Sophocles, Trachiniae, ed. Francis Storr, 314

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Λίχας

τί δʼ οἶδʼ ἐγώ, τί δʼ ἄν με καὶ κρίνοις; ἴσως

γέννημα τῶν ἐκεῖθεν οὐκ ἐν ὑστάτοις.
315

Δηιάνειρα

μὴ τῶν τυράννων; Εὐρύτου σπορά τις ἦν;

Λίχας

οὐκ οἶδα· καὶ γὰρ οὐδʼ ἀνιστόρουν μακράν.

Δηιάνειρα

οὐδʼ ὄνομα πρός του τῶν ξυνεμπόρων ἔχεις;

Λίχας

ἥκιστα· σιγῇ τοὐμὸν ἔργον ἤνυτον.

Δηιάνειρα

εἴπʼ, ὦ τάλαινʼ, ἀλλʼ ἡμὶν ἐκ σαυτῆς, ἐπεὶ
320

καὶ ξυμφορά τοι μὴ εἰδέναι σέ γʼ ἥτις εἶ.

Λίχας

οὔ τἄρα τῷ γε πρόσθεν οὐδὲν ἐξ ἴσου

χρόνῳ διήσει γλῶσσαν, ἥτις οὐδαμὰ

προύφηνεν οὔτε μείζονʼ οὔτʼ ἐλάσσονα,

ἀλλʼ αἰὲν ὠδίνουσα συμφορᾶς βάρος
325

δακρυρροεῖ δύστηνος, ἐξ ὅτου πάτραν

διήνεμον λέλοιπεν· ἡ δέ τοι τύχη

κακὴ μὲν αὐτῇ γʼ, ἀλλὰ συγγνώμην ἔχει.

Δηιάνειρα

ἡ δʼ οὖν ἐάσθω, καὶ πορευέσθω στέγας

οὕτως ὅπως ἥδιστα, μηδὲ πρὸς κακοῖς
330

τοῖς οὖσιν ἄλλην πρός γʼ ἐμοῦ λύπην λάβῃ·

ἅλις γὰρ ἡ παροῦσα. πρὸς δὲ δώματα

χωρῶμεν ἤδη πάντες, ὡς σύ θʼ οἷ θέλεις

σπεύδῃς, ἐγώ τε τἄνδον ἐξαρκῆ τιθῶ.

Trachiniae. Sophocles. ed. Francis Storr. London. 1913.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Experimental

Τραχίνιαι (Greek) (Sophocles, Volume 2. Storr, Francis, editor. London; New York: William Heinemann Ltd.; The Macmillan Company, 1913.)

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (1)

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 314 focus

τί δ᾽ οἶδ᾽ ἐγώ; τί δ᾽ ἄν με καὶ κρίνοις κεκρίνοις καὶ κρίνοις; ἴσως

γέννημα τῶν ἐκεῖθεν οὐκ ἐν ὑστάτοις υστάτοις.
315

ΔΗ.

μὴ τῶν τυράννων; Εὐρύτου τυράννων Εὐρύτου; σπορά τις ἦν;

ΛΙ.

οὐκ οἶδα· καὶ γὰρ οὐδ᾽ ἀνιστόρουν μακράν.

ΔΗ.

οὐδ᾽ ὄνομα πρός του τῶν ξυνεμπόρων ἔχεις;

ΛΙ.

ἥκιστα· σιγῇ τοὐμὸν υ ἔργον ἤνυτον om. add.

ΔΗ.

εἴπ᾽, ὦ τάλαιν, ἀλλ᾽ ἡμὶν ἡμιν ἡμὶν ἐκ σαυτῆς· ἐπεὶ
320

καὶ ξυμφορά τοι μὴ εἰδέναι μἠδέναι μὴ εἰδέναι σε σε γ' ἥτις εἶ.

ΛΙ.

οὐ τἄρα οὔτ᾽ ἆρα τῷ γε πρόσθεν οὐδὲν ἐξ ἴσου

χρόνῳ χρόνω διοίσει γλῶσσαν, ἥτις οὐδαμὰ οὐδαμαῖ οὐδαμᾶ

προὔφηνεν οὔτε μείζον οὔτ᾽ ἐλάσσονα,

ἀλλ᾽ αἰὲν ὠδίνουσα συμφορᾶς βάρος
325

δακρυρροεῖ δακρυρρόει δύστηνος, ἐξ ὅτου πάτραν

διήνεμον λέλοιπεν, ἡ δέ τοι τύχη

κακὴ μὲν αὐτῇ γ᾽, ἀλλὰ συγγνώμην ἔχει.

