τί ταῦτ᾽ ἀνιᾷς μ᾽, οὐδὲν ὠφελουμένη;
Antigone. Sophocles. Berlin. 1806.
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Current edition Experimental
Greek (F. H. Bothe, 1806) (OCR draft) (Greek) (Greek (F. H. Bothe, 1806))
Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.
Editions (11)
Greek (L. Benloew, 1858) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (L. Benloew, 1858)) — 543 focus
μή μοι θάνῃς σὺ κοινὰ, μήθ᾽ ἃ μὴ ᾽θιγες
Greek (A. Boeckh, 1884) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Boeckh, 1884)) — 543 focus
ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἐπ’ ἀῤῥήτοις γε τοῖς ἐμοῖς λόγοις.
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 543 focus
λόγοις δ᾽ ἐγὼ φιλοῦσαν οὐ στέργω φίλην.
Greek (A. Colonna, 1978) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Colonna, 1978)) — 543 focus
λόγοις δ᾽ ἐγὼ φιλοῦσαν οὐ στέργω φίλην.
Greek (A. Dain, 1955) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Dain, 1955)) — 543.mvp-line-540 focus
λόγοις δ’ ἐγὼ φιλοῦσαν οὐ στέργω φίλην.
Greek (R. D. Dawe, 1979) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (R. D. Dawe, 1979)) — 543 focus
λόγοις δ᾽ ἐγὼ φιλοῦσαν οὐ στέργω φίλην.
Greek (G. Hermann, 1830) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (G. Hermann, 1830)) — 543 focus
ποιοῦ σεαυτῆς. ἀρκέσω θνήσκουσ᾽ ἐγώ.
Greek (R. C. Jebb, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (R. C. Jebb, 1906)) — 543 focus
λόγοις δ᾽ ἐγὼ φιλοῦσαν οὐ στέργω φίλην.
Greek (A. C. Pearson, 1924) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. C. Pearson, 1924)) — 543.mvp-line-540 focus
λόγοις δ᾽ ἐγὼ φιλοῦσαν οὐ στέργω φίλην.
Antigone (OCR draft) Experimental (Antigone) — 543 focus
λόγοις δʼ ἐγὼ φιλοῦσαν οὐ στέργω φίλην.
Greek (K. Reinhardt, 1949) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (K. Reinhardt, 1949)) — 543 focus
λόγοις δ᾽ ἐγὼ φιλοῦσαν οὐ στέργω φίλην.
Translations (2)
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 531 focus
Du, die im Hause, gleich der Natter angeschmiegt,
Mich heimlich ausgesogen, der ich unbewußt
530
Zwei Gräuel mir zum Sturze meines Throns erzog:
Auf, sage mir, bekennst du, Theil an dieser That
Zu haben, oder schwörst du dich der Sünde rein?
Du, die im Hause, gleich der Natter angeschmiegt,
Mich heimlich ausgesogen, der ich unbewußt
530
Zwei Gräuel mir zum Sturze meines Throns erzog:
Auf, sage mir, bekennst du, Theil an dieser That
Zu haben, oder schwörst du dich der Sünde rein?
Ismene.
Die That verübt' ich, stimmt dazu die Schwester ein,
Und theile mit ihr, trage mit ihr diese Schuld.
535
Die That verübt' ich, stimmt dazu die Schwester ein,
Und theile mit ihr, trage mit ihr diese Schuld.
535
Antigone.
Nein, dies verbietet dir das Recht; du hast ja nicht
Gewollt, und ich gewährte dir kein Theil daran.
Nein, dies verbietet dir das Recht; du hast ja nicht
Gewollt, und ich gewährte dir kein Theil daran.
Ismene.
Doch jezt in deinem Leiden acht' ich's keine Schmach,
Dir Mitgefährtin durch das Meer der Noth zu sein.
Doch jezt in deinem Leiden acht' ich's keine Schmach,
Dir Mitgefährtin durch das Meer der Noth zu sein.
Antigone.
Wer Thäter war, weiß Hades und die drunten sind;
540
Ich liebe nicht die Freundin, die mit Worten liebt.
Wer Thäter war, weiß Hades und die drunten sind;
540
Ich liebe nicht die Freundin, die mit Worten liebt.
Ismene.
Geliebte Schwester, achte mich nicht zu gering,
Mit dir zu sterben und des Todten Grab zu weih'n.
Geliebte Schwester, achte mich nicht zu gering,
Mit dir zu sterben und des Todten Grab zu weih'n.
Antigone.
Du darfst mit mir nicht sterben, darfst nicht, was du nicht
Berührt, das Deine nennen: mein Tod ist genug.
545
Du darfst mit mir nicht sterben, darfst nicht, was du nicht
Berührt, das Deine nennen: mein Tod ist genug.
545
Ismene.
Und welches Leben ist mir werth, getrennt von dir?
Und welches Leben ist mir werth, getrennt von dir?
Antigone.
Dies frage Kreon; sorgtest du doch nur für ihn.
Dies frage Kreon; sorgtest du doch nur für ihn.
Ismene.
Was so mich kränken, ohne daß dir's Nuzen bringt?
Was so mich kränken, ohne daß dir's Nuzen bringt?
Antigone.
Mit Schmerzen thu' ich's, wenn ich Hohn dir bieten muß.
Mit Schmerzen thu' ich's, wenn ich Hohn dir bieten muß.
Ismene.
Wie könnt' ich doch auch jezo dir noch nüzlich sein?
