Euripides, Alcestis, Johann Jakob Christian Donner (Translator), 861

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Ach, trauriger Eingang, trauriger Blick

Des verwaisten Palastes! weh mir, weh!
845

Wo gehn, wo stehn? Was sag' ich, was nicht?

stürb' ich dahin!

Unselig gebar mich die Mutter, fürwahr!

Ich beneide die Todten, ich liebe nur sie,

In der Todten Behausung zieht mich's hinab.
850

Denn nicht mehr freut mich der Sonn' Anblick,

Nicht, daß mein Fuß noch die Erde berührt:

Solch theueres Pfand hat Thanatos mir

Zu den Todten entführt, in den Hades.

Strophe 1.

Chor.

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.) — 861-1005 focus

Ἄδμητος

ἰώ, στυγναὶ

πρόσοδοι, στυγναὶ δ’ ὄψεις χήρων

μελάθρων. ἰώ μοί μοι. αἶ αἶ.

ποῖ βῶ; ποῖ στῶ; τί λέγω; τί δὲ μή;

πῶς ἂν ὀλοίμαν;

ἦ βαρυδαίμονα μήτηρ μ’ ἔτεκεν.
865

ζηλῶ φθιμένους, κείνων ἔραμαι,

κεῖν’ ἐπιθυμῶ δώματα ναίειν.

οὔτε γὰρ αὐγὰς χαίρω προσορῶν

οὔτ’ ἐπὶ γαίας πόδα πεζεύων·

τοῖον ὅμηρόν μ’ ἀποσυλήσας
870

Ἅιδῃ Θάνατος παρέδωκεν.

872

Χορός

—πρόβα, πρόβα· βᾶθι κεῦθος οἴκων.

Ἄδμητος

αἰαῖ.

Χορός

—πέπονθας ἄξι’ αἰαγμάτων.

Ἄδμητος

ἒ ἔ.

Χορός

—δι’ ὀδύνας ἔβας, σάφ’ οἶδα . . .

Ἄδμητος

φεῦ φεῦ.

Χορός

—τὰν νέρθε δ’ οὐδὲν ὠφελεῖς.
875

Ἄδμητος

ἰώ μοί μοι.

Χορός

—τὸ μήποτ’ εἰσιδεῖν φιλίας ἀλόχου

πρόσωπόν ἄντα λυπρόν.

878

Ἄδμητος

ἔμνησας ὅ μου φρένας ἥλκωσεν·

τί γὰρ ἀνδρὶ κακὸν μεῖζον ἁμαρτεῖν

πιστῆς ἀλόχου; μή ποτε γήμας
880

ὤφελον οἰκεῖν μετὰ τῆσδε δόμους.

ζηλῶ δ’ ἀγάμους ἀτέκνους τε βροτῶν·

μία γὰρ ψυχή, τῆς ὑπεραλγεῖν

μέτριον ἄχθος·

παίδων δὲ νόσους καὶ νυμφιδίους
885

εὐνὰς θανάτοις κεραϊζομένας

οὐ τλητὸν ὁρᾶν, ἐξὸν ἀτέκνους

ἀγάμους τ’ εἶναι διὰ παντός.

889

Χορός

—τύχα τύχα δυσπάλαιστος ἥκει·

Ἄδμητος

αἰαῖ.

Χορός

—πέρας δέ γ’ οὐδὲν ἀλγέων τίθης.
890

Ἄδμητος

ἒ ἔ.

Χορός

—βαρέα μὲν φέρειν, ὅμως δὲ . . .

Ἄδμητος

φεῦ φεῦ.

Χορός

—τλᾶθʼ· οὐ σὺ πρῶτος ὤλεσας . . .

Ἄδμητος

ἰώ μοί μοι.

Χορός

—γυναῖκα· συμφορὰ δ’ ἑτέρους ἑτέρα

πιέζει φανεῖσα θνατῶν.

895

Ἄδμητος

ὦ μακρὰ πένθη λῦπαί τε φίλων
895

τῶν ὑπὸ γαῖαν.

τί μ’ ἐκώλυσας ῥῖψαι τύμβου

τάφρον ἐς κοίλην καὶ μετ’ ἐκείνης

τῆς μέγ’ ἀρίστης κεῖσθαι φθίμενον;

δύο δ’ ἀντὶ μιᾶς Ἅιδης ψυχὰς
900

τὰς πιστοτάτας σὺν ἂν ἔσχεν, ὁμοῦ

χθονίαν λίμνην διαβάντε.

