Sophocles, Trachiniae, Robert Potter (Translator), 105

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Deianira

We soon shall know, for Lichas from the gate

I see advance; he quickly will be here.
595

Only be secret; for e'en shameful things

In dark concealment are secured from shame.

Trachiniae. Sophocles. Robert Potter (Translator). London. 1820.

Current edition Experimental

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) (English) (English (Robert Potter, 1788))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (2)

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 105 focus

οὔποτ᾽ εὐνάζειν ἀδακρύτων βλεφάρων πόθον, ἀλλ᾽

105

Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 94-140 focus

Χορός

ὃν αἰόλα νὺξ ἐναριζομένα

τίκτει κατευνάζει τε, φλογιζόμενον
95

Ἅλιον Ἅλιον αἰτῶ

τοῦτο καρῦξαι, τὸν Ἀλκμήνας πόθι μοι πόθι παῖς

ναίει ποτʼ, ὦ λαμπρᾷ στεροπᾷ φλεγέθων,

ἢ ποντίας αὐλῶνος ἢ δισσαῖσιν ἀπείροις κλιθείς,
100

εἴπʼ, ὦ κρατιστεύων κατʼ ὄμμα.

103

Χορός

ποθουμένᾳ γὰρ φρενὶ πυνθάνομαι

τὰν ἀμφινεικῆ Δηιάνειραν ἀεί,

οἷά τινʼ ἄθλιον ὄρνιν,
105

οὔποτʼ εὐνάζειν ἀδακρύτων βλεφάρων πόθον, ἀλλʼ

εὔμναστον ἀνδρὸς δεῖμα τρέφουσαν ὁδοῦ

ἐνθυμίοις εὐναῖς ἀνανδρώτοισι τρύχεσθαι, κακὰν
110

δύστανον ἐλπίζουσαν αἶσαν.

112

Χορός

πολλὰ γὰρ ὥστʼ ἀκάμαντος ἢ νότου ἢ βορέα τις

κύματʼ ἂν εὐρέϊ πόντῳ βάντʼ ἐπιόντα τʼ ἴδοι,

οὕτῶ δὲ τὸν Καδμογενῆ στρέφει, τὸ δʼ αὔξει,

βιότου πολύπονον ὥσπερ πέλαγος
115

Κρήσιον. ἀλλά τις θεῶν αἰὲν ἀναμπλάκητον Ἅιδα
120

σφε δόμων ἐρύκει.

122

Χορός

ὧν ἐπιμεμφομένα σʼ αἰδοῖα μέν, ἀντία δʼ οἴσω.

φαμὶ γὰρ οὐκ ἀποτρύειν ἐλπίδα τὰν ἀγαθὰν
125

χρῆναί σʼ· ἀνάλγητα γὰρ οὐδʼ ὁ πάντα κραίνων βασιλεὺς ἐπέβαλε θνατοῖς Κρονίδας·

ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ πῆμα καὶ χαρὰ πᾶσι κυκλοῦσιν, οἷον

ἄρκτου στροφάδες κέλευθοι.
130

μένει γὰρ οὔτʼ αἰόλα

132

Χορός

νὺξ βροτοῖσιν οὔτε κῆρες

οὔτε πλοῦτος, ἀλλʼ ἄφαρ

βέβακε, τῷ δʼ ἐπέρχεται

χαίρειν τε καὶ στέρεσθαι.
135

ἃ καὶ σὲ τὰν ἄνασσαν ἐλπίσιν λέγω

τάδʼ αἰὲν ἴσχειν· ἐπεὶ τίς ὧδε

τέκνοισι Ζῆνʼ ἄβουλον εἶδεν;
140

Translations (4)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 105 focus

CH

Well, do it and try. Assurance cannot come

Till action bring experience after it.

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 103 focus

Denn lange schon seh' ich in sehnendem Gram
100

Der Deianeira, die er im Kampf sich erstritt,

Gleich dem geängsteten Vogel,

Nimmer ruh'n des Auges Sehnsucht, welchem die Thräne versiegt.

Stets denkt sie angstvoll, ach! des entfernten Gemahls,

Und härmt sich, daß sie sonder ihn im öden Lager schmachten muß,
105

Ein jammervolles Loos erharrend.

Zweite Strophe.

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 105 focus

Deianira

Alas I luy eliild, wliat sayst tlioii

And therefore must be ; who can e'er undo

The deed tliat's done ?

English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 94-140 focus

Enter the Chorus on the other side.

