Sophocles Trachiniae 49

Richard Jebb (Translator)

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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)) — 49 focus
δέσποινα Δῃάνειρα δηϊάνειρα, πολλὰ μέν σ᾽ ἐγὼ
κατεῖδον ἤδη πανδάκρυτ᾽ ὀδύρματα
50
τὴν ῾Ηράκλειον ἔξοδον γοωμένην·
νῦν δ᾽, εἰ δίκαιον τοὺς ἐλευθέρους φρενοῦν
γνώμαισι δούλαις, κἀμὲ χρὴ φράσαι τὸ σόν το σον τὸ σόν τόσον·
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 49 focus
Translations (4)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 49 focus
Queen Dêanira, many a time ere now
Have I beheld thee with all tearful moan
Bewailing the departure of thy lord.
But, if it be permitted that a slave
50
Should tender counsel to the free, my voice
50
May venture this:—Of thy strong band of sons
50
Why is not one commissioned to explore
For Heracles? and why not Hyllus first,
Whom most it would beseem to show regard
For tidings of his father’s happiness?
Ah! here I see him bounding home, with feet
Apt for employment! If you count me wise,
He and my words attend upon your will.
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)) — 49 focus
My royal mistress, long have I beheld
Thy tears and sorrows for thy lost Alcides ;
But if the counsels of a slave might claim
Attention, I would speak — would ask thee wherefore
50
Amongst thy sons, a numerous progeny,
50
None hath been sent in search of him, and chief
Thy Hyllus, if he holds a father's health
And safety dear : but, e'en as we could wish,
Behold him here ! If what I have advised
Seem fitting, he is come in happiest hour
To execute our purpose.
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 49 focus
My mistress, Deianira, I long time
Have seen thy sorrows and thy frequent tears,
Mourning the absence of thy lord: and now
If by a slave's advice the nobly born
May be admonish'd; me if it becomes
50
So to presume; whence is it that with sons
50
Thus blest, not one of them is sent to seek
50
Thy lord; and Hyllus chief, whom most the charge
Beseems, if aught his father's welfare moves
His anxious care? And see, with manly step
He to the house advances: if my words
Deserve attention, thou hast now the pow'r
To give th' important mandate to the youth.
DEJA. My child, my son, the meanly born may give
Generous advice: this woman, though a slave,
Hath spoken what denotes a liberal mind.

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-27-1 πολλὰ μὲν … νῦν δ’ 1 γοωμένην 2 πολλὰ … πανδάκρυτ’ ὀδύρματα 3 τὴν Ἡρ. ἔξοδον 4

mvp-comment-28-1 φρενοῦν 5 φράσαι 6

mvp-comment-28-2 κἀμὲ 7 καί 8 εἰ 9 καί 10

mvp-comment-28-3 φράσαι τὸ σόν 11 τόσον 12

mvp-comment-29-1 τοσοῖσδε 13

mvp-comment-29-2 κατὰ ζήτησιν 14

mvp-comment-30-1 εἰ πατρὸς νέμοι τιν’ ὤραν τοῦ … δοκεῖν 15 πατρὸς 16 τοῦ … δοκεῖν 17 τοῦ … δοκεῖν 18

mvp-comment-30-2 δοκεῖν 19

mvp-comment-30-3 νέμοι 20 νέμει 21

mvp-comment-31-1 ἀρτίπους 22 ἀρτίπους 23

mvp-comment-32-1 πρὸς καιρὸν 24

mvp-comment-32-2 τοῖς τ’ 25 τοῖς 26 τοῖς γ’ 27

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

49ff. mvp-comment-46-1 Whether the Θεράπαινα here is the same with the Τροφός in 871 ff., or different, is a question which is best left unanswered.

49-50. mvp-comment-47-1 πολλὰ . . πανδάκρυτ᾽ ὀδύρματα] * Often with tearful wailings.' The adverbial πολλά is expanded by the addition of πανδάκρυτ᾽ ὀδύρματα.

