Euripides, Cyclops, ed. Gilbert Murray, 663

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Κύκλωψ

ὤμοι, κατηνθρακώμεθ’ ὀφθαλμοῦ σέλας.

Χορός

καλός γ’ ὁ παιάν· μέλπε μοι τόνδ’, ὦ Κύκλωψ.

Κύκλωψ

ὤμοι μάλ’, ὡς ὑβρίσμεθ’, ὡς ὀλώλαμεν.
665

ἀλλ’ οὔτι μὴ φύγητε τῆσδ’ ἔξω πέτρας

χαίροντες, οὐδὲν ὄντες· ἐν πύλαισι γὰρ

σταθεὶς φάραγγος τάσδ’ ἐναρμόσω χέρας.

Χορός

τί χρῆμ’ ἀυτεῖς, ὦ Κύκλωψ;

Κύκλωψ

ἀπωλόμην.

Χορός

αἰσχρός γε φαίνῃ.
670

Κύκλωψ

κἀπὶ τοῖσδέ γ’ ἄθλιος.

Χορός

μεθύων κατέπεσες ἐς μέσους τοὺς ἄνθρακας;

Κύκλωψ

Οὖτίς μ’ ἀπώλεσ’.

Χορός

οὐκ ἄρ’ οὐδεὶς ἠδίκει.

Κύκλωψ

Οὖτίς με τυφλοῖ βλέφαρον.

Χορός

οὐκ ἄρ’ εἶ τυφλός.

Κύκλωψ

ὡς δὴ σύ—

Χορός

καὶ πῶς σ’ οὔτις ἂν θείη τυφλόν;

Κύκλωψ

σκώπτεις. ὁ δ’ Οὖτις ποῦ ’στιν;
675

Χορός

οὐδαμοῦ, Κύκλωψ.

Κύκλωψ

ὁ ξένος, ἵν’ ὀρθῶς ἐκμάθῃς, μ’ ἀπώλεσεν,

ὁ μιαρός, ὅς μοι δοὺς τὸ πῶμα κατέκλυσεν.

Χορός

δεινὸς γὰρ οἷνος καὶ παλαίεσθαι βαρύς.

Κύκλωψ

πρὸς θεῶν, πεφεύγασ’ ἢ μένουσ’ ἔσω δόμων;

Χορός

οὗτοι σιωπῇ τὴν πέτραν ἐπήλυγα
680

λαβόντες ἑστήκασι.

Κύκλωψ

ποτέρας τῆς χερός;

Χορός

ἐν δεξιᾷ σου.

Κύκλωψ

ποῦ;

Χορός

πρὸς αὐτῇ τῇ πέτρᾳ.

ἔχεις;

Κύκλωψ

κακόν γε πρὸς κακῷ· τὸ κρανίον

παίσας κατέαγα.

Χορός

καί σε διαφεύγουσί γε.

Κύκλωψ

οὐ τῇδ’· ἐπεὶ τῇδ’ εἶπας;
685

Χορός

οὔ· ταύτῃ λέγω.

Κύκλωψ

πῇ γάρ;

Χορός

περιάγου, κεῖσε, πρὸς τἀριστερά.

Κύκλωψ

οἴμοι γελῶμαι· κερτομεῖτέ μ’ ἐν κακοῖς.

Χορός

ἀλλ’ οὐκέτ’, ἀλλὰ πρόσθεν οὗτός ἐστί σου.

Κύκλωψ

ὦ παγκάκιστε, ποῦ ποτ’ εἶ;

Ὀδυσσεύς

τηλοῦ σέθεν

φυλακαῖσι φρουρῶ σῶμ’ Ὀδυσσέως τόδε.
690

Κύκλωψ

πῶς εἶπας; ὄνομα μεταβαλὼν καινὸν λέγεις.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ὅπερ γ’ ὁ φύσας ὠνόμαζ’ Ὀδυσσέα.

