Euripides, Medea, Johann Jakob Christian Donner (Translator), 990

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Unglücklicher, armer Verlobter,

Unsers Königs Eidam,

Du verhångst Verderben

Unwissentlich über die Sohn', und bringst

Der Braut unseligen Tod!
970

Wie wenig, ach, kennst du deine Leiden!

Gegenstrophe 2.

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.) — 1002-1250 focus

Παιδαγωγός

δέσποιν’, ἀφεῖνται παῖδες οἵδε σοὶ φυγῆς,

καὶ δῶρα νύμφη βασιλὶς ἀσμένη χεροῖν

ἐδέξατ’· εἰρήνη δὲ τἀκεῖθεν τέκνοις.

ἔα.
1005

τί συγχυθεῖσ’ ἕστηκας ἡνίκ’ εὐτυχεῖς;

τί σὴν ἔστρεψας ἔμπαλιν παρηίδα

κοὐκ ἀσμένη τόνδ’ ἐξ ἐμοῦ δέχῃ λόγον;

Μήδεια

αἰαῖ.

Παιδαγωγός

τάδ’ οὐ ξυνῳδὰ τοῖσιν ἐξηγγελμένοις.

Μήδεια

αἰαῖ μάλ’ αὖθις.

Παιδαγωγός.

μῶν τιν’ ἀγγέλλων τύχην

οὐκ οἶδα, δόξης δ’ ἐσφάλην εὐαγγέλου;
1010

Μήδεια

ἤγγειλας οἷ’ ἤγγειλας· οὐ σὲ μέμφομαι.·

Παιδαγωγός

τί δαὶ κατηφεῖς ὄμμα καὶ δακρυρροεῖς;

Μήδεια

πολλή μ’ ἀνάγκη, πρέσβυ· ταῦτα γὰρ θεοὶ

κἀγὼ κακῶς φρονοῦσ’ ἐμηχανησάμην.

Παιδαγωγός

θάρσει· κάτει τοι καὶ σὺ πρὸς τέκνων ἔτι.
1015

Μήδεια

ἄλλους κατάξω πρόσθεν ἡ τάλαιν’ ἐγώ.

Παιδαγωγός

οὔτοι μόνη σὺ σῶν ἀπεζύγης τέκνων·

κούφως φέρειν χρὴ θνητὸν ὄντα συμφοράς.

Μήδεια

δράσω τάδ’. ἀλλὰ βαῖνε δωμάτων ἔσω

καὶ παισὶ πόρσυν’ οἷα χρὴ καθ’ ἡμέραν.
1020

ὦ τέκνα τέκνα, σφῷν μὲν ἔστι δὴ πόλις

καὶ δῶμ’, ἐν ᾧ, λιπόντες ἀθλίαν ἐμέ,

οἰκήσετ’ αἰεὶ μητρὸς ἐστερημένοι·

ἐγὼ δ’ ἐς ἄλλην γαῖαν εἶμι δὴ φυγάς,

πρὶν σφῷν ὀνάσθαι κἀπιδεῖν εὐδαίμονας,
1025

πρὶν λέκτρα καὶ γυναῖκα καὶ γαμηλίους

εὐνὰς ἀγῆλαι λαμπάδας τ’ ἀνασχεθεῖν.

ὦ δυστάλαινα τῆς ἐμῆς αὐθαδίας.

ἄλλως ἄρ’ ὑμᾶς, ὦ τέκν’, ἐξεθρεψάμην,

ἄλλως δ’ ἐμόχθουν καὶ κατεξάνθην πόνοις,
1030

στερρὰς ἐνεγκοῦσ’ ἐν τόκοις ἀλγηδόνας.

ἦ μήν ποθ’ ἡ δύστηνος εἶχον ἐλπίδας

πολλὰς ἐν ὑμῖν, γηροβοσκήσειν τ’ ἐμὲ

καὶ κατθανοῦσαν χερσὶν εὖ περιστελεῖν,

ζηλωτὸν ἀνθρώποισι· νῦν δ’ ὄλωλε δὴ
1035

γλυκεῖα φροντίς. σφῷν γὰρ ἐστερημένη

λυπρὸν διάξω βίοτον ἀλγεινόν τ’ ἐμοί.

ὑμεῖς δὲ μητέρ’ οὐκέτ’ ὄμμασιν φίλοις

ὄψεσθ’, ἐς ἄλλο σχῆμ’ ἀποστάντες βίου.

φεῦ φεῦ· τί προσδέρκεσθέ μ’ ὄμμασιν, τέκνα;
1040

τί προσγελᾶτε τὸν πανύστατον γέλων;

αἰαῖ· τί δράσω; καρδία γὰρ οἴχεται,

γυναῖκες, ὄμμα φαιδρὸν ὡς εἶδον τέκνων.

οὐκ ἂν δυναίμην· χαιρέτω βουλεύματα

τὰ πρόσθεν· ἄξω παῖδας ἐκ γαίας ἐμούς.
1045

τί δεῖ με πατέρα τῶνδε τοῖς τούτων κακοῖς

λυποῦσαν αὐτὴν δὶς τόσα κτᾶσθαι κακά;

οὐ δῆτ’ ἔγωγε. χαιρέτω βουλεύματα.

1049

καίτοι τί πάσχω; βούλομαι γέλωτ’ ὀφλεῖν

ἐχθροὺς μεθεῖσα τοὺς ἐμοὺς ἀζημίους;
1050

τολμητέον τάδ’. ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐμῆς κάκης,

τὸ καὶ προσέσθαι μαλθακοὺς λόγους φρενί.

