Euripides, Rhesus, ed. Gilbert Murray, 527-564

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

View: By Card

← Previous Next →

Χορός

— τίνος ἁ φυλακά; τίς ἀμείβει

τὰν ἐμάν; πρῶτα

δύεται σημεῖα καὶ ἑπτάποροι

Πλειάδες αἰθέριαι· μέσα δʼ αἰετὸς οὐρανοῦ ποτᾶται.
530

— ἔγρεσθε, τί μέλλετε; κοιτᾶν

ἔγρεσθε πρὸς φυλακάν.

οὐ λεύσσετε μηνάδος αἴγλαν;

— ἀὼς δὴ πέλας, ἀὼς
535

γίγνεται, καί τις προδρόμων

ὅδε γʼ ἐστὶν ἀστήρ.

— τίς ἐκηρύχθη πρώτην φυλακήν;

— Μυγδόνος υἱόν φασι Κόροιβον.

— τίς γὰρ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ; — Κίλικας Παίων
540

στρατὸς ἤγειρεν, Μυσοὶ δʼ ἡμᾶς.

— οὐκ οὖν Λυκίους πέμπτην φυλακὴν

βάντας ἐγείρειν

καιρὸς κλήρου κατὰ μοῖραν;
545

546

Χορός

— καὶ μὴν ἀΐω· Σιμόεντος

ἡμένα κοίτας

φοινίας ὑμνεῖ πολυχορδοτάτᾳ

γήρυϊ παιδολέτωρ μελοποιὸν ἀηδονὶς μέριμναν.
550

— ἤδη δὲ νέμουσι κατʼ Ἴδαν

ποίμνια· νυκτιβρόμου

σύριγγος ἰὰν κατακούω.

— θέλγει δʼ ὄμματος ἕδραν

ὕπνος· ἅδιστος γὰρ ἔβα
555

βλεφάροις πρὸς ἀοῦς.

— τί ποτʼ οὐ πλάθει σκοπός, ὃν ναῶν

Ἕκτωρ ὤτρυνε κατόπταν;

— ταρβῶ· χρόνιος γὰρ ἄπεστιν.

— ἀλλʼ ἦ κρυπτὸν λόχον ἐσπαίσας
560

διόλωλε; — τάχʼ ἄν. φοβερόν μοι.

— αὐδῶ Λυκίους πέμπτην φυλακὴν

βάντας ἐγείρειν

ἡμᾶς κλήρου κατὰ μοῖραν.

Rhesus. Euripides. ed. Gilbert Murray. Oxford. 1913.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

Ῥῆσος (Greek) (Euripides. Euripidis Fabulae, Vol. III. Murray, Gilbert, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1913. (Reprinted 1920-1978))

Translations (3)

Rhesus Perseus (Euripides. The Plays of Euripides, Vol. I. Coleridge, Edward P., translator. London: George Bell and Sons, 1906. (Modernized by Perseus.)) — 527-560 focus

Chorus

Whose watch is it? who relieves me? night’s earlier stars are on the wane, and the seven

Pleiads mount the sky; in the middle of the heavens the eagle floats. Rouse yourselves, why delay? Up from your beds to the watch! Do you not see the moonlight?
530

Dawn is near, dawn is coming, and lo! a star that heralds it. Who was told off to the first watch? The son of Mygdon, whom they call Coroebus.
535

Who after him? The Paeonian contingent roused the Cilicians, and the Mysians us. Is it not then high time we went and roused the Lycians for the fifth watch,
540

as the lot decided?
545

546

Chorus

Hark! hark! a sound; sitting on her blood-stained nest by Simois, she sings with voice of many trills

her piteous plaint, the nightingale that slew her child. Already on Ida they are pasturing the flocks, and over the night I catch the shrill pipe’s note. Sleep charms my eyes,
550

for sleep is sweetest at dawn to tired eyelids. Why does not our scout draw near, whom Hector sent to spy on the fleet? He is so long away, I have my fears.
555

Is it possible he has plunged into a hidden ambush and been slain? Perhaps. I am afraid. My counsel is we go and rouse the Lycians for the fifth watch, as the lot ordained. Exit Chorus
560

Rhesus Perseus (Euripides. The Rhesus of Euripides. Murray, Gilbert, translator. London: George Allen and Company, Ltd., 1913.) — 527-564 focus

Exeunt HECTOR and RHESUS and Attendants. The Guards, who have been below, come forward sleepily from the camp fire, and sit watching by HECTOR’S tent.

