Euripides, Alcestis, Johann Jakob Christian Donner (Translator), 213

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Zeus! Welches Ziel unsrer Leiden, wann

Erscheint es, wendet sich das Loos,

Das die Herrscher schwer belastet?

Zweiter Halbchor.

Kommt Jemand? Soll ich mir das Haupt

Scheeren, in schwarzes Trauerkleid jezo die Glieder hullen ?
210

Erster Halbchor.

Ja, gewiß, gewiß ist es, Freunde; doch

Laßt uns den Göttern flehen; der Götter Gewalt ist endlos.

Phan, Fürst!

Zweiter Halbchor.

Find' eine Rettung aus der Noth für unsern Herrn,

Gewähre sie, gewähre!
215

Früher hast du sie gefunden;

Auch jezo werd' ein Erretter aus Todesnoth,

Und entferne den Mörder Hades!

Gegenstrophe 1.

Erster Halbchor.

Alcestis. Euripides. Johann Jakob Christian Donner (Translator). . .

Current edition Experimental

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1841; OCR review) (OCR draft) (German) (Euripides. Deutsch in den Versmaßen der Urschrift. Volume 1, Heidelberg: C. F. Winter, 1841. 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.)

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (1)

Ἄλκηστις Perseus (Euripides. Euripidis Fabulae, Vol. I. Murray, Gilbert, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1902.) — 213-279 focus

Χορός

— ἰὼ Ζεῦ, τίς ἂν πῶς πᾷ πόρος κακῶν

γένοιτο καὶ λύσις τύχας

ἃ πάρεστι κοιράνοις;

—αἰαῖ· εἶσί τις; ἢ τέμω τρίχα,
215

καὶ μέλανα στολμὸν πέπλων

ἀμφιβαλώμεθ’ ἤδη;

—δῆλα μέν, φίλοι, δῆλά γʼ, ἀλλ’ ὅμως

θεοῖσιν εὐχώμεσθα· θεῶν

γὰρ δύναμις μεγίστα.

—ὦναξ Παιάν,
220

ἔξευρε μηχανάν τιν’ Ἀδμήτῳ κακῶν.

—πόριζε δὴ πόριζε· καὶ πάρος γὰρ

τοῦδ’ ἐφεῦρες, καὶ νῦν

λυτήριος ἐκ θανάτου γενοῦ,

φόνιον δ’ ἀπόπαυσον Ἅιδαν.
225

226

Χορός

— παπαῖ

ὦ παῖ Φέρητος, οἷ’ ἔπρα-

ξας δάμαρτος σᾶς στερείς.

—αἰαῖ· ἄξια καὶ σφαγᾶς τάδε,

καὶ πλέον ἢ βρόχῳ δέρην

οὐρανίῳ πελάσσαι;
230

τὰν γὰρ οὐ φίλαν ἀλλὰ φιλτάταν

γυναῖκα κατθανοῦσαν ἐν

ἄματι τῷδ’ ἐπόψῃ.

—ἰδοὺ ἰδού,

ἥδ’ ἐκ δόμων δὴ καὶ πόσις πορεύεται.

—βόασον ὦ, στέναξον, ὦ Φεραία
235

χθών, τὰν ἀρίσταν

γυναῖκα μαραινομέναν νόσῳ

κατὰ γᾶς χθόνιον παρ’ Ἅιδαν.

238

Χορός

οὔποτε φήσω γάμον εὐφραίνειν

πλέον ἢ λυπεῖν, τοῖς τε πάροιθεν

τεκμαιρόμενος καὶ τάσδε τύχας
240

λεύσσων βασιλέως, ὅστις ἀρίστης

ἀπλακὼν ἀλόχου τῆσδ’ ἀβίωτον

τὸν ἔπειτα χρόνον βιοτεύσει.

244

Ἄλκηστις

Ἅλιε καὶ φάος ἁμέρας,

οὐράνιαί τε δῖναι νεφέλας δρομαίου.
245

246

Ἄδμητος

ὁρᾷ σὲ κἀμέ, δύο κακῶς πεπραγότας,

οὐδὲν θεοὺς δράσαντας ἀνθ’ ὅτου θανῇ.

