Euripides, The Suppliant Maidens, Johann Jakob Christian Donner (Translator), 42

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O gewähr' uns, was von dir, Greisin, die Greisinnen erflehn,

Welche dir hier sanken an's Knie:

Auf, lose die Söhn' uns,¹

Die gemordet das Schwert, welche zurückließen den Leib
45

In dem leiblösenden Tod grimmigem Bergwilde zum Raub

Erste Gegenstrophe.

The Suppliant Maidens. Euripides. Johann Jakob Christian Donner (Translator). . .

Current edition Experimental

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1852; OCR review) (OCR draft) (German) (Euripides. Deutsch in den Versmaßen der Urschrift. Volume 3, Heidelberg: C. F. Winter, 1852. 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)

Ἱκέτιδες Perseus (Euripides. Euripidis Fabulae, Vol. II. Murray, Gilbert, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1913. (Reprinted 1921-1962)) — 42-86a focus

Χορός

— ἱκετεύω σε, γεραιά,

γεραιῶν ἐκ στομάτων, πρὸς

γόνυ πίπτουσα τὸ σόν·

— ἄνομοι — τέκνα λῦσαι. — φθιμένων
45

νεκύων οἳ καταλείπουσι μέλη

θανάτῳ λυσιμελεῖ θηρσὶν ὀρείοισι βοράν·

Χορός

— ἐσιδοῦσʼ οἰκτρὰ μὲν ὄσσων

δάκρυʼ ἀμφὶ βλεφάροις, ῥυ-

σὰ δὲ σαρκῶν πολιᾶν
50

καταδρύμματα χειρῶν· τί γάρ; ἃ

φθιμένους παῖδας ἐμοὺς οὔτε δόμοις

προθέμαν οὔτε τάφων χώματα γαίας ἐσορῶ.

Χορός

— ἔτεκες καὶ σύ ποτʼ, ὦ πότνια, κοῦρον

φίλα ποιησαμένα λέ-
55

κτρα πόσει σῷ· μετά νυν

δὸς ἐμοὶ σᾶς διανοίας,

μετάδος δʼ, ὅσσον ἐπαλγῶ μελέα ʼγὼ

φθιμένων οὓς ἔτεκον·

παράπεισον δὲ σόν, ὤ, λισσόμεθʼ, ἐλθεῖν
60

τέκνον Ἰσμηνὸν ἐμάν τʼ ἐς χέρα θεῖναι

νεκύων θαλερᾷ σώματʼ ἀλαίνοντʼ ἄταφα.

Χορός

— ὁσίως οὔχ, ὑπʼ ἀνάγκας δὲ προπίπτου-

σα προσαιτοῦσʼ ἔμολον δε-

ξιπύρους θεῶν θυμέλας·

ἔχομεν δʼ ἔνδικα, καὶ σοί
65

τι πάρεστι σθένος ὥστʼ εὐτεκνίᾳ δυσ-

τυχίαν τὰν παρʼ ἐμοὶ

καθελεῖν· οἰκτρὰ δὲ πάσχουσʼ ἱκετεύω

σὸν ἐμοὶ παῖδα ταλαίνᾳ ʼν χερὶ θεῖναι

νέκυν, ἀμφιβαλεῖν λυγρὰ μέλη παιδὸς ἐμοῦ.
70

Χορός

— ἀγὼν ὅδʼ ἄλλος ἔρχεται γόων γόων

διάδοχος, ἀχοῦσι προσπόλων χέρες.

ἴτʼ ὦ ξυνῳδοὶ κτύποι,

ἴτʼ ὦ ξυναλγηδόνες,

χορὸν τὸν Ἅιδας σέβει,
75

διὰ παρῇδος ὄνυχα λευκὸν

αἱματοῦτε χρῶτά τε φόνιον·

τὰ γὰρ φθιτῶν

τοῖς ὁρῶσι κόσμος.

Χορός

— ἄπληστος ἅδε μʼ ἐξάγει χάρις γόων

πολύπονος, ὡς ἐξ ἀλιβάτου πέτρας
80

ὑγρὰ ῥέουσα σταγὼν

ἄπαυστος αἰεί· γόων,

τὸ γὰρ θανόντων τέκνων

ἐπιπονόν τι κατὰ γυναῖκας

ἐς γόους πέφυκε πάθος. ἒ ἔ.
85

θανοῦσα τῶνδʼ

ἀλγέων λαθοίμαν.

