Sophocles, Trachiniae, ed. Francis Storr, 965

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Χορός

ἀγχοῦ δʼ ἄρα κοὐ μακρὰν
965

προύκλαιον, ὀξύφωνος ὡς ἀηδών.

ξένων γὰρ ἐξόμιλος ἥδε τις βάσις.

πᾷ δʼ αὖ φορεῖ νιν; ὡς φίλου

προκηδομένα βαρεῖαν

ἄψοφον φέρει βάσιν.

αἰαῖ, ὅδʼ ἀναύδατος φέρεται.
970

τί χρὴ θανόντα νιν ἢ καθʼ

ὕπνον ὄντα κρῖναι;

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)) — 965 focus

᾿Αγχοῦ δ᾽ ἄρα κοὐ μακρὰν

προὔκλαιον, ὀξύφωνος ὡς ἀηδών ἀηδὼν ξένοι.

960

ξένων γὰρ ἐξόμιλος ἥδε τις βάσις.

πᾶ δ᾽ αὖ φορεῖ νιν; ὡς φίλου

προκηδομένα, βαρεῖαν

ἄψοφον φέρει βάσιν.

αἰαῖ, ὅδ᾽ ἀναύδατος αἱ αἱ αἱ αἱ, ὅδ᾽ ἄναυδος αἱ αἱ αἱ αἱ, ὅδ᾽ ἄ . ναυδος φέρεται.
965

τί χρή, θανόντα νιν, ἢ καθ᾽ ὕπνον ὄντα κρῖναι;

ΥΛ.

Translations (5)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 972 focus

Many hot toils and hard beyond report,
980

With sturdy thews and sinews I have borne,
980

But no such labour hath the Thunderer’s wife
980

Or sour Eurystheus ever given, as this,
980

Which Oeneus’ daughter of the treacherous eye

Hath fastened on my back, this amply-woven

Net of the Furies, that is breaking me.

For, glued unto my side, it hath devoured

My flesh to the bone, and lodging in the lungs

It drains the vital channels, and hath drunk

The fresh life-blood, and ruins all my frame,

Foiled in the tangle of a viewless bond.

Yet me nor War-host, nor Earth’s giant brood,

Nor Centaur’s monstrous violence could subdue,

Nor Hellas, nor the Stranger, nor all lands

Where I have gone, cleansing the world from harms.

But a soft woman without manhood’s strain

Alone and weaponless hath conquered me.

Son, let me know thee mine true-born, nor rate
985

Thy mother’s claim beyond thy sire’s, but bring
985

Thyself from out the chambers to my hand
985

Her body that hath borne thee, that my heart
985

May be assured, if lesser than my pain

It will distress thee to behold her limbs

With righteous torment agonized and torn.

Nay, shrink not, son, but pity me, whom all

May pity—me, who, like a tender girl,

Am heard to weep aloud! This none could say

He knew in me of old; for, murmuring not,

I went with evil fortune, silent still.

Now, such a foe hath found the woman in me!

Ay, but come near; stand by me, and behold

What cause I have for crying. Look but here!

Here is the mystery unveiled. O see!

Ye people, gaze on this poor quivering flesh,

Look with compassion on my misery!

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 965 focus

Nicht fern, in der Nähe scholl

Mein Klageton, wie heller Nachtigallen;

Denn fremder Menschen Tritte hör' ich dort. Wohin

Tragen sie ihn? Um ihren Freund

Voll zärtlicher Sorg', erheben
950

Sie geräuschlos stillen Schritt.

Weh! Sprachlos tragen sie dort ihn her!

Wie? Soll ich für todt ihn achten,

Oder deckt ihn Schlummer?

Herakles wird, von Männern aus dem Volke begleitet, schlafend

auf einer Bahre dahergetragen. Hyllos (tritt aus dem Hause).

Ein Greis (der Führer des Zuges, der die Bahre niederſezt).

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 972 focus

Alas ! my father; whither shall I go ?

Wretch that 1 am. Oh ! where shall I betake me ?

What will become of thy afflicted son ?

Attendant

Speak softly, youth, do not awake his pains ;
970

Refrain thy grief, for yet Alcides lives,

Though verging to the tomb ; be calm.

Hyllus

What sayst thou ?

Doth he yet live ?

Attendant

He doth ; disturb not thus

His^slumbers, nor provoke the dire disease.

Hyllus

Alas ! I cannot bear to see him thus.

Hercules

\aiDakes\. O Jove ! where am I, and with
980

whom ? What land

Contains the wretched Hercules, oppressed

With never-ending woes ? Ah me ! again

The deadly poison racks me.

Attendant

\to Hyllus], Seest thou not
985

'Twere better far to have remained in silence,

And not awaked him.

Hyllus

'Twas impossible

Unmoved to look on such calamity ;

I could not do it.
990

Hercules

O Censean rocks !

Where smoke the sacred altars, is it thus,

O Jove ! thou dost reward my piety?