53. mvp-comment-48-1 γνώμαισι δούλαις may be in one of two constructions: either (1) dative of reference after δίκαιον, or (2) dative of the instrument with φρενοῦν. In the former case (1) the abstract is put for the concrete, If the thoughts of a slave may be allowed to instruct one who is free. Cp Phil. 431, καὶ σοφαὶ γνῶμαι: intr. 844, 5. ἀπ᾿ ἀλλόθρου γνώμας. In the latter case (2) the subject of φρενοῦν is implied in δούλαις, 'If it be permissible that one should instruct the free with thoughts coming from a slave.' And this is probably right, as the words nearest together are genearlly to be taken together. καμὲ χρὴ φράσαι τὸ σόν] "Then is it right for me to suggest what you should do. τὸ σόν is preferable to τόσον...

53. mvp-comment-48-2 (1) because the expression and the correspondence of the clauses is more complete and harmonious; (2) because, except in the phrase δὶς τόσα (Αj. 277), the form τόσος does not occur elsewhere in the senarii of Sophocles. See on Ο. Τ. 570, τοσόνδε γ' οἶσθα, κ.τ.λ. Some who read τόσον would connect the words through καί with the protasis, 'If a slave may be permitted, etc., and I may hint so much, -how is it?'

54. mvp-comment-49-1 πῶς] For the asyndeton, see Essay on L. § 34. p. 58. μὲν.. ἀτάρ] We have here an instance of the form of sentence which often meets us in a more complex form in Thucydides and Plato, e.g. Rep. B. 2. p. 367 E, where two coordinate or opposed clauses are included under the vinculum of a single interrogative or negative. Cp. infr. 229 foll.: Philoct. 519 foll., ὅρα σὺ μὴ νῦν μὲν τις, κ.τ.λ. See Essay on L. § 36. p. 68.

55. mvp-comment-50-1 ἀνδρὸς κατὰ ζήτησιν] Cp. Hdt. 1. 94, ἀποπλώειν κατὰ βίου ζήτησιν.

56. mvp-comment-51-1 εἰκός] ἰέναι rather than πέμπειν is the 'word understood,' as required by the subsequent context. Ср. О. Т. 190, ᾿Αρεά τε τὸν μαλερόν, κ.τ.λ.

57. mvp-comment-52-1 νέμοι] The Scholiast seems to have read νέμει. But νέμοι agrees better with the indirect turn given by ὅνπερ εἰκός : “The very one who might be expected to go, if he was at all careful to ascertain his father's welfare.' For the double genitive (on which see Essay on L. § 23. p. 37 a ), Dindorf well quotes Alexis apud Athenaeum, 10. Ρ. 431 Ε, τῶν δ᾽ ὠνουμένων προνοούμενοι τοῦ τὰς κεφαλὰς ὑγιεῖς ἔχειν. For the periphrasis with δοκεῖν, pointing to the desire of good tidings, cp. Ο. Τ. 402, εἰ δὲ μὴ ἐδόκεις γέρων εἶναι, and note: Thuc. 3. 10, ἀρετῆς δοκούσης. Here, as in similar expressions in Greek, seeming is not necessarily opposed to reality.

58. mvp-comment-53-1 ἀρτίπους] (1) ὅ ἐστιν, ἀρτίως καὶ ἡρμοσμένως τῷ καιρῷ πορεύεται. Schol. And such an 'etymological' use = ' With timely approach,' is quite possible. ( Essay on L. § 54 6, p. 99 ). The latter part of the compound is in this case less significant. Essay on L. § 55. p. 101. But (2) the simple Homeric meaning, Sound of foot,' is really more suited to the context, Hyllus, having out of doors heard news of his father, comes bounding home. The handmaid, seeing his agile movement, infers there can be no doubt of his ability to run this errand.' δόμους = εἰς δόμους, accusative of motion towards. Essay on L. § 16. p. 22.

59. mvp-comment-54-1 τί] Cp. Ο. C. 1034, νοεῖς τι τούτων.