Sophocles Antigone 51

Robert Potter (Translator)

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Antigone
499

Why then delay, since nothing in thy words

To me is pleasing, or will ever please ;
500

Nor will my words be pleasing to thy ear?

A brighter glory whence could I obtain

Than from this deed, a brother’s honour’d corse

Entombing? All here present would aloud

Applaud the deed, but fear hath chain’d their tongues.
505

Amidst their envied greatness kings enjoy

This. pow’r, to do and speak whate’er they please.

Antigone. 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 (12)

Greek (L. Benloew, 1858) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (L. Benloew, 1858)) — 51 focus

πρὸς αὐτοφώρων ἀμπλακημάτων διπλᾶς

Greek (A. Boeckh, 1884) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Boeckh, 1884)) — 51 focus

πρὸς αὐτοφώρων ἀμπλακημάτων διπλᾶς

Greek (F. H. Bothe, 1806) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. H. Bothe, 1806)) — 51 focus

πρὸς αὐτοφώρων ἀμπλακημάτων διπλᾶς

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 51 focus

πρὸς αὐτοφώρων ἀμπλακημάτων, διπλᾶς

Greek (A. Colonna, 1978) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Colonna, 1978)) — 51 focus

πρὸς αὐτοφώρων ἀμπλακημάτων διπλᾶς

Greek (A. Dain, 1955) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Dain, 1955)) — 51.mvp-line-51 focus

πρὸς αὐτοφώρων ἀμπλακημάτων διπλᾶς

Greek (R. D. Dawe, 1979) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (R. D. Dawe, 1979)) — 51 focus

πρὸς αὐτοφώρων ἀμπλακημάτων διπλᾶς

Greek (G. Hermann, 1830) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (G. Hermann, 1830)) — 51 focus

πρὸς αὐτοφώρων ἀμπλακημάτων, διπλᾶς

Greek (R. C. Jebb, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (R. C. Jebb, 1906)) — 51 focus

πρὸς αὐτοφώρων ἀμπλακημάτων διπλᾶς

Greek (A. C. Pearson, 1924) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. C. Pearson, 1924)) — 51.mvp-line-51 focus

πρὸς αὐτοφώρων ἀμπλακημάτων διπλᾶς

Antigone (OCR draft) Experimental (Antigone) — 51 focus

πρὸς αὐτοφώρων ἀμπλακημάτων διπλᾶς

Greek (K. Reinhardt, 1949) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (K. Reinhardt, 1949)) — 51 focus

πρὸς αὐτοφώρων ἀμπλακημάτων διπλᾶς

Translations (10)

German (A. Boeckh, 1884) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (A. Boeckh, 1884)) — 51 focus

CHOR

Herr, ob wol dies Eräugniſs gar ein Götterwerk,

das überleg' ich lange schon in meinem Sinn.
275

Spanish (J. A. Bolufer, 1921) (OCR draft) Experimental (Spanish (J. A. Bolufer, 1921)) — 51 focus

Creonte

¿No sabes ya cuánto me irritan tus palabras?

Latin (F. H. Bothe, 1806) (OCR draft) Experimental (Latin (F. H. Bothe, 1806)) — 51 focus

Creon

Nescisne, vel nunc quam moleste loqueris?

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 51 focus

CR

What? know you not your speech offends even now?

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 39 focus

Was kann ich, wenn dies also steht, Unselige,¹

Hier, lösend oder bindend, uns zum Frommen thun?
40

Antigone.

Sieh, ob du helfen, ob die Mühe theilen wirst

Ismene.

Bei welchem Unterfangen? Wo geräthst du hin?

Antigone.

Ob du den Todten, mir gesellt, aufnehmen willst!

Ismene.

Ihn denn bestatten willst du, dem Verbot zum Troz?

Antigone.

Ja, meinen Bruder und den deinen, wenn auch du
45

Nicht willst; denn niemals soll man mich Verrathes zeih'n!²

Ismene.

Tollkühne, während Kreon's Wort es dir verwehrt?

Antigone.

Fern halten darf mich dieser nie von meiner Pflicht.

Ismene.

Weh mir! Bedenk', o Schwester, wie der Vater uns,

Mit Haß und Hohn belastet, ruhmlos unterging,
50

Nachdem er selbst um Gräuel, die er selbst enthüllt,

Der Augen Sterne sich zerriß mit eigner Hand;

Wie dann die Mutter, Mutter ihm und Weib zugleich,

Schmachvoll mit frevlem Strange sich das Leben nahm;

Zum dritten, wie die Brüder beid' an Einem Tag
55

Im Wechselmord sich ein gemeinsam Todesloos,

Die Armen, schufen, Einer durch des Andern Hand!