χωρεῖτε, παῖδες, ἐς δόμους. ὅτῳ δὲ μὴ

θέμις παρεῖναι τοῖς ἐμοῖσι θύμασιν,

αὐτῷ μελήσει· χεῖρα δ’ οὐ διαφθερῶ.
1055

ἆ ἆ.

μὴ δῆτα, θυμέ, μὴ σύ γ’ ἐργάσῃ τάδε·

ἔασον αὐτούς, ὦ τάλαν, φεῖσαι τέκνων·

ἐκεῖ μεθ’ ἡμῶν ζῶντες εὐφρανοῦσί σε.

μὰ τοὺς παρ’ Ἅιδῃ νερτέρους ἀλάστορας,

οὔτοι ποτ’ ἔσται τοῦθ’ ὅπως ἐχθροῖς ἐγὼ
1060

παῖδας παρήσω τοὺς ἐμοὺς καθυβρίσαι.

πάντως σφ’ ἀνάγκη κατθανεῖν· ἐπεὶ δὲ χρή,

ἡμεῖς κτενοῦμεν οἵπερ ἐξεφύσαμεν.

πάντως πέπρακται ταῦτα κοὐκ ἐκφεύξεται.

καὶ δὴ ’πὶ κρατὶ στέφανος, ἐν πέπλοισι δὲ
1065

νύμφη τύραννος ὄλλυται, σάφ’ οἶδ’ ἐγώ.

ἀλλ’, εἶμι γὰρ δὴ τλημονεστάτην ὁδόν,

καὶ τούσδε πέμψω τλημονεστέραν ἔτι,

παῖδας προσειπεῖν βούλομαι.—δότ’, ὦ τέκνα,

δότ’ ἀσπάσασθαι μητρὶ δεξιὰν χέρα.
1070

ὦ φιλτάτη χείρ, φίλτατον δέ μοι στόμα

καὶ σχῆμα καὶ πρόσωπον εὐγενὲς τέκνων,

εὐδαιμονοῖτον, ἀλλ’ ἐκεῖ· τὰ δ’ ἐνθάδε

πατὴρ ἀφείλετ’. ὦ γλυκεῖα προσβολή,

ὦ μαλθακὸς χρὼς πνεῦμά θ’ ἥδιστον τέκνων.
1075

χωρεῖτε χωρεῖτ’· οὐκέτ’ εἰμὶ προσβλέπειν

οἵα τε πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ἀλλὰ νικῶμαι κακοῖς.

καὶ μανθάνω μὲν οἷα δρᾶν μέλλω κακά,

θυμὸς δὲ κρείσσων τῶν ἐμῶν βουλευμάτων,

ὅσπερ μεγίστων αἴτιος κακῶν βροτοῖς.
1080

1081

Χορός

πολλάκις ἤδη

διὰ λεπτοτέρων μύθων ἔμολον

καὶ πρὸς ἁμίλλας ἦλθον μείζους

ἢ χρὴ γενεὰν θῆλυν ἐρευνᾶν·

ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἔστιν μοῦσα καὶ ἡμῖν,
1085

ἣ προσομιλεῖ σοφίας ἕνεκεν·

πάσαισι μὲν οὔ· παῦρον δὲ δὴ

γένος ἐν πολλαῖς εὕροις ἂν ἴσως

κοὐκ ἀπόμουσον τὸ γυναικῶν.

καί φημι βροτῶν οἵτινές εἰσιν
1090

πάμπαν ἄπειροι μηδ’ ἐφύτευσαν

παῖδας, προφέρειν εἰς εὐτυχίαν

τῶν γειναμένων.

οἱ μὲν ἄτεκνοι δι’ ἀπειροσύνην

εἴθ’ ἡδὺ βροτοῖς εἴτ’ ἀνιαρὸν
1095

παῖδες τελέθουσ’ οὐχὶ τυχόντες

πολλῶν μόχθων ἀπέχονται·

οἷσι δὲ τέκνων ἔστιν ἐν οἴκοις

γλυκερὸν βλάστημ’, ὁρῶ μελέτῃ

κατατρυχομένους τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον,
1100

πρῶτον μὲν ὅπως θρέψουσι καλῶς

βίοτόν θ’ ὁπόθεν λείψουσι τέκνοις·

ἔτι δ’ ἐκ τούτων εἴτ’ ἐπὶ φλαύροις

εἴτ’ ἐπὶ χρηστοῖς

μοχθοῦσι, τόδ’ ἐστὶν ἄδηλον.

ἓν δὲ τὸ πάντων λοίσθιον ἤδη
1105

πᾶσιν κατερῶ θνητοῖσι κακόν·

καὶ δὴ γὰρ ἅλις βίοτόν θ’ ηὗρον

σῶμά τ’ ἐς ἥβην ἤλυθε τέκνων

χρηστοί τ’ ἐγένοντ’· εἰ δὲ κυρήσαι

δαίμων οὕτως, φροῦδος ἐς Ἅιδην
1110

θάνατος προφέρων σώματα τέκνων.

πῶς οὖν λύει πρὸς τοῖς ἄλλοις

τήνδ’ ἔτι λύπην ἀνιαροτάτην

παίδων ἕνεκεν

θνητοῖσι θεοὺς ἐπιβάλλειν;
1115

1116

Μήδεια

φίλαι, πάλαι τοι προσμένουσα τὴν τύχην

καραδοκῶ τἀκεῖθεν οἷ προβήσεται.

