Euripides, Heracles, Johann Jakob Christian Donner (Translator), 763

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Gesang, Gesang, Tanz und Gelage feiert

Die heilige Stadt der Theber.

Der Thränen Gram schwindet in Lust,

Das Misgeschick endet in Glück,
745

Und gebiert Gesänge.

Es schwand der neue König, und der alte herrscht,

Von düstern Seeen Acherons zurückgekehrt:

Die Freude kam wider unser Hoffen.

Erste Gegenstrophe.

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)) — 735-814 focus

Χορός

—μεταβολὰ κακῶν· μέγας ὁ πρόσθʼ ἄναξ
735

πάλιν ὑποστρέφει βίοτον ἐξ Ἅιδα.

ἰώ·

δίκα καὶ θεῶν παλίρρους πότμος.

—ἦλθες χρόνῳ μὲν οὗ δίκην δώσεις θανών,
740

ὕβρεις ὑβρίζων εἰς ἀμείνονας σέθεν.

—χαρμοναὶ δακρύων ἔδοσαν ἐκβολάς·

πάλιν ἔμολεν —

ἃ πάρος οὔποτε διὰ φρενὸς ἤλπισʼ ἂν
745

παθεῖν — γᾶς ἄναξ.

—ἀλλʼ, ὦ γεραιοί, καὶ τὰ δωμάτων ἔσω

σκοπῶμεν, εἰ πράσσει τις ὡς ἐγὼ θέλω.

Λύκος

ἰώ μοί μοι.
750

Χορός

—τόδε κατάρχεται μέλος ἐμοὶ κλύειν

φίλιον ἐν δόμοις· θάνατος οὐ πόρσω.

>βοᾷ

φόνου φροίμιον στενάζων ἄναξ.

Λύκος

ὦ πᾶσα Κάδμου γαῖʼ, ἀπόλλυμαι δόλῳ.

Χορός

—καὶ γὰρ διώλλυς· ἀντίποινα δʼ ἐκτίνων
755

τόλμα, διδούς γε τῶν δεδραμένων δίκην.

—τίς ὁ θεοὺς ἀνομίᾳ χραίνων, θνητὸς ὤν,

ἄφρονα λόγον

οὐρανίων μακάρων κατέβαλʼ, ὡς ἄρʼ οὐ

σθένουσιν θεοί;

— γέροντες, οὐκέτʼ ἔστι δυσσεβὴς ἀνήρ.
760

— σιγᾷ μέλαθρα· πρὸς χοροὺς τραπώμεθα.

— φίλοι γὰρ εὐτυχοῦσιν οὓς ἐγὼ θέλω.

763

Χορός

—χοροὶ χοροὶ

καὶ θαλίαι μέλουσι Θή-

βας ἱερὸν κατʼ ἄστυ.

μεταλλαγαὶ γὰρ δακρύων,
765

μεταλλαγαὶ συντυχίας

νέας ἔτεκον ἀοιδάς.

βέβακʼ ἄναξ ὁ καινός, ὁ δὲ παλαίτερος

κρατεῖ, λιμένα λιπών γε τὸν Ἀχερόντιον.
770

δοκημάτων

ἐκτὸς ἦλθεν ἐλπίς.

772

Χορός

θεοὶ θεοὶ

τῶν ἀδίκων μέλουσι καὶ

τῶν ὁσίων ἐπᾴειν.

ὁ χρυσὸς ἅ τʼ εὐτυχία

φρενῶν βροτοὺς ἐξάγεται,
775

δύνασιν ἄδικον ἐφέλκων.

Χρόνου γὰρ οὔτις τὸ πάλιν εἰσορᾶν ἔτλα·

νόμον παρέμενος, ἀνομίᾳ χάριν διδοὺς

ἔθραυσεν ὄλ-

βου κελαινὸν ἅρμα.
780

781

Χορός

Ἰσμήνʼ ὦ στεφαναφόρει,

ξεσταί θʼ ἑπταπύλου πόλεως

ἀναχορεύσατʼ ἀγυιαί,

Δίρκα θʼ ἁ καλλιρρέεθρος,

σύν τʼ Ἀσωπιάδες κόραι,
785

πατρὸς ὕδωρ βᾶτε λιποῦσαι συναοιδοί,

Νύμφαι, τὸν Ἡρακλέους

καλλίνικον ἀγῶνα.

Πυθίου δενδρῶτι πέτρα
790

Μουσῶν θʼ Ἑλικωνιάδων

δώματʼ, ὤ,

ἥξετʼ εὐγαθεῖ κελάδῳ

ἐμὰν πόλιν, ἐμὰ τείχη,

Σπαρτῶν ἵνα γένος ἔφανε

χαλκασπίδων λόχος, ὃς γᾶν
795

τέκνων τέκνοις μεταμείβει,

Θήβαις ἱερὸν φῶς.

798

Χορός

ὦ λέκτρων δύο συγγενεῖς

εὐναί, θνατογενοῦς τε καὶ

Διός, ὃς ἦλθεν ἐς εὐνὰν
800

Νύμφας τᾶς Περσηίδος· ὡς

πιστόν μοι τὸ παλαιὸν ἤ-

δη λέχος, ὦ Ζεῦ, σὸν ἐπʼ οὐκ ἐλπίδι φάνθη,

λαμπρὰν δʼ ἔδειξʼ ὁ χρόνος
805

τὰν Ἡρακλέος ἀλκάν·

γᾶς ὃς ἐξέβα θαλάμων

Πλούτωνος δῶμα λιπὼν

νέρτερον.