ΔΗ.

ἥδ᾽ οὖν ἐάσθω, καὶ πορευέσθω στέγας

οὕτως ὅπως ἥδιστα, μηδὲ πρὸς κακοῖς
330

τοῖς οὖσιν ἄλλην λύπην ἄλλην πρός γ᾽ ἐμοῦ λύπην λύπην λύπην λοιπὴν λύπην λάβοι·

ἅλις γὰρ ἡ παροῦσα. πρὸς δὲ προσδε δώματα

χωρῶμεν ἤδη πάντες, ὡς σύ θ᾽ οἱ θέλεις

σπεύδῃς, ἐγὼ δὲ τἄνδον ἐξαρκῆ τιθῶ.

ΑΓ.

Translations (5)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 314 focus

What know I? Why should’st thou demand? Perchance

Not lowest in the list of souls there born.

DÊ

How if a princess, offspring of their King?

LICH

I cannot tell. I did not question far.

DÊ

Have none of her companions breathed her name?

LICH

I brought them silently. I did not hear.

DÊ

Yet speak it to us of thyself, poor maid!
320

’Tis sorrow not to know thee who thou art.

LICH

She’ll ne’er untie her tongue, if she maintain

An even tenor, since nor more nor less

Would she disclose; but, poor unfortunate!

With agonizing sobs and tears she mourns

This crushing sorrow, from the day she left

Her wind-swept home. Her case is cruel, sure,—

And claims a privilege from all who feel.

DÊ

Well, let her go, and pass beneath the roof

In peace, as she desires; nor let fresh pain
330

From me be added to her previous woe.

She hath enough already. Come, away!

Let’s all within at once, that thou mayest speed

Thy journey, and I may order all things here.

MESS
Re-enter Messenger .

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 314 focus

Was weiß denn ich? Wie magst du mich auch fragen? Wohl

Nicht aus dem lezten Hause dort entstammte sie.

Deianeira.

Vom Stamm der Herrscher? Vom Geschlecht des Eurytos?
310

Lichas.

Ich weiß es nicht, Frau, forscht' ihm auch nicht lange nach.

Deianeira.

Auch ihren Namen sagte kein Gefährte dir?

Lichas.

Mit nichten. Schweigend hab' ich mein Geschäft vollbracht.

Deianeira.

So sage mir's doch selber, Unglückselige:

Auch dieses ist ein Uebel, daß Niemand dich kennt.
315

Lichas.

Wohl wird die Jungfrau, wie sie schon zuvor gethan,

Auch nun den Mund nicht öffnen, sie, die nicht ein Wort,

Kein lautes oder leises, uns noch hören ließ.

Nein, fort und fort sich härmend um ihr schweres Loos,

Vergießt die Arme Thränen, seit sie ihre Stadt,
320

Die luft'gen Höh'n, verlassen. Wohl ist dies Geschick

Für sie ein hartes; aber Nachsicht heischt es auch.

Deianeira.

Wohlan, so laßt sie: wandle sie in's Haus hinein,

So, wie es ihr am liebsten! Nein, in solchem Leid

Füg' ich zu ihrem Schmerze nicht noch neuen Schmerz;
325

Schon ist's genug an diesem! Doch nun lasset uns

In's Haus hineingeh'n alle, daß du eilst, wohin

Dich's drängt, und ich anordne, was das Haus bedarf.

(Lichas geht mit den Frauen in das Haus. Deianeira, im Begriff ihnen zu folgen, wird von dem Boten zurückgehalten.) Deianeira. Der Bote. Der Chor. (vertritt der Deianeira den Weg.)

Der Bote.

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 314 focus

And therefore shall our words deserve thy praise.

Deianira

The royal race

Of Eurytus?

Lie. 1 know not, nor did e'er

Inquire.

Deianira

And didst thou never hear her name

From her companions?

Lie. Kever. I performed

My v.'ork is silence.

De.t. Tell me then thyself,

Thou wretched maid, for I am most unhappy

Till I know who thou art.