903

Χορός

ἐμοί τις ἦν

ἐν γένει, ᾧ κόρος ἀξιόθρηνος

ὤλετ’ ἐν δόμοισιν
905

μονόπαις· ἀλλ’ ἔμπας

ἔφερε κακὸν ἅλις, ἄτεκνος ὤν,

πολιὰς ἐπὶ χαίτας

ἤδη προπετὴς ὢν

βιότου τε πόρσω.
910

912

Ἄδμητος

ὦ σχῆμα δόμων, πῶς εἰσέλθω;

πῶς δ’ οἰκήσω μεταπίπτοντος

δαίμονος; οἴμοι. πολὺ γὰρ τὸ μέσον·

τότε μὲν πεύκαις σὺν Πηλιάσιν
915

σύν θ’ ὑμεναίοις ἔστειχον ἔσω,

φιλίας ἀλόχου χέρα βαστάζων,

πολυάχητος δ’ εἵπετο κῶμος,

τήν τε θανοῦσαν κἄμ’ ὀλβίζων,

ὡς εὐπατρίδαι καὶ ἀπ’ ἀμφοτέρων
920

ὄντες ἀρίστων σύζυγες εἶμεν·

νῦν δ’ ὑμεναίων γόος ἀντίπαλος

λευκῶν τε πέπλων μέλανες στολμοὶ

πέμπουσί μ’ ἔσω

λέκτρων κοίτας ἐς ἐρήμους.
925

926

Χορός

παρ’ εὐτυχῆ

σοὶ πότμον ἦλθεν ἀπειροκάκῳ τόδ’

ἄλγος· ἀλλ’ ἔσωσας

βίοτον καὶ ψυχάν.

ἔθανε δάμαρ, ἔλιπε φιλίαν·
930

τί νέον τόδε; πολλοῖς

ἤδη παρέλυσεν

θάνατος δάμαρτας.

935

Ἄδμητος

φίλοι, γυναικὸς δαίμον’ εὐτυχέστερον
935

τοὐμοῦ νομίζω, καίπερ οὐ δοκοῦνθ’ ὅμως·

τῆς μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲν ἄλγος ἅψεταί ποτε,

πολλῶν δὲ μόχθων εὐκλεὴς ἐπαύσατο.

ἐγὼ δʼ, ὃν οὐ χρῆν ζῆν, παρεὶς τὸ μόρσιμον

λυπρὸν διάξω βίοτον· ἄρτι μανθάνω.
940

πῶς γὰρ δόμων τῶνδ’ εἰσόδους ἀνέξομαι;

τίν’ ἂν προσειπών, τοῦ δὲ προσρηθεὶς ὕπο,

τερπνῆς τύχοιμ’ ἂν ἐξόδου; ποῖ τρέψομαι;

ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἔνδον ἐξελᾷ μ’ ἐρημία,

γυναικὸς εὐνὰς εὖτ’ ἂν εἰσίδω κενὰς
945

θρόνους τ’ ἐν οἷσιν ἷζε, καὶ κατὰ στέγας

αὐχμηρὸν οὖδας, τέκνα δ’ ἀμφὶ γούνασι

πίπτοντα κλαίῃ μητέρʼ, οἳ δὲ δεσπότιν

στένωσιν οἵαν ἐκ δόμων ἀπώλεσαν.

τὰ μὲν κατ’ οἴκους τοιάδʼ· ἔξωθεν δέ με
950

γάμοι τ’ ἐλῶσι Θεσσαλῶν καὶ ξύλλογοι

γυναικοπληθεῖς· οὐ γὰρ ἐξανέξομαι

λεύσσων δάμαρτος τῆς ἐμῆς ὁμήλικας.

ἐρεῖ δέ μ’ ὅστις ἐχθρὸς ὢν κυρεῖ τάδε·

Ἰδοῦ τὸν αἰσχρῶς ζῶνθʼ, ὃς οὐκ ἔτλη θανεῖν,
955

ἀλλ’ ἣν ἔγημεν ἀντιδοὺς ἀψυχίᾳ

πέφευγεν Ἅιδην· εἶτ’ ἀνὴρ εἶναι δοκεῖ;

στυγεῖ δὲ τοὺς τεκόντας, αὐτὸς οὐ θέλων

θανεῖν. τοιάνδε πρὸς κακοῖσι κληδόνα

ἕξω. τί μοι ζῆν δῆτα κέρδιον, φίλοι,
960

κακῶς κλύοντι καὶ κακῶς πεπραγότι;

962

Χορός

ἐγὼ καὶ διὰ μούσας

καὶ μετάρσιος ᾖξα, καὶ

πλείστων ἁψάμενος λόγων

κρεῖσσον οὐδὲν Ἀνάγκας
965

ηὗρον, οὐδέ τι φάρμακον

Θρῄσσαις ἐν σανίσιν, τὰς

Ὀρφεία κατέγραψεν

γῆρυς, οὐδ’ ὅσα Φοῖβος Ἀσκληπιάδαις ἔδωκε
970

φάρμακα πολυπόνοις ἀντιτεμὼν βροτοῖσιν.

