Sophocles, Trachiniae, Richard Jebb (Translator), 291

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Chorus

Now, O Queen, your joy is plainly revealed; part is with you, and of the rest you have foreknowledge.

Deianeira

Yes, how would I not rejoice with dutiful spirit, when I hear of my husband’s successful venture?

My rejoicing is bound to keep pace with his success. And yet a prudent mind can see room for fear, lest he who prospers should one day stumble. For a strange pity came over me, friends, at the sight of these ill-fated exiles,
295

homeless and fatherless in a foreign land. Though they were once the daughters perhaps of freeborn men, they now live the life of slaves. O Zeus, god who turns the tide of battle, may I never see you stalking against a child of my line on any occasion;
300

no, if you do some such thing, let it not be while I am still alive! So great is my fear, as I look upon these girls.
305

To Iole.

Unfortunate girl, who are you? Are you without a man, or are you a mother? To judge by your appearance, you are untried in those roles, but someone of noble birth.

Lichas, whose daughter is this stranger? Who is her mother, who the father who begot her? Speak; I pity her more than all the rest, when I look at her, inasmuch as she alone knows self-control.
310

Trachiniae. Sophocles. Richard Jebb (Translator). Cambridge. 1892.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Experimental

Trachiniae (English) (Sophocles the plays and fragments, Part 5: The Trachiniae. Jebb, Richard Claverhouse, Sir, translator. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1892. (Modernized by Perseus.))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (2)

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 291 focus

ἄνασσα, νῦν σοι τέρψις ἐμφανὴς κυρεῖ,

τῶν μὲν παρόντων, τὰ δὲ τῶν δὲ πεπυσμένῃ λόγῳ.

ΔΗ.

πῶς δ᾽ οὐκ ἐγὼ χαίροιμ᾽ ἄν, ἀνδρὸς εὐτυχῆ

κλύουσα πρᾶξιν τήνδε, πανδίκῳ φρενί;

πολλή ᾿στ᾽ ἀνάγκη πολλήστ᾽ ἀνάγκηι πολλἤστ᾽ ἀνάγκηι πολλή 'στ᾽ ἀνάγκη πολλὴ δ᾽ ἀνάγκη πολλή τ' ἀνάγκη τῇδε τοῦτο συντρέχειν.
295

ὅμως δ᾽ ἔνεστι τοῖσιν εὖ σκοπουμένοις

ταρβεῖν τὸν εὐ πράσσοντα, μὴ σφαλῇ ποτε.

ἐμοὶ γὰρ οἶκτος δεινὸς εἰσέβη, φίλαι,

ταύτας ὁρώσῃ ὁρώσῃ δυσπότμους ἐπὶ ξένης

χώρας ἀοίκους ἀπάτοράς τ᾽ ἀλωμένας οὓς,
300

αἳ πρὶν μὲν ἦσαν ἐξ ἐλευθέρων ἴσως

ἀνδρῶν, τανῦν δὲ δοῦλον ἴσχουσιν βίον.

ὦ Ζεῦ τροπαῖε, μήποτ᾽ εἰσίδοιμί σε

πρὸς τοὐμὸν οὕτω σπέρμα χωρήσαντά ποι,

μηδ', εἴ τι δράσεις, τῆσδέ γε ζώσης ἔτι.
305

οὕτως ἐγὼ δέδοικα τάσδ' τᾶσδ' ὁρωμένη.

ὦ δυστάλαινα, τίς ποτ' εἶ νεανίδων ;

ἄνανδρος, ἢ τεκνοῦσσα τεκοῦσα τεκοῦσα τεκνοῦσα τεκνοῦσσα; πρὸς μὲν γὰρ φύσιν

πάντων ἄπειρος τῶνδε τῶνδε(ν) τῶνδε, γενναία δέ τις.

Λίχα, τίνος ποτ᾽ ἐστὶν ἡ ξένη βροτῶν;
310

τίς ἡ τεκοῦσα τεκοῦσα τεκνοῦσσα ἢ τέκνα ἔχουσα, τίς δ᾽ ὁ φιτύσας πατήρ;

ἔξειπ· ἐπεί νιν τῶνδε πλεῖστον πλείστων πλεῖστον ᾤκτισα

βλέπουσ᾽, ὅσῳπερ καὶ om. φρονεῖν οἶδεν μόνη.