Wir sind allein jezt übrig; du bedenke denn,

Wie schmählich wir verdürben, wenn wir wider Necht

Der Herrscher Ausspruch und Gewalt mißachteten.
60

Wohl mußt du doch erwägen, daß wir Frauen sind,

Und nicht geschaffen, Männern kühn im Kampf zu steh'n,

Dann aber, daß wir, weil beherrscht von Stärkeren,

Hier folgen müssen und sogar in Härterem.

Drum will ich jene, die der Erde Schooß verbirgt,³
65

Anfleh'n um Nachsicht, weil Gewalt mich bindet hier,

Und ihm gehorchen, dem die Macht geworden ist;

Denn Unverstand ist's, über seine Kraft zu thun.

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 51 focus

Messenger

Wherefore, my lord?

CiiEON. Know you not why?

Spanish (A. G. Garbin, 1889) (OCR draft) Experimental (Spanish (A. G. Garbin, 1889)) — 51 focus

CORO

¡Oh Rey! ¡Oh Rey! Cuanto más lo reflexiono, tanto más creo descubrir en esto la mano de los dioses.

German (F. Hölderlin, 1804) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (F. Hölderlin, 1804)) — 51 focus

KREON

Weist du, wie eine Quaal jezt ist in deinen Worten?

English (Sir Richard Jebb1, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb1, 1904)) — 51 focus

Creon

Knowest thou not that even now thy voice offends?

English (Sir Richard Jebb2, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb2, 1904)) — 100-160 focus

Enter the Chorus on the right.

Chorus

Shaft of the sun, fairest light of all that have dawned on Thebes of the seven gates, you have shone forth at last, eye of golden day, advancing over Dirce’s streams!
100

You have goaded with a sharper bit the warrior of the white shield, who came from Argos in full armor, driving him to headlong retreat.
105

110

Chorus

He set out against our land because of the strife-filled claims of Polyneices, and like a screaming eagle he flew over into our land, covered by his snow-white wing,
110

with a mass of weapons and crested helmets.
115

117

Chorus

He paused above our dwellings; he gaped around our sevenfold portals with spears thirsting for blood; but he left

before his jaws were ever glutted with our gore, or before the Fire-god’s pine-fed flame had seized our crown of towers.
120

So fierce was the crash of battle swelling about his back, a match too hard to win for the rival of the dragon.
125

127

Chorus

For Zeus detests above all the boasts of a proud tongue. And when he saw them advancing in a swollen flood,

arrogant their clanging gold, he dashed with brandished fire one who was already starting to shout victory when he had reached our ramparts.
130

134

Chorus

Staggered, he fell to the earth with a crash,

torch in hand, a man possessed by the frenzy of the mad attack, who just now was raging against us with the blasts of his tempestuous hate. But his threats did not fare as he had hoped, and to the other enemies mighty Ares dispensed each their own dooms with hard blows,
135

Ares, our mighty ally at the turning-point.
140

141

Chorus

For the seven captains, stationed against an equal number at the seven gates, left behind their brazen arms in tribute to Zeus the turner of battle—all but the accursed pair who, born of one father and one

mother, set against each other their spears, both victorious, and who now share in a common death.
145

148

Chorus

But since Victory whose name is glory has come to us, smiling in joy equal to the joy of chariot-rich Thebes ,

let us make for ourselves forgetfulness after the recent wars, and visit all the temples of the gods with night-long dance and song. And may Bacchus, who shakes the earth of Thebes , rule our dancing!
150

155

Chorus

But look, the king of the land is coming here, Creon, the son of Menoeceus, our new ruler in accordance with the new circumstances fated by the gods. What policy is he setting in motion,
155

that he has proposed this special conference of elders, and summoned it by a general mandate?
160

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-284-1 ἀρεστὸν οὐδέν ¹

mvp-comment-284-2 μηδ’ ἀρεσθείη ² ἀρεσθείην ³ ἀρέστ’ εἴη ⁴

mvp-comment-285-1 τἀμά ⁵

mvp-comment-285-2 ἔφυ ⁶

mvp-comment-286-1 καίτοι ⁷ κλέος … εὐκλεέστερον ⁸

mvp-comment-287-1 ἐν τάφῳ τιθεῖσα ⁹ τούτοις πᾶσι λέγοιτο ἄν ¹⁰ τοῦτο ἁνδάνειν ¹¹ ἐγκλῄοι ¹²

mvp-comment-288-1 ἀλλ’ ἡ τυραννίς ¹³

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

500. mvp-comment-292-1 μηδ' ἀρεσθείη Sc. μηδὲν τῶν σῶν λόγων.

501. mvp-comment-293-1 ἔφυ Are by nature, and so cannot fail to be.

505. mvp-comment-294-1 λέγοιτ' ἄν For the passive, see Essay on Language § 31. P. 54 *ἐγκλείσαι] Cp. supr. 1. 180. Dindorf's correction (with εί for ῄ) is retained in preference to ἐγκλείοι. The future optative is clearly wrong.

506-507. mvp-comment-295-1 These two lines have been considered spurious. But their scornful tone may be compared with supr. 469-470.