973

Χορός

μόνας δ’ οὔτ’ ἐπὶ βωμοὺς

ἔστιν οὔτε βρέτας θεᾶς

ἐλθεῖν, οὐ σφαγίων κλύει.
975

μή μοι, πότνια, μείζων

ἔλθοις ἢ τὸ πρὶν ἐν βίῳ.

καὶ γὰρ Ζεὺς ὅ τι νεύσῃ,

σὺν σοὶ τοῦτο τελευτᾷ.

καὶ τὸν ἐν Χαλύβοις δαμάζεις σὺ βίᾳ σίδαρον,
980

οὐδέ τις ἀποτόμου λήματός ἐστιν αἰδώς.

984

Χορός

καὶ σ’ ἐν ἀφύκτοισι χερῶν εἷλε θεὰ δεσμοῖς.

τόλμα δʼ· οὐ γὰρ ἀνάξεις ποτ’ ἔνερθεν
985

κλαίων τοὺς φθιμένους ἄνω.

καὶ θεῶν σκότιοι φθίνουσι

παῖδες ἐν θανάτῳ.
990

φίλα μὲν ὅτ’ ἦν μεθ’ ἡμῶν,

φίλα δὲ καὶ θανοῦσ’ ἔσται,

γενναιοτάταν δὲ πασᾶν ἐζεύξω κλισίαις ἄκοιτιν.

995

Χορός

μηδὲ νεκρῶν ὡς φθιμένων χῶμα νομιζέσθω
995

τύμβος σᾶς ἀλόχου, θεοῖσι δ’ ὁμοίως

τιμάσθω, σέβας ἐμπόρων.

καί τις δοχμίαν κέλευθον
1000

ἐκβαίνων τόδ’ ἐρεῖ·

Αὕτα ποτὲ προύθαν’ ἀνδρός,

νῦν δ’ ἐστὶ μάκαιρα δαίμων·

χαῖρʼ, ὦ πότνι’, εὖ δὲ δοίης. τοῖαί νιν προσεροῦσι

φῆμαι.
1005

Translations (2)

Alcestis Perseus (Euripides. The Plays of Euripides, Vol. I. Coleridge, Edward P., translator. London: George Bell and Sons, 1906.) — 861-1005 focus

Admetus

Ah me! I loathe this entering in, and loathe to see my widowed home. Woe, woe is me! Whither shall I go? Where stand? what say? or what suppress? Would God that I were dead!

Surely in an evil hour my mother gave me birth. The dead I envy, and would fain be as they, and long to dwell within their courts. No joy to me to see the light, no joy to tread the earth;
865

such a hostage death hath reft me of and handed o’er to Hades.
870

872

Chorus

Move forward, go within the shelter of thy house.

Admetus

Woe is me!

Chorus

Thy sufferings claim these cries of woe.

Admetus

Ah me!

Chorus

Through anguish hast thou gone, full well I know.

Admetus

Alas! alas!

Chorus

Thou wilt not help the dead one whit.
875

Admetus

O misery!

Chorus

Nevermore to see thy dear wife face to face is grief indeed.

878

Admetus

Thy words have probed the sore place in my heart. What greater grief can come to man

than the loss of a faithful wife? Would I had never married or shared with her my home! I envy those ’mongst men who have nor wife nor child. Theirs is but one life; to grieve for that is no excessive burden;
880

but to see children fall ill and bridal beds emptied by death’s ravages is too much to bear, when one might go through life without wife or child.
885

889

Chorus

A fate we cannot cope with is come upon us.

Admetus

Woe is me!

Chorus

But thou to sorrow settest no limit.
890

Admetus

Ah! ah!

Chorus

’Tis hard to bear, but still—

Admetus

Woe is me!

Chorus

Thou art not the first to lose—

Admetus

O! woe is me!

Chorus

A wife; misfortune takes a different shape for every man she plagues.

