Sophocles, Trachiniae, Richard Jebb (Translator), 663

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Enter Deianeira from the house.

Deianeira

Friends, how I fear that I may have gone too far in all that I was doing just now!

Chorus

What has happened, Deianeira, daughter of Oeneus?
665

Deianeira

I do not know, but I despair that I will soon be found to have done a great wrong, when my hope was for good.

Chorus

Surely it is nothing that bears on your gift to Heracles?

Deianeira

Yes, it is! So much so that I would never recommend to anybody

that he be eager for action in obscurity.
670

Chorus

Tell us the cause of your fear, if it may be told.

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)) — 663 focus

γυναῖκες, ὡς δέδοικα μὴ περαιτέρω

πεπραγμέν' ᾖ μοι πάνθ᾽ ὅσ᾽ ἀρτίως ἔδρων.

ΧΟ.

τί δ᾽ ἔστι, Δῃάνειρα, τέκνον Οἰνέως;
665

ΔΗ.

οὐκ οἶδ᾽· ἀθυμῶ δ᾽, εἰ φανήσομαι τάχα

κακὸν μέγ᾽ ἐκπράξασ᾽ ἀπ᾿ ἐλπίδος καλῆς.

ΧΟ.

οὐ δή τι τῶν σῶν ῾Ηρακλεῖ δωρημάτων ;

ΔΗ.

μάλιστά γ'· ὥστε μήποτ᾽ ἂν προθυμίαν

ἄδηλον ἔργου τῳ τῶι παραινέσαι λαβεῖν.
670

ΧΟ.

δίδαξον, εἰ διδακτόν, ἐξ ὅτου φοβεῖ.

ΔΗ.

Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 663 focus

Δηιάνειρα

γυναῖκες, ὡς δέδοικα μὴ περαιτέρω

πεπραγμένʼ ᾖ μοι πάνθʼ ὅσʼ ἀρτίως ἔδρων.

Χορός

τί δʼ ἔστι, Δῃάνειρα, τέκνον Οἰνέως;
665

Δηιάνειρα

οὐκ οἶδʼ· ἀθυμῶ δʼ, εἰ φανήσομαι τάχα

κακὸν μέγʼ ἐκπράξασʼ ἀπʼ ἐλπίδος καλῆς.

Χορός

οὐ δή τι τῶν σῶν Ἡρακλεῖ δωρημάτων;

Δηιάνειρα

μάλιστά γʼ, ὥστε μήποτʼ ἂν προθυμίαν

ἄδηλον ἔργου τῳ παραινέσαι λαβεῖν.
670

Χορός

δίδαξον, εἰ διδακτόν, ἐξ ὅτου φοβεῖ.

Translations (4)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 663 focus

O how I fear, my friends, lest all too far

I have ventured in my action of to-day!

CH

What ails thee, Dêanira, Oeneus’ child?
665

DÊ

I know not, but am haunted by a dread,

Lest quickly I be found to have performed

A mighty mischief, through bright hopes betrayed.

CH

Thou dost not mean thy gift to Heracles?

DÊ

Indeed I do. Now I perceive how fond

Is eagerness, where actions are obscure.
670

CH

Tell, if it may be told, thy cause of fear.

DÊ

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 663 focus

Ihr Frauen, ach, wie bangt mir, daß ich über Maß

Hinausgeschweist in Allem, was ich eben that!

Der Chor.

Was ist es, Deneus' Tochter, Deianeira? Sprich!

Deianeira.

Ich weiß nicht, aber fürchte, bald erweist es sich:
655

In schöner Hoffnung schuf ich mir ein großes Leid.

Der Chor.

Doch wohl mit deiner Gabe nicht an Herakles?

Deianeira.

Das eben: Keinem rath' ich mehr, vertrauensvoll

Ein Werk zu wagen, dessen Frucht im Dunkel ruht.

Der Chor.

So sage, kannst du's sagen, was dir Furcht erweckt.
660

Deianeira.

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 663 focus

Chorus.

Deianika. Alas ! my friends, I fear I've gone too far.