ΛΙ.

Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 291 focus

Χορός

ἄνασσα, νῦν σοι τέρψις ἐμφανὴς κυρεῖ,

τῶν μὲν παρόντων, τὰ δὲ πεπυσμένῃ λόγῳ.

Δηιάνειρα

πῶς δʼ οὐκ ἐγὼ χαίροιμʼ ἄν, ἀνδρὸς εὐτυχῆ

κλύουσα πρᾶξιν τήνδε, πανδίκῳ φρενί;

πολλή ʼστʼ ἀνάγκη τῇδε τοῦτο συντρέχειν.
295

ὅμως δʼ ἔνεστι τοῖσιν εὖ σκοπουμένοις

ταρβεῖν τὸν εὖ πράσσοντα, μὴ σφαλῇ ποτε.

ἐμοὶ γὰρ οἶκτος δεινὸς εἰσέβη, φίλαι,

ταύτας ὁρώσῃ δυσπότμους ἐπὶ ξένης

χώρας ἀοίκους ἀπάτοράς τʼ ἀλωμένας,
300

αἳ πρὶν μὲν ἦσαν ἐξ ἐλευθέρων ἴσως

ἀνδρῶν, τανῦν δὲ δοῦλον ἴσχουσιν βίον.

ὦ Ζεῦ τροπαῖε, μή ποτʼ εἰσίδοιμί σε

πρὸς τοὐμὸν οὕτω σπέρμα χωρήσαντά ποι,

μηδʼ, εἴ τι δράσεις, τῆσδέ γε ζώσης ἔτι.
305

οὕτως ἐγὼ δέδοικα τάσδʼ ὁρωμένη.

ὦ δυστάλαινα, τίς ποτʼ εἶ νεανίδων;

ἄνανδρος ἢ τεκνοῦσσα; πρὸς μὲν γὰρ φύσιν

πάντων ἄπειρος τῶνδε, γενναία δέ τις.

Λίχα, τίνος ποτʼ ἐστὶν ἡ ξένη βροτῶν;
310

τίς ἡ τεκοῦσα, τίς δʼ ὁ φιτύσας πατήρ;

ἔξειπʼ· ἐπεί νιν τῶνδε πλεῖστον ᾤκτισα

βλέπουσʼ, ὅσῳπερ καὶ φρονεῖν οἶδεν μόνη.

Translations (4)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 291 focus

Now surety of delight is thine, my Queen,

Part by report and part before thine eye.

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

LICH

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 291 focus

Nun lacht, o Fürstin, offenbar die Freude dir,
285

Da diese hier sind und du hörst dies frohe Wort.

Deianeira.

Wie sollte nicht aus meines Herzens Fülle mich

Die Kunde hier vom Glücke meines Gatten freu'n?

Zur Freude zwingt mich's, darf ich ihn im Glücke seh'n.

Doch immer muß der reiflich Ueberlegende
290

Sich ängsten, Unglück treffe noch den Glücklichen.

So faßte mich, ihr Lieben, bittres Schmerzgefühl,

Die Frauen hier zu sehen, die durch fremdes Land,

Beraubt der Heimat, irren arm und vaterlos,

Und die vielleicht von freigebornen Männern einst
295

Entstammt, und jezt der Sklaven schweres Loos besteh'n.

O Zeus, des Leids Abwender, mög' ich nimmermehr

So wider Einen meines Stamms dich wüthen seh'n!

Doch, wenn du's thun willst, sei's in meinem Leben nie!

So hat der Anblick dieser Frau'n mir Angst erweckt.
300
(zu Jole)

Wer bist du, Jungfrau? Sag' es, Unglückselige!

Noch ledig? Oder Mutter? Zwar dein Aeußres zeigt

Dich dessen ganz unkundig: doch von edlem Stamm?

Aus welchem Hause, Lichas, ist die Fremde da?