δώσειν δ’ ἔμελλες ἀνοσίου δαιτὸς δίκας·

κακῶς γὰρ ἂν Τροίαν γε διεπυρωσάμην

εἰ μή σ’ ἑταίρων φόνον ἐτιμωρησάμην.
695

Κύκλωψ

αἰαῖ· παλαιὸς χρησμὸς ἐκπεραίνεται.

τυφλὴν γὰρ ὄψιν ἐκ σέθεν σχήσειν μ’ ἔφη

Τροίας ἀφορμηθέντος. ἀλλὰ καὶ σέ τοι

δίκας ὑφέξειν ἀντὶ τῶνδ’ ἐθέσπισεν,

πολὺν θαλάσσῃ χρόνον ἐναιωρούμενον.
700

Ὀδυσσεύς

κλαίειν σ’ ἄνωγα· καὶ δέδραχ’ ὅπερ λέγεις.

ἐγὼ δ’ ἐπ’ ἀκτὰς εἶμι καὶ νεὼς σκάφος

ἥσω ’πὶ πόντον Σικελὸν ἔς τ’ ἐμὴν πάτραν.

Κύκλωψ

οὐ δῆτ’, ἐπεί σε τῆσδ’ ἀπορρήξας πέτρας

αὐτοῖσι συνναύταισι συντρίψω βαλών.
705

ἄνω δ’ ἐπ’ ὄχθον εἶμι, καίπερ ὢν τυφλός,

δι’ ἀμφιτρῆτος τῆσδε προσβαίνων ποδί.

Χορός

ἡμεῖς δὲ συνναῦταί γε τοῦδ’ Ὀδυσσέως

ὄντες τὸ λοιπὸν Βακχίῳ δουλεύσομεν.

Cyclops. Euripides. ed. Gilbert Murray. Oxford. 1902.

Funding provided by Tufts University.

Current edition Perseus

Κύκλωψ (Greek) (Euripides. Euripidis Fabulae, Vol. I. Murray, Gilbert, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1902.)

Translations (2)

The Cyclops Perseus (Euripides. The Plays of Euripides, Vol. II. Coleridge, Edward P., translator. London: George Bell and Sons, 1891.) — 663 focus

Cyclops

(Bellowing in the cave.) Oh! oh! my once bright eye is burnt to cinders now.

Chorus

Sweet indeed the triumph-song; pray sing it to us, Cyclops.

Cyclops

(from within.) Oh! oh! once more; what outrage on me and what ruin! But never shall ye escape this rocky cave unpunished, ye worthless creatures; for I will stand in the entrance of the cleft and fit my hands into it thus. [Staggering to the entrance.
665

Chorus

Why dost thou cry out, Cyclops?

Cyclops

I am undone.

Chorus

Thou art indeed a sorry sight.
670

Cyclops

Aye, and a sad one, too.

Chorus

Didst fall among the coals in a drunken fit?

Cyclops

Noman has undone me.

Chorus

Then there is no one hurting thee after all.

Cyclops

Noman is blinding me.

Chorus

Then art thou not blind.

Cyclops

As blind as thou, forsooth.¹

Chorus

How, pray, could no man have made thee blind?

Cyclops

Thou mockest me; but where is this Noman.
675

Chorus

Nowhere, Cyclops.

Cyclops

It was the stranger, vile wretch! who proved my ruin, that thou mayst understand rightly, by swilling me with the liquor he gave me.

Chorus

Ah! wine is a terrible foe, hard to wrestle with.

Cyclops

Tell me, I adjure thee, have they escaped or are they still within?

Chorus

Here they are ranged in silence, taking the rock to screen them.
680

Cyclops

On which side?

Chorus

On thy right.

Cyclops

Where?

Chorus

Close against the rock. Hast caught them?

Cyclops

Trouble on trouble! I have run my skull against the rock and cracked it.

Chorus

Aye, and they are escaping thee.

Cyclops

This way, was it not? ’Twas this way thou saidst.
685

Chorus

No, not this way.

Cyclops

Which then?

Chorus

They are getting round thee on the left.