895

Admetus

O the weary sorrow! O the grief for dear ones dead and gone! Why didst thou hinder me from plung-ing into the gaping grave, there to lay me down and die with her, my peerless bride?
895

Then would Hades for that one have gotten these two faithful souls at once, crossing the nether lake together.
900

903

Chorus

I had a kinsman once, within whose home died

his only son, worthy of a father’s tears; yet in spite of that he bore his grief resignedly, childless though he was, his hair already turning grey, himself far on in years, upon
905

life’s downward track.
910

912

Admetus

O house of mine, how can I enter thee? how can I live here, now that fortune turns against me? Ah me! How wide the gulf ’twixt then and now!

Then with torches cut from Pelion’s pines, with marriage hymns I entered in, holding my dear wife’s hand; and at our back a crowd of friends with cheerful cries, singing the happy lot of my dead wife and me,
915

calling us a noble pair made one, children both of highborn lineage; but now the voice of woe instead of wedding hymns, and robes of black instead of snowy white usher me
920

into my house to my deserted couch.
925

926

Chorus

Hard upon prosperous fortune came this sorrow to thee, a stranger to adversity; yet hast thou saved thy soul alive.

Thy wife is dead and gone; her love she leaves with thee. What new thing is here? Death ere now from many a man hath torn a wife.
930

935

Admetus

My friends, I count my dead wife’s lot more blest than mine, for all it seems not so; for nevermore can sorrow touch her for ever; all her toil is over, and glorious is her fame. While I, who had no right to live, have passed the bounds of fate
935

only to live a life of misery; I know it now. For how shall I endure to enter this my house? Whom shall I address, by whom be answered back, to find¹ aught joyful in my entering in? Whither shall I turn? Within, the desolation will drive me forth,
940

whensoe’er I see my widowed couch, the seat whereon she sat, the floor ail dusty in the house, and my babes falling at my knees with piteous tears for their mother, while my servants mourn the good mistress their house hath lost.
945

These are the sorrows in my home, while abroad the marriages among Thessalians and the thronging crowds of women will drive me mad,² for I can never bear to gaze upon the compeers of my wife. And whoso is my foe will taunt me thus,
950

Behold him living in his shame, a wretch who quailed at death himself, but of his coward heart gave up his wedded wife instead, and escaped from Hades; doth he deem himself a man after that? And he loathes his parents, though himself refused to die. Such ill report shall I to my evils add.
955

What profit, then, my friends, for me to live, in fame and fortune ruined.
960

962

Chorus

Myself have traced the Muses’ path, have soared amid the stars, have laid my hold on many a theme,

and yet have found naught stronger than necessity, no spell inscribed on Thracian tablets written there by Orpheus, the sweet singer,
965

no! nor aught among the simples culled by Phoebus for the toiling race of men, and given to Asclepius’ sons.
970

973

Chorus

The only goddess she, whose altar or whose image man cannot approach;

victims she heedeth not. O come not to me, dread goddess, in greater might than heretofore in my career. Even Zeus requires thy aid to bring to pass whatso he wills.
975

Thou too it is that by sheer force dost bend the steel among the Chalybes; nor is there any pity in thy relentless nature.
980

984

Chorus

This is the goddess that hath gripped thee too in chains thou canst not ’scape;

yet steel thy heart, for all thy weeping ne’er will bring to light again the dead from the realms below. Even sons of gods perish in darkness³
985

in the hour of death. We loved her while she was with us, we love her still though dead; noblest of her sex was she, the wife thou tookest to thy bed.
990

995

Chorus

Her tomb let none regard as the graves of those who die and are no more, but let her have honours equal with the gods, revered by every traveller;
995

and many a one will cross the road and read this verse aloud, This is she that died in days gone by to save her lord; now is she a spirit blest. Hail, lady revered; be kind to us!
1000

Such glad greeting shall she have.
1005

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

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Chor.

Current edition Experimental

Χορός —πρόβα, πρόβα· βᾶθι κεῦθος οἴκων.

Ἄδμητος αἰαῖ.

Χορός —πέπονθας ἄξι’ αἰαγμάτων.

Ἄδμητος ἒ ἔ.

Χορός —δι’ ὀδύνας ἔβας, σάφ’ οἶδα . . .

Ἄδμητος φεῦ φεῦ.

Χορός —τὰν νέρθε δ’ οὐδὲν ὠφελεῖς. 875

Ἄδμητος ἰώ μοί μοι.

Χορός —τὸ μήποτ’ εἰσιδεῖν φιλίας ἀλόχου πρόσωπόν ἄντα λυπρόν.

Χορός —τύχα τύχα δυσπάλαιστος ἥκει·

Ἄδμητος αἰαῖ.