248

Ἄλκηστις

γαῖά τε καὶ μελάθρων στέγαι

νυμφίδιοί τε κοῖται πατρίας Ἰωλκοῦ.

250

Ἄδμητος

ἔπαιρε σαυτήν, ὦ τάλαινα, μὴ προδῷς·
250

λίσσου δὲ τοὺς κρατοῦντας οἰκτῖραι θεούς.

252

Ἄλκηστις

ὁρῶ δίκωπον ὁρῶ σκάφος ἐν λίμνᾳ·

νεκύων δὲ πορθμεὺς

ἔχων χέρ’ ἐπὶ κοντῷ Χάρων

μ’ ἤδη καλεῖ· Τί μέλλεις;
255

ἐπείγου· σὺ κατείργεις. τάδε τοί με

σπερχόμενος ταχύνει.

257

Ἄδμητος

οἴμοι, πικράν γε τήνδε μοι ναυκληρίαν

ἔλεξας. ὦ δύσδαιμον, οἷα πάσχομεν.

259

Ἄλκηστις

ἄγει μ’ ἄγει τις· ἄγει μέ τις—οὐχ ὁρᾷς;—

νεκύων ἐς αὐλάν,
260

ὑπ’ ὀφρύσι κυαναυγέσι

βλέπων πτερωτός— αἵδας.

μέθες με· τί ῥέξεις; ἄφες.—οἵαν ὅδον ἁ δει-

λαιότατα προβαίνω.

264

Ἄδμητος

οἰκτρὰν φίλοισιν, ἐκ δὲ τῶν μάλιστ’ ἐμοὶ

καὶ παισίν, οἷς δὴ πένθος ἐν κοινῷ τόδε.
265

266

Ἄλκηστις

μέθετε μέθετέ μ’ ἤδη.

κλίνατʼ, οὐ σθένω ποσίν·

πλησίον Ἅιδας.

σκοτία δ’ ἐπ’ ὄσσοισι νὺξ ἐφέρπει.

τέκνα, τέκνʼ, οὐκέτι δὴ
270

οὐκέτι μάτηρ σφῷν ἔστιν.

χαίροντες, ὦ τέκνα, τόδε φάος ὁρῷτον.

273

Ἄδμητος

οἴμοι· τόδ’ ἔπος λυπρὸν ἀκούω

καὶ παντὸς ἐμοὶ θανάτου μεῖζον.

μὴ πρός σε θεῶν τλῇς με προδοῦναι,
275

μὴ πρὸς παίδων οὓς ὀρφανιεῖς,

ἀλλ’ ἄνα, τόλμα·

σοῦ γὰρ φθιμένης οὐκέτ’ ἂν εἴην·

ἐν σοὶ δ’ ἐσμὲν καὶ ζῆν καὶ μή·

σὴν γὰρ φιλίαν σεβόμεσθα.

Translations (2)

Alcestis Perseus (Euripides. The Plays of Euripides, Vol. I. Coleridge, Edward P., translator. London: George Bell and Sons, 1906.) — 213-275 focus

Chorus

O Zeus, what way out of these sorrows can be found? how can we loose the bonds of fate that bind our lord?

Comes some one forth? Am I at once to cut my hair, and cast the sable robe about me?
Too plainly, ay too plainly, friends; still let us to heaven pray; for the gods’ power is very great.
215

O king Paean, devise for Admetus some means of escape from his sorrows.
Yes, yes, contrive it; for thou in days gone by didst find salvation for him, so now be thou a saviour from the toils of death
220

and stay bloodthirsty Hades.
225

226

Chorus

Woe! woe! alas! Thou son of Pheres, woe! Ah, thy fate in losing thy wife!
Is not this enough to make thee slay thyself, ah! more than cause enough to tie the noose aloft and fit it to the neck?

Yea, for to-day wilt thou witness the death of her that was not merely dear, but dearest of the dear.
Look, look! she cometh even now, her husband with her, from the house.
Cry aloud and wail, O land of Pherae,
230

wail for the best of women, as with sickness worn she passes ’neath the earth to Hades, lord below.
235

238

Chorus

Never, never will I say that marriage brings more joy than grief, as I

conjecture by the past and witness these misfortunes of our king, for he when widowed of this noble wife will for the future lead a life that is no life at all.
240

244

Alcestis

O sun-god, lamp of day!