Cyclops

Alas! I am being mocked; ye jeer me in my evil plight.

Chorus

They are no longer there; but facing thee that stranger stands.

Cyclops

Master of villainy, where, oh! where art thou?

Odysseus

Some way from thee

I am keeping careful guard over the person of Odysseus.
690

Cyclops

What, a new name! hast changed thine?

Odysseus

Yes, Odysseus the name my father gave me. But thou wert doomed to pay for thy unholy feast; for I should have seen Troy burned to but sorry purpose,

unless I had avenged on thee the slaughter of my comrades.
695

Cyclops

Woe is me! ’tis an old oracle coming true; yes, it said I should have my eye put out by thee on thy way home from Troy; but it likewise foretold that thou wouldst surely pay for this,

tossing on the sea for many a day.
700

Odysseus

Go hang! E’en as I say,² so have I done. And now will I get me to the beach and start my hollow ship across the sea of Sicily to the land of my fathers.

Cyclops

Thou shalt not; I will break a boulder off this rock

and crush thee, crew and all, beneath my throw. Blind though I be, I will climb the hill, mounting through yonder tunnel.
705

Chorus

As for us, henceforth will we be the servants of Bacchus, sharing the voyage of this hero Odysseus.

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1845; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (Euripides. Deutsch in den Versmaßen der Urschrift. Volume 2, Heidelberg: C. F. Winter, 1845. Harvard OCR compared with an independent BSB copy. Native Donner verse citations, Murray reference cards, explicitly located notes and page facsimiles. Unresolved OCR, verse divisions, unlocated notes and printed errata are documented in the source review.) — 663 focus

Weh, weh! Der Strahl des Auges ist uns ausgebrannt!

Chor.

Ein schöner Påan! Singe so mir fort, Kyklop!

Der Kyklop.

Weh! Wie bin ich mißhandelt! Ich Verlorener!
655

Doch sollt ihr lachend nicht entfliehn aus dieser Klust,

Ihr Laugenichtse! Denn ich stehe hier am Thor

Des Schlundes, beide Hånde streck' ich aus nach euch!

(Er tritt vollends aus der Höhle heraus.)

Chor.

Weßwegen schreist du denn, Kyklop?

Ich bin dahin!

Elend ja siehst du!
660

Der Kyklop.

Und ich bin's auch obendrein.

Chor.

Betrunken fielst du mitten in die Kohlenglut?

„Niemand" erschlug mich.

Also that dir Keiner weh.

Der Kyklop.

Mich blendet „Niemand."

Chor.

Also blind, Herr, bist du nicht.

O wårest du's!

Wie kann dich Niemand blenden?

Der Kyklop.

Du spottest? Wo ist „Niemand"?
665

Pah!

Nirgendwo, Kyklop.

Der Fremde, daß du mich recht verstehst, hat mir's gethan,

Der Schurke, der mit seinem Tranke mich verdarb.

Chor.

Ja, machtig, schwerbezwingbar ist des Weins Gewalt.

Der Kyklop.

Sprich, flohn sie? Oder sind sie noch im Felsenhaus?

Chor.

Sie stehen schweigend hinter jener schattigen
670

Felswand verborgen.

Der Kyklop.

Sage, Freund: zu welcher Hand?

Chor.

Zu deiner Rechten.

Der Kyklop.

Wo?

Chor.

Gerad' am Felsen hier.

Vorwärts!

Der Kyklop.

O weh! Schmerz über Schmerz! Den Kopf zerstieß

Ich mir an den Steinen.

Chor.

Und sie fliehn vor dir davon.

Der Kyklop.

Doch hier nicht? Denn du sagtest hier.
675

Hier denn?

Chor.

Dort sag' ich nicht.

Weh!

Sie schleichen jezt um dich zur linken Hand.

Der Kyklop.

Du spottest meiner, du verlachst im Jammer mich.

Chor.

Ich spotte nicht mehr; doch der „Niemand" steht vor dir.

(umhertappend)

Der Kyklop.

Nichtswürdiger, wo, wo bist du?