καὶ δὴ δέδορκα τόνδε τῶν Ἰάσονος

στείχοντ’ ὀπαδῶν· πνεῦμα δ’ ἠρεθισμένον

δείκνυσιν ὥς τι καινὸν ἀγγελεῖ κακόν.
1120

Ἄγγελος

ὦ δεινὸν ἔργον παρανόμως εἰργασμένη,

Μήδεια, φεῦγε φεῦγε, μήτε ναΐαν

λιποῦσ’ ἀπήνην μήτ’ ὄχον πεδοστιβῆ.

Μήδεια

τί δ’ ἄξιόν μοι τῆσδε τυγχάνει φυγῆς;

Ἄγγελος

ὄλωλεν ἡ τύραννος ἀρτίως κόρη
1125

Κρέων θ’ ὁ φύσας φαρμάκων τῶν σῶν ὕπο.

Μήδεια

κάλλιστον εἶπας μῦθον, ἐν δ’ εὐεργέταις

τὸ λοιπὸν ἤδη καὶ φίλοις ἐμοῖς ἔσῃ.

Ἄγγελος

τί φῄς; φρονεῖς μὲν ὀρθὰ κοὐ μαίνῃ, γύναι,

ἥτις, τυράννων ἑστίαν ᾐκισμένη,
1130

χαίρεις κλύουσα κοὐ φοβῇ τὰ τοιάδε;

Μήδεια

ἔχω τι κἀγὼ τοῖς γε σοῖς ἐναντίον

λόγοισιν εἰπεῖν· ἀλλὰ μὴ σπέρχου, φίλος,

λέξον δέ· πῶς ὤλοντο; δὶς τόσον γὰρ ἂν

τέρψειας ἡμᾶς, εἰ τεθνᾶσι παγκάκως.
1135

1136

Ἄγγελος

ἐπεὶ τέκνων σῶν ἦλθε δίπτυχος γονὴ

σὺν πατρί, καὶ παρῆλθε νυμφικοὺς δόμους,

ἥσθημεν οἵπερ σοῖς ἐκάμνομεν κακοῖς

δμῶες· δι’ ὤτων δ’ εὐθὺς ἦν πολὺς λόγος

σὲ καὶ πόσιν σὸν νεῖκος ἐσπεῖσθαι τὸ πρίν.
1140

κυνεῖ δ’ ὃ μέν τις χεῖρ’, ὃ δὲ ξανθὸν κάρα

παίδων· ἐγὼ δὲ καὐτὸς ἡδονῆς ὕπο

στέγας γυναικῶν σὺν τέκνοις ἅμ’ ἑσπόμην.

δέσποινα δ’ ἣν νῦν ἀντὶ σοῦ θαυμάζομεν,

πρὶν μὲν τέκνων σῶν εἰσιδεῖν ξυνωρίδα,
1145

πρόθυμον εἶχ’ ὀφθαλμὸν εἰς Ἰάσονα·

ἔπειτα μέντοι προὐκαλύψατ’ ὄμματα

λευκήν τ’ ἀπέστρεψ’ ἔμπαλιν παρηίδα,

παίδων μυσαχθεῖσ’ εἰσόδους· πόσις δὲ σὸς

ὀργάς τ’ ἀφῄρει καὶ χόλον νεάνιδος
1150

λέγων τάδ’· Οὐ μὴ δυσμενὴς ἔσῃ φίλοις,

παύσῃ δὲ θυμοῦ καὶ πάλιν στρέψεις κάρα,

φίλους νομίζουσ’ οὕσπερ ἂν πόσις σέθεν,

δέξῃ δὲ δῶρα καὶ παραιτήσῃ πατρὸς

φυγὰς ἀφεῖναι παισὶ τοῖσδ’, ἐμὴν χάριν;
1155

ἣ δ’ ὡς ἐσεῖδε κόσμον, οὐκ ἠνέσχετο,

ἀλλ’ ᾔνεσ’ ἀνδρὶ πάντα, καὶ πρὶν ἐκ δόμων

μακρὰν ἀπεῖναι πατέρα καὶ παῖδας, σέθεν

λαβοῦσα πέπλους ποικίλους ἠμπέσχετο,

χρυσοῦν τε θεῖσα στέφανον ἀμφὶ βοστρύχοις
1160

λαμπρῷ κατόπτρῳ σχηματίζεται κόμην,

ἄψυχον εἰκὼ προσγελῶσα σώματος.

κἄπειτ’ ἀναστᾶσ’ ἐκ θρόνων διέρχεται

στέγας, ἁβρὸν βαίνουσα παλλεύκῳ ποδί,

δώροις ὑπερχαίρουσα, πολλὰ πολλάκις
1165

τένοντ’ ἐς ὀρθὸν ὄμμασι σκοπουμένη.

τοὐνθένδε μέντοι δεινὸν ἦν θέαμ’ ἰδεῖν·

χροιὰν γὰρ ἀλλάξασα λεχρία πάλιν

χωρεῖ τρέμουσα κῶλα καὶ μόλις φθάνει

θρόνοισιν ἐμπεσοῦσα μὴ χαμαὶ πεσεῖν.
1170

καί τις γεραιὰ προσπόλων, δόξασά που

ἢ Πανὸς ὀργὰς ἢ τινὸς θεῶν μολεῖν,

ἀνωλόλυξε, πρίν γ’ ὁρᾷ διὰ στόμα

χωροῦντα λευκὸν ἀφρόν, ὀμμάτων τ’ ἄπο

κόρας στρέφουσαν, αἷμά τ’ οὐκ ἐνὸν χροΐ·
1175

εἶτ’ ἀντίμολπον ἧκεν ὀλολυγῆς μέγαν

κωκυτόν. εὐθὺς δ’ ἣ μὲν ἐς πατρὸς δόμους

ὥρμησεν, ἣ δὲ πρὸς τὸν ἀρτίως πόσιν

φράσουσα νύμφης συμφοράν· ἅπασα δὲ

στέγη πυκνοῖσιν ἐκτύπει δρομήμασιν.
1180
1181

ἤδη δ’ ἀνέλκων κῶλον ἔκπλεθρον δρόμου

ταχὺς βαδιστὴς τερμόνων ἂν ἥπτετο,

ἣ δ’ ἐξ ἀναύδου καὶ μύσαντος ὄμματος

δεινὸν στενάξασ’ ἡ τάλαιν’ ἠγείρετο.

