Euripides Ion 859

ed. Gilbert Murray

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Κρέουσα

ὦ ψυχά, πῶς σιγάσω;

πῶς δὲ σκοτίας ἀναφήνω
860

εὐνάς, αἰδοῦς δʼ ἀπολειφθῶ;

τί γὰρ ἐμπόδιον κώλυμʼ ἔτι μοι;

πρὸς τίνʼ ἀγῶνας τιθέμεσθʼ ἀρετῆς;

οὐ πόσις ἡμῶν προδότης γέγονεν,

στέρομαι δʼ οἴκων, στέρομαι παίδων,
865

φροῦδαι δʼ ἐλπίδες, ἃς διαθέσθαι

χρῄζουσα καλῶς οὐκ ἐδυνήθην,

σιγῶσα γάμους,

σιγῶσα τόκους πολυκλαύτους;

ἀλλʼ οὐ τὸ Διὸς πολύαστρον ἕδος
870

καὶ τὴν ἐπʼ ἐμοῖς σκοπέλοισι θεὰν

λίμνης τʼ ἐνύδρου Τριτωνιάδος

πότνιαν ἀκτάν,

οὐκέτι κρύψω λέχος, ὡς στέρνων

ἀπονησαμένη ῥᾴων ἔσομαι.
875

στάζουσι κόραι δακρύοισιν ἐμαί,

ψυχὴ δʼ ἀλγεῖ κακοβουλευθεῖσʼ

ἔκ τʼ ἀνθρώπων ἔκ τʼ ἀθανάτων,

οὓς ἀποδείξω

λέκτρων προδότας ἀχαρίστους.
880

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.) — 859 focus

Creusa

Ah! my suffering soul! how am I to keep silence?

Am I to disclose the secrets of my love and lose all claim to modesty? What is there to keep me back any longer? With whom have I to pit myself in virtue’s lists? Hath not my husband proved untrue?
860

Home and children, both are torn from me; all hope is dead; I have not realized my wish to set the matter straight, by hushing up my former union and saying naught about my son of sorrow.
865

No! by the starry seat of Zeus, by her whose home is on my rocks, and by the hallowed strand of Triton’s mere with brimming flood, I will no more conceal my love; for if
870

I can lift that burden from my breast I shall rest easier. With tears my eyes are streaming and my heart is wrung with anguish for the treacherous counsels both of men and gods,—traitors they! as I will show,
875

ungrateful traitors to their loves!
880

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.) — 859 focus

Wie kann ich's, o Seele, verschweigen?

Wie soll ich, die heimliche Buhlschaft
845

Ausdeckend, der Scham mich entaußern?

Was hålt mich fortan hemmend zurück?

Wofür denn kamps ich der Tugend Kampf?

Ward nicht der Gemahl zum Verråther an mir?

Man raubt mir die Heimat, raubt mir das Kind,
850

Und die Hoffnung entschwand, die zum herrlichen Ziel

Ich zu lenken gewunscht und nicht es vermocht,

Da den Bund mit dem Gott,

Da die Schmerzensgeburt ich verhehlte.

Doch wahrlich, bei Zeus' sternfunkelndem Siz,
855

Bei der Göttin daheim auf den Felsen Athens,¹

Bei dem heiligen Strand des tritonischen Sees²

Mit der wogenden Flut,

Nicht långer verberg' ich's, wålze die Last

Von der Seele mir ab und erleichtre die Brust.
860

Heiß strömt mir von Zahren das Aug', und der Geist,

Er trauert, umstrickt von der Sterblichen Trug

Und der Götter Verrath: ich entlarve sie nun,

Die undankbar

Am beschworenen Bunde gefrevelt!
865