Sophocles Antigone 897

ed. Francis Storr

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ἐλθοῦσα μέντοι κάρτʼ ἐν ἐλπίσιν τρέφω

Antigone. Sophocles. ed. Francis Storr. London. 1912.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Experimental

Ἀντιγόνη (Greek) (Sophocles, Volume 1. Storr, Francis, editor. London; New York: William Heinemann Ltd.; The Macmillan Company, 1912.)

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (11)

Greek (L. Benloew, 1858) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (L. Benloew, 1858)) — 897 focus

χοὰς ἔδωκα· νῦν δὲ, Πολύνεικες, τὸ σὸν

Greek (A. Boeckh, 1884) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Boeckh, 1884)) — 897 focus

οἴμοι, θανάτου τοῦτ᾽ ἐγγυτάτω

Greek (F. H. Bothe, 1806) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. H. Bothe, 1806)) — 897 focus

οὐκ ἔστ᾽ ἀδελφὸς ὅστις ἂν βλαστοῖ ποτε.

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 897 focus

ἐλθοῦσα μέντοι κάρτ᾽ ἐν ἐλπίσιν τρέφω

Greek (A. Colonna, 1978) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Colonna, 1978)) — 897 focus

ἐλθοῦσα μέντοι κάρτ᾽ ἐν ἐλπίσιν τρέφω

Greek (A. Dain, 1955) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Dain, 1955)) — 897.mvp-line-888 focus

ἐλθοῦσα μέντοι κάρτ’ ἐν ἐλπίσιν τρέφω

Greek (R. D. Dawe, 1979) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (R. D. Dawe, 1979)) — 897 focus

ἐλθοῦσα μέντοι κάρτ᾽ ἐν ἐλπίσιν τρέφω

Greek (G. Hermann, 1830) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (G. Hermann, 1830)) — 897 focus

οὔτ᾽ εἰ πόσις μοι κατθανὼν ἐτήκετο,

Greek (R. C. Jebb, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (R. C. Jebb, 1906)) — 897 focus

ἐλθοῦσα μέντοι κάρτ᾽ ἐν ἐλπίσιν τρέφω

Greek (A. C. Pearson, 1924) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. C. Pearson, 1924)) — 897.mvp-line-889 focus

ἐλθοῦσα μέντοι κάρτ᾽ ἐν ἐλπίσιν τρέφω

Greek (K. Reinhardt, 1949) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (K. Reinhardt, 1949)) — 897 focus

ἐλθοῦσα μέντοι κάρτ᾽ ἐν ἐλπίσιν τρέφω

Translations (2)

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 883 focus

Sagt, würde Iemand vor dem Tod mit Weheruf

Und Jammern enden, hülfe noch die Klage hier?

Auf, eilt mit ihr von hinnen, und verschloßt ihr sie

In's düstre Grabgewölbe, wie mein Wort gebot,
875

So laßt sie einsam und allein, sie sterbe nun,

Sie wohne lebend dort versenkt im engen Haus;

An dieser Jungfrau haben wir ja keine Schuld;

Nur mitzuwohnen hier im Licht ist ihr versagt.

Antigone.

O Grabgemach, Brautkammer, ewigschließendes
880

Wohnhaus in düstrer Höhle, wo hinab ich muß

Zu meinen Lieben, deren größte Zahl im Haus

Der Todten Persephassa schon empfangen hat,¹

Von welchen ich die lezte, weit unseligste,

Hinuntergeh'n soll, eh sich schloß mein Lebenstag!
885

Doch, komm' ich dorthin, dieser Hoffnung leb' ich fest,

Ich komme, lieb dem Vater, auch willkommen dir,

Mutter, dir auch komm' ich lieb, o Bruderhaupt;

Denn euch, die Todten, hab' ich selbst mit dieser Hand

Gebadet, selber euch geschmückt, auf euer Grab
890

Die Spenden ausgegossen; heute, weil ich dich

Bestattet, o Polyneikes, ernt' ich solchen Lohn!