διπλοῦν γὰρ αὐτῇ πῆμ’ ἐπεστρατεύετο·
1185

χρυσοῦς μὲν ἀμφὶ κρατὶ κείμενος πλόκος

θαυμαστὸν ἵει νᾶμα παμφάγου πυρός,

πέπλοι δὲ λεπτοί, σῶν τέκνων δωρήματα,

λεπτὴν ἔδαπτον σάρκα τῆς δυσδαίμονος.

φεύγει δ’ ἀναστᾶσ’ ἐκ θρόνων πυρουμένη,
1190

σείουσα χαίτην κρᾶτά τ’ ἄλλοτ’ ἄλλοσε,

ῥῖψαι θέλουσα στέφανον· ἀλλ’ ἀραρότως

σύνδεσμα χρυσὸς εἶχε, πῦρ δ’, ἐπεὶ κόμην

ἔσεισε, μᾶλλον δὶς τόσως ἐλάμπετο.

πίτνει δ’ ἐς οὖδας συμφορᾷ νικωμένη,
1195

πλὴν τῷ τεκόντι κάρτα δυσμαθὴς ἰδεῖν·

οὔτ’ ὀμμάτων γὰρ δῆλος ἦν κατάστασις

οὔτ’ εὐφυὲς πρόσωπον, αἷμα δ’ ἐξ ἄκρου

ἔσταζε κρατὸς συμπεφυρμένον πυρί,

σάρκες δ’ ἀπ’ ὀστέων ὥστε πεύκινον δάκρυ
1200

γναθμοῖς ἀδήλοις φαρμάκων ἀπέρρεον,

δεινὸν θέαμα· πᾶσι δ’ ἦν φόβος θιγεῖν

νεκροῦ· τύχην γὰρ εἴχομεν διδάσκαλον.

πατὴρ δ’ ὁ τλήμων συμφορᾶς ἀγνωσίᾳ

ἄφνω προσελθὼν δῶμα προσπίτνει νεκρῷ·
1205

ᾤμωξε δ’ εὐθύς, καὶ περιπτύξας χέρας

κυνεῖ προσαυδῶν τοιάδ’· Ὦ δύστηνε παῖ,

τίς σ’ ὧδ’ ἀτίμως δαιμόνων ἀπώλεσε;

τίς τὸν γέροντα τύμβον ὀρφανὸν σέθεν

τίθησιν; οἴμοι, συνθάνοιμί σοι, τέκνον.
1210

ἐπεὶ δὲ θρήνων καὶ γόων ἐπαύσατο,

χρῄζων γεραιὸν ἐξαναστῆσαι δέμας

προσείχεθ’ ὥστε κισσὸς ἔρνεσιν δάφνης

λεπτοῖσι πέπλοις, δεινὰ δ’ ἦν παλαίσματα·

ὃ μὲν γὰρ ἤθελ’ ἐξαναστῆσαι γόνυ,
1215

ἣ δ’ ἀντελάζυτ’. εἰ δὲ πρὸς βίαν ἄγοι,

σάρκας γεραιὰς ἐσπάρασσ’ ἀπ’ ὀστέων.

χρόνῳ δ’ ἀπέσβη καὶ μεθῆχ’ ὁ δύσμορος

ψυχήν· κακοῦ γὰρ οὐκέτ’ ἦν ὑπέρτερος.

κεῖνται δὲ νεκροὶ παῖς τε καὶ γέρων πατὴρ
1220

πέλας, ποθεινὴ δακρύοισι συμφορά.

καί μοι τὸ μὲν σὸν ἐκποδὼν ἔστω λόγου·

γνώσῃ γὰρ αὐτὴ ζημίας ἀποστροφήν.

τὰ θνητὰ δ’ οὐ νῦν πρῶτον ἡγοῦμαι σκιάν,

οὐδ’ ἂν τρέσας εἴποιμι τοὺς σοφοὺς βροτῶν
1225

δοκοῦντας εἶναι καὶ μεριμνητὰς λόγων

τούτους μεγίστην ζημίαν ὀφλισκάνειν.

θνητῶν γὰρ οὐδείς ἐστιν εὐδαίμων ἀνήρ·

ὄλβου δ’ ἐπιρρυέντος εὐτυχέστερος

ἄλλου γένοιτ’ ἂν ἄλλος, εὐδαίμων δ’ ἂν οὔ.
1230

1231

Χορός

ἔοιχ’ ὁ δαίμων πολλὰ τῇδ’ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ

κακὰ ξυνάπτειν ἐνδίκως Ἰάσονι.

