Sophocles Trachiniae 17

Thomas Francklin (Translator)

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Deianira
Haste then away, my son; and know, good deeds,
Though late performed, are crowned with sure success.

Trachiniae. Sophocles. Thomas Francklin (Translator). London. 1758–1759.

Current edition Experimental

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) (English) (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (2)
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 17 focus
πρὶν τῆσδε κοίτης ἐμπελασθῆναί ποτε.
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 1-93 focus
Translations (4)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 17 focus
DÊ
CHORUS (entering and turning towards the East).
Go then, my son. Though late, to learn and do
What wisdom bids, hath certainty of gain.
Born of the starry night in her undoing,
Lulled in her bosom at thy parting glow,
O Sun! I bid thee show,
What journey is Alcmena’s child pursuing?
What region holds him now,
’Mong winding channels of the deep,
Or Asian plains, or rugged Western steep?
Declare it, thou
Peerless in vision of thy flashing ray
That lightens on the world with each new day.
Sad Dêanira, bride of battle-wooing,
Ne’er lets her tearful eyelids close in rest,
But in love-longing breast,
Like some lorn bird its desolation rueing,
Of her great husband’s way
Still mindful, worn with harrowing fear
Lest some new danger for him should be near,
By night and day
Pines on her widowed couch of ceaseless thought,
With dread of evil destiny distraught:
For many as are billows of the South
Blowing unweariedly, or Northern gale,
One going and another coming on
Incessantly, baffling the gazer’s eye,
Such Cretan ocean of unending toil
Cradles our Cadmus-born, and swells his fame.
But still some power doth his foot recall
From stumbling down to Hades’ darkling hall.
Wherefore, in censure of thy mood, I bring
Glad, though opposing, counsel. Let not hope
Grow weary. Never hath a painless life
Been cast on mortals by the power supreme
Of the All-disposer, Cronos’ son. But joy
And sorrow visit in perpetual round
All mortals, even as circleth still on high
The constellation of the Northern sky.
What lasteth in the world? Not starry night,
Nor wealth, nor tribulation; but is gone
All suddenly, while to another soul
The joy or the privation passeth on.
These hopes I bid thee also, O my Queen!
Hold fast continually, for who hath seen
Zeus so forgetful of his own?
How can his providence forsake his son?
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 1 focus
Wohl sagt ein Spruch der Menschen schon in alter Zeit, 1
1
Kein irdisch Leben könne man, bevor es schloß,
Erkennen, ob es glücklich, ob unselig sei:
Ich aber weiß von meinem, eh' in Hades' Haus
Ich wandre, daß es bitter ist und jammervoll.
5
Schon, als in Deneus', meines Vaters, Haus ich war, 2
Und noch zu Pleuron wohnte, litt ich herbe Qual
Der Ehe wegen, wie noch kein Aetolerweib.
Ein Strom, genannt Acheloos, war mein Freier, der 3
Um mich in drei Gestalten bei dem Vater warb:
10
Leibhaft erschien er als ein Stier, dann wand er sich
Als bunter Drache, kam darauf in Mannsgestalt
Mit Stiereshaupte; von dem dichtbeschatteten
Barthaare strömten Bäche lautern Quellentranks.
So war der Freier, dessen ich gewärtig war,
15
Und täglich sehnt' ich Arme mir den Tod herbei,
Bevor ich solchem Manne mich als Braut gesellt.
Doch endlich, spät erst, aber vielwillkommen mir,
Erschien Alkmene's und des Zeus gepries'ner Sohn,
Der mit dem Strome kühn bestand den Kampf der Schlacht,
20
Und mich erlöste. Zwar des Kampfes Gang und Art
Beschreib' ich nicht; wie könnt ich's auch? Wer ohne Furcht
Dem grausen Schauspiel zugeseh'n, erzähle der's!
Denn ich erschüttert saß ich da, voll banger Angst,
Daß mir die Schönheit herben Gram bereite noch.
25
Doch gab ein gutes Ende Zeus, der Kampfeshort,
Wenn's anders gut war. Denn nachdem Herakles mich
Zum Weib erkoren, nähr' ich Sorg' um Sorge ſtets,