Chorus

Great queen, in what ?
665

Deianira

I know not what, but dread

Something to come ; lest where I had most hope

Of happiness, I meet with bitterest woe.

Chorus

Meanst thou thy gift to Hercules ?

Deianira

I do.

Nor would I henceforth counsel those I loved

To do a dark and desperate deed like this,
670

Uncertain of th' event.
670

Chorus

How was it ? Speak,

If thou canst teU us.

Deianira

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 663 focus

I fear, my female friends, that I have done

More than became me in my late attempt.

Chorus

Daughter of royal Eneus, what hath chanced ?
665

Deianira

I know not; but misgivings sink my mind,

Lest it should soon appear that I have done,

Impell'd by honest hope, some mighty ill.

Chorus

Thy presents to thy lord, cause they this fear?

Deianira

So strongly, that I never will advise

A promptness to a deed of dark event.
670

Chorus

If we may know, inform us whence thy fear.

Deianira

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-340-1 περαιτέρω ¹

mvp-comment-341-1 Δῃάνειρα, τέκνον Οἰνέως ²

mvp-comment-342-1 ἀθυμῶ δ’, εἰ φανήσομαι ³

mvp-comment-343-1 οὐ δή ⁴ τι ⁵ ἐλπίδος ⁶ τι ⁷ δωρημάτων ⁸

mvp-comment-344-1 ὥστε μήποτ’ ἂν παραινέσαι ⁹ προθυμίαν … ἔργου ¹⁰ ἄδηλον ¹¹ λαβεῖν ¹²

mvp-comment-345-1 εἰ διδακτόν ¹³

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

663. mvp-comment-497-1 περαιτέρω] · Too far,' = περαιτέρω (l. e. πέρα) τοῦ δέοντος. The comparative form strengthens the notion already contained in πέρα.

665. mvp-comment-498-1 τέκνον Οἰνέως] The formality of address reflects the solemnity of Deianira's tone.

666. mvp-comment-499-1 εἰ, κ.τ.λ.] Cp. supr. 176, and note.

668. mvp-comment-500-1 οὐ δή introduces a question about something which is suspected to be true, but is either too strange, or too good, or, as here, too bad, to be at once believed. τι] Sc. λέγεις. τῶν δωρημάτων is a vague genitive, as if with the ellipse of περί. Essay on L. § 9. р. 13. 3. Ср. О. Т. 701, Κρέοντος, οἷά μοι βεβουλευκὼς ἔχει. For the dative Ἡρακλεῖ governed by the verbal noun, cp. supr. 603, δώρημ᾽ ἐκείνῳ τἀνδρί.

669-670. mvp-comment-501-1 προθυμίαν | ἄδηλον, κ.τ.λ.] To have zeal where they have not certainty in anything which they do.' The adjective belongs in sense rather to ἔργου. Cp. infr. 817, 8, ὄγκον . . ὀνόματος μητρῷον. For προθυμίαν ἔργου λαβεῖν = προθύμως ἔργου ἅπτεσθαι, cp. Ant. 301, παντὸς ἔργου δυσσέβειαν εἰδέναι.

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Deianeira Friends, how I fear that I may have gone too far in all that I was doing just now!

Chorus What has happened, Deianeira, daughter of Oeneus? 665

Deianeira I do not know, but I despair that I will soon be found to have done a great wrong, when my hope was for good.

Chorus Surely it is nothing that bears on your gift to Heracles?

Deianeira Yes, it is! So much so that I would never recommend to anybody that he be eager for action in obscurity. 670

Chorus Tell us the cause of your fear, if it may be told.

Current edition Experimental

γυναῖκες, ὡς δέδοικα μὴ περαιτέρω πεπραγμέν' ᾖ μοι πάνθ᾽ ὅσ᾽ ἀρτίως ἔδρων.

ΧΟ. τί δ᾽ ἔστι, Δῃάνειρα, τέκνον Οἰνέως; 665

ΔΗ. οὐκ οἶδ᾽· ἀθυμῶ δ᾽, εἰ φανήσομαι τάχα κακὸν μέγ᾽ ἐκπράξασ᾽ ἀπ᾿ ἐλπίδος καλῆς.