ὦ τλῆμον, ὥς σου συμφορὰς οἰκτίρομεν,

κόρη Κρέοντος, ἥτις εἰς Ἅιδου δόμους

οἴχῃ γάμων ἕκατι τῶν Ἰάσονος.
1235

Μήδεια

φίλαι, δέδοκται τοὔργον ὡς τάχιστά μοι

παῖδας κτανούσῃ τῆσδ’ ἀφορμᾶσθαι χθονός,

καὶ μὴ σχολὴν ἄγουσαν ἐκδοῦναι τέκνα

ἄλλῃ φονεῦσαι δυσμενεστέρᾳ χερί.

πάντως σφ’ ἀνάγκη κατθανεῖν· ἐπεὶ δὲ χρή,
1240

ἡμεῖς κτενοῦμεν, οἵπερ ἐξεφύσαμεν.

ἀλλ’ εἶ’ ὁπλίζου, καρδία. τί μέλλομεν

τὰ δεινὰ κἀναγκαῖα μὴ πράσσειν κακά;

ἄγ’, ὦ τάλαινα χεὶρ ἐμή, λαβὲ ξίφος,

λάβ’, ἕρπε πρὸς βαλβῖδα λυπηρὰν βίου,
1245

καὶ μὴ κακισθῇς μηδ’ ἀναμνησθῇς τέκνων,

ὡς φίλταθ’, ὡς ἔτικτες· ἀλλὰ τήνδε γε

λαθοῦ βραχεῖαν ἡμέραν παίδων σέθεν,

κἄπειτα θρήνει· καὶ γὰρ εἰ κτενεῖς σφ’, ὅμως

φίλοι γ’ ἔφυσαν—δυστυχὴς δ’ ἐγὼ γυνή.
1250

Translations (2)

Medea Perseus (Euripides. The Plays of Euripides, Vol. I. Coleridge, Edward P., translator. London: George Bell and Sons, 1906.) — 1002-1250 focus

Attendant

Thy children, lady, are from exile freed, and gladly did the royal bride accept thy gifts in her own hands, and so thy children made their peace with her.

Medea

Ah!
1005
¹

Attendant

Why art so disquieted in thy prosperous hour? Why turnest thou thy cheek away, and hast no welcome for my glad news?

Medea

Ah me!

Attendant

These groans but ill accord with the news I bring.

Medea

Ah me! once more I say.

Attendant

Have I unwittingly announced some evil tidings?

Have I erred in thinking my news was good?
1010

Medea

Thy news is as it is; I blame thee not.

Attendant

Then why this downcast eye, these floods of tears?

Medea

Old friend, needs must I weep; for the gods and I with fell intent devised these schemes.

Attendant

Be of good cheer; thou too of a surety shalt by thy sons yet be brought home again.
1015

Medea

Ere that shall I bring others to their home, ah! woe is me!

Attendant

Thou art not the only mother from thy children reft. Bear patiently thy troubles as a mortal must.

Medea

I will obey; go thou within the house

and make the day’s provision for the children. O my babes, my babes, ye have still a city and a home, where far from me and my sad lot you will live your lives, reft of your mother for ever; while I must to another land in banishment,
1020

or ever I have had my joy of you, or lived to see you happy, or ever I have graced your marriage couch, your bride, your bridal bower, or lifted high the wedding torch. Ah me! a victim of my own self-will. So it was all in vain I reared you, O my sons;
1025

in vain did suffer, racked with anguish, enduring the cruel pangs of childbirth. ’Fore Heaven I once had hope, poor me! high hope of ye that you would nurse me in my age and deck my corpse with loving hands,
1030

a boon we mortals covet; but now is my sweet fancy dead and gone; for I must lose you both and in bitterness and sorrow drag through life. And ye shall never with fond eyes see your mother more, for o’er your life there comes a change.
1035

Ah me! ah me! why do ye look at me so, my children? why smile that last sweet smile? Ah me! what am I to do? My heart gives way when I behold my children’s laughing eyes. Ο, I cannot; farewell to all my former schemes;
1040

I will take the children from the land, the babes I bore. Why should I wound their sire by wounding them, and get me a twofold measure of sorrow? No, no, I will not do it. Farewell my scheming!
1045
1049

And yet what am I coming to? Can I consent

to let those foes of mine escape from punishment, and incur their mockery? I must face this deed. Out upon my craven heart! to think that I should even have let the soft² words escape my soul. Into the house, children! and whoso feels he must not be present at my sacrifice,
1050

must see to it himself; I will not spoil my handiwork. Ah! ah! do not, my heart, O do not do this deed! Let the children go, unhappy one, spare the babes! For if they live, they will cheer thee in our exile there.³ Nay, by the fiends of hell’s abyss,
1055

never, never will I hand my children over to their foes to mock and flout. Die they must in any case, and since ’tis so, why I, the mother who bore them, will give the fatal blow. In any case their doom is fixed and there is no escape.
1060

Already the crown is on her head, the robe is round her, and she is dying, the royal bride; that do I know full well. But now since I have a piteous path to tread, and yet more piteous still the path I send my children on, fain would I say farewell to them. O my babes,
1065

my babes, let your mother kiss your hands. Ah! hands I love so well, O lips most dear to me! O noble form and features of my children, I wish ye joy, but in that other land, for here your father robs you of your home. O the sweet embrace,
1070

the soft young cheek, the fragrant breath! my children! Go, leave me; I cannot bear to longer look upon ye; my sorrow wins the day. At last I understand the awful deed I am to do; but passion, that cause of direst woes to mortal man,
1075

hath triumphed o’er my sober thoughts.
1080

1081

Chorus

Oft ere now have I pursued subtler themes and have faced graver issues than woman’s sex should seek to probe;

but then e’en we aspire to culture, which dwells with us to teach us wisdom; I say not all; for small is the class amongst women—(one maybe shalt thou find ’mid many)— that is not incapable of culture.
1085