Odysseus.

Weit von dir entfernt

Steht hier Odysseus, und von Wachen wohlgeschirmt.
680

Der Kyklop.

Wie sagtest du? Welch neuen Namen nennst du da?

Odysseus.

Ich heiß' Odysseus, wie mein Vater mich genannt.

Du solltest heut' abbůßen dein verruchtes Mahl!

Denn, traun, mit Schande brannt' ich Troja's Burg in

Schutt,

Hatt' ich an dir nicht meiner Freunde Mord gericht.
685

Der Kyklop.

Ach, ach! Ein alter Gottesspruch erfüllt sich nun.

Durch dich geblendet würden wir, verkundet' er,

Wenn du von Troja kehrtest. Doch auch dir verhieß

Der Spruch, du würdest büßen einst für diese That,

Und lange Zeit umtreiben auf der hohen See.
690

Odysseus.

Verdirb, du Scheusal! Doch bewirkt' ich dieses schon.

Ich gehe nun an's Ufer, und Sikelia's

Meerwogen theilend, schiffs' ich heim in's Vaterland.

Der Kyklop.

Nein, wahrlich! Denn ich breche diesen Felsen ab,

Und schmettre dich samt deiner Schiffsmannschaft in Grund.
695

Empor die Berghohn steig' ich, ob erblindet auch,

Und klettre hier den durchgehdhlten Fels hinauf.

Chor.

Und wir, Odysseus zugesellt auf dieser Fahrt,

Wir zollen fortan Preis und Dank dem Bacchios.

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Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Κύκλωψ ὤμοι, κατηνθρακώμεθ’ ὀφθαλμοῦ σέλας.

Χορός καλός γ’ ὁ παιάν· μέλπε μοι τόνδ’, ὦ Κύκλωψ.

Χορός τί χρῆμ’ ἀυτεῖς, ὦ Κύκλωψ;

Κύκλωψ ἀπωλόμην.

Χορός αἰσχρός γε φαίνῃ. 670

Κύκλωψ κἀπὶ τοῖσδέ γ’ ἄθλιος.

Χορός μεθύων κατέπεσες ἐς μέσους τοὺς ἄνθρακας;

Κύκλωψ Οὖτίς μ’ ἀπώλεσ’.

Χορός οὐκ ἄρ’ οὐδεὶς ἠδίκει.

Κύκλωψ Οὖτίς με τυφλοῖ βλέφαρον.

Χορός οὐκ ἄρ’ εἶ τυφλός.

Κύκλωψ ὡς δὴ σύ—

Χορός καὶ πῶς σ’ οὔτις ἂν θείη τυφλόν;

Κύκλωψ σκώπτεις. ὁ δ’ Οὖτις ποῦ ’στιν; 675

Χορός οὐδαμοῦ, Κύκλωψ.

Κύκλωψ ὁ ξένος, ἵν’ ὀρθῶς ἐκμάθῃς, μ’ ἀπώλεσεν, ὁ μιαρός, ὅς μοι δοὺς τὸ πῶμα κατέκλυσεν.

Χορός δεινὸς γὰρ οἷνος καὶ παλαίεσθαι βαρύς.

Κύκλωψ πρὸς θεῶν, πεφεύγασ’ ἢ μένουσ’ ἔσω δόμων;

Χορός οὗτοι σιωπῇ τὴν πέτραν ἐπήλυγα 680 λαβόντες ἑστήκασι.

Κύκλωψ ποτέρας τῆς χερός;

Χορός ἐν δεξιᾷ σου.

Κύκλωψ ποῦ;

Χορός πρὸς αὐτῇ τῇ πέτρᾳ. ἔχεις;

Κύκλωψ κακόν γε πρὸς κακῷ· τὸ κρανίον παίσας κατέαγα.

Χορός καί σε διαφεύγουσί γε.

Κύκλωψ οὐ τῇδ’· ἐπεὶ τῇδ’ εἶπας; 685

Χορός οὔ· ταύτῃ λέγω.