ΧΟ. οὐ δή τι τῶν σῶν ῾Ηρακλεῖ δωρημάτων ;

ΔΗ. μάλιστά γ'· ὥστε μήποτ᾽ ἂν προθυμίαν ἄδηλον ἔργου τῳ τῶι παραινέσαι λαβεῖν. 670

ΧΟ. δίδαξον, εἰ διδακτόν, ἐξ ὅτου φοβεῖ.

ΔΗ.

Δηιάνειρα γυναῖκες, ὡς δέδοικα μὴ περαιτέρω πεπραγμένʼ ᾖ μοι πάνθʼ ὅσʼ ἀρτίως ἔδρων.

Χορός τί δʼ ἔστι, Δῃάνειρα, τέκνον Οἰνέως; 665

Δηιάνειρα οὐκ οἶδʼ· ἀθυμῶ δʼ, εἰ φανήσομαι τάχα κακὸν μέγʼ ἐκπράξασʼ ἀπʼ ἐλπίδος καλῆς.

Χορός οὐ δή τι τῶν σῶν Ἡρακλεῖ δωρημάτων;

Δηιάνειρα μάλιστά γʼ, ὥστε μήποτʼ ἂν προθυμίαν ἄδηλον ἔργου τῳ παραινέσαι λαβεῖν. 670

Χορός δίδαξον, εἰ διδακτόν, ἐξ ὅτου φοβεῖ.

O how I fear, my friends, lest all too far I have ventured in my action of to-day!

CH What ails thee, Dêanira, Oeneus’ child? 665

DÊ I know not, but am haunted by a dread, Lest quickly I be found to have performed A mighty mischief, through bright hopes betrayed.

CH Thou dost not mean thy gift to Heracles?

DÊ Indeed I do. Now I perceive how fond Is eagerness, where actions are obscure. 670

CH Tell, if it may be told, thy cause of fear.

DÊ

Ihr Frauen, ach, wie bangt mir, daß ich über Maß Hinausgeschweist in Allem, was ich eben that!

Der Chor. Was ist es, Deneus' Tochter, Deianeira? Sprich!

Deianeira. Ich weiß nicht, aber fürchte, bald erweist es sich: 655 In schöner Hoffnung schuf ich mir ein großes Leid.

Der Chor. Doch wohl mit deiner Gabe nicht an Herakles?

Deianeira. Das eben: Keinem rath' ich mehr, vertrauensvoll Ein Werk zu wagen, dessen Frucht im Dunkel ruht.

Der Chor. So sage, kannst du's sagen, was dir Furcht erweckt. 660

Deianeira.

Chorus. Deianika. Alas ! my friends, I fear I've gone too far.

Chorus Great queen, in what ? 665

Deianira I know not what, but dread Something to come ; lest where I had most hope Of happiness, I meet with bitterest woe.

Chorus Meanst thou thy gift to Hercules ?

Deianira I do. Nor would I henceforth counsel those I loved To do a dark and desperate deed like this, 670 Uncertain of th' event. 670

Chorus How was it ? Speak, If thou canst teU us.

Deianira

I fear, my female friends, that I have done More than became me in my late attempt.

Chorus Daughter of royal Eneus, what hath chanced ? 665

Deianira I know not; but misgivings sink my mind, Lest it should soon appear that I have done, Impell'd by honest hope, some mighty ill.

Chorus Thy presents to thy lord, cause they this fear?

Deianira So strongly, that I never will advise A promptness to a deed of dark event. 670

Chorus If we may know, inform us whence thy fear.

Deianira

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Deianeira

Friends, how I fear that I may have gone too far in all that I was doing just now!

Chorus

What has happened, Deianeira, daughter of Oeneus?
665

Deianeira

I do not know, but I despair that I will soon be found to have done a great wrong, when my hope was for good.

Chorus

Surely it is nothing that bears on your gift to Heracles?

Deianeira

Yes, it is! So much so that I would never recommend to anybody

that he be eager for action in obscurity.
670

Chorus

Tell us the cause of your fear, if it may be told.