And amongst mortals I do assert that they who are wholly without experience and have never had children far surpass in happiness those who are parents. The childless, because they have never proved
1090

whether children grow up to be a blessing or curse to men are removed from all share in many troubles; whilst those who have a sweet race of children growing up in their houses do wear away, as I perceive,
1095

their whole life through; first with the thought how they may train them up in virtue, next how they shall leave their sons the means to live; and after all this ’tis far from clear whether on good or bad children they bestow their toil.
1100

But one last crowning woe for every mortal man I now will name; suppose that they have found sufficient means to live, and seen their children grow to man’s estate and walk in virtue’s path, still if
1105

fortune so befall,⁴ comes Death and bears the children’s bodies off to Hades. Can it be any profit to the gods to heap upon us mortal men beside our other woes this further grief for children lost,
1110

a grief surpassing all?
1115

1116

Medea

Kind friends, long have I waited expectantly to know how things would at the palace chance. And lo! I see one of Jason’s servants coming hither, whose hurried gasps for breath

proclaim him the bearer of some fresh tidings.
1120

Messenger

Fly, fly, Medea! who hast wrought an awful deed, transgressing every law; nor leave behind or sea-borne bark or car that scours the plain.

Medea

Why, what hath chanced that calls for such a flight of mine?

Messenger

The princess is dead, a moment gone, and Creon too, her sire, slain by those drugs of thine.
1125

Medea

Tidings most fair are thine! Henceforth shalt thou be ranked amongst my friends and benefactors.

Messenger

Ha! What? Art sane? Art not distraught, lady,

who hearest with joy the outrage to our royal house done, and art not at the horrid tale afraid?
1130

Medea

Somewhat have I, too, to say in answer to thy words. Be not so hasty, friend, but tell the manner of their death, for thou wouldst give me double joy,

if so they perished miserably.
1135

1136

Messenger

When the children twain whom thou didst bear came with their father and entered the palace of the bride, right glad were we thralls who had shared thy griefs, for instantly from ear to ear a rumour spread

that thou and thy lord had made up your former quarrel. One kissed thy children’s hands, another their golden hair, while I for very joy went with them in person to the women’s chambers. Our mistress, whom now we do revere in thy room,
1140

cast a longing glance at Jason, ere she saw thy children twain; but then she veiled her eyes and turned her blanching cheek away, disgusted at their coming; but thy husband
1145

tried to check his young bride’s angry humour with these words: O, be not angered ’gainst thy friends; cease from wrath and turn once more thy face this way, counting as friends whomso thy husband counts, and accept these gifts, and for my sake crave thy sire
1150

to remit these children’s exile. Soon as she saw the ornaments, no longer she held out, but yielded to her lord in all; and ere the father and his sons were far from the palace gone, she took the broidered robe and put it on,
1155

and set the golden crown about her tresses, arranging her hair at her bright mirror, with many a happy smile at her breathless counterfeit. Then rising from her seat she passed across the chamber, tripping lightly on her fair white foot,
1160

exulting in the gift, with many a glance at her uplifted ankle.⁵ When lo! a scene of awful horror did ensue. In a moment she turned pale, reeled backwards, trembling in every limb,
1165

and sinks upon a seat scarce soon enough to save herself from falling to the ground. An aged dame, one of her company, thinking belike it was a fit from Pan⁶ or some god sent, raised a cry of prayer, till from her mouth she saw the foam-flakes issue, her eyeballs
1170

rolling in their sockets, and all the blood her face desert; then did she raise a loud scream far different fiom her former cry. Forthwith one handmaid rushed to her father’s house, another to her new bridegroom to tell his bride’s sad fate,
1175

and the whole house echoed with their running to and fro.
1180
1181

By this time would a quick walker have made the turn in a course of six plethra⁷ and reached the goal, when she with one awful shriek awoke, poor sufferer, from her speechless trance and oped her closed eyes,

for against her a twofold anguish was warring. The chaplet of gold about her head was sending forth a wondrous stream of ravening flame, while the fine raiment, thy children’s gift, was preying on the hapless maiden’s fair white flesh;
1185

and she starts from her seat in a blaze and seeks to fly, shaking her hair and head this way and that, to cast the crown therefrom; but the gold held firm to its fastenings, and the flame, as she shook her locks, blazed forth the more with double fury.
1190

Then to the earth she sinks, by the cruel blow o’ercome, past all recognition now save to a father’s eye; for her eyes had lost their tranquil gaze, her face no more its natural look preserved, and from the crown of her head blood and fire in mingled stream ran down;
1195

and from her bones the flesh kept peeling off beneath the gnawing of those secret drugs, e’en as when the pine-tree weeps its tears of pitch, a fearsome sight to see. And all were afraid to touch the corpse, for we were warned by what had chanced. Anon came her hapless father
1200

unto the house, all unwitting of her doom, and stumbles o’er the dead, and loud he cried, and folding his arms about her kissed her, with words like these the while, O my poor, poor child, which of the gods hath destroyed thee thus foully? Who is robbing me of thee, old as I am and
1205

ripe for death? O my child, alas! would I could die with thee! He ceased his sad lament, and would have raised his aged frame, but found himself held fast by the finespun robe as ivy that clings to the branches of the bay, and then ensued a fearful struggle.
1210

He strove to rise, but she still held him back; and if ever he pulled with all his might, from off his bones his aged flesh he tore. At last he gave it up, and breathed forth his soul in awful suffering; for he could no longer master the pain.
1215

