Euripides, Heracles, Johann Jakob Christian Donner (Translator), 655

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Wåret ihr klug, Götter, und wågt Menschengeschick mit Weisheit;

Schenktet ihr wohl doppelte Jugend, ein helles Merkmal

Des Verdienstes, dem, welchen es schmuckt; vom Hades
645

Kehrt' er wieder zum Sonnenlicht,

Die neuen Bahnen zu wandeln;

Unedeln aber verlieh't ihr

Ein einfach Lebensgeschick.

So würden die Bisen am ehsten
650

Und die wackeren Männer erkannt,

Wie durch nachtlich Gewölke den

Schiffern blinkt der Gestirne Zahl.

Doch kein göttliches Zeichen grånzt

Nun die Guten und Bösen ab;
655

Ewig wechselnd und wogend ringt

Nur nach Schäzen das Leben.

Zweite Strophe.

Heracles. 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)

Ἡρακλῆς Perseus (Euripides. Euripidis Fabulae, Vol. II. Murray, Gilbert, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1913. (Reprinted 1921-1962)) — 637-700 focus

Χορός

ἁ νεότας μοι φίλον αἰ-

εί· τὸ δὲ γῆρας ἄχθος

βαρύτερον Αἴτνας σκοπέλων

ἐπὶ κρατὶ κεῖται, βλεφάρων
640

σκοτεινὸν φάος ἐπικαλύψαν.

μή μοι μήτʼ Ἀσιήτιδος

τυραννίδος ὄλβος εἴη,

μὴ χρυσοῦ δώματα πλήρη
645

τᾶς ἥβας ἀντιλαβεῖν,

ἃ καλλίστα μὲν ἐν ὄλβῳ,

καλλίστα δʼ ἐν πενίᾳ.

τὸ δὲ λυγρὸν φόνιόν τε γῆ-

ρας μισῶ· κατὰ κυμάτων δʼ
650

ἔρροι, μηδέ ποτʼ ὤφελεν

θνατῶν δώματα καὶ πόλεις

ἐλθεῖν, ἀλλὰ κατʼ αἰθέρʼ αἰ-

εὶ πτεροῖσι φορείσθω.

655

Χορός

εἰ δὲ θεοῖς ἦν ξύνεσις
655

καὶ σοφία κατʼ ἄνδρας,

δίδυμον ἂν ἥβαν ἔφερον

φανερὸν χαρακτῆρʼ ἀρετᾶς

ὅσοισιν μέτα, κατθανόντες τʼ
660

εἰς αὐγὰς πάλιν ἁλίου

δισσοὺς ἂν ἔβαν διαύλους,

ἁ δυσγένεια δʼ ἁπλοῦν ἂν

εἶχεν ζόας βίοτον,

καὶ τῷδʼ ἦν τούς τε κακοὺς ἂν
665

γνῶναι καὶ τοὺς ἀγαθούς,

ἴσον ἅτʼ ἐν νεφέλαισιν ἄ-

στρων ναύταις ἀριθμὸς πέλει.

νῦν δʼ οὐδεὶς ὅρος ἐκ θεῶν

χρηστοῖς οὐδὲ κακοῖς σαφής,
670

ἀλλʼ εἱλισσόμενός τις αἰ-

ὼν πλοῦτον μόνον αὔξει.

673

Χορός

οὐ παύσομαι τὰς Χάριτας

Μούσαις συγκαταμειγνύς,

ἁδίσταν συζυγίαν.
675

μὴ ζῴην μετʼ ἀμουσίας,

αἰεὶ δʼ ἐν στεφάνοισιν εἴ-

ην· ἔτι τοι γέρων ἀοι-

δὸς κελαδεῖ Μναμοσύναν·

ἔτι τὰν Ἡρακλέους
680

καλλίνικον ἀείδω

παρά τε Βρόμιον οἰνοδόταν

παρά τε χέλυος ἑπτατόνου

μολπὰν καὶ Λίβυν αὐλόν·

οὔπω καταπαύσομεν
685

Μούσας, αἵ μʼ ἐχόρευσαν.

687

Χορός

παιᾶνα μὲν Δηλιάδες

ὑμνοῦσʼ ἀμφὶ πύλας τὸν

Λατοῦς εὔπαιδα γόνον

εἱλίσσουσαι καλλίχορον·
690

παιᾶνας δʼ ἐπὶ σοῖς μελά-

θροις κύκνος ὣς γέρων ἀοι-

δὸς πολιᾶν ἐκ γενύων

κελαδήσω· τὸ γὰρ εὖ

τοῖς ὕμνοισιν ὑπάρχει·
695

Διὸς ὁ παῖς· τᾶς δʼ εὐγενίας

πλέον ὑπερβάλλων ἀρετᾷ

μοχθήσας τὸν ἄκυμον

θῆκεν βίοτον βροτοῖς

πέρσας δείματα θηρῶν.
700

Translations (2)

Heracles Mad Perseus (Euripides. The Plays of Euripides, Vol. II. Coleridge, Edward P., translator. London: George Bell and Sons, 1891. (Modernized by Perseus.)) — 637-700 focus

Chorus

Dear to me is youth always, but old age is hanging over my head, a burden heavier

than Aetna ’s crags, casting its pall of gloom upon my eyes. Oh! never may the wealth of Asia ’s kings tempt me
640

to barter for houses stored with gold my happy youth, which is in wealth and poverty alike most fair! But old age is gloomy and deadly;
645

I hate it; let it sink beneath the waves! Would it had never found its way to the homes and towns of mortal men, but were still drifting on for ever down the wind.
650

655

Chorus

Had the gods shown discernment and wisdom, as mortals count these things, men would have won youth twice over, a visible mark of worth
655

among whomever found, and after death these would have run a double course once more to the sun-light, while the low born would have had a single portion of life;
660

and thus would it have been possible to distinguish the good and the bad, just as sailors know the number of the stars amid the clouds. But, as it is, the gods have set no certain boundary
665

between good and bad, but time’s onward roll brings increase only to man’s wealth.
670

673

Chorus

Never will I cease to link in one the Graces and the Muses,

sweetest union. Never may I live among uneducated boors, but ever may I find a place among the crowned!
675

Yes, still the aged singer lifts up his voice of bygone memories: still is my song of the triumphs of Heracles, whether Bromius the giver of wine is near, or the strains of the seven-stringed lyre and the Libyan pipe are rising;
680

not yet will I cease to sing the Muses’ praise, my patrons in the dance.
685

687

Chorus

The maids of Delos raise their song of joy, circling round the temple gates in honor of Leto’s fair son,

the graceful dancer; so I with my old lips will cry aloud songs of joy at your palace-doors, like the swan, aged singer; for there is a good
690

theme for minstrelsy; he is the son of Zeus; yet high above his noble birth tower his deeds of prowess, for his toil secured this life of calm for man,
695

having destroyed all fearsome beasts.
700

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

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Euripides Heracles 655

Johann Jakob Christian Donner (Translator)

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