550
Wie könnt' ich doch auch jezo dir noch nüzlich sein?
550
Antigone.
Errette dich nur; gerne duld' ich's, wenn du fliehst.
Errette dich nur; gerne duld' ich's, wenn du fliehst.
Ismene.
Weh, weh mir! Theilen soll ich auch nicht dein Geschick?
Weh, weh mir! Theilen soll ich auch nicht dein Geschick?
Antigone.
Du hast das Leben dir gewählt, und ich den Tod.
Du hast das Leben dir gewählt, und ich den Tod.
Ismene.
English (Sir Richard Jebb2, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb2, 1904)) — 583-630 focus
Chorus
Blest are those whose days have not tasted of evil. For when a house has once been shaken by the gods,
no form of ruin is lacking, but it spreads over the bulk of the race, just as, when the surge is driven over the darkness of the deep by the fierce breath of Thracian sea-winds,
585
it rolls up the black sand from the depths, and the wind-beaten headlands that front the blows of the storm give out a mournful roar.
590
Blest are those whose days have not tasted of evil. For when a house has once been shaken by the gods,
no form of ruin is lacking, but it spreads over the bulk of the race, just as, when the surge is driven over the darkness of the deep by the fierce breath of Thracian sea-winds,
585
it rolls up the black sand from the depths, and the wind-beaten headlands that front the blows of the storm give out a mournful roar.
590
Chorus
I see that the ancient sorrows of the house of the Labdacids
are heaped upon the sorrows of the dead. Each generation does not set its race free, but some god hurls it down and the race has no release. For now that dazzling ray of hope that had been spread
595
over the last roots in the house of Oedipus—that hope, in its turn, the blood-stained dust of the gods infernal and mindlessness in speech and frenzy at the mind cuts down.
600
I see that the ancient sorrows of the house of the Labdacids
are heaped upon the sorrows of the dead. Each generation does not set its race free, but some god hurls it down and the race has no release. For now that dazzling ray of hope that had been spread
595
over the last roots in the house of Oedipus—that hope, in its turn, the blood-stained dust of the gods infernal and mindlessness in speech and frenzy at the mind cuts down.
600
Chorus
Your power, great Zeus—what human overstepping can check it? Yours is power that neither Sleep, the all-ensnaring, nor the untiring months of the gods can defeat. Unaged through time,
605
you rule by your power and dwell thereby in the brilliant splendor of
Olympus
. And through the future, both near and distant, as through the past, shall this law prevail: nothing that is vast comes to the life of mortals without ruin.
610
Your power, great Zeus—what human overstepping can check it? Yours is power that neither Sleep, the all-ensnaring, nor the untiring months of the gods can defeat. Unaged through time,
605
you rule by your power and dwell thereby in the brilliant splendor of
Olympus
. And through the future, both near and distant, as through the past, shall this law prevail: nothing that is vast comes to the life of mortals without ruin.
610
Chorus
See how that hope whose wanderings are so wide truly is a benefit to many men, but to an equal number it is a false lure of light-headed desires. The deception comes to one who is wholly unawares until he burns his foot on a hot fire.
615
For with wisdom did someone once reveal the maxim, now famous, that evil at one time or another seems good, to him whose mind a god leads to ruin.
620
But for the briefest moment such a man fares free of destruction.
625
See how that hope whose wanderings are so wide truly is a benefit to many men, but to an equal number it is a false lure of light-headed desires. The deception comes to one who is wholly unawares until he burns his foot on a hot fire.
615
For with wisdom did someone once reveal the maxim, now famous, that evil at one time or another seems good, to him whose mind a god leads to ruin.
620
But for the briefest moment such a man fares free of destruction.
625
Enter Haemon.
Chorus
But here is Haemon, the last of your offspring. Does he come grieving for the doom of Antigone, his promised bride,
and bitter for the deceived hope of their marriage?
630
But here is Haemon, the last of your offspring. Does he come grieving for the doom of Antigone, his promised bride,
and bitter for the deceived hope of their marriage?
630
Commentary
Commentary (R. C. Jebb) (OCR draft) (Commentary (R. C. Jebb))
Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) focus
223-330. mvp-comment-136-1 The half-comic or rustic character of the watchman in this play is an extension of the common character of the messenger, whose natural rudeness of speech and thought brings into greater prominence the horror or pathos of the events he describes. The grotesqueness disappears when he speaks of the action of Antigone in 407-440. The employment of this artifice by Sophocles arises from the same motive to which Shakespeare gave a far wider range in such creations as the gravediggers in Hamlet, and the rural fellow in Antony and Cleopatra. The Messenger in the Trachiniae, the Corinthian in the Oedipus Tyrannus, Menelaus in the Ajax, the pretended Shipmaster in the Philoctetes, afford the same sort of contrast to the more tragic personages: and the superstition of the Coloniatae may be compared with the cowardice of the Phrygian slave in the Orestes of Euripides.
223-330.
mvp-comment-136-2
The vulgarity of the common-place Athenian of the fifth century в.с. takes the form of misplaced subtlety of wit. Cp.
Shak. Hamlet, 5. 1
,
We must speak by the card, or equivocation will undo us. The age is grown so picked, that the toe of the peasant comes so near the heel of the courtier, he galls his kibe.
296. mvp-comment-175-1 νόμισμα, usually = Current coin, is here used in the more general sense which includes this. No such pestilent usance as money is, ever sprang up amongst mankind.