So there they lie, daughter and aged sire, dead side by side, a grievous sight that calls for tears. And as for thee, I leave thee out of my consideration, for thyself must discover a means to escape punishment. Not now for the first time I think this human life a shadow;
1220

yea, and without shrinking I will say that they amongst men who pretend to wisdom and expend deep thought on words do incur a serious charge of folly; for amongst mortals no man is happy; wealth may pour in and make
1225

one luckier than another, but none can happy be.
1230

1231

Chorus

This day the deity, it seems, will mass on Jason, as he well deserves, a heavy load of evils. Woe is thee, daughter of Creon! We pity thy sad fate, gone as thou art to Hades’ halls

as the price of thy marriage with Jason.
1235

Medea

My friends, I am resolved upon the deed; at once will I slay my children and then leave this land, without delaying long enough to hand them over to some more savage hand to butcher.

Needs must they die in any case; and since they must, I will slay them—I, the mother that bare them. O heart of mine, steel thyself! Why do I hesitate to do the awful deed that must be done? Come, take the sword, thou wretched hand of mine!
1240

Take it, and advance to the post whence starts thy life of sorrow! Away with cowardice! Give not one thought to thy babes, how dear they are or how thou art their mother This one brief day forget thy children dear, and after that lament; for though thou wilt slay them yet
1245

they were thy darlings still, and⁸ am a lady of sorrows.
1250

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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Unglücklicher, armer Verlobter, Unsers Königs Eidam, Du verhångst Verderben Unwissentlich über die Sohn', und bringst Der Braut unseligen Tod! 970 Wie wenig, ach, kennst du deine Leiden! Gegenstrophe 2.

Current edition Experimental

Μήδεια αἰαῖ.

Παιδαγωγός τάδ’ οὐ ξυνῳδὰ τοῖσιν ἐξηγγελμένοις.

Μήδεια αἰαῖ μάλ’ αὖθις.

Παιδαγωγός. μῶν τιν’ ἀγγέλλων τύχην οὐκ οἶδα, δόξης δ’ ἐσφάλην εὐαγγέλου; 1010

Μήδεια ἤγγειλας οἷ’ ἤγγειλας· οὐ σὲ μέμφομαι.·

Παιδαγωγός τί δαὶ κατηφεῖς ὄμμα καὶ δακρυρροεῖς;

Μήδεια πολλή μ’ ἀνάγκη, πρέσβυ· ταῦτα γὰρ θεοὶ κἀγὼ κακῶς φρονοῦσ’ ἐμηχανησάμην.

Παιδαγωγός θάρσει· κάτει τοι καὶ σὺ πρὸς τέκνων ἔτι. 1015

Μήδεια ἄλλους κατάξω πρόσθεν ἡ τάλαιν’ ἐγώ.

Παιδαγωγός οὔτοι μόνη σὺ σῶν ἀπεζύγης τέκνων· κούφως φέρειν χρὴ θνητὸν ὄντα συμφοράς.

Ἄγγελος ὦ δεινὸν ἔργον παρανόμως εἰργασμένη, Μήδεια, φεῦγε φεῦγε, μήτε ναΐαν λιποῦσ’ ἀπήνην μήτ’ ὄχον πεδοστιβῆ.

Μήδεια τί δ’ ἄξιόν μοι τῆσδε τυγχάνει φυγῆς;

Ἄγγελος ὄλωλεν ἡ τύραννος ἀρτίως κόρη 1125 Κρέων θ’ ὁ φύσας φαρμάκων τῶν σῶν ὕπο.

Μήδεια κάλλιστον εἶπας μῦθον, ἐν δ’ εὐεργέταις τὸ λοιπὸν ἤδη καὶ φίλοις ἐμοῖς ἔσῃ.

Ἄγγελος τί φῄς; φρονεῖς μὲν ὀρθὰ κοὐ μαίνῃ, γύναι, ἥτις, τυράννων ἑστίαν ᾐκισμένη, 1130 χαίρεις κλύουσα κοὐ φοβῇ τὰ τοιάδε;

Attendant Thy children, lady, are from exile freed, and gladly did the royal bride accept thy gifts in her own hands, and so thy children made their peace with her.

Medea Ah! 1005 1

Attendant Why art so disquieted in thy prosperous hour? Why turnest thou thy cheek away, and hast no welcome for my glad news?

Medea Ah me!

Attendant These groans but ill accord with the news I bring.

Medea Ah me! once more I say.

Attendant Have I unwittingly announced some evil tidings? Have I erred in thinking my news was good? 1010

Medea Thy news is as it is; I blame thee not.

Attendant Then why this downcast eye, these floods of tears?

Medea Old friend, needs must I weep; for the gods and I with fell intent devised these schemes.

Attendant Be of good cheer; thou too of a surety shalt by thy sons yet be brought home again. 1015

Medea Ere that shall I bring others to their home, ah! woe is me!

Attendant Thou art not the only mother from thy children reft. Bear patiently thy troubles as a mortal must.

Medea Kind friends, long have I waited expectantly to know how things would at the palace chance. And lo! I see one of Jason’s servants coming hither, whose hurried gasps for breath proclaim him the bearer of some fresh tidings. 1120

Messenger Fly, fly, Medea! who hast wrought an awful deed, transgressing every law; nor leave behind or sea-borne bark or car that scours the plain.

Medea Why, what hath chanced that calls for such a flight of mine?

Messenger The princess is dead, a moment gone, and Creon too, her sire, slain by those drugs of thine. 1125

Medea Tidings most fair are thine! Henceforth shalt thou be ranked amongst my friends and benefactors.

