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Chorus
You came, you came, O winged creature, born of earth
and hellish viper, to prey upon the sons of Cadmus, full of death, full of sorrow, half a maiden, a murderous monster, with roving wings
1020
and ravening claws; you once caught up youths from the haunts of Dirce, with discordant song,
1025
and you brought, you brought a murderous grief, a deadly curse to our native land. A deadly god he was who brought all this to pass. Mourning of mothers, mourning of maidens,
1030
filled the houses with groans; a lamenting cry, a lamenting song, one after another wailed out, in turn throughout the city. The roar of the groaning
1035
was like thunder, whenever the winged maiden bore a man out of sight from the city.
1040
You came, you came, O winged creature, born of earth
and hellish viper, to prey upon the sons of Cadmus, full of death, full of sorrow, half a maiden, a murderous monster, with roving wings
1020
and ravening claws; you once caught up youths from the haunts of Dirce, with discordant song,
1025
and you brought, you brought a murderous grief, a deadly curse to our native land. A deadly god he was who brought all this to pass. Mourning of mothers, mourning of maidens,
1030
filled the houses with groans; a lamenting cry, a lamenting song, one after another wailed out, in turn throughout the city. The roar of the groaning
1035
was like thunder, whenever the winged maiden bore a man out of sight from the city.
1040
Chorus
At last came Oedipus, the man of sorrow, sent from
Delphi
to this land of
Thebes
, a joy to us then, but afterwards a cause of grief; for, when he guessed the riddle triumphantly, he formed with his mother an unhallowed union, woe to him!
1045
polluting the city; and striking down his sons by his curses, he handed them over to loathsome strife, through blood, the wretched man.
1050
We admire him, we admire him,
who has gone to his death in his country’s cause, leaving tears to Creon, but bringing a crown of victory to our seven fenced towers.
1055
May we be mothers in this way, may we have such fair children, dear PalIas, you who with well-aimed stone spilled the serpent’s blood, rousing Cadmus to brood upon the task,
1060
from which a demon’s curse swooped upon this land and ravaged it.
1065
At last came Oedipus, the man of sorrow, sent from
Delphi
to this land of
Thebes
, a joy to us then, but afterwards a cause of grief; for, when he guessed the riddle triumphantly, he formed with his mother an unhallowed union, woe to him!
1045
polluting the city; and striking down his sons by his curses, he handed them over to loathsome strife, through blood, the wretched man.
1050
We admire him, we admire him,
who has gone to his death in his country’s cause, leaving tears to Creon, but bringing a crown of victory to our seven fenced towers.
1055
May we be mothers in this way, may we have such fair children, dear PalIas, you who with well-aimed stone spilled the serpent’s blood, rousing Cadmus to brood upon the task,
1060
from which a demon’s curse swooped upon this land and ravaged it.
1065
The Phoenician Women. Euripides. Edward P. Coleridge (Translator). London. 1891.
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