Translations (2)

The Suppliants Perseus (Euripides. The Plays of Euripides, Vol. I. Coleridge, Edward P., translator. London: George Bell and Sons, 1906.) — 42-85 focus

Chorus

At thy knees I fall, aged dame, and my old lips beseech thee;

arise, rescue from the slain my children’s bodies, whose limbs, by death relaxed, are left a prey to savage mountain beasts,
45

Chorus

beholding the bitter tears which spring to my eyes

and my old wrinkled skin torn by my hands; for what can I do else? who never laid out my children dead within my halls, nor now behold their tombs heaped up with earth.
50

Chorus

Thou too, honoured lady, once a son didst bear,

crowning thy lord’s marriage with fond joy; then share, O share with me thy mother’s feelings, in such measure as my sad heart grieves for my own dead sons;
55

and persuade thy son, whose aid we implore, to go unto the river Ismenus, there to place within my hapless arms the bodies of my children, slain in their prime and left without a tomb.¹
60

Chorus

Though² not as piety enjoins, yet from sheer necessity I have come to the fire-crowned altars of the gods, falling on my knees with instant supplication,

for my cause is just, and ’tis in thy power, blest as thou art in thy children, to remove from me my woe; so in my sore distress I do beseech thee of my misery place in my hands my son’s
65

dead body, that I may throw my arms about his hapless limbs.
70

Chorus

Behold a rivalry in sorrow! woe takes up the tale of woe; hark! thy servants beat their breasts. Come ye who join the mourners’ wail, come, O sympathetic band, to join the dance,

which Hades honours; let the³ pearly nail be stained red, as it rends your cheeks, let your skin be streaked with gore; for honours rendered to the dead are a credit⁴ to the living.
75

Chorus

Sorrow’s charm doth drive me wild, insatiate, painful,

endless, even as the trickling stream that gushes from some steep rock’s face; for ’tis woman’s way to fall a-weeping o’er
80

the cruel calamity of children dead. Ah me! would I could die and forget my anguish!
85

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

No corresponding passage available

Notes on the current edition

The Suppliant Maidens

1. [OCR note; compare the printed page.] 2. ἄνα.

Euripides The Suppliant Maidens 42

Johann Jakob Christian Donner (Translator)

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O gewähr' uns, was von dir, Greisin, die Greisinnen erflehn,

Welche dir hier sanken an's Knie:

Auf, lose die Söhn' uns,¹

Die gemordet das Schwert, welche zurückließen den Leib
45

In dem leiblösenden Tod grimmigem Bergwilde zum Raub

Erste Gegenstrophe.

Current edition Experimental

Chorus

At thy knees I fall, aged dame, and my old lips beseech thee;

arise, rescue from the slain my children’s bodies, whose limbs, by death relaxed, are left a prey to savage mountain beasts,
45

Chorus

beholding the bitter tears which spring to my eyes

and my old wrinkled skin torn by my hands; for what can I do else? who never laid out my children dead within my halls, nor now behold their tombs heaped up with earth.
50

Chorus

Sorrow’s charm doth drive me wild, insatiate, painful,

endless, even as the trickling stream that gushes from some steep rock’s face; for ’tis woman’s way to fall a-weeping o’er
80

the cruel calamity of children dead. Ah me! would I could die and forget my anguish!
85

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

O gewähr' uns, was von dir, Greisin, die Greisinnen erflehn, Welche dir hier sanken an's Knie: Auf, lose die Söhn' uns, 1 Die gemordet das Schwert, welche zurückließen den Leib 45 In dem leiblösenden Tod grimmigem Bergwilde zum Raub Erste Gegenstrophe.

Current edition Experimental

Chorus At thy knees I fall, aged dame, and my old lips beseech thee; arise, rescue from the slain my children’s bodies, whose limbs, by death relaxed, are left a prey to savage mountain beasts, 45

Chorus beholding the bitter tears which spring to my eyes and my old wrinkled skin torn by my hands; for what can I do else? who never laid out my children dead within my halls, nor now behold their tombs heaped up with earth. 50

Chorus Sorrow’s charm doth drive me wild, insatiate, painful, endless, even as the trickling stream that gushes from some steep rock’s face; for ’tis woman’s way to fall a-weeping o’er 80 the cruel calamity of children dead. Ah me! would I could die and forget my anguish! 85

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

O gewähr' uns, was von dir, Greisin, die Greisinnen erflehn,

Welche dir hier sanken an's Knie:

Auf, lose die Söhn' uns,¹

Die gemordet das Schwert, welche zurückließen den Leib
45

In dem leiblösenden Tod grimmigem Bergwilde zum Raub

Erste Gegenstrophe.

Chorus

At thy knees I fall, aged dame, and my old lips beseech thee;

arise, rescue from the slain my children’s bodies, whose limbs, by death relaxed, are left a prey to savage mountain beasts,
45

Chorus

beholding the bitter tears which spring to my eyes

and my old wrinkled skin torn by my hands; for what can I do else? who never laid out my children dead within my halls, nor now behold their tombs heaped up with earth.
50

Chorus

Sorrow’s charm doth drive me wild, insatiate, painful,

endless, even as the trickling stream that gushes from some steep rock’s face; for ’tis woman’s way to fall a-weeping o’er
80

the cruel calamity of children dead. Ah me! would I could die and forget my anguish!
85