Euripides, Alcestis, Johann Jakob Christian Donner (Translator), 77

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Was ist es so still doch vor dem Palast?

Was ruht in Schweigen Admetos' Haus?

Zweiter Halb chor.

Kein einziger Freund weilt in der Nähe,

Zu verkündigen, ob der Gebieterinn Tod

zu betrauern geziem', ob lebend annoch
80

Im Licht hier athme des Pelias Kind,

Alkestis, die sich an ihrem Gemahl

Als das edelste Weib

Vor mir und Allen bewährt hat.

Strophe 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.) — 77-135 focus

Χορός

—τί ποθ’ ἡσυχία πρόσθεν μελάθρων;

—τί σεσίγηται δόμος Ἀδμήτου;

—ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ φίλων πέλας οὐδείς,

ὅστις ἂν εἴποι πότερον φθιμένην
80

βασίλεαν πενθεῖν χρή μʼ, ἢ ζῶσ’ ἔτι

φῶς τόδε λεύσσει Πελίου παῖς

Ἄλκηστις, ἐμοὶ πᾶσί τ’ ἀρίστη

δόξασα γυνὴ

πόσιν εἰς αὑτῆς γεγενῆσθαι.
85

Χορός

—κλύει τις ἢ στεναγμὸν ἢ

χειρῶν κτύπον κατὰ στέγας

ἢ γόον ὡς πεπραγμένων;

—οὐ μὰν οὐδέ τις ἀμφιπόλων στα-

τίζεται ἀμφὶ πύλας. εἰ
90

γὰρ μετακύμιος ἄτας,

ὦ Παιάν, φανείης.

Χορός

—οὔ τἂν φθιμένης γ’ ἐσιώπων.

—νέκυς ἤδη.

—οὐ δὴ φροῦδός γ’ ἐξ οἴκων.

—πόθεν; οὐκ αὐχῶ. τί σε θαρσύνει;
95

—πῶς ἂν ἔρημον τάφον Ἄδμητος

κεδνῆς ἂν ἔπραξε γυναικός;

Χορός

—πυλῶν πάροιθε δ’ οὐχ ὁρῶ

πηγαῖον ὡς νομίζεται

χέρνιβ’ ἐπὶ φθιτῶν πύλαις.
100

—χαίτα τ’ οὔτις ἐπὶ προθύροις το-

μαῖος, ἃ δὴ νεκύων πέν-

θει πίτνει· οὐ νεολαία

δουπεῖ χεὶρ γυναικῶν.

105

Χορός

—καὶ μὴν τόδε κύριον ἦμαρ . . .
105

—τί τόδ’ αὐδᾷς;

—ᾧ χρή σφε μολεῖν κατὰ γαίας.

—ἔθιγες ψυχᾶς, ἔθιγες δὲ φρενῶν.

—χρὴ τῶν ἀγαθῶν διακναιομένων

πενθεῖν ὅστις
110

χρηστὸς ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς νενόμισται.

112

Χορός

—ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ ναυκληρίαν

ἔσθ’ ὅποι τις αἴας

στείλας, ἢ Λυκίαν

εἴτ’ ἐπὶ τὰς ἀνύδρους
115

Ἀμμωνιάδας ἕδρας,

δυστάνου παραλύσαι

ψυχάν· μόρος γὰρ ἀπότομος

πλάθει· θεῶν δ’ ἐπ’ ἐσχάραις

οὐκ ἔχω ἐπὶ τίνα
120

μηλοθύταν πορευθῶ.

122

Χορός

—μόνος δ’ ἄν, εἰ φῶς τόδ’ ἦν

ὄμμασιν δεδορκὼς

Φοίβου παῖς, προλιποῦσ’

ἦλθεν ἕδρας σκοτίους
125

Ἅιδα τε πύλας·

δμαθέντας γὰρ ἀνίστη,

πρὶν αὐτὸν εἷλε διόβολον

πλῆκτρον πυρὸς κεραυνίου.

νῦν δὲ τίν’ ἔτι βίου
130

ἐλπίδα προσδέχωμαι;

132

Χορός

—πάντα γὰρ ἤδη τετέλεσται βασιλεῦσι,

πάντων δὲ θεῶν ἐπὶ βωμοῖς

αἱμόρραντοι θυσίαι πλήρεις·

οὐδ’ ἔστι κακῶν ἄκος οὐδέν.
135

Translations (2)

Alcestis Perseus (Euripides. The Plays of Euripides, Vol. I. Coleridge, Edward P., translator. London: George Bell and Sons, 1906.) — 77-135 focus

First Semichorus

What¹ means this silence in front of the palace? why is the house of Admetus stricken dumb?

