ὦ Ζεῦ, κατὰ μὲν φθίσας
Oedipus Tyrannus. Sophocles. ed. Lewis Campbell. Oxford. 1879.
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Current edition Experimental
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Greek) (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879))
Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.
Editions (1)
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 1186-1221 focus
Χορός
ἰὼ γενεαὶ βροτῶν,
ὡς ὑμᾶς ἴσα καὶ τὸ μηδὲν ζώσας ἐναριθμῶ.
τίς γάρ, τίς ἀνὴρ πλέον
τᾶς εὐδαιμονίας φέρει
1190
ἢ τοσοῦτον ὅσον δοκεῖν
καὶ δόξαντʼ ἀποκλῖναι;
τὸν σόν τοι παράδειγμʼ ἔχων,
τὸν σὸν δαίμονα, τὸν σόν, ὦ τλᾶμον Οἰδιπόδα, βροτῶν
οὐδὲν μακαρίζω·
1195
ἰὼ γενεαὶ βροτῶν,
ὡς ὑμᾶς ἴσα καὶ τὸ μηδὲν ζώσας ἐναριθμῶ.
τίς γάρ, τίς ἀνὴρ πλέον
τᾶς εὐδαιμονίας φέρει
1190
ἢ τοσοῦτον ὅσον δοκεῖν
καὶ δόξαντʼ ἀποκλῖναι;
τὸν σόν τοι παράδειγμʼ ἔχων,
τὸν σὸν δαίμονα, τὸν σόν, ὦ τλᾶμον Οἰδιπόδα, βροτῶν
οὐδὲν μακαρίζω·
1195
Χορός
ὅστις καθʼ ὑπερβολὰν
τοξεύσας ἐκράτησε τοῦ πάντʼ εὐδαίμονος ὄλβου,
ὦ Ζεῦ, κατὰ μὲν φθίσας
τὰν γαμψώνυχα παρθένον
χρησμῳδόν, θανάτων δʼ ἐμᾷ
1200
χώρᾳ πύργος ἀνέστα·
ἐξ οὗ καὶ βασιλεὺς καλεῖ
ἐμὸς καὶ τὰ μέγιστʼ ἐτιμάθης, ταῖς μεγάλαισιν ἐν
Θήβαισιν ἀνάσσων.
ὅστις καθʼ ὑπερβολὰν
τοξεύσας ἐκράτησε τοῦ πάντʼ εὐδαίμονος ὄλβου,
ὦ Ζεῦ, κατὰ μὲν φθίσας
τὰν γαμψώνυχα παρθένον
χρησμῳδόν, θανάτων δʼ ἐμᾷ
1200
χώρᾳ πύργος ἀνέστα·
ἐξ οὗ καὶ βασιλεὺς καλεῖ
ἐμὸς καὶ τὰ μέγιστʼ ἐτιμάθης, ταῖς μεγάλαισιν ἐν
Θήβαισιν ἀνάσσων.
Χορός
τανῦν δʼ ἀκούειν τίς ἀθλιώτερος;
τίς ἄταις ἀγρίαις, τίς ἐν πόνοις
1205
ξύνοικος ἀλλαγᾷ βίου;
ἰὼ κλεινὸν Οἰδίπου κάρα,
ἦ στέγας λιμὴν
αὑτὸς ἤρκεσεν
παιδὶ καὶ πατρὶ θαλαμηπόλῳ πεσεῖν;
πῶς ποτε πῶς ποθʼ αἱ πατρῷαί σʼ ἄλοκες φέρειν, τάλας,
1210
σῖγʼ ἐδυνάθησαν ἐς τοσόνδε;
τανῦν δʼ ἀκούειν τίς ἀθλιώτερος;
τίς ἄταις ἀγρίαις, τίς ἐν πόνοις
1205
ξύνοικος ἀλλαγᾷ βίου;
ἰὼ κλεινὸν Οἰδίπου κάρα,
ἦ στέγας λιμὴν
αὑτὸς ἤρκεσεν
παιδὶ καὶ πατρὶ θαλαμηπόλῳ πεσεῖν;
πῶς ποτε πῶς ποθʼ αἱ πατρῷαί σʼ ἄλοκες φέρειν, τάλας,
1210
σῖγʼ ἐδυνάθησαν ἐς τοσόνδε;
Χορός
ἐφηῦρέ σʼ ἄκονθʼ ὁ πάνθʼ ὁρῶν χρόνος,
δικάζει τʼ ἄγαμον γάμον πάλαι
τεκνοῦντα καὶ τεκνούμενον.
1215
ἰώ, Λαΐειον ὦ τέκνον,
εἴθε σʼ εἴθε σε
μήποτʼ εἰδόμαν.
δύρομαι γὰρ ὥσπερ ἰάλεμον χέων
ἐκ στομάτων. τὸ δʼ ὀρθὸν εἰπεῖν, ἀνέπνευσά τʼ ἐκ
σέθεν
1220
καὶ κατεκοίμασα τοὐμὸν ὄμμα.
ἐφηῦρέ σʼ ἄκονθʼ ὁ πάνθʼ ὁρῶν χρόνος,
δικάζει τʼ ἄγαμον γάμον πάλαι
τεκνοῦντα καὶ τεκνούμενον.
1215
ἰώ, Λαΐειον ὦ τέκνον,
εἴθε σʼ εἴθε σε
μήποτʼ εἰδόμαν.