Κύκλωψ πῇ γάρ;

Χορός περιάγου, κεῖσε, πρὸς τἀριστερά.

Κύκλωψ οἴμοι γελῶμαι· κερτομεῖτέ μ’ ἐν κακοῖς.

Χορός ἀλλ’ οὐκέτ’, ἀλλὰ πρόσθεν οὗτός ἐστί σου.

Κύκλωψ ὦ παγκάκιστε, ποῦ ποτ’ εἶ;

Ὀδυσσεύς τηλοῦ σέθεν φυλακαῖσι φρουρῶ σῶμ’ Ὀδυσσέως τόδε. 690

Κύκλωψ πῶς εἶπας; ὄνομα μεταβαλὼν καινὸν λέγεις.

Ὀδυσσεύς κλαίειν σ’ ἄνωγα· καὶ δέδραχ’ ὅπερ λέγεις. ἐγὼ δ’ ἐπ’ ἀκτὰς εἶμι καὶ νεὼς σκάφος ἥσω ’πὶ πόντον Σικελὸν ἔς τ’ ἐμὴν πάτραν.

Χορός ἡμεῖς δὲ συνναῦταί γε τοῦδ’ Ὀδυσσέως ὄντες τὸ λοιπὸν Βακχίῳ δουλεύσομεν.

Current edition Perseus

Cyclops (Bellowing in the cave.) Oh! oh! my once bright eye is burnt to cinders now.

Chorus Sweet indeed the triumph-song; pray sing it to us, Cyclops.

Cyclops (from within.) Oh! oh! once more; what outrage on me and what ruin! But never shall ye escape this rocky cave unpunished, ye worthless creatures; for I will stand in the entrance of the cleft and fit my hands into it thus. [Staggering to the entrance. 665

Chorus Why dost thou cry out, Cyclops?

Cyclops I am undone.

Chorus Thou art indeed a sorry sight. 670

Cyclops Aye, and a sad one, too.

Chorus Didst fall among the coals in a drunken fit?

Cyclops Noman has undone me.

Chorus Then there is no one hurting thee after all.

Cyclops Noman is blinding me.

Chorus Then art thou not blind.

Cyclops As blind as thou, forsooth. 1

Chorus How, pray, could no man have made thee blind?

Cyclops Thou mockest me; but where is this Noman. 675

Chorus Nowhere, Cyclops.

Cyclops It was the stranger, vile wretch! who proved my ruin, that thou mayst understand rightly, by swilling me with the liquor he gave me.

Chorus Ah! wine is a terrible foe, hard to wrestle with.

Cyclops Tell me, I adjure thee, have they escaped or are they still within?

Chorus Here they are ranged in silence, taking the rock to screen them. 680

Cyclops On which side?

Chorus On thy right.

Cyclops Where?

Chorus Close against the rock. Hast caught them?

Cyclops Trouble on trouble! I have run my skull against the rock and cracked it.

Chorus Aye, and they are escaping thee.

Cyclops This way, was it not? ’Twas this way thou saidst. 685

Chorus No, not this way.

Cyclops Which then?

Chorus They are getting round thee on the left.

Cyclops Alas! I am being mocked; ye jeer me in my evil plight.

Chorus They are no longer there; but facing thee that stranger stands.

Cyclops Master of villainy, where, oh! where art thou?

Odysseus Some way from thee I am keeping careful guard over the person of Odysseus. 690

Cyclops What, a new name! hast changed thine?

Odysseus Yes, Odysseus the name my father gave me. But thou wert doomed to pay for thy unholy feast; for I should have seen Troy burned to but sorry purpose, unless I had avenged on thee the slaughter of my comrades. 695

Cyclops Woe is me! ’tis an old oracle coming true; yes, it said I should have my eye put out by thee on thy way home from Troy; but it likewise foretold that thou wouldst surely pay for this, tossing on the sea for many a day. 700

Odysseus Go hang! E’en as I say, 2 so have I done. And now will I get me to the beach and start my hollow ship across the sea of Sicily to the land of my fathers.