Second Semichorus

Not one friend near

to say if we must mourn our queen as dead, or if she liveth yet and sees the sun, Alcestis, daughter of Pelias, by me and all esteemed the best of wives
80

to her husband.
85

First Semichorus

Doth any of you hear a groan, or sound of hands that smite together, or the voice of lamentation, telling all is over and done? Yet is there no servant

stationed about the gate, no, not one. O come, thou saving god, to smooth the swelling waves of woe!²
90

Second Semichorus

Surely, were she dead, they would not be so still.

First Semichorus

Maybe her corpse is not yet from the house borne forth.

Second Semichorus

Whence that inference? I am not so sanguine. What gives thee confidence?
95

First Semichorus

How could Admetus let his noble wife go unattended to the grave?

Second Semichorus

Before the gates I see no lustral water from the spring, as custom doth ordain should be

at the gates of the dead, no shorn lock lies on the threshold, which, as thou knowest, falls in mourning for the dead, no choir of maidens smites its youthful³ palms together.
100

105

First Semichorus

And yet this is the appointed day.
105

Second Semichorus

What meanest thou by this?

First Semichorus

The day appointed for the journey to the world below.

Second Semichorus

Thou hast touched me to the heart, e’en to the soul.

Chorus

Whoso from his youth up has been accounted virtuous,

needs must weep to see the good suddenly cut off.
110

112

Chorus

’Tis done; no single spot in all the world remains whither one might steer a course, either to Lycia⁴

or to the parched abodes⁵ of Ammon to release the hapless lady’s soul; on comes death with step abrupt,
115

nor know I to whom I should go of all who at the gods’ altars offer sacrifice.
120

122

Chorus

Only the son of Phoebus,⁶ if he yet saw this light of day—

Ah! then then might she have left the dark abode and gates of Hades and have come again, for he would raise the dead to life, till that the thunderbolt’s forked flame, hurled by Zeus, smote him.
125

But now what further hope of life can I welcome to me?
130

132

Chorus

Our lords have ere this done all they could; on every altar streams the blood of abundant sacrifice;

yet our sorrows find no cure.
135

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 77

Johann Jakob Christian Donner (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Was ist es so still doch vor dem Palast?

Was ruht in Schweigen Admetos' Haus?

Zweiter Halb chor.

Kein einziger Freund weilt in der Nähe,

Zu verkündigen, ob der Gebieterinn Tod

zu betrauern geziem', ob lebend annoch
80

Im Licht hier athme des Pelias Kind,

Alkestis, die sich an ihrem Gemahl

Als das edelste Weib

Vor mir und Allen bewährt hat.

Strophe 1.

Erster Halbchor.

Current edition Experimental

Χορός

—πάντα γὰρ ἤδη τετέλεσται βασιλεῦσι,

πάντων δὲ θεῶν ἐπὶ βωμοῖς

αἱμόρραντοι θυσίαι πλήρεις·

οὐδ’ ἔστι κακῶν ἄκος οὐδέν.
135

First Semichorus

What¹ means this silence in front of the palace? why is the house of Admetus stricken dumb?

Second Semichorus

Not one friend near

to say if we must mourn our queen as dead, or if she liveth yet and sees the sun, Alcestis, daughter of Pelias, by me and all esteemed the best of wives
80

to her husband.
85

First Semichorus

Doth any of you hear a groan, or sound of hands that smite together, or the voice of lamentation, telling all is over and done? Yet is there no servant

stationed about the gate, no, not one. O come, thou saving god, to smooth the swelling waves of woe!²
90

Second Semichorus

Surely, were she dead, they would not be so still.

First Semichorus

Maybe her corpse is not yet from the house borne forth.

Second Semichorus

Whence that inference? I am not so sanguine. What gives thee confidence?
95

First Semichorus

How could Admetus let his noble wife go unattended to the grave?

Second Semichorus

Before the gates I see no lustral water from the spring, as custom doth ordain should be

at the gates of the dead, no shorn lock lies on the threshold, which, as thou knowest, falls in mourning for the dead, no choir of maidens smites its youthful³ palms together.
100

First Semichorus

And yet this is the appointed day.
105

Second Semichorus

What meanest thou by this?

First Semichorus

The day appointed for the journey to the world below.

Second Semichorus

Thou hast touched me to the heart, e’en to the soul.

Chorus

Whoso from his youth up has been accounted virtuous,

needs must weep to see the good suddenly cut off.
110

Chorus

Our lords have ere this done all they could; on every altar streams the blood of abundant sacrifice;

yet our sorrows find no cure.
135

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Was ist es so still doch vor dem Palast? Was ruht in Schweigen Admetos' Haus?