O scudding clouds that dance along the sky!
245

246

Admetus

He sees us both with anguish bowed, albeit guiltless of any crime against the gods, for the which thy death is due.

248

Alcestis

O earth, O sheltering roof, and ye my maiden chambers in my native land Iolcos!

250

Admetus

Lift thyself, unhappy wife, forsake me not; entreat the mighty gods to pity us.
250

252

Alcestis

I see the two-oared skiff, I see it; and Charon, death’s ferryman, his hand upon the boatman’s pole,

is calling me e’en now, Why lingerest thou? Hasten. Thou art keeping me. Thus in his eager haste he hurries me.
255

257

Admetus

Ah me! bitter to me is this voyage thou speakest of. Unhappy wife, what woes are ours!

259

Alcestis

One draws me, draws me hence, seest thou not?

to the courts of death, winged Hades glaring from beneath his dark brows. What wilt thou with me? Unhand me. On what a journey am I setting out, most wretched woman I!
260

264

Admetus

Bitter journey to thy friends, yet most of all to me

and to thy babes, the partners in this sorrow.
265

266

Alcestis

Hands off! hands off at once!
Lay me down, I cannot stand. Hades standeth near; and with its gloom steals night upon my eyes.

O my children, my children, ye have no mother now. Fare ye well, my babes, live on beneath the light!
270

273

Admetus

Woe is me! this is a message of sorrow to me, worse than aught that death can do.

Steel not thy heart to leave me, I implore, by heaven, by thy babes whom thou wilt make orphans; nay, raise thyself, have courage. For if thou die I can no longer live; my life, my death are in thy hands; thy love is what I worship.
275

Alcestis (OCR draft) Experimental (Alcestis. Robert Potter's English verse translation, first published in 1781–1783; text from the 1808 Oxford printing.)

No corresponding passage available

Euripides Alcestis 213

Johann Jakob Christian Donner (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Zeus! Welches Ziel unsrer Leiden, wann

Erscheint es, wendet sich das Loos,

Das die Herrscher schwer belastet?

Zweiter Halbchor.

Kommt Jemand? Soll ich mir das Haupt

Scheeren, in schwarzes Trauerkleid jezo die Glieder hullen ?
210

Erster Halbchor.

Ja, gewiß, gewiß ist es, Freunde; doch

Laßt uns den Göttern flehen; der Götter Gewalt ist endlos.

Phan, Fürst!

Zweiter Halbchor.

Find' eine Rettung aus der Noth für unsern Herrn,

Gewähre sie, gewähre!
215

Früher hast du sie gefunden;

Auch jezo werd' ein Erretter aus Todesnoth,

Und entferne den Mörder Hades!

Gegenstrophe 1.

Erster Halbchor.

Current edition Experimental

Ἄλκηστις

Ἅλιε καὶ φάος ἁμέρας,

οὐράνιαί τε δῖναι νεφέλας δρομαίου.
245

Ἄδμητος

ὁρᾷ σὲ κἀμέ, δύο κακῶς πεπραγότας,

οὐδὲν θεοὺς δράσαντας ἀνθ’ ὅτου θανῇ.

Ἄλκηστις

γαῖά τε καὶ μελάθρων στέγαι

νυμφίδιοί τε κοῖται πατρίας Ἰωλκοῦ.

Ἄδμητος

ἔπαιρε σαυτήν, ὦ τάλαινα, μὴ προδῷς·
250

λίσσου δὲ τοὺς κρατοῦντας οἰκτῖραι θεούς.

Ἄδμητος

οἴμοι, πικράν γε τήνδε μοι ναυκληρίαν

ἔλεξας. ὦ δύσδαιμον, οἷα πάσχομεν.

Ἄδμητος

οἰκτρὰν φίλοισιν, ἐκ δὲ τῶν μάλιστ’ ἐμοὶ

καὶ παισίν, οἷς δὴ πένθος ἐν κοινῷ τόδε.
265

Chorus

Never, never will I say that marriage brings more joy than grief, as I

conjecture by the past and witness these misfortunes of our king, for he when widowed of this noble wife will for the future lead a life that is no life at all.
240

Alcestis

O sun-god, lamp of day!