CHORUS.¹

Say, whose is the watch? Who exchanges

With us? The first planets to rise

Are setting; the Pleiades seven

Move low on the margin of heaven,
530

And the Eagle is risen and ranges

The mid-vault of the skies.

ANOTHER.

No sleeping yet! Up from your couches

And watch on, the sluggards ye are!

The moon-maiden’s lamp is yet burning.

THIRD GUARD.

Oh, the morning is near us, the morning!
535

Even now his fore-runner approaches,

Yon dim-shining star.

DIVERS GUARDS.
(talking)

Who drew the first night-watch?

ANOTHER.

’Twas one Koroibos, called the Mygdon’s Son.

THE GUARD.

And after?
540

THE OTHER.

The Mount Taurus men

Had second watch: from them again

The Mysians took it. We came then.

A GUARD.

’Tis surely time. Who will go tell

The fifth watch? ’Tis the Lycians’ spell

By now; ’twas thus the portions fell.
545

546

ANOTHER.

Nay, hearken! Again she is crying

Where death-laden Simois falls,

Of the face of dead Itys that stunned her,

Of grief grown to music and wonder:
550

Most changeful and old and undying

The nightingale calls.

ANOTHER.

And on Ida the shepherds are waking

Their flocks for the upland. I hear

The skirl of a pipe very distant.

ANOTHER.

And sleep, it falls slow and insistent.

’Tis perilous sweet when the breaking
555

Of dawn is so near.

DIVERS GUARDS
(talking).

Why have we still no word nor sign

Of that scout in the Argive line?

ANOTHER.

I know not; he is long delayed.

ANOTHER.

God send he trip not on the blade
560

Of some Greek in an ambuscade!

ANOTHER.

It may be. I am half afraid.

LEADER.

Our time is past! Up, men, and tell

The fifth watch. ’Tis the Lycians’ spell

Now, as the portions fairly fell.

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

No corresponding passage available

Euripides Rhesus 527-564

ed. Gilbert Murray

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Perseus

CHORUS.¹

Say, whose is the watch? Who exchanges

With us? The first planets to rise

Are setting; the Pleiades seven

Move low on the margin of heaven,
530

And the Eagle is risen and ranges

The mid-vault of the skies.

ANOTHER.

No sleeping yet! Up from your couches

And watch on, the sluggards ye are!

The moon-maiden’s lamp is yet burning.

THIRD GUARD.

Oh, the morning is near us, the morning!
535

Even now his fore-runner approaches,

Yon dim-shining star.

DIVERS GUARDS.
(talking)

Who drew the first night-watch?

ANOTHER.

’Twas one Koroibos, called the Mygdon’s Son.

THE GUARD.

And after?
540

THE OTHER.

The Mount Taurus men

Had second watch: from them again

The Mysians took it. We came then.

A GUARD.

’Tis surely time. Who will go tell

The fifth watch? ’Tis the Lycians’ spell

By now; ’twas thus the portions fell.
545

ANOTHER.

Nay, hearken! Again she is crying

Where death-laden Simois falls,

Of the face of dead Itys that stunned her,

Of grief grown to music and wonder:
550

Most changeful and old and undying

The nightingale calls.

ANOTHER.

And on Ida the shepherds are waking

Their flocks for the upland. I hear

The skirl of a pipe very distant.

ANOTHER.

And sleep, it falls slow and insistent.

’Tis perilous sweet when the breaking
555

Of dawn is so near.

DIVERS GUARDS
(talking).

Why have we still no word nor sign

Of that scout in the Argive line?

ANOTHER.

