Euripides Orestes 208-315

Chorus Leader

Electra, you are nearby; see whether your brother has not died without your knowing it;

for I do not like his utter prostration.

210

Orestes

awaking refreshed

Sweet charm of sleep, savior in sickness, how sweetly you came to me, how needed! Revered forgetfulness of troubles, how wise a goddess you are, and invoked by every suffering soul!

Addressing Electra. Where have I come from? How am I here? For I have lost all previous recollection and remember nothing.

215

Electra

My dearest, how glad I was to see you fall asleep! Do you want me take you in my arms and lift your body?

Orestes

Take, oh! take me in your arms, and from this sufferer’s mouth

and eyes wipe off the flakes of foam.

220

Electra

There! The service is sweet, and I do not refuse to tend a brother’s limbs with a sister’s hand.

Orestes

Prop me up, your side to mine; brush the matted hair from my face, for I see dimly.

Electra

Ah, poor head, how dirty your hair! How savage you look, remaining so long unwashed!

225

Orestes

Put me once more upon the couch; whenever the madness leaves me, I am unnerved and weak.

Electra

As she lays him down. There! His couch is welcome to the sick man,

a painful possession, but a necessary one.

230

Orestes

Set me upright once again, turn my body round; it is their helplessness that makes the sick so hard to please.

Electra

Will you set your feet upon the ground and take a step at last? Change is always pleasant.

Orestes

Oh, yes; for that has a semblance of health; and the semblance is preferable, though it is far from the truth.

235

Electra

Hear me now, my brother, while the Furies permit you to use your senses.

Orestes

You have news to tell; if it is good, you do me a kindness;

but if it tends to my hurt, I have suffered enough.

240

Electra

Menelaus, your father’s brother, has come; his ships are moored in Nauplia .

Orestes

What did you say? Has he come to be a light in our troubles, a man of our own family, who owes gratitude to our father?

Electra

He has come, and is bringing Helen from the walls of Troy—accept this as proof of what I say.

245

Orestes

If he had returned alone in safety, he would be more enviable; but if he is bringing his wife, he has come with great mischief.

Electra

Tyndareus begot a race of daughters notorious for blame,

infamous throughout Hellas .

250

Orestes

Then you be different from that evil brood, for you can be; and not only in words, but also in heart.

Electra

Ah! brother, your eye is growing wild, and in a moment you are turning mad again, when you were just now sane.

Orestes

starting up wildly

Mother, I implore you! Do not shake at me those maidens with their bloodshot eyes and snaky hair. Here they are, close by, to leap on me!

255

Electra

Lie still, poor sufferer, on your couch; your eye sees nothing, you only imagine that you recognize them.

Orestes

O Phoebus! they will kill me, the hounds of hell, death’s priestesses with glaring eyes, the dreadful goddesses.

260

Electra

I will not let you go; but with arms twined round you, I will prevent your piteous leaping.

Orestes

Let me go! you are one of my Furies,

and are gripping me by the waist to hurl me into Tartarus!

265

Electra

Alas for me! What aid can I find, when we have Heaven’s forces set against us?

Orestes

Give me my horn-tipped bow, Apollo’s gift, with which he told me to ward off the goddesses,

if ever they sought to scare me with wild transports of madness.

270

A mortal hand will wound one of them, unless she departs from my sight. Don’t you hear me? Don’t you see the feathered arrows springing out from my far-shooting bow? What!

Do you linger still? Mount the sky on your wings, and blame those oracles of Phoebus.

275

Ah! why am I raving, gasping? Where, oh! where have I leapt, from my couch? Once more the storm is past, I see a calm.

280

Sister, why do you weep, your head wrapped in your robe? I am ashamed that I should make you a partner in my sufferings and distress a maiden like you through my sickness. Do not waste away over my troubles; for though you consented to it, yet I was the one that spilled

280

our mother’s blood. I blame Loxias, for urging me on to do a deed most unholy, encouraging me with words but not in deed. I believe that, if I had asked my father to his face whether I must slay my mother,

285

he would have strongly entreated me, by this beard, never to plunge a sword into her throat, since he would not regain his life, and I, poor wretch, would accomplish such evil!

290

And now, my sister, unveil your face

and cease to weep, despite our misery. Whenever you see me give way to despair, it is for you to calm and soothe the terrors and distorted fancies of my brain. Whenever sorrow comes to you, I must be at your side and give you comforting advice;

295

for to help our friends like this is noble.

300

Go in the house now, my poor sister; lie down and close your sleepless eyes; take food and bathe your body. For if you leave me or fall sick from nursing me,

I am lost. You are my only ally; I am deserted by all the rest, as you see.

305

Electra

I will not leave you; with you I will choose to live and die; for it is the same: if you die, what shall I, a woman, do? How shall I escape alone,

with no brother, or father, or friends? Still, if you think it right, I must do your bidding. But lie down upon your couch, and do not pay too great heed to the terrors and alarm that scare you from your rest; lie still upon your pallet. For even if you are not sick, but only think you are,

310

this brings weariness and perplexity to mortals. Exit Electra.

315

Orestes.

süßes Labsal, Schlummer, Trost dem Leidenden,

200

Wie kamst du mir so freundlich: wohl bedurft ich dein!

Du selig süß Vergessen alles Ungemachs,

Den Gramgebeugten welch ein hold erwünschter Gott!

