Sophocles Trachiniae 42

Lewis Campbell (Translator)

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DÊ
Yea, now I learn this triumph of my lord,
Joy reigns without a rival in my breast.
This needs must run with that in fellowship.
Yet wise consideration even of good
Is flecked with fear of what reverse may come.
And I, dear friends, when I behold these maids,
Am visited with sadness deep and strange.
295
Poor friendless beings, in a foreign land
295
Wandering forlorn in homeless orphanhood!
295
Erewhile, free daughters of a freeborn race,
Now, snared in strong captivity for life.
O Zeus of battles, breaker of the war,
Ne’er may I see thee turn against my seed
So cruelly; or, if thou meanest so,
Let me be spared that sorrow by my death!
Such fear in me the sight of these hath wrought.
Who art thou, of all damsels most distressed?
Single or child-bearing? Thy looks would say,
A maid, of no mean lineage. Lichas, tell,
Who is the stranger-nymph? Who gave her birth?
Who was her sire? Mine eye hath pitied her
300
O’er all, as she o’er all hath sense of woe.
300

Trachiniae. Sophocles. Lewis Campbell (Translator). London, New York and Toronto. 1906.

Current edition Experimental

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) (English) (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (2)
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 42 focus
ὠδῖνας αὐτοῦ προσβαλὼν ἀποίχεται.
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 1-93 focus
Translations (4)
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 49 focus
O Deianeira, Fürstin, oft gewahrt' ich schon,
Wie du betrübt in thränenreiche Klagen dich
50
Ergossest, daß Herakles ausgezogen sei.
Doch heute, wenn's der Sklavin schlichtem Sinn geziemt,
Dem freien Weib zu rathen, gönn' auch mir ein Wort.
Du bist an soviel Söhnen reich: was sendest du 1
Nicht ihrer Einen, auszuspäh'n des Mannes Spur?
55
Zumal dem Hyllos ziemte das, vertrau'n wir ihm,
Daß ihn um seines Vaters Wohl die Sorge treibt.
Da kommt er eben leichten Schritt's zum Haus heran,
Daß, wenn dir meine Rede nicht unzeitig dünkt,
Du seinen Beistand nüzen kannst und meinen Rath.
60
Hyllos. Die Vorigen.
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 42 focus
Deianira
Let her go in : I'll not disturb her peace,
320
Nor would I heap fresh sorrows on her head,
320
She hath enough already. We'll retire.
Go where thou wilt ; my cares within await me. \To Idle.
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 42 focus
Deianira
Yes, my heart feels it; I have cause, just cause
Of joy; it bounds to hear my lord returns
Victorious; all within me is alive
To tender sympathy. Yet those, who deep
Resolve the change of fortune, must have fears
Lest he, who triumphs now, may some time know
A sad reverse. E'en now, my friends, my heart
Feels the warm touch of pity, while I see
295
These wretched females from their country torn,
295
Torn from their parents, in a foreign land
295
To exile doom'd; yet these perhaps are sprung
From generous lineage, but must now sustain
A servile life. O Jove, whose guardian pow'r
Averts misfortune, never may I see
My offspring by thy anger thus assail'd;
Or if to sufferings thou hast doom'd them, spare
My anguish, nor inflict them whilst I live!
Such are my fears, these females as I view.
But who amidst this youthful train art thou ?
Ill chance is thine: unmarried is thy state?
Or dost thou feel a mother's grief? Thy mein
Denotes thee virgin, and of noble blood.
Who is this stranger, Lichas? Whence her birth?
300
Tell me: my pity most for her is mov'd,
300
For she alone shows fortitude of mind.
300
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 1-92 focus

Commentary

Commentary (R. C. Jebb) (OCR draft) (Commentary (R. C. Jebb))

mvp-comment-159-1 πανδίκῳ φρενί 1

mvp-comment-160-1 τῇδε 2 τοῦτο 3

mvp-comment-160-2 The rejection of this verse (see cr. n.) would be deplorable. Deianeira rejoices, but <*>ls a certain sadness, and knows that she cannot help showing it; all the more she wishes to assure them how real her joy is.

mvp-comment-161-1 τοῖσιν εὖ σκοπουμένοις 4

mvp-comment-161-2 ταρβεῖν τὸν εὖ πράσσοντα 5

mvp-comment-161-3 This shadow which flits across Deianeira's joy is the more dramatically impressive for the spectators, because it arises so naturally out of her tender sympathy for the captives. It is a touch worthy of the greatest master.

mvp-comment-162-1 ἐμοὶ … εἰσέβη 6

mvp-comment-162-2 δεινὸς 7

mvp-comment-163-1 ἀπάτορας 8

mvp-comment-163-2 301 f. For ἴσως 9 ἐξ ἐλευθέρων ἀνδρῶν 10 ἀνδρῶν 11 ἀπάτορας 12

Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) focus

294. mvp-comment-227-1 πανδίκῳ φρενί] 'With a heart that has every reason to rejoice':-πανδίκως τῇ φρενί.

295. mvp-comment-228-1 'This cannot fail' either (1) 'to coincide with that' (the joy with the news), or (2) 'to coincide in this way.' In (1) τῇδε = τῇ πράξει. In (2) τῇδε is adverbial and τοῦτο is the news and the rejoicing in one. The former (1) is best. Such news must needs be met by such rejoicing.' This line, with many others that could be dropped without ruining the connection, has been needlessly suspected as an interpolation.

296. mvp-comment-229-1 ἔνεστι τοῖσιν εὖ σκοπουμένοις] Either (1) There is occasion in the eyes of those who consider well' (the middle voice occurs in O. Τ. 964, τί δῆτ᾽ ἄν, ὦ γύναι, σκοποῖτό τις, κ.τ.λ.): -the dative, as in O. T. 616, καλῶς ἔλεξεν εὐλαβουμένῳ πεσεῖν : -or (2), 'There is room, when things are well considered.' In this case the dative is governed by ἐν in ἔνεστι.

298. mvp-comment-230-1 For οἶκτος of pity mixed with apprehension, cp. Eur. Med. 931, εἰσῆλθέ μ' οἶκτος εἰ γενήσεται τάδε. δεινός] Overpowering,' of strong feeling. Cp. infr. 476, ταύτης ὁ δεινὸς ἵμερος: Plat. Theaet. 169 Β, οὕτω τις ἔρως δεινὸς ἐνδέδυκε τῆς περὶ ταῦτα γυμνασίας.

300. mvp-comment-231-1 Homeless, because Oechalia was destroyed; Fatherless,' because its chief men had been slain in battle.