What dreadful punishment is this thy hand

Hath laid on me, who never could deserve

Such bitter wrath ? What incantations now,

Old Man

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 972 focus

What anguish, O my father, rends my heart

To see thee thus! What can I do? Ah me,

Unhappy me, what grief is mine!

Attendant

My son
970

Be silent, lest thou rouse his cruel pangs,

And torture him to madness; thus reposed

He lives; forbear then, and restrain thy cries.

Hyllus

Say'st thou he lives, old man?

Attendant

His sense thus lock'd

In sleep, thou wilt not rouse him, wilt not move,

Or stir the fury of his fierce disease...

Hyllus

His sufferings so immense distract my soul.

Hercules

Ah, to what region am I come? O Jove,

Attendant

'Mongst whom of mortals am I laid, thus rack'd

With never-ceasing pains? Ah wretched me,

How fierce the gnawings of this fell disease!

Happier had been thy silence: from his eyes
990

Thy clamours have dispell'd pain-soothing sleep.
990

HYLI.. How could I at a sight like this refrain?
990

Hercules

Ye hallow'd altars, whose firm base is fix'd

On high Cenæum, what a recompense

For all my victims to unhappy me

Attendant

English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 965 focus

Chorus

Ah, he was not far off, but close to us, he for whom I cried in advance, like the shrill nightingale! Here is a foreign procession of strange men. And in what manner, then, do they bring him? In sorrow, as for some loved one, they tread their mournful, noiseless tread. Ah, he is carried on in silence!
965

Should I think that he is dead, or just asleep?
970

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-495-1 πᾷ δ’ αὖ ¹

mvp-comment-495-2 βαρεῖαν ²

mvp-comment-495-3 φέρει βάσιν ³

mvp-comment-496-1 ἀναύδατος ⁴

mvp-comment-497-1 τί χρή ⁵ φθίμενον ⁶ θάνατον ⁷ θανόντα ⁸

mvp-comment-497-2 A comma should follow χρή ⁹ τί χρή ¹⁰ θανόντα νιν ¹¹

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

961. mvp-comment-694-1 ἄσπετόν τι θαῦμα] Accusative in apposition with the action of χωρεῖν; i. e. the 'Stupendous marvel' is not the person of Heracles, but the manner of his coming.

963. mvp-comment-695-1 προὔκλαιον] I mourned beforehand.' The word suits more exactly with μακράν than with ἀγχοῦ. ὀξύφωνος, κ.τ.λ.] The figure is suggested by the distance to which the notes of the nightingale are carried.

964. mvp-comment-696-1 ξένων γὰρ ἐξόμιλος ἥδε τις βάσις] 'For here comes the step of strangers from another people.' βάσις is abstract for concrete, like ἀνδρῶν Φεραίων εὐμενὴς παρουσία (Eur. Alc. 606), and implies that those approaching are heard but not yet seen. Ας έκτοπος = ἔξω τῶνδε τῶν τόπων, and so 'Foreign,' So ἐξόμιλος = ἔξω τῆσδε τῆς ὁμιλίας. In what follows, the abstract word is treated as a collective; hence the singular number in φορεῖ, προκηδομένα.

965. mvp-comment-697-1 πᾶ δ᾽ αὖ φορεῖ νιν] Hearing the cautious, uncertain tread of those who are carrying Heracles the Chorus cannot distinguish the direction of their movement till they come in sight. αὖ, if genuine, implies that the question occurs to them on taking second thoughts. Meineke conjectures πᾶ καί.

965. mvp-comment-697-2 ὡς φίλου | προκηδομένα] ‘As caring for one who is dear to them, i. e. they move slowly and quietly because they are afraid of hurting him.

966. mvp-comment-698-1 βαρεῖαν | ἄψοφον.. βάσιν] ‘With grief-oppressed and noiseless footsteps.' For βαρείαν, cp. Phil. 207, 8, βαρεία τηλόθεν αὐδά : infr. l. 982, βάρος ἄπλετον ἐμμέμονε φρήν.

Sophocles Trachiniae 965

ed. Francis Storr

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Current edition Experimental

ΥΛ.

Ein Greis (der Führer des Zuges, der die Bahre niederſezt).

Alas ! my father; whither shall I go ?

Wretch that 1 am. Oh ! where shall I betake me ?

What will become of thy afflicted son ?

Attendant

Speak softly, youth, do not awake his pains ;
970

Refrain thy grief, for yet Alcides lives,

Though verging to the tomb ; be calm.

Hyllus

What sayst thou ?

Doth he yet live ?

Attendant

He doth ; disturb not thus

His^slumbers, nor provoke the dire disease.

Hyllus

Alas ! I cannot bear to see him thus.

Hercules

\aiDakes\. O Jove ! where am I, and with
980

whom ? What land

Contains the wretched Hercules, oppressed

With never-ending woes ? Ah me ! again

The deadly poison racks me.

Attendant

\to Hyllus], Seest thou not
985

'Twere better far to have remained in silence,

And not awaked him.

Hyllus

'Twas impossible

Unmoved to look on such calamity ;

I could not do it.
990

Hercules

O Censean rocks !

