Euripides, Orestes, Johann Jakob Christian Donner (Translator), 807

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Hohes Gluck und mannlicher Muth,

Die so stolz in Hellas Gebiet
795

Prangten und an Simoïs Flut,

Wandten Atreus' Sohnen sich um in Unheil,

(So wollt' ein uraltes Geschick des Hauses einst!)

Seit um den goldnen Widder im Stamme

Tantalos' Streit sich erhob,
800

Seit dem graunvoll blutigen Mahl,

Edler Söhne gråßlichem Mord:

Und jezo rastet die Schuld im Hause

Der beiden Atriden nimmer,

Blut tauschend mit Blute.
805
Gegenstrophe.

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

Current edition Experimental

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1841; OCR review) (OCR draft) (German) (Euripides. Deutsch in den Versmaßen der Urschrift. Volume 1, Heidelberg: C. F. Winter, 1841. 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)

Ὀρέστης Perseus (Euripides. Euripidis Fabulae, Vol. III. Murray, Gilbert, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1913. (Reprinted 1920-1978)) — 807-843 focus

Χορός

ὁ μέγας ὄλβος ἅ τʼ ἀρετὰ

μέγα φρονοῦσʼ ἀνʼ Ἑλλάδα καὶ

παρὰ Σιμουντίοις ὀχετοῖς

πάλιν ἀνῆλθʼ ἐξ εὐτυχίας Ἀτρείδαις
810

πάλαι παλαιᾶς ἀπὸ συμφορᾶς δόμων,

ὁπότε χρυσείας ἔρις ἀρνὸς

ἤλυθε Τανταλίδαις,

οἰκτρότατα θοινάματα καὶ

σφάγια γενναίων τεκέων·
815

ὅθεν φόνῳ φόνος ἐξαμεί-

βων διʼ αἵματος οὐ προλεί-

πει δισσοῖσιν Ἀτρείδαις.

819

Χορός

τὸ καλὸν οὐ καλόν, τοκέων

πυριγενεῖ τεμεῖν παλάμᾳ
820

χρόα μελάνδετον δὲ φόνῳ

ξίφος ἐς αὐγὰς ἀελίοιο δεῖξαι·

τὸ δʼ εὖ κακουργεῖν ἀσέβεια ποικίλα

κακοφρόνων τʼ ἀνδρῶν παράνοια.

θανάτου γὰρ ἀμφὶ φόβῳ
825

Τυνδαρὶς ἰάχησε τάλαι-

να· Τέκνον, οὐ τολμᾷς ὅσια

κτείνων σὰν ματέρα· μὴ πατρῴ-

αν τιμῶν χάριν ἐξανά-

ψῃ δύσκλειαν ἐς αἰεί.
830

831

Χορός

τίς νόσος ἢ τίνα δάκρυα καὶ

τίς ἔλεος μείζων κατὰ γᾶν

ἢ ματροκτόνον αἷμα χειρὶ θέσθαι;

οἷον ἔργον τελέσας

βεβάκχευται μανίαις,
835

Εὐμενίσι θήραμα, φόνον

δρομάσι δινεύων βλεφάροις,

Ἀγαμεμνόνιος παῖς.

ὦ μέλεος, ματρὸς ὅτε

χρυσεοπηνήτων φαρέων
840

μαστὸν ὑπερτέλλοντʼ ἐσιδὼν

σφάγιον ἔθετο ματέρα, πατρῴ-

ων παθέων ἀμοιβάν.

Translations (2)

Orestes Perseus (Euripides. The Plays of Euripides, Vol. II. Coleridge, Edward P., translator. London: George Bell and Sons, 1891. (Modernized by Perseus.)) — 807-840 focus

Chorus

The great prosperity and the prowess, proudly boasted throughout Hellas and by the streams of Simois,

went back again from good fortune for the Atreidae long ago, from an old misfortune to their house, when strife came to the sons of Tantalus over a golden ram, to end in most pitiable banqueting and
810

the slaughter of high-born children; and this is why murder exchanges for murder, through blood, and does not leave the two Atreidae.
815

819

Chorus

What seemed good was not good,

to cut a mother’s flesh with ruthless hand and show the sword stained black with blood to the sun’s bright beams; to commit a noble crime is an impious, subtle, malignant madness!
820

The wretched daughter of Tyndareus in terror of death screamed to him: My son, this is unholy, your bold attempt upon your mother’s life; do not, while honoring your father,
825

fasten on yourself an eternity of shame.
830

831

Chorus

What affliction on earth surpasses this? What calls for keener grief or pity, than to shed with your hand a mother’s blood? Oh! what a dreadful crime he committed,

and now is raving mad, a prey to the Furies, whirling blood with racing eyes, the son of Agamemnon! O the wretch! when
835

he saw a mother’s bosom over her robe of golden weave, and yet he made her his victim, in recompense for his father’s sufferings.
840

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

No corresponding passage available

Euripides Orestes 807

Johann Jakob Christian Donner (Translator)

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