Lie. She will not speak ;

I know she will not. Not a word hnth pas.sed

Her lips e'er since she left her native land,

But still in tears the liapless virgin mourns

The burthen of her sad calamity.

Her fate is hard : she merits your forgiveness.

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.

Messenger
\Exmnt LicnAS, Tole, and Slaves. Scene III.

Deianira, Chorus.

Messenger

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 314 focus

What can I know? Why ask of me? Perchance

She may from no ignoble race be sprung.

Deianira

Is she from Eurytus of royal birth?

Lichas

I know not; nor minute inquiry made.

Deianira

From her associates heard'st thou not her name?

Lichas

No: for in silence I my charge perform'd.

Deianira

Speak then unhappy virgin; let thy voice

Deianira

Inform me; for I feel a soft concern,

Messenger

She will not speak; nor hath she to this hour

Unlock'd her lips, or ever utter'd word;

But obstinate in silence mourns her weight

Of misery, always weeping since she left

Her desolated country: her ill fate

Moves thee to pity and to pardon her.

Deianira

English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 314 focus

Lichas

Why would I know? Why would you ask me? Perhaps

she is the offspring of not the lowest family in that land.
315

Deianeira

Can she be of the ruling family? Was she a child of Eurytus?

Lichas

I do not know; I did not in fact make a long investigation.

Deianeira

And you do not know her name from one of her fellow captives?

Lichas

No, indeed. In silence I completed my task.

Deianeira

Unhappy girl, tell it to me, anyway, from your own mouth. It is indeed distressing to me not to know who you are.
320

Lichas

It will not, I assure you, be at all on a par with time past if she moves her lips. She has not said a word, large or small,

but has been constantly laboring with the heavy pains of her misfortune and weeping, poor girl, since she left her windswept fatherland. Her condition is indeed bad—for her, anyway—but claims our forbearance.
325

Deianeira

Then let her be left in peace, and go beneath our roof

as it pleases her. Let her not in addition to her existing troubles take fresh grief from me; she has enough already. Now let us all go in, so that you may go speedily on your journey, while I make all things ready in the house. Exit Lichas, followed by the Captives, into the house.
330

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-168-1 μὴ τῶν τυράννων ¹

mvp-comment-168-2 Εὐρύτου σπορά τις ἦν ² τις ³

mvp-comment-169-1 ἀνιστόρουν ⁴

mvp-comment-169-2 μακράν ⁵

mvp-comment-170-1 ξυνεμπόρων ⁶

mvp-comment-170-2 ἔχεις ⁷

mvp-comment-170-3 ἤνυτον ⁸

mvp-comment-171-1 ἀλλ’ ἡμὶν ⁹

mvp-comment-172-1 καὶ ¹⁰ ξυμφορά ¹¹

mvp-comment-173-1 οὔ τἄρα ¹² οὐδὲν ἐξ ἴσου ¹³ τῷ γε πρόσθεν χρόνῳ ¹⁴ ἐξ ἴσου ¹⁵ διοίσει ¹⁶ γλῶσσαν ¹⁷ διοίσει ¹⁸

mvp-comment-173-2 ἤτις ¹⁹

mvp-comment-173-3 οὐδαμὰ ²⁰

mvp-comment-174-1 οὔτε μείζον’ οὔτ’ ἐλάσσονα ²¹

mvp-comment-175-1 ὠδίνουσα … βάρος ²²

mvp-comment-176-1 διήνεμον ²³ πάτραν ²⁴

mvp-comment-176-2 ἡ … τὐχη ²⁵

mvp-comment-176-3 αὐτῇ γ’ ²⁶ γ’ ²⁷

mvp-comment-176-4 συγγνώμην ἔχει ²⁸

mvp-comment-177-1 ἡ δ’ οὖν ²⁹ ἡ δ’ ³⁰ ἥδ’ ³¹

mvp-comment-177-2 οὕτως ὅπως ἥδιστα ³²

mvp-comment-177-3 331 Among the attempts to amend

λύπην...λύπην

(cr. n.), the two best, I think, are, (1) ἄλλην … λύπην ³³ λύπην … διπλῆν ³⁴ διπλῆν ³⁵

mvp-comment-177-4 Almost all edd. retain the optat. λάβοι ³⁶ λάβῃ ³⁷

mvp-comment-178-1 οἷ θέλεις σπεύδῃς ³⁸

mvp-comment-178-2 ἐγὼ δὲ ³⁹ σύ θ’ ⁴⁰

mvp-comment-178-3 ἐξαρκῆ τιθῶ ⁴¹

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

314. mvp-comment-242-1 τί δ' ἄν με καὶ κρίνοις; καὶ opposes the question to the reply. I cannot answer, and why should you ask??