Cyclops Thou shalt not; I will break a boulder off this rock and crush thee, crew and all, beneath my throw. Blind though I be, I will climb the hill, mounting through yonder tunnel. 705

Chorus As for us, henceforth will we be the servants of Bacchus, sharing the voyage of this hero Odysseus.

Weh, weh! Der Strahl des Auges ist uns ausgebrannt!

Κύκλωψ

ὤμοι, κατηνθρακώμεθ’ ὀφθαλμοῦ σέλας.

Χορός

καλός γ’ ὁ παιάν· μέλπε μοι τόνδ’, ὦ Κύκλωψ.

Χορός

τί χρῆμ’ ἀυτεῖς, ὦ Κύκλωψ;

Κύκλωψ

ἀπωλόμην.

Χορός

αἰσχρός γε φαίνῃ.
670

Κύκλωψ

κἀπὶ τοῖσδέ γ’ ἄθλιος.

Χορός

μεθύων κατέπεσες ἐς μέσους τοὺς ἄνθρακας;

Κύκλωψ

Οὖτίς μ’ ἀπώλεσ’.

Χορός

οὐκ ἄρ’ οὐδεὶς ἠδίκει.

Κύκλωψ

Οὖτίς με τυφλοῖ βλέφαρον.

Χορός

οὐκ ἄρ’ εἶ τυφλός.

Κύκλωψ

ὡς δὴ σύ—

Χορός

καὶ πῶς σ’ οὔτις ἂν θείη τυφλόν;

Κύκλωψ

σκώπτεις. ὁ δ’ Οὖτις ποῦ ’στιν;
675

Χορός

οὐδαμοῦ, Κύκλωψ.

Κύκλωψ

ὁ ξένος, ἵν’ ὀρθῶς ἐκμάθῃς, μ’ ἀπώλεσεν,

ὁ μιαρός, ὅς μοι δοὺς τὸ πῶμα κατέκλυσεν.

Χορός

δεινὸς γὰρ οἷνος καὶ παλαίεσθαι βαρύς.

Κύκλωψ

πρὸς θεῶν, πεφεύγασ’ ἢ μένουσ’ ἔσω δόμων;

Χορός

οὗτοι σιωπῇ τὴν πέτραν ἐπήλυγα
680

λαβόντες ἑστήκασι.

Κύκλωψ

ποτέρας τῆς χερός;

Χορός

ἐν δεξιᾷ σου.

Κύκλωψ

ποῦ;

Χορός

πρὸς αὐτῇ τῇ πέτρᾳ.

ἔχεις;

Κύκλωψ

κακόν γε πρὸς κακῷ· τὸ κρανίον

παίσας κατέαγα.

Χορός

καί σε διαφεύγουσί γε.

Κύκλωψ

οὐ τῇδ’· ἐπεὶ τῇδ’ εἶπας;
685

Χορός

οὔ· ταύτῃ λέγω.

Κύκλωψ

πῇ γάρ;

Χορός

περιάγου, κεῖσε, πρὸς τἀριστερά.

Κύκλωψ

οἴμοι γελῶμαι· κερτομεῖτέ μ’ ἐν κακοῖς.

Χορός

ἀλλ’ οὐκέτ’, ἀλλὰ πρόσθεν οὗτός ἐστί σου.

Κύκλωψ

ὦ παγκάκιστε, ποῦ ποτ’ εἶ;

Ὀδυσσεύς

τηλοῦ σέθεν

φυλακαῖσι φρουρῶ σῶμ’ Ὀδυσσέως τόδε.
690

Κύκλωψ

πῶς εἶπας; ὄνομα μεταβαλὼν καινὸν λέγεις.

Ὀδυσσεύς

κλαίειν σ’ ἄνωγα· καὶ δέδραχ’ ὅπερ λέγεις.

ἐγὼ δ’ ἐπ’ ἀκτὰς εἶμι καὶ νεὼς σκάφος

ἥσω ’πὶ πόντον Σικελὸν ἔς τ’ ἐμὴν πάτραν.

