Euripides, Bacchae, Johann Jakob Christian Donner (Translator), 386

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Wo die Gier ohne Gesez waltet, die Zung' ungezähmt,
340

Harrt am Ziele das Leid; Tage des Weisen, die

Voll Ruh' harmlos entfliehn, stehn unerschuttert im Sturm,

Schirmen das Haus. Denn des Olympos Götter, fern,

Wohnend in Lichthohen der Luft, schauen das Thun Sterblicher doch.

Nicht Weisheit ist die Weisheit, die das Unsterbliche denkt.¹
345

Unverweilt fluchtet die Zeit. Wer das Erhabene sich zum Ziel sezt,

Er genießt nicht, was die Erd' ihm beut. So thun Rasende nur,

(Meinen wir,) so nur Thoren, von Wahn geblendet.

Zweite Strophe.

Bacchae. 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)

Βάκχαι Perseus (Euripides. Euripidis Fabulae, Vol. III. Murray, Gilbert, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1913. (Reprinted 1920-1978)) — 370-432 focus

Χορός

Ὁσία πότνα θεῶν,
370

Ὁσία δʼ ἃ κατὰ γᾶν

χρυσέαν πτέρυγα φέρεις,

τάδε Πενθέως ἀίεις;

ἀίεις οὐχ ὁσίαν

ὕβριν ἐς τὸν Βρόμιον, τὸν
375

Σεμέλας, τὸν παρὰ καλλι-

στεφάνοις εὐφροσύναις δαί-

μονα πρῶτον μακάρων; ὃς τάδʼ ἔχει,

θιασεύειν τε χοροῖς

μετά τʼ αὐλοῦ γελάσαι
380

ἀποπαῦσαί τε μερίμνας,

ὁπόταν βότρυος ἔλθῃ

γάνος ἐν δαιτὶ θεῶν, κισ-

σοφόροις δʼ ἐν θαλίαις ἀν-

δράσι κρατὴρ ὕπνον ἀμ-
385

φιβάλλῃ

386

Χορός

ἀχαλίνων στομάτων

ἀνόμου τʼ ἀφροσύνας

τὸ τέλος δυστυχία·

ὁ δὲ τᾶς ἡσυχίας

βίοτος καὶ τὸ φρονεῖν
390

ἀσάλευτόν τε μένει καὶ

συνέχει δώματα· πόρσω

γὰρ ὅμως αἰθέρα ναίον-

τες ὁρῶσιν τὰ βροτῶν οὐρανίδαι.

τὸ σοφὸν δʼ οὐ σοφία
395

τό τε μὴ θνητὰ φρονεῖν.

βραχὺς αἰών· ἐπὶ τούτῳ

δέ τις ἂν μεγάλα διώκων

τὰ παρόντʼ οὐχὶ φέροι. μαι-

νομένων οἵδε τρόποι καὶ
400

κακοβούλων παρʼ ἔμοι-

γε φωτῶν.

402

Χορός

ἱκοίμαν ποτὶ Κύπρον,

νᾶσον τᾶς Ἀφροδίτας,

ἵνʼ οἱ θελξίφρονες νέμον-

ται θνατοῖσιν Ἔρωτες,
405

Πάφον θʼ ἃν ἑκατόστομοι

βαρβάρου ποταμοῦ ῥοαὶ

καρπίζουσιν ἄνομβροι.

οὗ δʼ ἁ καλλιστευομένα

Πιερία μούσειος ἕδρα,
410

σεμνὰ κλιτὺς Ὀλύμπου,

ἐκεῖσʼ ἄγε με, Βρόμιε Βρόμιε,

πρόβακχʼ εὔιε δαῖμον.

ἐκεῖ Χάριτες,

ἐκεῖ δὲ Πόθος· ἐκεῖ δὲ βάκ-
415

χαις θέμις ὀργιάζειν.

417

Χορός

ὁ δαίμων ὁ Διὸς παῖς

χαίρει μὲν θαλίαισιν,

φιλεῖ δʼ ὀλβοδότειραν Εἰ-

ρήναν, κουροτρόφον θεάν.
420

ἴσαν δʼ ἔς τε τὸν ὄλβιον

τόν τε χείρονα δῶκʼ ἔχειν

οἴνου τέρψιν ἄλυπον·

μισεῖ δʼ ᾧ μὴ ταῦτα μέλει,

κατὰ φάος νύκτας τε φίλας
425

εὐαίωνα διαζῆν,

σοφὰν δʼ ἀπέχειν πραπίδα φρένα τε

περισσῶν παρὰ φωτῶν·

τὸ πλῆθος ὅ τι
430

τὸ φαυλότερον ἐνόμισε χρῆ-

ταί τε, τόδʼ ἂν δεχοίμαν.

434

Translations (2)

The Bacchae Perseus (Euripides. The Tragedies of Euripides. Vol. I. Buckley, Theodore Alois, translator. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1850. (Modernized by Perseus.)) — 370-430 focus

Chorus

Holiness, queen of the gods, Holiness, who bear your golden wings along the earth, do you hear these words from Pentheus? Do you hear his unholy
370

insolence against Bromius, the child of Semele, the first deity of the gods at the banquets where guests wear beautiful garlands? He holds this office, to join in dances,
375

to laugh with the flute, and to bring an end to cares, whenever the delight of the grape comes at the feasts of the gods, and in ivy-bearing banquets
380

the goblet sheds sleep over men.
385

386

Chorus

Misfortune is the result of unbridled mouths and lawless folly; but the life of quiet

and wisdom remain unshaken and hold houses together. Though they dwell far off in the heavens the gods see the deeds of mortals.
390

But cleverness is not wisdom, nor is thinking on things unfit for mortals. Life is short, and on this account the one who pursues great things does not achieve that which is present. In my opinion,
395

these are the ways of mad and ill-advised men.
400

402

Chorus

Would that I could go to Cyprus , the island of Aphrodite, where the Loves, who soothe

mortals’ hearts, dwell, and to Paphos , fertilized without rain by the streams of a foreign river flowing with a hundred mouths. Lead me there, Bromius, Bromius, god of joy who leads the Bacchae,
405

to Pieria , beautiful seat of the Muses, the holy slope of Olympus . There are the Graces, there is Desire; there it is
410

lawful for the Bacchae to celebrate their rites.
415

417

Chorus

The god, the son of Zeus, delights in banquets, and loves Peace, giver of riches,

goddess who nourishes youths. To the blessed and to the less fortunate, he gives an equal pleasure from wine that banishes grief. He hates the one who does not care about this:
420

to lead a happy life by day and friendly ¹ night and to keep his wise mind and intellect away from over-curious men.
425

What the common people think and adopt, that would I accept.
430

The Bacchae (OCR draft) Experimental (The Bacchae. 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

Bacchae

1. [OCR note; compare the printed page.] Ε. τὸ τὰ μὴ θνητὰ φρονῶν.

Euripides Bacchae 386

Johann Jakob Christian Donner (Translator)

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