315. mvp-comment-243-1 τῶν ἐκεῖθεν] Sc. γεννημάτων. Ср. О. Т. 1167, τῶν Λαΐου τοίνυν τις ἦν γεννημάτων. οὐκ ἐν ὑστάτοις] 'Not far down.' The phrase is equivalent to an attributive adjective agreeing with γέννημα.

316. mvp-comment-244-1 μὴ τῶν τυράννων] Sc. γέννημα. 'Can she have been of the royal stock?' Εὐρύτου σπορά τις ἦν] Either (1) 'Is it possible she is Eurytus' offspring?' τις = πως. See Essay on L. § 22. p. 36, sub fin., and cp. Ó. T. 1167, quoted above. Or (2) Had Eurytus any offspring?" So Hermann.

317. mvp-comment-245-1 οὐδ᾽ ἀνιστόρουν μακράν] 'I did not carry my inquiries far.'

318. mvp-comment-246-1 τῶν ξυνεμπόρων] Of those travelling with her and you,' viz. the other captives. ἔχεις = πέπυσαι. Cp. Phil. 789, ἔχετε τὸ πρᾶγμα.

319. mvp-comment-247-1 τοὐμὸν ἔργον] The herald's task of bringing the captives home.

320. mvp-comment-248-1 Deianira, baffled in her compassionate eagerness, now turns to Iole herself in a tone of entreaty. ἀλλά belongs to ἐκ σαυτῆς or to the whole sentence, not to ἡμίν. (Cр. О. С. 238, ὦ ξένοι, . . ἀλλ᾽ ἐπεί, κ.τ.λ.)

321. mvp-comment-249-1 καὶ ξυμφορά τοι] These words express Deianira's strong sympathy. 'Verily, I am distressed not to know who thou art.' A narrator might say of her in the language of Herodotus, καὶ συμφορὴν ἐποιέετο, τὸ μὴ εἰδέναι τὴν ξείνην ἥ τις εἴη. It has been observed that the particles ἐπεὶ καί τοι are not found together elsewhere. But each of the three words has a distinct and apposite meaning. 'For' (ἐπεί) ‘I tell you' (τοι) 'I am even' (καί) ' distressed.' γε simply emphasizes σé, i. e. 'You, who have awakened such an interest in me.'

322ff. mvp-comment-250-1 Lichas hurriedly interposes to prevent disclosure with a significant warning to Iole to hold her peace. The first Scholiast's explanation of these words gives a rational meaning: ἐὰν αἰδουμένη σε φθέγξηται, κατ᾿ οὐδὲν ἄρα ἐξίσου τῷ πρόσθεν χρόνῳ προκομίσειεν (ἂν ?) αὐτῆς τὴν γλῶσσαν· τὸν γὰρ πρὸ τοῦ χρόνου ἐσιώπα: i.e. he understands the stress of the sentence to be on the words οὐδὲν ἐξ ἴσου τῷ γε πρόσθεν χρόνῳ ( Essay on L. § 24. p. 40 ). It will not be in accordance with (her demeanour in) the previous time that she will bring out her tongue (if she does so).' The doubt is whether διαφέρειν can mean, 'To bring between the lips,' and so answer the προκομίζειν of the Scholiast. Wakefield's conjecture διήσει, ' Will let pass through her lips,' is supported by Ο. C. 963 (ὅστις φόνους . .) τοῦ σοῦ διῆκας στόματος. Hermann explained the words to mean, Just as hitherto (τῷ γε πρόσθεν ἐξ ἴσου χρόνῳ) she will maintain an even tenour (οὐδὲν διοίσει) as to her tongue.' Dindorf (agreeing with the second Scholiast), 'She will not employ her tongue' (οὐ.. διοίσει οι διήσει γλῶσσαν) 'inconsistently with what she has done hitherto.'

323-324. mvp-comment-251-1 οὐδαμὰ | προὔφηνεν] ‘Made no sign.