δύρομαι γὰρ ὥσπερ ἰάλεμον χέων
ἐκ στομάτων. τὸ δʼ ὀρθὸν εἰπεῖν, ἀνέπνευσά τʼ ἐκ
σέθεν
1220
καὶ κατεκοίμασα τοὐμὸν ὄμμα.
Translations (2)
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 1196 focus
Du, über Bewundern groß,
Trafst dein Ziel und errangest dir
Ein allseliges Schicksal,
Als nieder du schlugst (o Zeus!)
Die krummklauige Sängerin
1
1170
Dunkeln Spruches, und meinem Land
Ein Thurm wider den Tod standſt!
Darum wurdest du König mir
Genannt, ward dir der höchste Preis,
Daß du Thebe's erhab'ner Stadt
1175
Als Herrscher gebotest.
Du, über Bewundern groß,
Trafst dein Ziel und errangest dir
Ein allseliges Schicksal,
Als nieder du schlugst (o Zeus!)
Die krummklauige Sängerin
1
1170
Dunkeln Spruches, und meinem Land
Ein Thurm wider den Tod standſt!
Darum wurdest du König mir
Genannt, ward dir der höchste Preis,
Daß du Thebe's erhab'ner Stadt
1175
Als Herrscher gebotest.
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 1186-1220 focus
Chorus
Alas, generations of mortals, how mere a shadow I count your life! Where, where is the mortal who
attains a happiness which is more than apparent and doomed to fall away to nothing? Your fate warns me—yours, unhappy Oedipus—to call no
1190
earthly creature blessed.
1195
Alas, generations of mortals, how mere a shadow I count your life! Where, where is the mortal who
attains a happiness which is more than apparent and doomed to fall away to nothing? Your fate warns me—yours, unhappy Oedipus—to call no
1190
earthly creature blessed.
1195
Chorus
For he, O Zeus, shot his shaft with peerless skill, and won the prize of an all-prosperous fortune, having slain the maiden with crooked talons, who sang darkly.
He arose for our land like a tower against death. And from that time, Oedipus, you have been called our king, and have been honored supremely, holding power in great
Thebes
.
1200
For he, O Zeus, shot his shaft with peerless skill, and won the prize of an all-prosperous fortune, having slain the maiden with crooked talons, who sang darkly.
He arose for our land like a tower against death. And from that time, Oedipus, you have been called our king, and have been honored supremely, holding power in great
Thebes
.
1200
Chorus
But now whose story is more grievous in men’s ears?
Who is a more wretched slave to fierce plagues and troubles, with all his life reversed? Alas, renowned Oedipus! The same bounteous harbor was sufficient for you, both as child and as father, to make your nuptial couch in. Oh, how can the soil
1205
in which your father sowed, unhappy man, have endured you in silence for so long?
1210
But now whose story is more grievous in men’s ears?
Who is a more wretched slave to fierce plagues and troubles, with all his life reversed? Alas, renowned Oedipus! The same bounteous harbor was sufficient for you, both as child and as father, to make your nuptial couch in. Oh, how can the soil
1205
in which your father sowed, unhappy man, have endured you in silence for so long?
1210
Chorus
Time the all-seeing has found you out, against your will: he judges the monstrous marriage in which
parent and child have long been one. Alas, child of Laius, would that I had never seen you. I wail as one who pours a dirge from his lips.
1215
It was you who gave me new life, to speak directly, and through you darkness has fallen upon my eyes.
1220
Time the all-seeing has found you out, against your will: he judges the monstrous marriage in which
parent and child have long been one. Alas, child of Laius, would that I had never seen you. I wail as one who pours a dirge from his lips.
1215
It was you who gave me new life, to speak directly, and through you darkness has fallen upon my eyes.
1220
Commentary
Commentary (R. C. Jebb) (OCR draft) (Commentary (R. C. Jebb))
mvp-comment-736-1 φθίσας 1
Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) focus
1186-1203. mvp-comment-671-1 Man walketh in a vain shadow, he appears, and is not. What lot could seem more blest than Oedipus'? who slew the monster, saved our state and took the kingdom for his own? € ἰὼ CA. γενεαί] γεναὶ L. ἰὼὡς γενεαὶ C6. But now what woe is like to his; plunged by reverse of fortune in cruel misery? O glorious Oedipus! how art thou sunk into an abyss of infamy, too long concealed. Time that sees all hath found thee. And I, unblest in knowing thee, must weep thy fall. Yet thou wast he that gave me respite and repose.' The rhythms of this ode are less elaborate than those of the three former, and convey a more direct utterance of feeling. α'. β'. } } 5 } ICCICI IICCICI ICCICI IICCICI IにトCCICI にートCCICI UILCCICI ICCII CCしトC!CICI CCICーしー ILCICIC lulca LUICI いいーしに CCLCIC LUCICICLICCICICI LCCLCICIC. 5 10 The first strophe and antistrophe, expressing solemn regret, consist each of three regular glyconic logaoedic systems, the second, giving vent to a more passionate mournfulness, are iambic and trochaic, returning to the smoother logaoedic rhythm in the last three lines. Syncope of thesis' occurs in ll. 1, 4, 9, 10, of β'.
1198. mvp-comment-680-1 ἐκράτησε . . ὄλβου Became lord of all prosperity. The reading ἐκράτησε, required by the metre, is confirmed by ἀνέστα, which has the best authority. The transition from the 2nd to the 3rd person, in 1197, and again to the 2nd in 1202, has led to the confusion. Cp. Tr. 94-101. Heimsoeth conj. ἐκύρησε.