Sophocles Oedipus Tyrannus 27

Lewis Campbell (Translator)

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OED
What robber would have ventured such a deed,
If unsolicited with bribes from hence?
125

Oedipus Tyrannus. Sophocles. Lewis Campbell (Translator). London, New York and Toronto. 1906.

Current edition Experimental

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) (English) (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (2)
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 27 focus
ἀγόνοις γυναικῶν· ἐν δ᾽ ὁ πυρφόρος θεὸς
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 1-150 focus
Translations (4)
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 14 focus
Nun denn, Beherrscher meines Landes, Dedipus,
Von jedem Alter siehst du hier gelagert uns
15
An deinen Herden: Kinder, die zu weitem Flug 1
Noch nicht erstarkt sind, Priester, die das Alter beugt, -
Zeus' Diener, mich, - hier auserles'ne Jünglinge;
Wie wir, geschmückt mit Zweigen, sizt das andre Volk
Kings auf den Märkten, um die beiden Tempel dort 2
20
Der Pallas und Ismenos' Seherherd zunächst.
Die Stadt, du siehst es selber ja, schwankt ungestüm
Im Wogenaufruhr und vermag nicht mehr das Haupt
Emporzuheben aus dem Meer der Todesflut,
Hinsterbend hier im fruchtbeschwerten Keim der Flur,
25
Hinsterbend dort in Rinderheerden und der Frau'n
Noch ungebor'nen Kindern; hergestürmt mit Glut,
Verwüstet grimmvoll unsre Stadt der Seuche Gott,
Daß Kadmos Haus verödet und das dunkle Land 3
Der Schatten reicher an Gestöhn und Klagen wird.
30
Drum lagr' ich samt den Kindern hier um deinen Herd;
Zwar nicht den Göttern achten wir dich gleich, o Herr,
Doch als der Menschen Ersten bei den Schickungen
Der Götter und auf wechselvoller Lebensbahn;
Denn du, gelangt zu Kadmos' Burg, erlöstest uns
35
Vom Zinse, den wir dargebracht der grausen Sphinx, 4
Und ohne daß dir weitre Kunde ward von uns,
Noch Unterweisung; nein, mit Götterhülse nur,
So sagt und glaubt man, schirmtest du das Leben uns.
Auch jezt, du hochgewaltig Haupt des Dedipus,
40
Fleh'n dir wir alle, lagernd hier zu deinen Knie'n,
Uns Hülfe wo zu finden, ob ein Gottesspruch,
Ob eines Menschen Wissen sie dir offenbart.
Denn wohl erkenn' ich, daß des Vielerfahrenen
Kathschlüsse stets ein segenvolles Ende krönt.
45
Auf, bester aller Menschen, richt' empor die Stadt!
Auf, walte sorgsam! Heute nennt dich Retter noch
Dies Land für Liebe, die du treu vordem bewährt;
Doch deiner Herrschaft dächten wir nie mehr hinfort,
Wenn sie zuerst uns steigen, dann versinken ließ.
50
Auf sichrem Grunde richte denn die Stadt empor!
Dich führten gute Götter, als du früher uns
Das Glück erschusest: zeige nun auch also dich!
Denn willst du Herr sein, wie du's bist, in diesem Reich,
Ist's über Menschen schöner, als im öden Land.
55
Denn wahrlich Nichts ist weder Schiff noch feste Burg,
Beraubt der Männer, die zuvor darin gewohnt.
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 27 focus
Oedipus
276
Your prayers are heard : and if you will obey
280
Your king, and hearken to his words, you soon
280
Shall find relief ; myself will heal your woes.
280
I was a stranger to the dreadful deed,
280
A stranger e'en to the report till now ;
280
And yet without some traces of the crime
280
I should not urge this matter ; therefore hear me.
280
I speak to all the citizens of Thebes,
280
Myself a citizen — observe me Avell :
280
If any know the murderer of Laius,
280
Let him reveal it ; I command you all.
280
But if restrained by dread of punishment
280
He hide the secret, let him fear no more ;
280
For nought but exile shall attend the crime
280
Whene'er confessed ; if by a foreign hand
280
The horrid deed was done, who points him out
280
Commands our thanks, and meets a sure reward ;
280
But if there be who knows the murderer,
280
And yet conceals him from us, mark his fate.
Which here I do pronounce : Let none receive
Throughout my kingdom, none hold converse with him,
Nor offer prayer, nor sprinkle o'er his head
The sacred cup ; let him be driven from all,
By all abandoned, and by all accursed,
For so the Delphic oracle declared ;
And therefore to the gods I pay this duty
And to the dead. Oh ! may the guilty wretch,
Whether alone, or by his impious friends
Assisted, he performed the horrid deed,
Denied the common benefits of nature,
Wear out a painful life ! And oh ! if here,
Within my palace, I conceal the traitoi-,
On me and mine alight the vengeful curse !
To you, my people, I commit the care
Of this important business ; 'tis my cause.
The cause of Heaven, and your expii'ing country.
E'en if the god had nought declared, to leave
This crime unexpiated were most ungrateful.
He was the best of kings, the best of men ;
That sceptre now is mine which Laius boie ;
His wife is mine ; so would his children be
Did any live ; and therefore am I bound.
E'en as he were my father, to revenge him.
Yes, I will try to find this murderer,
I owe it to the son of Labdacus,
To Polydorus, Cadmus, and the race
If great Agenor. Oh ! if yet there are,
Who will not join me in the pious deed.
From such may earth withhold her annual store,
And barren be their bed, their life most wretched,.
And their death cruel as the pestilence
That wastes our city ! But on you, my Thebans,
Who wish us fair success, may justice smile
Propitious, and the gods for ever bless !
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 27 focus
Oedipus
132cont2
But I will bring them into light again
From their first cause. Of Phœbus for the dead
This zeal is worthy, worthy too of thee;
And me confederate in the same just cause
You shall behold; this country and the god
I will avenge. Not for some distant friend,
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 1-150 focus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-93-1 εἴ τι μὴ 1 ξὺν 2

mvp-comment-93-2 ἐπράσσετο … ἔβη 3

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

95-131. mvp-comment-65-1 This short dialogue is carefully constructed with a view to the plot. Oedipus had heard of Laius and of his death, but (as he imagines) certainly never saw him and never thought of inquiring into the circumstances of his murder. (An excuse for this improbability is suggested afterwards in ll. 220-221, οὐ γὰρ ἂν μακράν, κ.τ.λ.) One witness of the deed remains, but he being overcome with fear could only give even at the time a confused account of an assault by a band of robbers.

124. mvp-comment-86-1 ὁ λῃστής The singular referring to the plural may only be an idiomatic collective use (cp. ὁ Μῆδοs, etc,); but may also be a stroke of art, by which Oedipus is represented as wholly careless about the number of the persons, which is afterwards his only refuge: 842 ff.

125. mvp-comment-87-1 ἐπράσσετο Unless some influence with money was exerted from Thebes. Cp. Thuc. 5. 83, ὑπῆρχε δέ τι .. αὐτόθεν πρασσόμενον, ib. 4.121. The brigand must have had confederates in the city. Cp. O. C. 1028-1031, ἀλλ᾽ ἔσθ᾽ ὅτῳ σὺ πιστὸς ὢν ἔδρας πάδε: Ford's Perkin Warbeck, l. 1 , Foreign attempts against a state and kingdom | Are seldom without some great friend at home.