Where smoke the sacred altars, is it thus,

O Jove ! thou dost reward my piety?

What dreadful punishment is this thy hand

Hath laid on me, who never could deserve

Such bitter wrath ? What incantations now,

Old Man

What anguish, O my father, rends my heart

To see thee thus! What can I do? Ah me,

Unhappy me, what grief is mine!

Attendant

My son
970

Be silent, lest thou rouse his cruel pangs,

And torture him to madness; thus reposed

He lives; forbear then, and restrain thy cries.

Hyllus

Say'st thou he lives, old man?

Attendant

His sense thus lock'd

In sleep, thou wilt not rouse him, wilt not move,

Or stir the fury of his fierce disease...

Hyllus

His sufferings so immense distract my soul.

Hercules

Ah, to what region am I come? O Jove,

Hercules

Ye hallow'd altars, whose firm base is fix'd

On high Cenæum, what a recompense

For all my victims to unhappy me

Attendant

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Experimental

ΥΛ.

Ein Greis (der Führer des Zuges, der die Bahre niederſezt).

Alas ! my father; whither shall I go ? Wretch that 1 am. Oh ! where shall I betake me ? What will become of thy afflicted son ?

Attendant Speak softly, youth, do not awake his pains ; 970 Refrain thy grief, for yet Alcides lives, Though verging to the tomb ; be calm.

Hyllus What sayst thou ? Doth he yet live ?

Attendant He doth ; disturb not thus His^slumbers, nor provoke the dire disease.

Hyllus Alas ! I cannot bear to see him thus.

Hercules \aiDakes\. O Jove ! where am I, and with 980 whom ? What land Contains the wretched Hercules, oppressed With never-ending woes ? Ah me ! again The deadly poison racks me.

Attendant \to Hyllus], Seest thou not 985 'Twere better far to have remained in silence, And not awaked him.

Hyllus 'Twas impossible Unmoved to look on such calamity ; I could not do it. 990

Hercules O Censean rocks ! Where smoke the sacred altars, is it thus, O Jove ! thou dost reward my piety? What dreadful punishment is this thy hand Hath laid on me, who never could deserve Such bitter wrath ? What incantations now,

Old Man

What anguish, O my father, rends my heart To see thee thus! What can I do? Ah me, Unhappy me, what grief is mine!

Attendant My son 970 Be silent, lest thou rouse his cruel pangs, And torture him to madness; thus reposed He lives; forbear then, and restrain thy cries.

Hyllus Say'st thou he lives, old man?

Attendant His sense thus lock'd In sleep, thou wilt not rouse him, wilt not move, Or stir the fury of his fierce disease...

Hyllus His sufferings so immense distract my soul.

Hercules Ah, to what region am I come? O Jove,

Attendant 'Mongst whom of mortals am I laid, thus rack'd With never-ceasing pains? Ah wretched me, How fierce the gnawings of this fell disease! Happier had been thy silence: from his eyes 990 Thy clamours have dispell'd pain-soothing sleep. 990 HYLI.. How could I at a sight like this refrain? 990

Hercules Ye hallow'd altars, whose firm base is fix'd On high Cenæum, what a recompense For all my victims to unhappy me

Attendant

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Alas ! my father; whither shall I go ?

Wretch that 1 am. Oh ! where shall I betake me ?

What will become of thy afflicted son ?

Attendant

Speak softly, youth, do not awake his pains ;
970

Refrain thy grief, for yet Alcides lives,

Though verging to the tomb ; be calm.

Hyllus

What sayst thou ?

Doth he yet live ?

Attendant

He doth ; disturb not thus

His^slumbers, nor provoke the dire disease.

Hyllus

Alas ! I cannot bear to see him thus.

Hercules

\aiDakes\. O Jove ! where am I, and with
980

whom ? What land

Contains the wretched Hercules, oppressed

With never-ending woes ? Ah me ! again

The deadly poison racks me.

Attendant

\to Hyllus], Seest thou not
985

'Twere better far to have remained in silence,

And not awaked him.

Hyllus

'Twas impossible

Unmoved to look on such calamity ;

I could not do it.
990

Hercules

O Censean rocks !

Where smoke the sacred altars, is it thus,

O Jove ! thou dost reward my piety?

What dreadful punishment is this thy hand

Hath laid on me, who never could deserve

Such bitter wrath ? What incantations now,

What anguish, O my father, rends my heart

To see thee thus! What can I do? Ah me,

Unhappy me, what grief is mine!

Attendant

My son
970

Be silent, lest thou rouse his cruel pangs,

And torture him to madness; thus reposed

He lives; forbear then, and restrain thy cries.

Hyllus

Say'st thou he lives, old man?

Attendant

His sense thus lock'd

In sleep, thou wilt not rouse him, wilt not move,

Or stir the fury of his fierce disease...

Hyllus

His sufferings so immense distract my soul.

Hercules

Ah, to what region am I come? O Jove,

Hercules

Ye hallow'd altars, whose firm base is fix'd

On high Cenæum, what a recompense

For all my victims to unhappy me