Euripides, Alcestis, Johann Jakob Christian Donner (Translator), 568

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du stets freisinniges, gastliches Haus, o Palast des Königs!

Auch Phobos, der pythische Lautenkünstler, hielt dich

Werth, in dir zu wohnen,

Verschmåht' es nicht, ein weidender Hirt,
560

Durch verschlungne Thåler

Deine Heerden zu führen einst,

Aus ländlichem Rohre vorspielend

Brautgesånge der Hirten.

Gegenstrophe 1.

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.) — 568-605 focus

Χορός

ὦ πολύξεινος καὶ ἐλεύθερος ἀνδρὸς ἀεί ποτ’ οἶκος,

σέ τοι καὶ ὁ Πύθιος εὐλύρας Ἀπόλλων
570

ἠξίωσε ναίειν,

ἔτλα δὲ σοῖσι μηλονόμας

ἐν δόμοις γενέσθαι,

δοχμιᾶν διὰ κλιτύων
575

βοσκήμασι σοῖσι συρίζων

ποιμνίτας ὑμεναίους.

578

Χορός

σὺν δ’ ἐποιμαίνοντο χαρᾷ μελέων βαλιαί τε λύγκες,

ἔβα δὲ λιποῦσ’ Ὄθρυος νάπαν λεόντων
580

ἁ δαφοινὸς ἴλα·

χόρευσε δ’ ἀμφὶ σὰν κιθάραν,

Φοῖβε, ποικιλόθριξ

νεβρὸς ὑψικόμων πέραν
585

βαίνουσ’ ἐλατᾶν σφυρῷ κούφῳ,

χαίρουσ’ εὔφρονι μολπᾷ.

588

Χορός

τοιγὰρ πολυμηλοτάταν

ἑστίαν οἰκεῖς παρὰ καλλίναον

Βοιβίαν λίμναν. ἀρότοις δὲ γυᾶν
590

καὶ πεδίων δαπέδοις ὅρον ἀμφὶ μὲν

ἀελίου κνεφαίαν

ἱππόστασιν αἰθέρα τὰν Μολοσσῶν τίθεται,

πόντιον δ’ Αἰγαίων’ ἐπ’ ἀκτὰν
595

ἀλίμενον Πηλίου κρατύνει.

597

Χορός

καὶ νῦν δόμον ἀμπετάσας

δέξατο ξεῖνον νοτερῷ βλεφάρῳ,

τᾶς φίλας κλαίων ἀλόχου νέκυν ἐν

δώμασιν ἀρτιθανῆ· τὸ γὰρ εὐγενὲς
600

ἐκφέρεται πρὸς αἰδῶ.

ἐν τοῖς ἀγαθοῖσι δὲ πάντ’ ἔνεστιν σοφίας. ἄγαμαι·

πρὸς δ’ ἐμᾷ ψυχᾷ θάρσος ἧσται

θεοσεβῆ φῶτα κεδνὰ πράξειν.
605

Translations (2)

Alcestis Perseus (Euripides. The Plays of Euripides, Vol. I. Coleridge, Edward P., translator. London: George Bell and Sons, 1906.) — 569-605 focus

Chorus

O home of hospitality, thrown open by thy lord to all now and ever!

In thee it was that Pythian Apollo, the sweet harper, deigned to make his home, and in thy halls was content to lead a shepherd’s life,
570

piping o’er the sloping downs shepherd’s madrigals to thy flocks.
575

578

Chorus

And spotted lynxes couched amid his sheep in joy to hear his melody,

and the lions’ tawny troop left the glen of Othrys and came; came too the dappled fawn on nimble foot from beyond the crested pines and frisked about thy lyre, O Phoebus,
580

for very joy at thy gladsome minstrelsy.
585

588

Chorus

And so it is thy lord inhabits a home rich in countless flocks

by Boebe’s lovely mere, bounding his tilled corn-land and his level pastures with the clime of the Molossi near the sun’s dark stable,
590

and holding sway as far as the harbourless strand of the Aegean ’neath Pelion’s shadow.
595

597

Chorus

Now too hath he opened wide his house and welcomed a guest although his eye is wet with tears in mourning for his wife so dear

but lately dead within his halls; yea, for noble birth to noble feeling is inclined.¹ And in the good completest wisdom dwells; and at my heart sits the bold belief
600

that heaven’s servant will be blesed blessed.
605

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 568

Johann Jakob Christian Donner (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Experimental

Chorus

O home of hospitality, thrown open by thy lord to all now and ever!

In thee it was that Pythian Apollo, the sweet harper, deigned to make his home, and in thy halls was content to lead a shepherd’s life,
570

piping o’er the sloping downs shepherd’s madrigals to thy flocks.
575

Chorus

And spotted lynxes couched amid his sheep in joy to hear his melody,

and the lions’ tawny troop left the glen of Othrys and came; came too the dappled fawn on nimble foot from beyond the crested pines and frisked about thy lyre, O Phoebus,
580

for very joy at thy gladsome minstrelsy.
585

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Experimental

Chorus O home of hospitality, thrown open by thy lord to all now and ever! In thee it was that Pythian Apollo, the sweet harper, deigned to make his home, and in thy halls was content to lead a shepherd’s life, 570 piping o’er the sloping downs shepherd’s madrigals to thy flocks. 575

Chorus And spotted lynxes couched amid his sheep in joy to hear his melody, and the lions’ tawny troop left the glen of Othrys and came; came too the dappled fawn on nimble foot from beyond the crested pines and frisked about thy lyre, O Phoebus, 580 for very joy at thy gladsome minstrelsy. 585

Stable identifiers

Chorus

O home of hospitality, thrown open by thy lord to all now and ever!

In thee it was that Pythian Apollo, the sweet harper, deigned to make his home, and in thy halls was content to lead a shepherd’s life,
570

piping o’er the sloping downs shepherd’s madrigals to thy flocks.
575