Wer ihre Mutter? Welcher Vater zeugte sie?
305

Sprich; denn von allen fühl ich doch das innigste

Mitleid mit dieser, die allein ihr Leiden fühlt.

Lichas.

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 291 focus

O queen ! thy happiness

Is great indeed, to see these slav^es before thee,

And know thy lord approaches.

Deianira

I am happy —

To see my Hercules with victory crowned

'Tis fit I should rejoice ; and yet, my friends,

If we consider well, we still should fear

For the successful, lest they fall from bliss.

It moves my pity much when I behold

These wretched captives in a foreign land,
295

Without 8, parent and without a home..
295

Thus doomed to slavery here, who once perhaps
295

Enjoyed fair freedom's best inheritance :

O Jove ! averter of each mortal ill,

Let not my children ever feel thy arm

Thus raised against them? or, if 'tis decreed,

Let it not be whilst Deianira Jives :

The sight of these alarms my fears. But tell me

Thou poor afflicted captive, who thou art. \To Idle.

Art thou a mother ? or, as by thy years

Thou seemst, a vii-gin, and of noble birth?

Canst not thou tell me, Lichas, whence she sprang ?

Inform me, for of all these slaves she most

Hath won my pity, and in her alone

Have I observed a firm and generous mind.
300

Lie. Why ask of me 1 I know not who she is;
300

Perhaps of no mean rank.
300

Deianira

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 291 focus

Now, royal lady, certain joy is thine;

This captive train gives proof of his report.

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

Lichas

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-158-1 νῦν σοι τέρψις ἐμφανὴς κυρεῖ ¹

mvp-comment-158-2 τῶν μὲν ² τὰ δὲ ³

mvp-comment-159-1 πανδίκῳ φρενί ⁴

mvp-comment-160-1 τῇδε ⁵ τοῦτο ⁶

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 ⁷

mvp-comment-161-2 ταρβεῖν τὸν εὖ πράσσοντα ⁸

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 ⁹

mvp-comment-162-2 δεινὸς ¹⁰

mvp-comment-163-1 ἀπάτορας ¹¹

mvp-comment-163-2 301 f. For ἴσως ¹² ἐξ ἐλευθέρων ἀνδρῶν ¹³ ἀνδρῶν ¹⁴ ἀπάτορας ¹⁵

mvp-comment-164-1 ὦ Ζεῦ τροπαῖε ¹⁶

mvp-comment-164-2 τοὐμὸν σπέρμα ¹⁷

mvp-comment-164-3 χωρήσαντα ¹⁸ εἰς ¹⁹ πρὸς ²⁰ σε ²¹ που ²²

mvp-comment-165-1 μηδ’, εἴ τι δράσεις ²³ εἰ ²⁴ ζώσης ²⁵

mvp-comment-165-2 This verse is a development of μή ποτ’ εἰσίδοιμι ²⁶

mvp-comment-165-3 The objection to the verse as illogical assumes that the

δέ

in μηδέ ²⁷

mvp-comment-166-1 τεκνοῦσσα ²⁸ τεκοῦσα ²⁹

mvp-comment-166-2 πρὸς … φύσιν ³⁰ πάντων … τῶνδε ³¹

mvp-comment-166-3 γενναία ³²

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

292. mvp-comment-226-1 i. e. You have not only the words of Lichas, but the presence of the captives, to vouch for the coming of Heracles. That which assures the joy of Deianira is to be the cause of her misery. So little does the 'coming event cast its shadow before.' Cp. 862.

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.

301. mvp-comment-232-1 πρίν] In their former life, when they had a home.

302. mvp-comment-233-1 δοῦλον) The adjectival use of δοῦλος, which occurs here and supr. l. 53, is not found in earlier Greek.

303. mvp-comment-234-1 τροπαῖε] 'Giver of victory." Deianira has been commonly understood to address Zeus thus as the averter of evil (ἀποτρόπαιος). But elsewhere τροπαίος means the god who turns armies in battle. On this occasion Zeus has driven the army of Oechalia before Heracles and his allies. Deianira apprehends the possibility of some descendant of the Heracleidae being similarly defeated and made captive through the same god favouring another race.