325. mvp-comment-252-1 But travailing with the weight of her calamity she has wept over it ever since.' The accusative is to be joined both with ὠδίνουσα and δακρυρροεῖ. Cp. Shak. Pericles, 5. 1, 'I am great with woe and shall deliver weeping.'

327. mvp-comment-253-1 διήνεμον] It is difficult to determine whether this is (1) a mere epithet, 'Wind-swept,' like the Homeric ἠνεμόεσσα, descriptive of a city on a hill, or (2) a supplem. pred. = διήνεμον οὖσαν, ‘Desolate,' 'Open to the winds.' The first (1) may be supported by comparing several picturesque touches in this play, but the other (2) is more dramatic. Both are given in the scholia, ἔρημον (2), ὕψηλον (1). ἡ δέ τοι] This is better than ἥδε τοι, which leaves an unmeaning asyndeton. Her case is unfortunate, I mean for herself, but suggests a reason for indulgence' (on our part); i. e. 'Her misfortune may excuse her silence.'

328. mvp-comment-254-1 For ἔχει, cp. Thuc. 2. 41. § 3, ἀγανάκτησιν ἔχει ('Gives cause for complaint'): Eur. Phoen. 995, τοὐμὸν δ᾽ οὐχὶ συγγνώμην ἔχει.

329. mvp-comment-255-1 ἥδ᾽ οὖν] ἡ δ' οὖν is sometimes read here, as in O. T. 669. But while δέ is unnecessary, the opposition of πάντες in what follows is enough to justify the use of the demonstrative ἥδε. στέγας] For the accus. cp. 58, δύμους.

330. mvp-comment-256-1 ἥδιστα] For this sense of ἡδύς, ср. О. C. 639, 40, εἰ δ᾽ ἐμοῦ στείχειν μέτα | τόδ᾽ ἡδύ.

331. mvp-comment-257-1 This line in LA (see v. rr.) has manifestly suffered from corruption, some other word being replaced either by the first or the second λύπην. The Triclinian reading which is adopted in the text, although possibly due to conjecture, is more probable than any other of the various changes which have been proposed. It is not necessary to change λάβοι το λάβῃ. The optative slightly varies the expression, I would not have her,' etc.

333. mvp-comment-258-1 For τε.. δέ, see Essay on L. §36. p. 65 f , and cp. supr. 143. The antithesis is introduced after the sentence is begun. οἱ θέλεις] Viz. to rejoin Heracles.

334. mvp-comment-259-1 ἐξαρκή] ‘As they should be.' Cp. infr. 625.

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Λίχας τί δʼ οἶδʼ ἐγώ, τί δʼ ἄν με καὶ κρίνοις; ἴσως γέννημα τῶν ἐκεῖθεν οὐκ ἐν ὑστάτοις. 315

Δηιάνειρα μὴ τῶν τυράννων; Εὐρύτου σπορά τις ἦν;

Λίχας οὐκ οἶδα· καὶ γὰρ οὐδʼ ἀνιστόρουν μακράν.

Δηιάνειρα οὐδʼ ὄνομα πρός του τῶν ξυνεμπόρων ἔχεις;

Λίχας ἥκιστα· σιγῇ τοὐμὸν ἔργον ἤνυτον.

Δηιάνειρα εἴπʼ, ὦ τάλαινʼ, ἀλλʼ ἡμὶν ἐκ σαυτῆς, ἐπεὶ 320 καὶ ξυμφορά τοι μὴ εἰδέναι σέ γʼ ἥτις εἶ.

Current edition Experimental

τί δ᾽ οἶδ᾽ ἐγώ; τί δ᾽ ἄν με καὶ κρίνοις κεκρίνοις καὶ κρίνοις; ἴσως

γέννημα τῶν ἐκεῖθεν οὐκ ἐν ὑστάτοις υστάτοις. 315

ΔΗ. μὴ τῶν τυράννων; Εὐρύτου τυράννων Εὐρύτου; σπορά τις ἦν;

ΛΙ. οὐκ οἶδα· καὶ γὰρ οὐδ᾽ ἀνιστόρουν μακράν.

ΔΗ. οὐδ᾽ ὄνομα πρός του τῶν ξυνεμπόρων ἔχεις;

ΛΙ. ἥκιστα· σιγῇ τοὐμὸν υ ἔργον ἤνυτον om. add.

