ὧν ἅδ᾽ ἁ τλάμων ἄοκνον
Trachiniae. Sophocles. ed. Lewis Campbell. Oxford. 1879.
Table of Contents
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Current edition Experimental
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Greek) (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879))
Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.
Editions (1)
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 821-861 focus
Χορός
ἴδʼ οἷον, ὦ παῖδες, προσέμιξεν ἄφαρ
τοὔπος τὸ θεοπρόπον ἡμῖν
τᾶς παλαιφάτου προνοίας,
ὅ τʼ ἔλακεν, ὁπότε τελεόμηνος ἐκφέροι
δωδέκατος ἄροτος, ἀναδοχὰν τελεῖν πόνων
825
τῷ Διὸς αὐτόπαιδι· καὶ τάδʼ ὀρθῶς
ἔμπεδα κατουρίζει. πῶς γὰρ ἂν ὁ μὴ λεύσσων
ἔτι ποτʼ ἔτʼ ἐπίπονον πόνων ἔχοι θανὼν λατρείαν;
830
ἴδʼ οἷον, ὦ παῖδες, προσέμιξεν ἄφαρ
τοὔπος τὸ θεοπρόπον ἡμῖν
τᾶς παλαιφάτου προνοίας,
ὅ τʼ ἔλακεν, ὁπότε τελεόμηνος ἐκφέροι
δωδέκατος ἄροτος, ἀναδοχὰν τελεῖν πόνων
825
τῷ Διὸς αὐτόπαιδι· καὶ τάδʼ ὀρθῶς
ἔμπεδα κατουρίζει. πῶς γὰρ ἂν ὁ μὴ λεύσσων
ἔτι ποτʼ ἔτʼ ἐπίπονον πόνων ἔχοι θανὼν λατρείαν;
830
Χορός
εἰ γάρ σφε Κενταύρου φονίᾳ νεφέλᾳ
χρίει δολοποιὸς ἀνάγκα
πλευρά, προστακέντος ἰοῦ,
ὃν τέκετο θάνατος, ἔτρεφε δʼ αἰόλος δράκων,
πῶς ὅδʼ ἂν ἀέλιον ἕτερον ἢ τανῦν ἴδοι,
835
δεινοτάτῳ μὲν ὕδρας προστετακὼς
φάσματι; μελαγχαίτα δʼ ἄμμιγά νιν αἰκίζει
Νέσσου ὑποφόνια δολιόμυθα κέντρʼ ἐπιζέσαντα.
840
εἰ γάρ σφε Κενταύρου φονίᾳ νεφέλᾳ
χρίει δολοποιὸς ἀνάγκα
πλευρά, προστακέντος ἰοῦ,
ὃν τέκετο θάνατος, ἔτρεφε δʼ αἰόλος δράκων,
πῶς ὅδʼ ἂν ἀέλιον ἕτερον ἢ τανῦν ἴδοι,
835
δεινοτάτῳ μὲν ὕδρας προστετακὼς
φάσματι; μελαγχαίτα δʼ ἄμμιγά νιν αἰκίζει
Νέσσου ὑποφόνια δολιόμυθα κέντρʼ ἐπιζέσαντα.
840
Χορός
ὧν ἅδʼ ἁ τλάμων ἄοκνος μεγάλαν προορῶσα
δόμοισι βλάβαν νέων
ἀΐσσουσαν γάμων τὰ μὲν αὐτὰ προσέβαλε, τὰ
δʼ ἀπʼ ἀλλόθρου
γνώμας μολόντʼ ὀλεθρίαισι συναλλαγαῖς
845
ἦ που ὀλοὰ στένει,
ἦ που ἀδινῶν χλωρὰν
τέγγει δακρύων ἄχναν.
ἁ δʼ ἐρχομένα μοῖρα προφαίνει δολίαν
850
καὶ μεγάλαν ἄταν.
ὧν ἅδʼ ἁ τλάμων ἄοκνος μεγάλαν προορῶσα
δόμοισι βλάβαν νέων
ἀΐσσουσαν γάμων τὰ μὲν αὐτὰ προσέβαλε, τὰ
δʼ ἀπʼ ἀλλόθρου
γνώμας μολόντʼ ὀλεθρίαισι συναλλαγαῖς
845
ἦ που ὀλοὰ στένει,
ἦ που ἀδινῶν χλωρὰν
τέγγει δακρύων ἄχναν.
ἁ δʼ ἐρχομένα μοῖρα προφαίνει δολίαν
850
καὶ μεγάλαν ἄταν.
Χορός
ἔρρωγεν παγὰ δακρύων· κέχυται νόσος, ὦ πόποι,
οἷον ἀναρσίων
οὔπω Ἡρακλέους ἀγακλειτὸν ἐπέμολε πάθος οἰκτίσαι.
ἰὼ κελαινὰ λόγχα προμάχου δορός,
855
ἃ τότε θοὰν νύμφαν
ἄγαγες ἀπʼ αἰπεινᾶς
τάνδʼ Οἰχαλίας αἰχμᾷ·
ἁ δʼ ἀμφίπολος Κύπρις ἄναυδος φανερὰ
860
τῶνδʼ ἐφάνη πράκτωρ.
ἔρρωγεν παγὰ δακρύων· κέχυται νόσος, ὦ πόποι,
οἷον ἀναρσίων
οὔπω Ἡρακλέους ἀγακλειτὸν ἐπέμολε πάθος οἰκτίσαι.