Wie kam ich hierher aber? Und von wannen? Sprich!

Denn sinnberaubt vergaß ich, was zuvor geschah.

205

Elektra.

Wie freute mich's, mein Lieber, daß du schlummertest!

Verlangst du, daß ich deinen Leib aufrichten soll?

Orestes.

Ja, thue, thu' es, und den starrgewordnen Schmuz

Des Schaumes wische mir von Mund und Augen ab.

Elektra.

Sieh da; o freundlich süßer Dienst! Ich weigr' es nicht,

210

Mit Schwesterhånden, Bruder, wohl zu pflegen dein.

Drestes.

An meine Seiten stemme dich, das wilde Haar

Streich' aus dem Antliz; denn ich kann nur düster sehn.

Elektra.

Unselig Haupt, von wirrer Locken Schmuz entstellt!

Wie du verwilderst, ungesalbt so lange Zeit!

215

Drestes.

Leg' auf das Bett mich wieder: wenn von mir die Wuth

Abließ, erschlaffen, kraftberaubt, die Glieder mir.

Elektra.

Wohl ist die Lagerståtte lieb dem Leidenden,

Zwar schmerzlich, aber doch ein unentbehrlich Gut.

Drestes.

Nun richt' empor mich wieder, und wend' um den Leib:

220

Schwer ist dem Kranken gnugen, der nicht Hülfe weiß.

Elektra.

Verlangst du nicht zur Erde nach so langer Zeit

Den Fuß zu sezen? Stets erfreut Veränderung.

Drestes.

Ich will es; also wähnt gesund ein Kranker sich:

Suß ist das Wähnen, wär' es auch ein irriges.

225

Elektra.

Nun höre mich, mein Bruder, vielgeliebtes Haupt,

So lang die Straferinnys dich bei Sinnen läßt.

Orestes.

Was wirst du sagen? Ist es Glück, so habe Dank;

Doch ist es Unglück, dessen hab' ich schon genug.

Elektra.

Menelaos, deines Vaters Bruder, kam zurück;

230

Vor Anker liegen seine Schiff' in Nauplia.

Drestes.

Wie sagst du? Kam ein helles Licht in unsrer Noth,

Des Vaters Bruder, hoch zu Dank verpflichtet ihm?

Er kam, und

Elektra.

dies sei meines Worts Bestätigung! -

Bringt aus den Mauern Ilions die Helena.

235

Drestes.

Allein gerettet, wår er mehr des Preises werth;

Folgt ihm die Gattinn, kommt der Fluch mit ihm zurück.

Elektra.

Zu Schimpf und Schande zeugte sich Tyndareos

Dies Paar der Tochter, schmachbedeckt in Hellas Volk.

Drestes.

Sei besser als die Schlechten, du vermagst es ja;

240

Und rede nicht bloß dieses, sondern denk' es auch.

Elektra.

Orestes.

Ich flehe, Mutter, reize doch nicht wider mich

Die Schlangenjungfraun mit dem blutroth glüh'nden Blick!

245

Sie sind es, ha, sie springen, nahe mir, empor.

Elektra.

Still harr' in deinem Lager, Unglückseliger;

Denn Nichts erblickst du, was du klar zu sehen wähnst.

Orestes.

Phobos, morden wollen mich die Schrecklichen,

Des Hades Priesterinnen mit dem Hundeblick!

250

Elektra.

Dich lass ich nimmer, schlinge meinen Arm um dich,

Und wehre dir, den jammervollen Sprung zu thun.

Orestes.

Laß ab; du bist mir eine meiner Erinnyen,

Ergreifst mich mitten, schleuderst mich zum Tartaros.

Elektra.

Wo soll ich Hulse suchen, ich Armselige,

255

Nachdem wir aller Götter Haß verschuldeten?

Drestes.

gib Appollons Gabe mir, das hornene

Geschoß, womit er mir gebot die Göttinnen

Zu wehren, schreckten diese mich durch Raserei.

Elektra.

Kann einen Gott verwunden eine Menschenhand?

260

Drestes.

Wohl, wenn er nicht aus meinen Augen sich entfernt.

Vernehmet ihr sie, sehet ihr des treffenden

Geschosses raschbeschwingte Pfeil' auf euch gesandt?

D, 0!

Was zaudert ihr noch långer? Hebt mit Schwingen euch

Zum Aether: klagt den Gottesspruch des Phobos an!

265

Ha!

Was irr' ich um? Mein Athem ringt sich schwer empor!

Wo, wo verirrt' ich aufgejagt vom Lager mich?

Nach Wogendrang erblick' ich wieder stilles Meer.

Elektra.

Nicht also: mit dir leben, mit dir sterben, das

Erwahl ich; Beides ist mir Eins: stirbst du dahin,

Was soll ich Weib hier? Wie errett' ich mich, allein,

Ich, ohne Bruder, Vater, Freund? Doch wenn du willst,

So geh' ich: aber lege nur zur Ruhe dich,

300

Und nicht ergib dich allzusehr den Schrecknissen,

Die dich vom Lager scheuchen; harr' in deinem Bett.

Denn krankt er auch nicht, aber dünkt sich krank zu sein,

Quålt Angst und Elend überall den Sterblichen.

(Elektra geht ab.) Strophe.

Chor.