Euripides, Helen, Johann Jakob Christian Donner (Translator), 1301

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Die bergliebende Göttermutter

Sturmt' einst auf waldigen Höhn

Dahin mit flüchtigem Fuß,
1250

Durch hinwallender Strome Lauf,

Durch lautdonnernde Meeresflut,

Nach der Hehren verlangend, die

Der Nachtgott entführt.

Der Bacchosklappern eherner Ton scholl hell in Berg' und¹
1255

Wälder hin,

und rief

Nachdem sie der Löwen Gespann' in die Joche geschirrt,

Ihr, die der Schattenherrscher entrückt

Aus der Jungfraun kreisendem Chor.

Und es folgt auf den Schwingen des Sturms

Artemis, mit Pfeilen bewehrt, Pallas mit Speer und Gorgoschild.
1260

Doch vom Himmel schauend, verhångt' andre Loose die

Gottheit.

Erste Gegenstrophe.

Helen. Euripides. Johann Jakob Christian Donner (Translator). . .

Current edition Experimental

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1845; OCR review) (OCR draft) (German) (Euripides. Deutsch in den Versmaßen der Urschrift. Volume 2, Heidelberg: C. F. Winter, 1845. 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)

Ἑλένη Perseus (Euripides. Euripidis Fabulae, Vol. III. Murray, Gilbert, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1913. (Reprinted 1920-1978)) — 1301-1368 focus

Χορός

Ὀρεία ποτὲ δρομάδι κώ-

λῳ μάτηρ θεῶν ἐσύθη ἀνʼ

ὑλάεντα νάπη

ποτάμιόν τε χεῦμʼ ὑδάτων

βαρύβρομόν τε κῦμʼ ἅλιον
1305

πόθῳ τᾶς ἀποιχομένας

ἀρρήτου κούρας.

κρόταλα δὲ βρόμια διαπρύσιον

ἱέντα κέλαδον ἀνεβόα,

θηρῶν ὅτε ζυγίους
1310

ζευξάσᾳ θεᾷ σατίνας

τὰν ἁρπασθεῖσαν κυκλίων

χορῶν ἔξω παρθενίων

μετὰ κούραν, ἀελλόποδες,

ἃ μὲν τόξοις Ἄρτεμις, ἃ δʼ
1315

ἔγχει Γοργῶπις πάνοπλος,

συνείποντο. Ζεὺς δʼ ἑδράνων

αὐγάζων ἐξ οὐρανίων

ἄλλαν μοῖραν ἔκραινε.

1319

Χορός

δρομαῖον δʼ ὅτε πολυπλάνη-

τον μάτηρ ἔπαυσε πόνον,
1320

μαστεύουσα πόνους

θυγατρὸς ἁρπαγὰς δολίους,

χιονοθρέμμονάς γʼ ἐπέρασʼ

Ἰδαιᾶν Νυμφᾶν σκοπιάς·

ῥίπτει δʼ ἐν πένθει
1325

πέτρινα κατὰ δρία πολυνιφέα·

βροτοῖσι δʼ ἄχλοα πεδία γᾶς

οὐ καρπίζουσʼ ἀρότοις

λαῶν δὲ φθείρει γενεάν·

ποίμναις δʼ οὐχ ἵει θαλερὰς
1330

βοσκὰς εὐφύλλων ἑλίκων,

πόλεων δʼ ἀπέλειπε βίος·

οὐδʼ ἦσαν θεῶν θυσίαι,

βωμοῖς δʼ ἄφλεκτοι πέλανοι·

πηγὰς δʼ ἀμπαύει δροσερὰς
1335

λευκῶν ἐκβάλλειν ὑδάτων

πένθει παιδὸς ἀλάστωρ.

1338

Χορός

ἐπεὶ δʼ ἔπαυσʼ εἰλαπίνας

θεοῖς βροτείῳ τε γένει,

Ζεὺς μειλίσσων στυγίους
1340

ματρὸς ὀργὰς ἐνέπει·

βᾶτε, σεμναὶ Χάριτες,

ἴτε, τᾷ περὶ παρθένῳ

Δηοῖ θυμωσαμένᾳ

λύπαν ἐξαλλάξατʼ ἀλαλᾷ,

Μοῦσαί θʼ ὕμνοισι χορῶν.
1345

χαλκοῦ δʼ αὐδὰν χθονίαν

τύπανά τʼ ἔλαβε βυρσοτενῆ

καλλίστα τότε πρῶτα μακά-

ρων Κύπρις· γέλασέν τε θεὰ

δέξατό τʼ ἐς χέρας
1350

βαρύβρομον αὐλὸν

τερφθεῖσʼ ἀλαλαγμῷ.