O scudding clouds that dance along the sky!
245

Admetus

He sees us both with anguish bowed, albeit guiltless of any crime against the gods, for the which thy death is due.

Alcestis

O earth, O sheltering roof, and ye my maiden chambers in my native land Iolcos!

Admetus

Lift thyself, unhappy wife, forsake me not; entreat the mighty gods to pity us.
250

Alcestis

I see the two-oared skiff, I see it; and Charon, death’s ferryman, his hand upon the boatman’s pole,

is calling me e’en now, Why lingerest thou? Hasten. Thou art keeping me. Thus in his eager haste he hurries me.
255

Admetus

Ah me! bitter to me is this voyage thou speakest of. Unhappy wife, what woes are ours!

Alcestis

One draws me, draws me hence, seest thou not?

to the courts of death, winged Hades glaring from beneath his dark brows. What wilt thou with me? Unhand me. On what a journey am I setting out, most wretched woman I!
260

Admetus

Bitter journey to thy friends, yet most of all to me

and to thy babes, the partners in this sorrow.
265

Alcestis

Hands off! hands off at once!
Lay me down, I cannot stand. Hades standeth near; and with its gloom steals night upon my eyes.

O my children, my children, ye have no mother now. Fare ye well, my babes, live on beneath the light!
270

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Zeus! Welches Ziel unsrer Leiden, wann Erscheint es, wendet sich das Loos, Das die Herrscher schwer belastet?

Zweiter Halbchor. Kommt Jemand? Soll ich mir das Haupt Scheeren, in schwarzes Trauerkleid jezo die Glieder hullen ? 210

Erster Halbchor. Ja, gewiß, gewiß ist es, Freunde; doch Laßt uns den Göttern flehen; der Götter Gewalt ist endlos. Phan, Fürst!

Zweiter Halbchor. Find' eine Rettung aus der Noth für unsern Herrn, Gewähre sie, gewähre! 215 Früher hast du sie gefunden; Auch jezo werd' ein Erretter aus Todesnoth, Und entferne den Mörder Hades! Gegenstrophe 1.

Erster Halbchor.

Current edition Experimental

Ἄλκηστις Ἅλιε καὶ φάος ἁμέρας, οὐράνιαί τε δῖναι νεφέλας δρομαίου. 245

Ἄδμητος ὁρᾷ σὲ κἀμέ, δύο κακῶς πεπραγότας, οὐδὲν θεοὺς δράσαντας ἀνθ’ ὅτου θανῇ.

Ἄλκηστις γαῖά τε καὶ μελάθρων στέγαι νυμφίδιοί τε κοῖται πατρίας Ἰωλκοῦ.

Ἄδμητος ἔπαιρε σαυτήν, ὦ τάλαινα, μὴ προδῷς· 250 λίσσου δὲ τοὺς κρατοῦντας οἰκτῖραι θεούς.

Ἄδμητος οἴμοι, πικράν γε τήνδε μοι ναυκληρίαν ἔλεξας. ὦ δύσδαιμον, οἷα πάσχομεν.

Ἄδμητος οἰκτρὰν φίλοισιν, ἐκ δὲ τῶν μάλιστ’ ἐμοὶ καὶ παισίν, οἷς δὴ πένθος ἐν κοινῷ τόδε. 265

Chorus Never, never will I say that marriage brings more joy than grief, as I conjecture by the past and witness these misfortunes of our king, for he when widowed of this noble wife will for the future lead a life that is no life at all. 240

Alcestis O sun-god, lamp of day! O scudding clouds that dance along the sky! 245

Admetus He sees us both with anguish bowed, albeit guiltless of any crime against the gods, for the which thy death is due.

Alcestis O earth, O sheltering roof, and ye my maiden chambers in my native land Iolcos!

Admetus Lift thyself, unhappy wife, forsake me not; entreat the mighty gods to pity us. 250

Alcestis I see the two-oared skiff, I see it; and Charon, death’s ferryman, his hand upon the boatman’s pole, is calling me e’en now, Why lingerest thou? Hasten. Thou art keeping me. Thus in his eager haste he hurries me. 255

Admetus Ah me! bitter to me is this voyage thou speakest of. Unhappy wife, what woes are ours!