Um ihn mich härmend; zeugt ja doch die eine Nacht,
Die andre Nacht, ihr folgend, treibt hinweg das Leid.
30
Ich gab ihm Kinder, die der Vater irgendwann,
So wie der Landmann, der ein fernes Feld bebaut,
Nur bei der Aussaat und der Ernt' Einmal geseh'n.
So war das Leben, welches mir den Gatten stets
In's Haus und aus dem Hause trieb in fremdem Dienst. 4
35
Doch nun, nachdem er seiner Kämpfe Ziel errang,
Durchwühlt die Sorge mein Gemüth am heftigsten.
Denn seit den tapfern Iphitos sein Arm erschlug,
Sind wir in Trachis, wohnen als Vertrieb'ne hier
Bei'm alten Gastfreund; doch wohin Herakles sich 5
40
Gewendet, Niemand weiß es; mir nur ließ der Held,
Von hinnen ziehend, bittre Weh'n um sich zurück.
Ia, fast gewiß erkenn' ich's, daß ein Leid ihn traf.
Denn lange her schon ist es, fünfzehn Monde weilt
Er außen, ohne daß von ihm mir Kunde kam.
45
Ein schweres Leid ist's: also zeigt das Blatt mir an,
Das er zurückließ, als er schied; daß dieses mir
Kein Leiden bringe, fleh' ich oft die. Götter an.
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 17 focus
Chorus
94
STRO. 1. O thou, whom saphir-spangled Night
(That vanquish'd flies before thy golden ray)
Calls forth thy orient lustre to display,
And curtains close thy setting light,
To thee, O Sun, I call; declare,
Bright blazing through the lucid air,
Where dwells the hero through this length of time?
Where does Alcmena's son reside?
Rolls he on ocean's billowy tide?
Lies he reposed in some soft eastern clime,
Or where decline thy west'ring rays?
Oh say, for all thy piercing eye surveys !
ANTIS. 1. Desire, and doubt, and anxious fear
Incessant harrow Deianira's breast;
Like the poor bird that wails her widow'd nest,
As from her eye still streams the tear,
Mindful she mourns her lord, each thought
With terrors at his wand'rings fraught,
And at imagined dangers melts away:
As on her lonely couch she lies,
The sleepless night she wastes in sighs,
And sinks to sorrow and despair a prey;
Whilst to her fancy ills unknown
In all their hideous threat'ning shapes are shown.
As when with terror we behold
From South or North the wild winds sweep,
Waves after waves with fury roll'd
Swell the vex'd bosom of the deep;
Such is the Theban Hero's state,
95
Tost in the ceaseless storms of fate.
95
Toils rise on toils, an endless train,
95
As billows on the troubled main;
95
Yet to his virtues just some god
95
Saves him from Pluto's drear abode.
95
Let me then blame thy anxious fear;
95
Far other views if I display,
95
My words bring comfort to thy ear:
95
Thou shou'dst not throw sweet Hope away.
95
The sovereign ruler of our fate
95
Gives mortals no untroubled state;
95
But joy and grief are ever found
95
Revolving their alternate round,
95
As circling in the Arctic skies...
95
The constellations set and rise.
95
Nor Night in sable stole array'd
95
O'er mortals always spreads her solemn shade;
95
Nor always griefs remain,
95
Nor riches; their light wings at once they spread,
95
Away at once are fled;
95
The heart now welcomes joy's bright train,
95
Now sickens at th' approach of pain.
95
Then sink not, Queen, with griefs opprest,
95
But let hope brighten in thy breast;
95
Jove o'er his sons his care extends,
95
And all his glorious race defends.
95
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-51-1 καὶ γὰρ ὑστέρῳ 1

mvp-comment-51-2 τό γ’ εὖ 2 πράσσειν 3

mvp-comment-51-3 ἐμπολᾷ 4

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

92-93. mvp-comment-80-1 τό γ᾽ εὐ | πράσσειν] γε emphasizes ev: Wise action, even though late.' The emphatic position of πράσσειν at the beginning of another line, and the addition of ἐπεὶ πύθοιτο, may justify the singular use of τὸ εὐ πράσσειν in an active sense (= 'Doing right,' not, 'Faring well'), which is required by the context. For the omission of τίς, τινί (the subject of πύθοιτο and the dative after ἐμπολᾷ), see Essay on L. § 39. P. 72, 3, and cp. O. Τ. 314, 5, ἀφ᾽ ὧν ἔχοι τε καὶ δύναιτο.