Chorus

You, to whom Night gives birth when she is vanquished and despoiled of her starry crown,

and whom, as you blaze, she lays to rest, I pray you, O Sun, Sun, tell me, where is Alcmena’s son, where dwells her child? O Shining god with your bright flash,
95

is he on the straits of the sea, or does he lean upon the twin continents? Speak, you who surpass all in sight!
100

103

Chorus

For with longing heart, as I hear, Deianeira, the battle-prize, now,

like some mournful bird, never rests her eyes’ longing that they might be without tears, but nourishing a well-remembered fear for her husband’s travels she is constantly afflicted
105

by her anxious, widowed marriage-bed and in her misery anticipates misfortune.
110

112

Chorus

For just as one may see billow after billow

advancing and passing over the wide deep before the tireless south-wind, or the north, so the great toil of his life, stormy as the Cretan sea, now whirls back the heir of Cadmus, now exalts him. But some god always
115

keeps him unerring from the house of Hades.
120

122

To Deianeira.

Chorus

With respect I reproach you for your weeping, but still I will speak in dissent.

You must not, I say, wear away fair hope. Remember that the all-accomplishing king, the son of Cronus, does not appoint a painless lot for mortals. Sorrow and joy revolve to all, as the stars of the Bear
125

move in their circling paths.
130

132

Chorus

Starry night does not remain constant with men, nor does tribulation, nor wealth; in a moment it is gone from us, and to another in his turn come both

gladness and bereavement. So I urge even you, our Queen, to keep these matters firmly in your outlook. You must, for who has
135

known Zeus to be so without care for his children?
140

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-306-1 ἀλλ’ αὐτίκ’ ¹ ἐλεύσεται ²

mvp-comment-307-1 μόνον ³

mvp-comment-307-2 παρ’ ὑμῶν ⁴ παρ’ ὑμῖν ⁵ στεγώμεθ’ ⁶

mvp-comment-307-3 αἰσχύνῃ πεσεῖ ⁷

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

531-632. mvp-comment-400-1 Deianira, who has already prepared the charmed robe, confides her intention to the Trachinian maidens, and, on Lichas' coming forth, entrusts the gift to him, with the appropriate commands.

594. mvp-comment-448-1 αὐτίκ᾽ εἰσόμεσθα] Deianira, in her eagerness, under-estimates the time that must still pass before Heracles' arrival. It is thus that tragic feeling helps the conventional abridgment of time that is necessary to the composition of tragedy : πόνου γὰρ ἄκρον οὐκ ἔχει χρόνον. τόνδε] Lichas, whom she does not care to name, and who is treated slightingly throughout. His fate 'is but a trifle here' (Shak. K. Lear, 5. 3. 295).

595. mvp-comment-449-1 ἐλεύσεται] 'He will make his way' to Cenaeum, where his master is.

596. mvp-comment-450-1 στεγοίμεθ'] She expresses a wish and not a command, and this in the passive voice, not only as a gentler, but also as a more earnest way of speaking. Might I only have my secret well kept by you.' σκότῳ] i. e. ἐν σκότῳ, 'Under covert of darkness:' the dative of place passing into a dative of circumstance. Essay on L. § 11. p. 18, § 14. p. 20.

597. mvp-comment-451-1 The dative αἰσχύνῃ is either (1) causal By reason of shame,' or (2) = ès αἰσχύνην: cp. Ο. C. 483, αὐτῇ . . τιθείς : infr. 789, χθονὶ ῥίπτων ἑαυτόν: probably the former (1). E. on L. § 11. p. 18, 3 a.

Sophocles Trachiniae 105

Robert Potter (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Deianira

We soon shall know, for Lichas from the gate

I see advance; he quickly will be here.
595

Only be secret; for e'en shameful things

In dark concealment are secured from shame.

Current edition Experimental

CH

Well, do it and try. Assurance cannot come

Till action bring experience after it.

Deianira

Alas I luy eliild, wliat sayst tlioii

And therefore must be ; who can e'er undo

The deed tliat's done ?

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Deianira We soon shall know, for Lichas from the gate I see advance; he quickly will be here. 595 Only be secret; for e'en shameful things In dark concealment are secured from shame.

Current edition Experimental

CH Well, do it and try. Assurance cannot come Till action bring experience after it.

Deianira Alas I luy eliild, wliat sayst tlioii And therefore must be ; who can e'er undo The deed tliat's done ?

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Deianira

We soon shall know, for Lichas from the gate

I see advance; he quickly will be here.
595

Only be secret; for e'en shameful things

In dark concealment are secured from shame.

CH

Well, do it and try. Assurance cannot come

Till action bring experience after it.

Deianira

Alas I luy eliild, wliat sayst tlioii

And therefore must be ; who can e'er undo

The deed tliat's done ?