Zweiter Halb chor. Kein einziger Freund weilt in der Nähe, Zu verkündigen, ob der Gebieterinn Tod zu betrauern geziem', ob lebend annoch 80 Im Licht hier athme des Pelias Kind, Alkestis, die sich an ihrem Gemahl Als das edelste Weib Vor mir und Allen bewährt hat. Strophe 1.

Erster Halbchor.

Current edition Experimental

Χορός —πάντα γὰρ ἤδη τετέλεσται βασιλεῦσι, πάντων δὲ θεῶν ἐπὶ βωμοῖς αἱμόρραντοι θυσίαι πλήρεις· οὐδ’ ἔστι κακῶν ἄκος οὐδέν. 135

First Semichorus What 1 means this silence in front of the palace? why is the house of Admetus stricken dumb?

Second Semichorus Not one friend near to say if we must mourn our queen as dead, or if she liveth yet and sees the sun, Alcestis, daughter of Pelias, by me and all esteemed the best of wives 80 to her husband. 85

First Semichorus Doth any of you hear a groan, or sound of hands that smite together, or the voice of lamentation, telling all is over and done? Yet is there no servant stationed about the gate, no, not one. O come, thou saving god, to smooth the swelling waves of woe! 2 90

Second Semichorus Surely, were she dead, they would not be so still.

First Semichorus Maybe her corpse is not yet from the house borne forth.

Second Semichorus Whence that inference? I am not so sanguine. What gives thee confidence? 95

First Semichorus How could Admetus let his noble wife go unattended to the grave?

Second Semichorus Before the gates I see no lustral water from the spring, as custom doth ordain should be at the gates of the dead, no shorn lock lies on the threshold, which, as thou knowest, falls in mourning for the dead, no choir of maidens smites its youthful 3 palms together. 100

First Semichorus And yet this is the appointed day. 105

Second Semichorus What meanest thou by this?

First Semichorus The day appointed for the journey to the world below.

Second Semichorus Thou hast touched me to the heart, e’en to the soul.

Chorus Whoso from his youth up has been accounted virtuous, needs must weep to see the good suddenly cut off. 110

Chorus Our lords have ere this done all they could; on every altar streams the blood of abundant sacrifice; yet our sorrows find no cure. 135

Stable identifiers

Was ist es so still doch vor dem Palast?

Was ruht in Schweigen Admetos' Haus?

Zweiter Halb chor.

Kein einziger Freund weilt in der Nähe,

Zu verkündigen, ob der Gebieterinn Tod

zu betrauern geziem', ob lebend annoch
80

Im Licht hier athme des Pelias Kind,

Alkestis, die sich an ihrem Gemahl

Als das edelste Weib

Vor mir und Allen bewährt hat.

Strophe 1.

Χορός

—πάντα γὰρ ἤδη τετέλεσται βασιλεῦσι,

πάντων δὲ θεῶν ἐπὶ βωμοῖς

αἱμόρραντοι θυσίαι πλήρεις·

οὐδ’ ἔστι κακῶν ἄκος οὐδέν.
135

First Semichorus

What¹ means this silence in front of the palace? why is the house of Admetus stricken dumb?

Second Semichorus

Not one friend near

to say if we must mourn our queen as dead, or if she liveth yet and sees the sun, Alcestis, daughter of Pelias, by me and all esteemed the best of wives
80

to her husband.
85

First Semichorus

Doth any of you hear a groan, or sound of hands that smite together, or the voice of lamentation, telling all is over and done? Yet is there no servant

stationed about the gate, no, not one. O come, thou saving god, to smooth the swelling waves of woe!²
90

Second Semichorus

Surely, were she dead, they would not be so still.

First Semichorus

Maybe her corpse is not yet from the house borne forth.

Second Semichorus

Whence that inference? I am not so sanguine. What gives thee confidence?
95

First Semichorus

How could Admetus let his noble wife go unattended to the grave?

Second Semichorus

Before the gates I see no lustral water from the spring, as custom doth ordain should be

at the gates of the dead, no shorn lock lies on the threshold, which, as thou knowest, falls in mourning for the dead, no choir of maidens smites its youthful³ palms together.
100

First Semichorus

And yet this is the appointed day.
105

Second Semichorus

What meanest thou by this?

First Semichorus

The day appointed for the journey to the world below.

Second Semichorus

Thou hast touched me to the heart, e’en to the soul.

Chorus

Whoso from his youth up has been accounted virtuous,

needs must weep to see the good suddenly cut off.
110

Chorus

Our lords have ere this done all they could; on every altar streams the blood of abundant sacrifice;

yet our sorrows find no cure.
135