1353

Χορός

ὧν οὐ θέμις σʼ οὔθʼ ὁσία

ʼπʼύρωσας ἐν θεῶν θαλάμοις,

μῆνιν δʼ ἔσχες μεγάλας
1355

ματρός, ὦ παῖ, θυσίας

οὐ σεβίζουσα θεᾶς.

μέγα τοι δύναται νεβρῶν

παμποίκιλοι στολίδες

κισσοῦ τε στεφθεῖσα χλόα
1360

νάρθηκας εἰς ἱερούς,

ῥόμβου θʼ εἱλισσομένα

κύκλιος ἔνοσις αἰθερία,

βακχεύουσά τʼ ἔθειρα Βρομί-

ῳ καὶ παννυχίδες θεᾶς.
1365

εὖ δέ νιν ἄμασιν

ὑπέρβαλε σελάνα

μορφᾷ μόνον ηὔχεις.

Translations (2)

Helen Perseus (Euripides. The Plays of Euripides, Vol. I. Coleridge, Edward P., translator. London: George Bell and Sons, 1906. (Modernized by Perseus.)) — 1301-1365 focus

Chorus

Once with swift foot the mountain mother of the gods rushed through the wooded glen, and the river’s streams

and the deep-thundering sea wave, yearning for her lost daughter, whose name may not be spoken. The loudly rattling castanets cried out a shrill sound,
1305

when they, swift-footed as whirlwinds, followed the goddess on her chariot yoked to wild creatures, after the girl that was snatched away from the circling chorus of maidens—
1310

here Artemis with her bow, and there the grim-eyed goddess, in full armor, with her spear. But Zeus, who sees clearly from his throne in heaven, brought to pass another destiny.
1315

1319

Chorus

When the mother ceased from her wild

wandering toil, searching for the treacherous rape of her daughter, she crossed the snow-capped heights of the nymphs of Mount Ida ;
1320

and in sorrow cast herself down in the rocky woods deep in snow; and, by not making fruitful with crops the barren fields of the earth for mortals, she destroyed the human race.
1325

She would not send forth the rich nourishment of leafy tendrils for the herds, and life was leaving the cities. No sacrifice was offered to the gods, and on the altars were no cakes to burn;
1330

she made the dew-fed springs of clear water cease flowing, the avenger in sorrow for her child.
1335

1338

Chorus

When she made an end to banquets for gods and the race of men, Zeus spoke out, appeasing the

Mother’s gloomy wrath: Go, holy Graces, go and with a loud cry take from Demeter’s angry heart her grief for the maiden;
1340

and you, Muses, with song and dance. Then Kypris, fairest of the blessed gods, first took up the rumbling voice of bronze and the drum with tight-stretched skin; and the goddess smiled,
1345

and received in her hand the deep-toned flute, pleased with its loud note.
1350

1353

Chorus

You made burnt offerings that were neither right nor holy, in the chambers of the gods,

and you have incurred the wrath of the great mother, child, by not honoring her sacrifices. Oh! Great is the power of dappled fawn-skin robes,
1355

and green ivy that crowns a sacred thyrsos, the whirling beat of the tambourine circling in the air, hair streaming wildly for the revelry of Bromios,
1360

and the night-long festivals of the goddess. . . . You gloried in your beauty alone.
1365

Helen (OCR draft) Experimental (Helen. 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

Helen

1. [OCR note; compare the printed page.] ἀνεβόα verb. mit τὰν ἁρπασθεῖσαν κ. χ. ἐ. π. 〃 1256. L. θηρῶν ὅττ᾽ ἦν ζυγίες κ. τ. λ. 〃 1275. Ε. πηγάς τ' ἀμπαύει δροσεράς πένθει παιδὸς ἀλάςωρ.

Euripides Helen 1301

Johann Jakob Christian Donner (Translator)

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