Messenger Ha! What? Art sane? Art not distraught, lady, who hearest with joy the outrage to our royal house done, and art not at the horrid tale afraid? 1130

Medea Somewhat have I, too, to say in answer to thy words. Be not so hasty, friend, but tell the manner of their death, for thou wouldst give me double joy, if so they perished miserably. 1135

Chorus This day the deity, it seems, will mass on Jason, as he well deserves, a heavy load of evils. Woe is thee, daughter of Creon! We pity thy sad fate, gone as thou art to Hades’ halls as the price of thy marriage with Jason. 1235

Stable identifiers

Unglücklicher, armer Verlobter,

Unsers Königs Eidam,

Du verhångst Verderben

Unwissentlich über die Sohn', und bringst

Der Braut unseligen Tod!
970

Wie wenig, ach, kennst du deine Leiden!

Gegenstrophe 2.

Μήδεια

αἰαῖ.

Παιδαγωγός

τάδ’ οὐ ξυνῳδὰ τοῖσιν ἐξηγγελμένοις.

Μήδεια

αἰαῖ μάλ’ αὖθις.

Παιδαγωγός.

μῶν τιν’ ἀγγέλλων τύχην

οὐκ οἶδα, δόξης δ’ ἐσφάλην εὐαγγέλου;
1010

Μήδεια

ἤγγειλας οἷ’ ἤγγειλας· οὐ σὲ μέμφομαι.·

Παιδαγωγός

τί δαὶ κατηφεῖς ὄμμα καὶ δακρυρροεῖς;

Μήδεια

πολλή μ’ ἀνάγκη, πρέσβυ· ταῦτα γὰρ θεοὶ

κἀγὼ κακῶς φρονοῦσ’ ἐμηχανησάμην.

Παιδαγωγός

θάρσει· κάτει τοι καὶ σὺ πρὸς τέκνων ἔτι.
1015

Μήδεια

ἄλλους κατάξω πρόσθεν ἡ τάλαιν’ ἐγώ.

Παιδαγωγός

οὔτοι μόνη σὺ σῶν ἀπεζύγης τέκνων·

κούφως φέρειν χρὴ θνητὸν ὄντα συμφοράς.

Ἄγγελος

ὦ δεινὸν ἔργον παρανόμως εἰργασμένη,

Μήδεια, φεῦγε φεῦγε, μήτε ναΐαν

λιποῦσ’ ἀπήνην μήτ’ ὄχον πεδοστιβῆ.

Μήδεια

τί δ’ ἄξιόν μοι τῆσδε τυγχάνει φυγῆς;

Ἄγγελος

ὄλωλεν ἡ τύραννος ἀρτίως κόρη
1125

Κρέων θ’ ὁ φύσας φαρμάκων τῶν σῶν ὕπο.

Μήδεια

κάλλιστον εἶπας μῦθον, ἐν δ’ εὐεργέταις

τὸ λοιπὸν ἤδη καὶ φίλοις ἐμοῖς ἔσῃ.

Ἄγγελος

τί φῄς; φρονεῖς μὲν ὀρθὰ κοὐ μαίνῃ, γύναι,

ἥτις, τυράννων ἑστίαν ᾐκισμένη,
1130

χαίρεις κλύουσα κοὐ φοβῇ τὰ τοιάδε;

Attendant

Thy children, lady, are from exile freed, and gladly did the royal bride accept thy gifts in her own hands, and so thy children made their peace with her.

Medea

Ah!
1005
¹

Attendant

Why art so disquieted in thy prosperous hour? Why turnest thou thy cheek away, and hast no welcome for my glad news?

Medea

Ah me!

Attendant

These groans but ill accord with the news I bring.

Medea

Ah me! once more I say.

Attendant

Have I unwittingly announced some evil tidings?

Have I erred in thinking my news was good?
1010

Medea

Thy news is as it is; I blame thee not.

Attendant

Then why this downcast eye, these floods of tears?

Medea

Old friend, needs must I weep; for the gods and I with fell intent devised these schemes.

Attendant

Be of good cheer; thou too of a surety shalt by thy sons yet be brought home again.
1015

Medea

Ere that shall I bring others to their home, ah! woe is me!

Attendant

Thou art not the only mother from thy children reft. Bear patiently thy troubles as a mortal must.

Medea

Kind friends, long have I waited expectantly to know how things would at the palace chance. And lo! I see one of Jason’s servants coming hither, whose hurried gasps for breath

proclaim him the bearer of some fresh tidings.
1120

Messenger

Fly, fly, Medea! who hast wrought an awful deed, transgressing every law; nor leave behind or sea-borne bark or car that scours the plain.

Medea

Why, what hath chanced that calls for such a flight of mine?

Messenger

The princess is dead, a moment gone, and Creon too, her sire, slain by those drugs of thine.
1125

Medea

Tidings most fair are thine! Henceforth shalt thou be ranked amongst my friends and benefactors.

Messenger

Ha! What? Art sane? Art not distraught, lady,

who hearest with joy the outrage to our royal house done, and art not at the horrid tale afraid?
1130

Medea

Somewhat have I, too, to say in answer to thy words. Be not so hasty, friend, but tell the manner of their death, for thou wouldst give me double joy,

if so they perished miserably.
1135

Chorus

This day the deity, it seems, will mass on Jason, as he well deserves, a heavy load of evils. Woe is thee, daughter of Creon! We pity thy sad fate, gone as thou art to Hades’ halls

as the price of thy marriage with Jason.
1235