ἰὼ κελαινὰ λόγχα προμάχου δορός,
855
ἃ τότε θοὰν νύμφαν
ἄγαγες ἀπʼ αἰπεινᾶς
τάνδʼ Οἰχαλίας αἰχμᾷ·
ἁ δʼ ἀμφίπολος Κύπρις ἄναυδος φανερὰ
860
τῶνδʼ ἐφάνη πράκτωρ.
Translations (2)
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 841 focus
Sie ahnte den Trug nicht,
830
Die Bedrängte, sie sah nur das Iammergeschick von dem neuen Bund
Ihr Haus rastlos bedroh'n;
Des tückevollen Rathes Sinn
Verstand sie nicht, den Quell grausen Verhängnisses.
Wohl jammert sie kläglich nun,
835
Wohl feuchtet die Wang' ihr zart
Frischquellender Thränen Thau.
Da kommt das Geschick, das des Betrugs gräßliche Schuld offen an's Licht fördert.
Zweite Gegenstrophe.
Sie ahnte den Trug nicht,
830
Die Bedrängte, sie sah nur das Iammergeschick von dem neuen Bund
Ihr Haus rastlos bedroh'n;
Des tückevollen Rathes Sinn
Verstand sie nicht, den Quell grausen Verhängnisses.
Wohl jammert sie kläglich nun,
835
Wohl feuchtet die Wang' ihr zart
Frischquellender Thränen Thau.
Da kommt das Geschick, das des Betrugs gräßliche Schuld offen an's Licht fördert.
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 821-860 focus
Chorus
See, maidens, how suddenly the divine word of the old prophecy has closed upon us, which allotted this destiny: that when the twelfth year
with its full complement of months should have come to an end, it would complete the undertaking of toils for the true-born son of Zeus! And that promise rides before a steady wind to sure fulfillment. For how shall he who does not see the light of day
825
ever have toilsome servitude any more in death?
830
See, maidens, how suddenly the divine word of the old prophecy has closed upon us, which allotted this destiny: that when the twelfth year
with its full complement of months should have come to an end, it would complete the undertaking of toils for the true-born son of Zeus! And that promise rides before a steady wind to sure fulfillment. For how shall he who does not see the light of day
825
ever have toilsome servitude any more in death?
830
Chorus
For if the Centaur’s deceitful torture smears his sides with a murderous net, where clings the venom which Death birthed and the gleaming serpent nourished,
how can he look upon tomorrow’s sun, when that appalling Hydra-shape grasps him? Those murderous goads, prepared
835
by the deceptive words of black-haired Nessus, torment him with confused thrashing and seethe on his skin.
840
For if the Centaur’s deceitful torture smears his sides with a murderous net, where clings the venom which Death birthed and the gleaming serpent nourished,
how can he look upon tomorrow’s sun, when that appalling Hydra-shape grasps him? Those murderous goads, prepared
835
by the deceptive words of black-haired Nessus, torment him with confused thrashing and seethe on his skin.
840
Chorus
In these matters this miserable lady had no apprehension, when she foresaw in the new marriage a great plague swiftly rushing upon her household. Her own hand applied the drug. But no doubt for the results yielded by a stranger’s
counsel, given at a fatal meeting—for these she despairingly groans and sheds a tender dew of thickly-falling tears.
845
And the coming fate foreshadows a great disaster, contrived by guile.
850
In these matters this miserable lady had no apprehension, when she foresaw in the new marriage a great plague swiftly rushing upon her household. Her own hand applied the drug. But no doubt for the results yielded by a stranger’s
counsel, given at a fatal meeting—for these she despairingly groans and sheds a tender dew of thickly-falling tears.
845
And the coming fate foreshadows a great disaster, contrived by guile.
850
Chorus
Our streaming tears break forth. Ah, no! An infection pours over him, an illness more to be pitied
than any suffering that adversaries ever brought upon that glorious hero. Ah, you dark head of the spear foremost in battle, who by your mighty point recently led that swift bride from
Oechalia
’s heights!
855
But the Cyprian goddess, ministering in silence, has been plainly proved the author of these deeds.
860
Our streaming tears break forth. Ah, no! An infection pours over him, an illness more to be pitied
than any suffering that adversaries ever brought upon that glorious hero. Ah, you dark head of the spear foremost in battle, who by your mighty point recently led that swift bride from
Oechalia
’s heights!
855
But the Cyprian goddess, ministering in silence, has been plainly proved the author of these deeds.
860
Commentary
Commentary (R. C. Jebb) (OCR draft) (Commentary (R. C. Jebb))
Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) focus
841. mvp-comment-619-1 foll. In places like this, where there is reason to suspect error both in the strophe and antistrophe, emendation must be more than ever uncertain. A reading of ll. 853, 4 consistent with the metre is obtained in the text by omitting πω and altering the position of οὐκ and of ἀγακλειτόν. The reconciliation of ll. 845, 855, is more difficult. Either (1) the line is a lyrical senarius (without caesura), in which case the corruption is in the antistrophe (qy. ἰὼ κελαινὸν αἰμ᾿ ἀπροσμάχου δορός?), or (2) the metre of l.855 is to be followed, and ὀλεθρίαις is corrupt (qy. ἀτηραῖσι συναλλαγαῖς?).
841-850. mvp-comment-620-1 "Which this poor lady, seeing great calamity fast coming upon her house, a strange new marriage being imminent, in one way did not understand at all (844. note), but for the unwitting act which arose from an alien will in consequence of a fatal meeting, over that methinks she groans in her misery, over that methinks she drops the fresh dew of abundant tears." ἄοκνον] Not shrinking,' i.e. Pressing on.