Χορός —πέρας δέ γ’ οὐδὲν ἀλγέων τίθης. 890

Ἄδμητος ἒ ἔ.

Χορός —βαρέα μὲν φέρειν, ὅμως δὲ . . .

Ἄδμητος φεῦ φεῦ.

Χορός —τλᾶθʼ· οὐ σὺ πρῶτος ὤλεσας . . .

Ἄδμητος ἰώ μοί μοι.

Χορός —γυναῖκα· συμφορὰ δ’ ἑτέρους ἑτέρα πιέζει φανεῖσα θνατῶν.

Chorus Move forward, go within the shelter of thy house.

Admetus Woe is me!

Chorus Thy sufferings claim these cries of woe.

Admetus Ah me!

Chorus Through anguish hast thou gone, full well I know.

Admetus Alas! alas!

Chorus Thou wilt not help the dead one whit. 875

Admetus O misery!

Chorus Nevermore to see thy dear wife face to face is grief indeed.

Chorus A fate we cannot cope with is come upon us.

Admetus Woe is me!

Chorus But thou to sorrow settest no limit. 890

Admetus Ah! ah!

Chorus ’Tis hard to bear, but still—

Admetus Woe is me!

Chorus Thou art not the first to lose—

Admetus O! woe is me!

Chorus A wife; misfortune takes a different shape for every man she plagues.

Chorus I had a kinsman once, within whose home died his only son, worthy of a father’s tears; yet in spite of that he bore his grief resignedly, childless though he was, his hair already turning grey, himself far on in years, upon 905 life’s downward track. 910

Chorus Hard upon prosperous fortune came this sorrow to thee, a stranger to adversity; yet hast thou saved thy soul alive. Thy wife is dead and gone; her love she leaves with thee. What new thing is here? Death ere now from many a man hath torn a wife. 930

Stable identifiers

Χορός

—πρόβα, πρόβα· βᾶθι κεῦθος οἴκων.

Ἄδμητος

αἰαῖ.

Χορός

—πέπονθας ἄξι’ αἰαγμάτων.

Ἄδμητος

ἒ ἔ.

Χορός

—δι’ ὀδύνας ἔβας, σάφ’ οἶδα . . .

Ἄδμητος

φεῦ φεῦ.

Χορός

—τὰν νέρθε δ’ οὐδὲν ὠφελεῖς.
875

Ἄδμητος

ἰώ μοί μοι.

Χορός

—τὸ μήποτ’ εἰσιδεῖν φιλίας ἀλόχου

πρόσωπόν ἄντα λυπρόν.

Χορός

—τύχα τύχα δυσπάλαιστος ἥκει·

Ἄδμητος

αἰαῖ.

Χορός

—πέρας δέ γ’ οὐδὲν ἀλγέων τίθης.
890

Ἄδμητος

ἒ ἔ.

Χορός

—βαρέα μὲν φέρειν, ὅμως δὲ . . .

Ἄδμητος

φεῦ φεῦ.

Χορός

—τλᾶθʼ· οὐ σὺ πρῶτος ὤλεσας . . .

Ἄδμητος

ἰώ μοί μοι.

Χορός

—γυναῖκα· συμφορὰ δ’ ἑτέρους ἑτέρα

πιέζει φανεῖσα θνατῶν.

Chorus

Move forward, go within the shelter of thy house.

Admetus

Woe is me!

Chorus

Thy sufferings claim these cries of woe.

Admetus

Ah me!

Chorus

Through anguish hast thou gone, full well I know.

Admetus

Alas! alas!

Chorus

Thou wilt not help the dead one whit.
875

Admetus

O misery!

Chorus

Nevermore to see thy dear wife face to face is grief indeed.

Chorus

A fate we cannot cope with is come upon us.

Admetus

Woe is me!

Chorus

But thou to sorrow settest no limit.
890

Admetus

Ah! ah!

Chorus

’Tis hard to bear, but still—

Admetus

Woe is me!

Chorus

Thou art not the first to lose—

Admetus

O! woe is me!

Chorus

A wife; misfortune takes a different shape for every man she plagues.

Chorus

I had a kinsman once, within whose home died

his only son, worthy of a father’s tears; yet in spite of that he bore his grief resignedly, childless though he was, his hair already turning grey, himself far on in years, upon
905

life’s downward track.
910

Chorus

Hard upon prosperous fortune came this sorrow to thee, a stranger to adversity; yet hast thou saved thy soul alive.

Thy wife is dead and gone; her love she leaves with thee. What new thing is here? Death ere now from many a man hath torn a wife.
930