ΔΗ. εἴπ᾽, ὦ τάλαιν, ἀλλ᾽ ἡμὶν ἡμιν ἡμὶν ἐκ σαυτῆς· ἐπεὶ 320 καὶ ξυμφορά τοι μὴ εἰδέναι μἠδέναι μὴ εἰδέναι σε σε γ' ἥτις εἶ.

ΛΙ. οὐ τἄρα οὔτ᾽ ἆρα τῷ γε πρόσθεν οὐδὲν ἐξ ἴσου χρόνῳ χρόνω διοίσει γλῶσσαν, ἥτις οὐδαμὰ οὐδαμαῖ οὐδαμᾶ

ΑΓ.

What know I? Why should’st thou demand? Perchance Not lowest in the list of souls there born.

DÊ How if a princess, offspring of their King?

LICH I cannot tell. I did not question far.

DÊ Have none of her companions breathed her name?

LICH I brought them silently. I did not hear.

DÊ Yet speak it to us of thyself, poor maid! 320 ’Tis sorrow not to know thee who thou art.

DÊ Well, let her go, and pass beneath the roof In peace, as she desires; nor let fresh pain 330 From me be added to her previous woe. She hath enough already. Come, away! Let’s all within at once, that thou mayest speed Thy journey, and I may order all things here.

MESS Re-enter Messenger .

Was weiß denn ich? Wie magst du mich auch fragen? Wohl Nicht aus dem lezten Hause dort entstammte sie.

Deianeira. Vom Stamm der Herrscher? Vom Geschlecht des Eurytos? 310

Lichas. Ich weiß es nicht, Frau, forscht' ihm auch nicht lange nach.

Deianeira. Auch ihren Namen sagte kein Gefährte dir?

Lichas. Mit nichten. Schweigend hab' ich mein Geschäft vollbracht.

Deianeira. So sage mir's doch selber, Unglückselige: Auch dieses ist ein Uebel, daß Niemand dich kennt. 315

Der Bote.

And therefore shall our words deserve thy praise.

Deianira

The royal race Of Eurytus? Lie. 1 know not, nor did e'er Inquire.

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.

Messenger \Exmnt LicnAS, Tole, and Slaves. Scene III. Deianira, Chorus.

Messenger

What can I know? Why ask of me? Perchance She may from no ignoble race be sprung.

Deianira Is she from Eurytus of royal birth?

Lichas I know not; nor minute inquiry made.

Deianira From her associates heard'st thou not her name?

Lichas No: for in silence I my charge perform'd.

Deianira Speak then unhappy virgin; let thy voice

Deianira Inform me; for I feel a soft concern,

Messenger

She will not speak; nor hath she to this hour Unlock'd her lips, or ever utter'd word; But obstinate in silence mourns her weight Of misery, always weeping since she left Her desolated country: her ill fate Moves thee to pity and to pardon her.

Deianira

Lichas Why would I know? Why would you ask me? Perhaps she is the offspring of not the lowest family in that land. 315

Deianeira Can she be of the ruling family? Was she a child of Eurytus?

Lichas I do not know; I did not in fact make a long investigation.

Deianeira And you do not know her name from one of her fellow captives?

Lichas No, indeed. In silence I completed my task.

Deianeira Unhappy girl, tell it to me, anyway, from your own mouth. It is indeed distressing to me not to know who you are. 320

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Λίχας

τί δʼ οἶδʼ ἐγώ, τί δʼ ἄν με καὶ κρίνοις; ἴσως

γέννημα τῶν ἐκεῖθεν οὐκ ἐν ὑστάτοις.
315

Δηιάνειρα

μὴ τῶν τυράννων; Εὐρύτου σπορά τις ἦν;

Λίχας

οὐκ οἶδα· καὶ γὰρ οὐδʼ ἀνιστόρουν μακράν.

Δηιάνειρα

οὐδʼ ὄνομα πρός του τῶν ξυνεμπόρων ἔχεις;

Λίχας

ἥκιστα· σιγῇ τοὐμὸν ἔργον ἤνυτον.