γυναῖκες, ὡς δέδοικα μὴ περαιτέρω

πεπραγμέν' ᾖ μοι πάνθ᾽ ὅσ᾽ ἀρτίως ἔδρων.

ΧΟ.

τί δ᾽ ἔστι, Δῃάνειρα, τέκνον Οἰνέως;
665

ΔΗ.

οὐκ οἶδ᾽· ἀθυμῶ δ᾽, εἰ φανήσομαι τάχα

κακὸν μέγ᾽ ἐκπράξασ᾽ ἀπ᾿ ἐλπίδος καλῆς.

ΧΟ.

οὐ δή τι τῶν σῶν ῾Ηρακλεῖ δωρημάτων ;

ΔΗ.

μάλιστά γ'· ὥστε μήποτ᾽ ἂν προθυμίαν

ἄδηλον ἔργου τῳ τῶι παραινέσαι λαβεῖν.
670

ΧΟ.

δίδαξον, εἰ διδακτόν, ἐξ ὅτου φοβεῖ.

Δηιάνειρα

γυναῖκες, ὡς δέδοικα μὴ περαιτέρω

πεπραγμένʼ ᾖ μοι πάνθʼ ὅσʼ ἀρτίως ἔδρων.

Χορός

τί δʼ ἔστι, Δῃάνειρα, τέκνον Οἰνέως;
665

Δηιάνειρα

οὐκ οἶδʼ· ἀθυμῶ δʼ, εἰ φανήσομαι τάχα

κακὸν μέγʼ ἐκπράξασʼ ἀπʼ ἐλπίδος καλῆς.

Χορός

οὐ δή τι τῶν σῶν Ἡρακλεῖ δωρημάτων;

Δηιάνειρα

μάλιστά γʼ, ὥστε μήποτʼ ἂν προθυμίαν

ἄδηλον ἔργου τῳ παραινέσαι λαβεῖν.
670

Χορός

δίδαξον, εἰ διδακτόν, ἐξ ὅτου φοβεῖ.

O how I fear, my friends, lest all too far

I have ventured in my action of to-day!

CH

What ails thee, Dêanira, Oeneus’ child?
665

DÊ

I know not, but am haunted by a dread,

Lest quickly I be found to have performed

A mighty mischief, through bright hopes betrayed.

CH

Thou dost not mean thy gift to Heracles?

DÊ

Indeed I do. Now I perceive how fond

Is eagerness, where actions are obscure.
670

CH

Tell, if it may be told, thy cause of fear.

Ihr Frauen, ach, wie bangt mir, daß ich über Maß

Hinausgeschweist in Allem, was ich eben that!

Der Chor.

Was ist es, Deneus' Tochter, Deianeira? Sprich!

Deianeira.

Ich weiß nicht, aber fürchte, bald erweist es sich:
655

In schöner Hoffnung schuf ich mir ein großes Leid.

Der Chor.

Doch wohl mit deiner Gabe nicht an Herakles?

Deianeira.

Das eben: Keinem rath' ich mehr, vertrauensvoll

Ein Werk zu wagen, dessen Frucht im Dunkel ruht.

Der Chor.

So sage, kannst du's sagen, was dir Furcht erweckt.
660

Chorus.

Deianika. Alas ! my friends, I fear I've gone too far.

Chorus

Great queen, in what ?
665

Deianira

I know not what, but dread

Something to come ; lest where I had most hope

Of happiness, I meet with bitterest woe.

Chorus

Meanst thou thy gift to Hercules ?

Deianira

I do.

Nor would I henceforth counsel those I loved

To do a dark and desperate deed like this,
670

Uncertain of th' event.
670

Chorus

How was it ? Speak,

If thou canst teU us.

I fear, my female friends, that I have done

More than became me in my late attempt.

Chorus

Daughter of royal Eneus, what hath chanced ?
665

Deianira

I know not; but misgivings sink my mind,

Lest it should soon appear that I have done,

Impell'd by honest hope, some mighty ill.

Chorus

Thy presents to thy lord, cause they this fear?

Deianira

So strongly, that I never will advise

A promptness to a deed of dark event.
670

Chorus

If we may know, inform us whence thy fear.