κρείσσων μοι τύραννος ἔφυς

ἢ δυσγένειʼ ἀνάκτων,
810

ἃ νῦν ἐσορᾶν ἔφανε

ξιφηφόρων ἐς ἀγώνων

ἅμιλλαν, εἰ τὸ δίκαιον

θεοῖς ἔτʼ ἀρέσκει.

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.)) — 735-810 focus

Chorus

Evil has changed sides; he who was once a mighty king is now turning his life backward into the road to Hades. Hail to you! Justice and heavenly retribution.
735

At last have you reached the goal where your death will pay the penalty, for your insults against your betters.
740

Joy makes my tears burst forth. He has come back—

which I never once thought in my heart would happen—the prince of the land.
745

Come, old friends, let us look within to see if someone has met the fate I hope.

Lycus
(within)

Ah me! ah me!
750

Chorus

Ha! how sweet to hear that opening note of his within the house; death is not far off him now. The prince cries out, wailing a prelude of death.

Lycus
(within)

O kingdom of Cadmus, I am perishing by treachery!

Chorus

You were yourself for making others perish; endure your retribution; it is only the penalty of your own deeds you are paying.
755

Who was he, only a mortal, that aimed his silly saying at the blessed gods of heaven with impious blasphemy, maintaining that they are weaklings after all?

Old friends, our godless foe is now no more.
760

The house is still; let us turn to the dance.

Yes, for fortune smiles upon my friends as I desire.

763

Chorus

Dances, dances and banquets now prevail throughout the holy town of Thebes .

For change from tears, change from sorrow give birth to song. The new king is gone; our former monarch
765

rules, having made his way even from the harbor of Acheron . Hope beyond all expectation is fulfilled.
770

772

Chorus

The gods, the gods take care to heed the right and wrong. It is their gold and their good luck

that lead men’s hearts astray, bringing in their train unjust power. For no man ever had the courage to reflect what reverses Time might bring; but, disregarding law to gratify lawlessness, he shatters
775

the black chariot of prosperity.
780

781

Chorus

O Ismenus, deck yourself with garlands! Break forth into dancing, you paved streets of our seven-gated city! come Dirce, fount of waters fair;

and joined with her you nymphs of Asopus, come from your father’s waves to add your voices to our hymn, the victor’s prize that Heracles has won.
785

O Pythian rock with forests crowned, and haunts of the Muses on Helicon! you will come to my city and her walls with cries of joy; where the earth-born crop sprang to view,
790

a warrior-host with shields of brass, who are handing on their realm to children’s children, a divine light to Thebes .
795

798

Chorus

All hail the marriage! in which two bridegrooms shared; the one, a mortal;

the other, Zeus, who came to wed the bride sprung from Perseus; for that marriage of yours, O Zeus, in days gone by has been proved to me a true story beyond all expectation;
800

and time has shown the brightness of Heracles’ strength; for he emerged from caverns beneath the earth after leaving Pluto’s halls below. To me you are a worthier lord
805

than that base-born king, who now lets it be plainly seen in this struggle between armed warriors, whether justice still finds favor in heaven.
810

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

No corresponding passage available

Euripides Heracles 763

Johann Jakob Christian Donner (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Experimental

Λύκος

ἰώ μοί μοι.
750

Χορός

—τόδε κατάρχεται μέλος ἐμοὶ κλύειν

φίλιον ἐν δόμοις· θάνατος οὐ πόρσω.

>βοᾷ

φόνου φροίμιον στενάζων ἄναξ.

Λύκος

ὦ πᾶσα Κάδμου γαῖʼ, ἀπόλλυμαι δόλῳ.

Lycus
(within)

Ah me! ah me!
750

Chorus

Ha! how sweet to hear that opening note of his within the house; death is not far off him now. The prince cries out, wailing a prelude of death.

Lycus
(within)

O kingdom of Cadmus, I am perishing by treachery!

Chorus

Dances, dances and banquets now prevail throughout the holy town of Thebes .

For change from tears, change from sorrow give birth to song. The new king is gone; our former monarch
765

rules, having made his way even from the harbor of Acheron . Hope beyond all expectation is fulfilled.
770

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Experimental

Λύκος ἰώ μοί μοι. 750

Χορός —τόδε κατάρχεται μέλος ἐμοὶ κλύειν φίλιον ἐν δόμοις· θάνατος οὐ πόρσω. >βοᾷ φόνου φροίμιον στενάζων ἄναξ.

Λύκος ὦ πᾶσα Κάδμου γαῖʼ, ἀπόλλυμαι δόλῳ.

Lycus (within) Ah me! ah me! 750

Chorus Ha! how sweet to hear that opening note of his within the house; death is not far off him now. The prince cries out, wailing a prelude of death.

Lycus (within) O kingdom of Cadmus, I am perishing by treachery!

Chorus Dances, dances and banquets now prevail throughout the holy town of Thebes . For change from tears, change from sorrow give birth to song. The new king is gone; our former monarch 765 rules, having made his way even from the harbor of Acheron . Hope beyond all expectation is fulfilled. 770

Stable identifiers

Λύκος

ἰώ μοί μοι.
750

Χορός

—τόδε κατάρχεται μέλος ἐμοὶ κλύειν

φίλιον ἐν δόμοις· θάνατος οὐ πόρσω.

>βοᾷ

φόνου φροίμιον στενάζων ἄναξ.

Λύκος

ὦ πᾶσα Κάδμου γαῖʼ, ἀπόλλυμαι δόλῳ.

Lycus
(within)

Ah me! ah me!
750

Chorus

Ha! how sweet to hear that opening note of his within the house; death is not far off him now. The prince cries out, wailing a prelude of death.

Lycus
(within)

O kingdom of Cadmus, I am perishing by treachery!