Euripides, Medea, Johann Jakob Christian Donner (Translator), 824

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Erechtheus' Sohne, begluckt von Alters her,

Ihr, die Kinder seliger Götter, im Land,

Dem heilig unverwüstbaren, wo ihr am Born
810

Herrlicher Weisheit trankt, und stets in dem heitersten Licht

Des Aethers sanft hinwandeltet, wo die geweihten

Neun Pieriden, die Musen, wie sie sagen,

Einst Harmonia trug im Schooße:

Gegenstrophe 1.

Medea. 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)

Μήδεια Perseus (Euripides. Euripidis Fabulae, Vol. I. Murray, Gilbert, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1902.) — 824-865 focus

Χορός

Ἐρεχθεΐδαι τὸ παλαιὸν ὄλβιοι

καὶ θεῶν παῖδες μακάρων, ἱερᾶς
825

χώρας ἀπορθήτου τ’ ἄπο, φερβόμενοι

κλεινοτάταν σοφίαν, αἰεὶ διὰ λαμπροτάτου

βαίνοντες ἁβρῶς αἰθέρος, ἔνθα ποθ’ ἁγνὰς
830

ἐννέα Πιερίδας Μούσας λέγουσι

ξανθὰν Ἁρμονίαν φυτεῦσαι·

835

Χορός

τοῦ καλλινάου τ’ ἐπὶ Κηφισοῦ ῥοαῖς
835

τὰν Κύπριν κλῄζουσιν ἀφυσσαμέναν

χώραν καταπνεῦσαι μετρίας ἀνέμων

ἡδυπνόους αὔρας· αἰεὶ δ’ ἐπιβαλλομέναν
840

χαίταισιν εὐώδη ῥοδέων πλόκον ἀνθέων

τᾷ Σοφίᾳ παρέδρους πέμπειν Ἔρωτας,

παντοίας ἀρετᾶς ξυνεργούς.
845

846

Χορός

πῶς οὖν ἱερῶν ποταμῶν

ἢ πόλις; ἦ φίλων

πόμπιμός σε χώρα

τὰν παιδολέτειραν ἕξει,

τὰν οὐχ ὁσίαν μετ’ ἄλλων;
850

σκέψαι τεκέων πλαγάν,

σκέψαι φόνον οἷον αἴρῃ.

μή, πρὸς γονάτων σε πάντη

πάντως ἱκετεύομεν,

τέκνα φονεύσῃς.
855

856

Χορός

πόθεν θράσος ἢ φρενὸς ἢ

χειρὶ τέκνων σέθεν

καρδίᾳ τε λήψῃ

δεινὰν προσάγουσα τόλμαν;

πῶς δ’ ὄμματα προσβαλοῦσα
860

τέκνοις ἄδακρυν μοῖραν

σχήσεις φόνου; οὐ δυνάσῃ,

παίδων ἱκετᾶν πιτνόντων,

τέγξαι χέρα φοινίαν

τλάμονι θυμῷ.
865

Translations (2)

Medea Perseus (Euripides. The Plays of Euripides, Vol. I. Coleridge, Edward P., translator. London: George Bell and Sons, 1906.) — 824-865 focus

Chorus

Sons of Erechtheus, heroes happy from of yore,

children of the blessed gods, fed on wisdom’s glorious food in a holy land ne’er pillaged by its foes, ye who move with sprightly step through a climate ever bright
825

and clear, where, as legend tells, the Muses nine, Pieria’s holy maids, were brought to birth by Harmonia with the golden hair;
830

835

Chorus

and poets sing how Cypris drawing water from the streams of fair-flowing Cephissus breathes¹ o’er the land a gentle breeze
835

of balmy winds, and ever as she crowns her tresses with a garland of sweet rose-buds sends forth the Loves to sit by wisdom’s side,
840

to take a part in every excellence.
845

846

Chorus

How then shall the city of sacred streams, the land that welcomes those it loves, receive thee, the murderess of thy children,

thee whose presence with others is a pollution? Think on the murder of thy children, consider the bloody deed thou takest on thee. Nay, by thy knees we, one and all, implore thee,
850

slay not thy babes.
855

856

Chorus

Where² shall hand or heart find hardihood enough in wreaking such a fearsome deed upon thy sons?

How wilt thou look upon thy babes, and still without a tear retain thy bloody purpose? Thou canst not, when they fall at thy feet for mercy, steel thy heart and dip
860

in their blood thy hand.
865

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

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Euripides Medea 824

Johann Jakob Christian Donner (Translator)

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