304. mvp-comment-235-1 ποι after the verb of motion = που.

305. mvp-comment-236-1 τῆσδέ γε ζώσης ἔτι, Sc. δράσειας

306. mvp-comment-237-1 ὁρωμένη) The middle adds a touch of feeling, like the ethical dative, Le Looking at them with reflection. Cp. Ο. Τ. 1487, νοούμενος τὰ λοιπὰ τοῦ πικροῦ βίου.

307. mvp-comment-238-1 Iole is naturally silent and downcast in the presence of Deianira, who in her quick sympathy interprets this as an expression of sorrow. The foremost captive, she observes, shows more feeling than the rest (312).

308. mvp-comment-239-1 τεκνοῦσσα (see v. rr.) is obtained from the lemma of the Scholiast. φύσιν] 'Appearance.' Cp. O. Т. 740, 1, φύσιν τιν εἶχε, φράζε.

309. mvp-comment-240-1 πάντων. . τῶνδε] Sc. τοῦ ἄνδρα τε καὶ τέκνα σχεῖν.

Sophocles Trachiniae 291

Richard Jebb (Translator)

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Chorus

Now, O Queen, your joy is plainly revealed; part is with you, and of the rest you have foreknowledge.

Current edition Experimental

ἄνασσα, νῦν σοι τέρψις ἐμφανὴς κυρεῖ,

τῶν μὲν παρόντων, τὰ δὲ τῶν δὲ πεπυσμένῃ λόγῳ.

ΛΙ.

Χορός

ἄνασσα, νῦν σοι τέρψις ἐμφανὴς κυρεῖ,

τῶν μὲν παρόντων, τὰ δὲ πεπυσμένῃ λόγῳ.

Now surety of delight is thine, my Queen,

Part by report and part before thine eye.

LICH

Nun lacht, o Fürstin, offenbar die Freude dir,
285

Da diese hier sind und du hörst dies frohe Wort.

Lichas.

O queen ! thy happiness

Is great indeed, to see these slav^es before thee,

And know thy lord approaches.

Deianira

Now, royal lady, certain joy is thine;

This captive train gives proof of his report.

Lichas

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Chorus Now, O Queen, your joy is plainly revealed; part is with you, and of the rest you have foreknowledge.

Current edition Experimental

ἄνασσα, νῦν σοι τέρψις ἐμφανὴς κυρεῖ, τῶν μὲν παρόντων, τὰ δὲ τῶν δὲ πεπυσμένῃ λόγῳ.

ΛΙ.

Χορός ἄνασσα, νῦν σοι τέρψις ἐμφανὴς κυρεῖ, τῶν μὲν παρόντων, τὰ δὲ πεπυσμένῃ λόγῳ.

Now surety of delight is thine, my Queen, Part by report and part before thine eye.

LICH

Nun lacht, o Fürstin, offenbar die Freude dir, 285 Da diese hier sind und du hörst dies frohe Wort.

Lichas.

O queen ! thy happiness Is great indeed, to see these slav^es before thee, And know thy lord approaches.

Deianira

Now, royal lady, certain joy is thine; This captive train gives proof of his report.

Lichas

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Chorus

Now, O Queen, your joy is plainly revealed; part is with you, and of the rest you have foreknowledge.

ἄνασσα, νῦν σοι τέρψις ἐμφανὴς κυρεῖ,

τῶν μὲν παρόντων, τὰ δὲ τῶν δὲ πεπυσμένῃ λόγῳ.

Χορός

ἄνασσα, νῦν σοι τέρψις ἐμφανὴς κυρεῖ,

τῶν μὲν παρόντων, τὰ δὲ πεπυσμένῃ λόγῳ.

Now surety of delight is thine, my Queen,

Part by report and part before thine eye.

Nun lacht, o Fürstin, offenbar die Freude dir,
285

Da diese hier sind und du hörst dies frohe Wort.

O queen ! thy happiness

Is great indeed, to see these slav^es before thee,

And know thy lord approaches.

Now, royal lady, certain joy is thine;

This captive train gives proof of his report.