Euripides Ion 1369

ed. Gilbert Murray

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Ἴων

φεῦ φεῦ· κατʼ ὄσσων ὡς ὑγρὸν βάλλω δάκρυ,

ἐκεῖσε τὸν νοῦν δούς, ὅθʼ ἡ τεκοῦσά με
1370

κρυφαῖα νυμφευθεῖσʼ ἀπημπόλα λάθρα

καὶ μαστὸν οὐκ ὑπέσχεν· ἀλλʼ ἀνώνυμος

ἐν θεοῦ μελάθροις εἶχον οἰκέτην βίον.

τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ μὲν χρηστά, τοῦ δὲ δαίμονος

βαρέα· χρόνον γὰρ ὅν με χρῆν ἐν ἀγκάλαις
1375

μητρὸς τρυφῆσαι καί τι τερφθῆναι βίου,

ἀπεστερήθην φιλτάτης μητρὸς τροφῆς.

τλήμων δὲ χἡ τεκοῦσά μʼ· ὡς ταὐτὸν πάθος

πέπονθε, παιδὸς ἀπολέσασα χαρμονάς.

καὶ νῦν λαβὼν τήνδʼ ἀντίπηγʼ οἴσω θεῷ
1380

ἀνάθημʼ, ἵνʼ εὕρω μηδὲν ὧν οὐ βούλομαι.

εἰ γάρ με δούλη τυγχάνει τεκοῦσά τις,

εὑρεῖν κάκιον μητέρʼ ἢ σιγῶντʼ ἐᾶν.

ὦ Φοῖβε, ναοῖς ἀνατίθημι τήνδε σοῖς

καίτοι τί πάσχω; τοῦ θεοῦ προθυμίᾳ
1385

πολεμῶ, τὰ μητρὸς σύμβολʼ ὃς σέσωκέ μοι.

ἀνοικτέον τάδʼ ἐστὶ καὶ τολμητέον·

τὰ γὰρ πεπρωμένʼ οὐχ ὑπερβαίην ποτʼ ἄν.

ὦ στέμμαθʼ ἱερά, τί ποτέ μοι κεκεύθατε,

καὶ σύνδεθʼ, οἷσι τἄμʼ ἐφρουρήθη φίλα;
1390

ἰδοὺ περίπτυγμʼ ἀντίπηγος εὐκύκλου

ὡς οὐ γεγήρακʼ ἔκ τινος θεηλάτου,

εὐρώς τʼ ἄπεστι πλεγμάτων· ὁ δʼ ἐν μέσῳ

χρόνος πολὺς δὴ τοῖσδε θησαυρίσμασιν.

Ion. Euripides. ed. Gilbert Murray. Oxford. 1913.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

Ἴων (Greek) (Euripides. Euripidis Fabulae, Vol. II. Murray, Gilbert, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1913. (Reprinted 1921-1962))

Editions (3)

Ion, Greek text (M. A. Bayfield, 1924) (OCR draft) Experimental (The Greek text and dramatic structure of M. A. Bayfield's second edition of 1924 (first edition 1889), aligned by line to the Murray reference edition.)

No corresponding passage available

Ion, Greek text (A. W. Verrall, 1890) (OCR draft) Experimental (The Greek text and dramatic structure of A. W. Verrall's 1890 edition, aligned by line to the Murray reference edition.)

No corresponding passage available

Ion, Greek text (Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff, 1926) (OCR draft) Experimental (Wilamowitz's 1926 Greek edition with its critical apparatus, aligned by line to the Murray reference edition.)

No corresponding passage available

Translations (4)

Ion Perseus (Euripides. The Plays of Euripides, Vol. I. Coleridge, Edward P., translator. London: George Bell and Sons, 1906.) — 1369 focus

Ion

Ah me! the tears stream from my eyes

when I think of the day my mother bore me, as the fruit of her secret love, only to smuggle her babe away privily, without suckling it; nameless I led a servant’s life in the courts of the god. His service truly was kindly, yet was my fortune
1370

heavy; for just when I ought to have lain softly in a mother’s arms, tasting somewhat of the joys of life, was I deprived of a fond mother’s fostering care. Nor less is she a prey to sorrow that bare me, seeing she hath suffered the self-same pang in losing all the joy a son might bring.
1375

Now will I take and bear this ark unto the god as an offering, that herein I may discover naught that I would rather not. For if haply my mother proves to be some slave-girl, ’twere worse to find her out than let her rest in silence. O! Phoebus, to thy temple do I dedicate this ark.
1380

Yet why? this is to war against the god’s intention, who saved these tokens of my mother for my sake. I must undo the lid and bear the worst. For that which fate ordains, I may ne’er o’erstep. O! hallowed wreaths and fastenings,
1385

that have kept so safe these relics dear to me; why, ah! why were ye hidden from me? Behold the covering of this rounded ark! No signs of age are here, owing to some miracle; decay hath not touched these chaplets; and yet ’tis long enough since these were stored away.
1390

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

No corresponding passage available

Ion, English translation (A. W. Verrall, 1890) (OCR draft) Experimental (A. W. Verrall's English verse translation, passage-aligned to the Murray reference edition.)

No corresponding passage available

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1852; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (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.) — 1369 focus

Ach! Heiß aus meinen Augen stromt die Zahre mir,

Gedenk' ich dessen, wie die Mutter mich, die Frucht

Verborgner Liebe, heimlich ausgesezt, verkauft,

Und nicht die Brust mir reichte, daß ich namenlos
1350

Ein dienstbar Leben führte hier im Gotteshaus!

Des Gottes Nath ist heilsam, nur das Schicksal spielt

Grausam mit uns; denn während ich im Mutterarm

Mich wiegend schwelgen sollte, mich des Lebens freun,

War mir der Mutter süße Lieb' und Pflege fern.
1355

Unglucklich auch die Mutter, daß sie gleiches Leid

Erlitt: des Sohnes durfte sie sich nicht erfreun!

Plun nehm' ich dieses Körbchen, will's dem Gotte weihn,

Um nie zu finden, was ich nicht gern finden mag.

Denn bin ich einer Sclavin Sohn: viel besser dann,
1360

Die Mutter schweigend lassen, als sie wiedersehn!

O Phobos, deinem Tempel will ich dieses weihn.

Doch was beginn' ich? Kampf' ich nicht des Gottes Huld

Entgegen, der die Mutterspuren mir bewahrt?

Geoffnet muß es werden: sei's muthvoll gewagt!
1365

Denn meinem Schicksal mag ich doch niemals entfliehn.¹

Ihr heil'gen Kranze, was verbergt ihr euch vor mir,

Ihr Bånder, die bewahrten, was mein Liebstes ist?

Sich da den Umkreis dieses schongeflochtnen Korbs:

Ein Götterschicksal, daß er nicht gealtert ist!
1370

Kein Kost bedeckt die Flechten, da doch lange Zeit

Entschwunden, seit das Körbchen diesen Schaz bewahrt!

Kreusa.