Δηιάνειρα

εἴπʼ, ὦ τάλαινʼ, ἀλλʼ ἡμὶν ἐκ σαυτῆς, ἐπεὶ
320

καὶ ξυμφορά τοι μὴ εἰδέναι σέ γʼ ἥτις εἶ.

γέννημα τῶν ἐκεῖθεν οὐκ ἐν ὑστάτοις υστάτοις.
315

ΔΗ.

μὴ τῶν τυράννων; Εὐρύτου τυράννων Εὐρύτου; σπορά τις ἦν;

ΛΙ.

οὐκ οἶδα· καὶ γὰρ οὐδ᾽ ἀνιστόρουν μακράν.

ΔΗ.

οὐδ᾽ ὄνομα πρός του τῶν ξυνεμπόρων ἔχεις;

ΛΙ.

ἥκιστα· σιγῇ τοὐμὸν υ ἔργον ἤνυτον om. add.

ΔΗ.

εἴπ᾽, ὦ τάλαιν, ἀλλ᾽ ἡμὶν ἡμιν ἡμὶν ἐκ σαυτῆς· ἐπεὶ
320

καὶ ξυμφορά τοι μὴ εἰδέναι μἠδέναι μὴ εἰδέναι σε σε γ' ἥτις εἶ.

ΛΙ.

οὐ τἄρα οὔτ᾽ ἆρα τῷ γε πρόσθεν οὐδὲν ἐξ ἴσου

χρόνῳ χρόνω διοίσει γλῶσσαν, ἥτις οὐδαμὰ οὐδαμαῖ οὐδαμᾶ

What know I? Why should’st thou demand? Perchance

Not lowest in the list of souls there born.

DÊ

How if a princess, offspring of their King?

LICH

I cannot tell. I did not question far.

DÊ

Have none of her companions breathed her name?

LICH

I brought them silently. I did not hear.

DÊ

Yet speak it to us of thyself, poor maid!
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’Tis sorrow not to know thee who thou art.

DÊ

Well, let her go, and pass beneath the roof

In peace, as she desires; nor let fresh pain
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From me be added to her previous woe.

She hath enough already. Come, away!

Let’s all within at once, that thou mayest speed

Thy journey, and I may order all things here.

MESS
Re-enter Messenger .

Was weiß denn ich? Wie magst du mich auch fragen? Wohl

Nicht aus dem lezten Hause dort entstammte sie.

Deianeira.

Vom Stamm der Herrscher? Vom Geschlecht des Eurytos?
310

Lichas.

Ich weiß es nicht, Frau, forscht' ihm auch nicht lange nach.

Deianeira.

Auch ihren Namen sagte kein Gefährte dir?

Lichas.

Mit nichten. Schweigend hab' ich mein Geschäft vollbracht.

Deianeira.

So sage mir's doch selber, Unglückselige:

Auch dieses ist ein Uebel, daß Niemand dich kennt.
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The royal race

Of Eurytus?

Lie. 1 know not, nor did e'er

Inquire.

Deianira

Let her go in : I'll not disturb her peace,
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Nor would I heap fresh sorrows on her head,
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She hath enough already. We'll retire.

Go where thou wilt ; my cares within await me. \To Idle.

Messenger
\Exmnt LicnAS, Tole, and Slaves. Scene III.

Deianira, Chorus.

What can I know? Why ask of me? Perchance

She may from no ignoble race be sprung.

Deianira

Is she from Eurytus of royal birth?

Lichas

I know not; nor minute inquiry made.

Deianira

From her associates heard'st thou not her name?

Lichas

No: for in silence I my charge perform'd.

Deianira

Speak then unhappy virgin; let thy voice

Deianira

Inform me; for I feel a soft concern,

She will not speak; nor hath she to this hour

Unlock'd her lips, or ever utter'd word;

But obstinate in silence mourns her weight

Of misery, always weeping since she left

Her desolated country: her ill fate

Moves thee to pity and to pardon her.

Lichas

Why would I know? Why would you ask me? Perhaps

she is the offspring of not the lowest family in that land.
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Deianeira

Can she be of the ruling family? Was she a child of Eurytus?

Lichas

I do not know; I did not in fact make a long investigation.

Deianeira

And you do not know her name from one of her fellow captives?

Lichas

No, indeed. In silence I completed my task.

Deianeira

Unhappy girl, tell it to me, anyway, from your own mouth. It is indeed distressing to me not to know who you are.
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