, unwed,
with a childless life which
I drag out for a miserable eternity.