Alcestis One draws me, draws me hence, seest thou not? to the courts of death, winged Hades glaring from beneath his dark brows. What wilt thou with me? Unhand me. On what a journey am I setting out, most wretched woman I! 260

Admetus Bitter journey to thy friends, yet most of all to me and to thy babes, the partners in this sorrow. 265

Alcestis Hands off! hands off at once! Lay me down, I cannot stand. Hades standeth near; and with its gloom steals night upon my eyes. O my children, my children, ye have no mother now. Fare ye well, my babes, live on beneath the light! 270

Stable identifiers

Zeus! Welches Ziel unsrer Leiden, wann

Erscheint es, wendet sich das Loos,

Das die Herrscher schwer belastet?

Zweiter Halbchor.

Kommt Jemand? Soll ich mir das Haupt

Scheeren, in schwarzes Trauerkleid jezo die Glieder hullen ?
210

Erster Halbchor.

Ja, gewiß, gewiß ist es, Freunde; doch

Laßt uns den Göttern flehen; der Götter Gewalt ist endlos.

Phan, Fürst!

Zweiter Halbchor.

Find' eine Rettung aus der Noth für unsern Herrn,

Gewähre sie, gewähre!
215

Früher hast du sie gefunden;

Auch jezo werd' ein Erretter aus Todesnoth,

Und entferne den Mörder Hades!

Gegenstrophe 1.

Ἄλκηστις

Ἅλιε καὶ φάος ἁμέρας,

οὐράνιαί τε δῖναι νεφέλας δρομαίου.
245

Ἄδμητος

ὁρᾷ σὲ κἀμέ, δύο κακῶς πεπραγότας,

οὐδὲν θεοὺς δράσαντας ἀνθ’ ὅτου θανῇ.

Ἄλκηστις

γαῖά τε καὶ μελάθρων στέγαι

νυμφίδιοί τε κοῖται πατρίας Ἰωλκοῦ.

Ἄδμητος

ἔπαιρε σαυτήν, ὦ τάλαινα, μὴ προδῷς·
250

λίσσου δὲ τοὺς κρατοῦντας οἰκτῖραι θεούς.

Ἄδμητος

οἴμοι, πικράν γε τήνδε μοι ναυκληρίαν

ἔλεξας. ὦ δύσδαιμον, οἷα πάσχομεν.

Ἄδμητος

οἰκτρὰν φίλοισιν, ἐκ δὲ τῶν μάλιστ’ ἐμοὶ

καὶ παισίν, οἷς δὴ πένθος ἐν κοινῷ τόδε.
265

Chorus

Never, never will I say that marriage brings more joy than grief, as I

conjecture by the past and witness these misfortunes of our king, for he when widowed of this noble wife will for the future lead a life that is no life at all.
240

Alcestis

O sun-god, lamp of day!

O scudding clouds that dance along the sky!
245

Admetus

He sees us both with anguish bowed, albeit guiltless of any crime against the gods, for the which thy death is due.

Alcestis

O earth, O sheltering roof, and ye my maiden chambers in my native land Iolcos!

Admetus

Lift thyself, unhappy wife, forsake me not; entreat the mighty gods to pity us.
250

Alcestis

I see the two-oared skiff, I see it; and Charon, death’s ferryman, his hand upon the boatman’s pole,

is calling me e’en now, Why lingerest thou? Hasten. Thou art keeping me. Thus in his eager haste he hurries me.
255

Admetus

Ah me! bitter to me is this voyage thou speakest of. Unhappy wife, what woes are ours!

Alcestis

One draws me, draws me hence, seest thou not?

to the courts of death, winged Hades glaring from beneath his dark brows. What wilt thou with me? Unhand me. On what a journey am I setting out, most wretched woman I!
260

Admetus

Bitter journey to thy friends, yet most of all to me

and to thy babes, the partners in this sorrow.
265

Alcestis

Hands off! hands off at once!
Lay me down, I cannot stand. Hades standeth near; and with its gloom steals night upon my eyes.

O my children, my children, ye have no mother now. Fare ye well, my babes, live on beneath the light!
270