I know not; he is long delayed.

ANOTHER.

God send he trip not on the blade
560

Of some Greek in an ambuscade!

ANOTHER.

It may be. I am half afraid.

LEADER.

Our time is past! Up, men, and tell

The fifth watch. ’Tis the Lycians’ spell

Now, as the portions fairly fell.

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Perseus

CHORUS. 1 Say, whose is the watch? Who exchanges With us? The first planets to rise Are setting; the Pleiades seven Move low on the margin of heaven, 530 And the Eagle is risen and ranges The mid-vault of the skies.

ANOTHER. No sleeping yet! Up from your couches And watch on, the sluggards ye are! The moon-maiden’s lamp is yet burning.

THIRD GUARD. Oh, the morning is near us, the morning! 535 Even now his fore-runner approaches, Yon dim-shining star.

DIVERS GUARDS. (talking) Who drew the first night-watch?

ANOTHER. ’Twas one Koroibos, called the Mygdon’s Son.

THE GUARD. And after? 540

THE OTHER. The Mount Taurus men Had second watch: from them again The Mysians took it. We came then.

A GUARD. ’Tis surely time. Who will go tell The fifth watch? ’Tis the Lycians’ spell By now; ’twas thus the portions fell. 545

ANOTHER. Nay, hearken! Again she is crying Where death-laden Simois falls, Of the face of dead Itys that stunned her, Of grief grown to music and wonder: 550 Most changeful and old and undying The nightingale calls.

ANOTHER. And on Ida the shepherds are waking Their flocks for the upland. I hear The skirl of a pipe very distant.

ANOTHER. And sleep, it falls slow and insistent. ’Tis perilous sweet when the breaking 555 Of dawn is so near.

DIVERS GUARDS (talking). Why have we still no word nor sign Of that scout in the Argive line?

ANOTHER. I know not; he is long delayed.

ANOTHER. God send he trip not on the blade 560 Of some Greek in an ambuscade!

ANOTHER. It may be. I am half afraid.

LEADER. Our time is past! Up, men, and tell The fifth watch. ’Tis the Lycians’ spell Now, as the portions fairly fell.

Stable identifiers

CHORUS.¹

Say, whose is the watch? Who exchanges

With us? The first planets to rise

Are setting; the Pleiades seven

Move low on the margin of heaven,
530

And the Eagle is risen and ranges

The mid-vault of the skies.

ANOTHER.

No sleeping yet! Up from your couches

And watch on, the sluggards ye are!

The moon-maiden’s lamp is yet burning.

THIRD GUARD.

Oh, the morning is near us, the morning!
535

Even now his fore-runner approaches,

Yon dim-shining star.

DIVERS GUARDS.
(talking)

Who drew the first night-watch?

ANOTHER.

’Twas one Koroibos, called the Mygdon’s Son.

THE GUARD.

And after?
540

THE OTHER.

The Mount Taurus men

Had second watch: from them again

The Mysians took it. We came then.

A GUARD.

’Tis surely time. Who will go tell

The fifth watch? ’Tis the Lycians’ spell

By now; ’twas thus the portions fell.
545

ANOTHER.

Nay, hearken! Again she is crying

Where death-laden Simois falls,

Of the face of dead Itys that stunned her,

Of grief grown to music and wonder:
550

Most changeful and old and undying

The nightingale calls.

ANOTHER.

And on Ida the shepherds are waking

Their flocks for the upland. I hear

The skirl of a pipe very distant.

ANOTHER.

And sleep, it falls slow and insistent.

’Tis perilous sweet when the breaking
555

Of dawn is so near.

DIVERS GUARDS
(talking).

Why have we still no word nor sign

Of that scout in the Argive line?

ANOTHER.

I know not; he is long delayed.

ANOTHER.

God send he trip not on the blade
560

Of some Greek in an ambuscade!

ANOTHER.

It may be. I am half afraid.

LEADER.

Our time is past! Up, men, and tell

The fifth watch. ’Tis the Lycians’ spell

Now, as the portions fairly fell.