Χορός

ἡμεῖς δὲ συνναῦταί γε τοῦδ’ Ὀδυσσέως

ὄντες τὸ λοιπὸν Βακχίῳ δουλεύσομεν.

Cyclops

(Bellowing in the cave.) Oh! oh! my once bright eye is burnt to cinders now.

Chorus

Sweet indeed the triumph-song; pray sing it to us, Cyclops.

Cyclops

(from within.) Oh! oh! once more; what outrage on me and what ruin! But never shall ye escape this rocky cave unpunished, ye worthless creatures; for I will stand in the entrance of the cleft and fit my hands into it thus. [Staggering to the entrance.
665

Chorus

Why dost thou cry out, Cyclops?

Cyclops

I am undone.

Chorus

Thou art indeed a sorry sight.
670

Cyclops

Aye, and a sad one, too.

Chorus

Didst fall among the coals in a drunken fit?

Cyclops

Noman has undone me.

Chorus

Then there is no one hurting thee after all.

Cyclops

Noman is blinding me.

Chorus

Then art thou not blind.

Cyclops

As blind as thou, forsooth.¹

Chorus

How, pray, could no man have made thee blind?

Cyclops

Thou mockest me; but where is this Noman.
675

Chorus

Nowhere, Cyclops.

Cyclops

It was the stranger, vile wretch! who proved my ruin, that thou mayst understand rightly, by swilling me with the liquor he gave me.

Chorus

Ah! wine is a terrible foe, hard to wrestle with.

Cyclops

Tell me, I adjure thee, have they escaped or are they still within?

Chorus

Here they are ranged in silence, taking the rock to screen them.
680

Cyclops

On which side?

Chorus

On thy right.

Cyclops

Where?

Chorus

Close against the rock. Hast caught them?

Cyclops

Trouble on trouble! I have run my skull against the rock and cracked it.

Chorus

Aye, and they are escaping thee.

Cyclops

This way, was it not? ’Twas this way thou saidst.
685

Chorus

No, not this way.

Cyclops

Which then?

Chorus

They are getting round thee on the left.

Cyclops

Alas! I am being mocked; ye jeer me in my evil plight.

Chorus

They are no longer there; but facing thee that stranger stands.

Cyclops

Master of villainy, where, oh! where art thou?

Odysseus

Some way from thee

I am keeping careful guard over the person of Odysseus.
690

Cyclops

What, a new name! hast changed thine?

Odysseus

Yes, Odysseus the name my father gave me. But thou wert doomed to pay for thy unholy feast; for I should have seen Troy burned to but sorry purpose,

unless I had avenged on thee the slaughter of my comrades.
695

Cyclops

Woe is me! ’tis an old oracle coming true; yes, it said I should have my eye put out by thee on thy way home from Troy; but it likewise foretold that thou wouldst surely pay for this,

tossing on the sea for many a day.
700

Odysseus

Go hang! E’en as I say,² so have I done. And now will I get me to the beach and start my hollow ship across the sea of Sicily to the land of my fathers.

Cyclops

Thou shalt not; I will break a boulder off this rock

and crush thee, crew and all, beneath my throw. Blind though I be, I will climb the hill, mounting through yonder tunnel.
705

Chorus

As for us, henceforth will we be the servants of Bacchus, sharing the voyage of this hero Odysseus.

Chor.

Ein schöner Påan! Singe so mir fort, Kyklop!

Der Kyklop.

Weh! Wie bin ich mißhandelt! Ich Verlorener!
655

Doch sollt ihr lachend nicht entfliehn aus dieser Klust,

Ihr Laugenichtse! Denn ich stehe hier am Thor

Des Schlundes, beide Hånde streck' ich aus nach euch!

(Er tritt vollends aus der Höhle heraus.)

Chor.

Weßwegen schreist du denn, Kyklop?

Ich bin dahin!

Elend ja siehst du!
660

Der Kyklop.

Und ich bin's auch obendrein.