Denn daß ich, ehrend Götterrecht, dich hochgeehrt

Vor Allen, achtet Kreon als verbrecherisch,

Als freches Unterfangen, o mein Bruderhaupt!
895

Und jezt ergreift er mit Gewalt und führt mich fort,

Bevor das Brautlied mir ertönt, der Ehe Glück

Und zarter Kinder Pflege mir beschieden ward:

Freundlos, verlassen, muß ich Unglückselige

Lebendig niedersteigen in der Todten Gruft.
900

Und welch Gebot der Götter übertrat ich denn?

Wie darf ich Arme noch den Blick nach ihren Höh'n

Erheben, wen um Hülfe fleh'n, da Götterfurcht

Den Lohn der Gottverächter mir erworben hat?

Doch wenn es so den Göttern wohlgefällig ist,
905

So will ich büßend meiner Schuld geständig sein;

Sind diese schuldig, möge dann kein größ'res Leid

Sie treffen, als sie wider Recht an mir gethan

Der Chor.

English (Sir Richard Jebb2, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb2, 1904)) — 883-940 focus

Enter Creon.

Creon

Do you not know that dirges and wailing before death would never be given up, if it were allowed to make them freely?

Take her away—now! And when you have enshrouded her, as I proclaimed, in her covered tomb, leave her alone, deserted—let her decide whether she wishes to die or to live entombed in such a home. It makes no difference, since our hands are clean so far as regards this girl.
885

But no matter what, she will be stripped of her home here above.
890

Antigone

Tomb, bridal-chamber, deep-dug eternal prison where I go to find my own, whom in the greatest numbers destruction has seized and Persephone has welcomed among the dead!

Last of them all and in by far the most shameful circumstances, I will descend, even before the fated term of my life is spent. But I cherish strong hopes that I will arrive welcome to my father, and pleasant to you, Mother, and welcome, dear brother, to you.
895

For, when each of you died, with my own hands I washed and dressed you and poured drink-offerings at your graves. But now, Polyneices, it is for tending your corpse that I win such reward as this. And yet I honored you rightly, as the wise understand.
900

Never, if I had been a mother of children, or if a husband had been rotting after death, would I have taken that burden upon myself in violation of the citizens’ will. For the sake of what law, you ask, do I say that? A husband lost, another might have been found,
905

and if bereft of a child, there could be a second from some other man. But when father and mother are hidden in Hades, no brother could ever bloom for me again. Such was the law whereby I held you first in honor, but for that Creon judged me guilty of wrongdoing
910

and of dreadful outrage, dear brother! And now he leads me thus in his hands’ strong grasp, when I have enjoyed no marriage bed or bridal song and have not received any portion of marriage or the nurture of children. But deserted by friends,
915

in misery I go living to the hollow graves of the dead. What law of the gods have I transgressed? Why should I look to the gods anymore? What ally should I call out to, when by my reverence I have earned a name for irreverence?
920

Well, then, if these events please the gods, once I have suffered my doom I will come to know my guilt. But if the guilt lies with my judges, I could wish for them no greater evils than they inflict unjustly on me.
925

929

Chorus

Still the same tempest of the soul

grips this girl with the same fierce gusts.
930

Creon

Then because of this her guards will have reason to lament their slowness.

Antigone

Ah, no! That command verges close on death.

Creon

I cannot console you with any hope that your doom is not to be fulfilled in that way.
935

Antigone

O city of my fathers, land of Thebes , and you gods, our ancestors! I am led away now; there is no more delay!

Look at me, you who are Thebes ’ lords—look at the only remaining daughter of the house of your kings. See what I suffer, and at whose hands, because I revered reverence! Antigone is led away by the guards.
940

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-535-1 ἐν ἐλπίσιν τρέφω ¹ φίλη μὲν … προσφιλὴς δέ ²

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

897. mvp-comment-508-1 κάρτ᾽ ἐν ἐλπίσιν τρέφω I do cherish it amongst my hopes.