Sophocles, Oedipus Tyrannus, Lewis Campbell (Translator), 385

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THEB. SH

Pity, my sovereign lord!

Supposing he would take him far away

Unto the land whence he was come. But he

Preserved him to great sorrow. For if thou
1180

Art he this man hath said, be well assured
1180

Thou bear’st a heavy doom.

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)) — 385 focus

ταύτης Κρέων ὁ πιστός, οὐξ ἀρχῆς φίλος

385

Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 463-511 focus

Χορός

τίς ὅντινʼ ἁ θεσπιέπεια Δελφὶς εἶπε πέτρα

ἄρρητʼ ἀρρήτων τελέσαντα φοινίαισι χερσίν;
465

ὥρα νιν ἀελλάδων

ἵππων σθεναρώτερον

φυγᾷ πόδα νωμᾶν.

ἔνοπλος γὰρ ἐπʼ αὐτὸν ἐπενθρῴσκει

πυρὶ καὶ στεροπαῖς ὁ Διὸς γενέτας,
470

δειναὶ δʼ ἅμʼ ἕπονται

κῆρες ἀναπλάκητοι

473

Χορός

ἔλαμψε γὰρ τοῦ νιφόεντος ἀρτίως φανεῖσα

φάμα Παρνασοῦ τὸν ἄδηλον ἄνδρα πάντʼ ἰχνεύειν.

φοιτᾷ γὰρ ὑπʼ ἀγρίαν
475

ὕλαν ἀνά τʼ ἄντρα καὶ

πέτρας ἰσόταυρος

μέλεος μελέῳ ποδὶ χηρεύων,

τὰ μεσόμφαλα γᾶς ἀπονοσφίζων
480

μαντεῖα· τὰ δʼ ἀεὶ

ζῶντα περιποτᾶται.

483

Χορός

δεινὰ μὲν οὖν, δεινὰ ταράσσει σοφὸς οἰωνοθέτας

οὔτε δοκοῦντʼ οὔτʼ ἀποφάσκονθʼ· ὅ τι λέξω δʼ ἀπορῶ.
485

πέτομαι δʼ ἐλπίσιν οὔτʼ, ἐνθάδʼ ὁρῶν οὔτʼ ὀπίσω.

τί γὰρ ἢ Λαβδακίδαις

ἢ τῷ Πολύβου νεῖκος ἔκειτʼ, οὔτε πάροιθέν ποτʼ ἔγωγʼ
490

ἔμαθον, πρὸς ὅτου δὴ βασανίζων βασάνῳ

ἐπὶ τὰν ἐπίδαμον φάτιν εἶμʼ Οἰδιπόδα Λαβδακίδαις

ἐπίκουρος ἀδήλων θανάτων.
495

496

Χορός

ἀλλʼ ὁ μὲν οὖν Ζεὺς ὅ τʼ Ἀπόλλων ξυνετοὶ καὶ τὰ βροτῶν

εἰδότες· ἀνδρῶν δʼ ὅτι μάντις πλέον ἢ ʼγὼ φέρεται,
500

κρίσις οὔκ ἔστιν ἀλαθής· σοφίᾳ δʼ ἂν σοφίαν

παραμείψειεν ἀνήρ.

ἀλλʼ οὔποτʼ ἔγωγʼ ἄν, πρὶν ἴδοιμʼ ὀρθὸν ἔπος, μεμφομένων ἂν καταφαίην.
505

φανερὰ γὰρ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ, πτερόεσσʼ ἦλθε κόρα

ποτέ, καὶ σοφὸς ὤφθη βασάνῳ θʼ ἁδύπολις τῷ ἀπʼ ἐμᾶς
510

φρενὸς οὔποτʼ ὀφλήσει κακίαν.

Translations (2)

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 380 focus

Reichthümer, Herrschaft, und o Kunst, der keine Kunst

Im neiderfüllten Leben sich zur Seite stellt,

Welch schnöde Mißgunst heget ihr in eurem Schooß,

Wenn um des Thrones willen, den mir diese Stadt

Unaufgefordert übergab als freien Lohn,
385

Mir Kreon, jener treue Freund aus alter Zeit,

Nachschleicht im Rücken und mich auszutreiben strebt,

Anstellend diesen Zaubermann, den Ränkeschmid,

Den listenreichen Gaukler, der in Wucher nur

Scharfsichtig und in seiner Kunst ein Blinder ist!
390

Denn sage, wo bewährst du deine Seherkraft?

Als hier die Hündin ihre Räthsel sang, warum¹

Sprachst du für unsre Bürger kein erlösend Wort?

Doch war es nicht des nächsten besten Mannes Werk,

Den Spruch zu deuten, nein, bedurfte Seherkunst;
395

Die lerntest du von deinen Vogelzeichen nicht,

Noch offenbarte dir's ein Gott: ich, Dedipus,

Erschien, ein Ziel ihr sezend, ich Unkundiger,

Durch Geist es treffend, nicht belehrt vom Vogelflug.

Und den versuchst du fortzutreiben, weil du dann
400

Kreon's erhabnem Throne nah zu stehen hoffst.

Ihr werdet weinend, hoff' ich, du wie dein Genoß,

Den Bann vollstrecken: säh' ich nicht in dir den Greis,

Du würd'st in Leid erkennen, was du mir ersannst.

Der Chor.

Uns, wenn wir überlegen, dünkt des Greises Wort
405

Im Zorn gesprochen, so wie deines, Dedipus.

Nicht solches kann uns frommen, nein, uns ziemt zu späh'n,

Wie wir am besten Gnüge thun des Gottes Spruch.

Teiresias.

English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 463-510 focus

Chorus

Who is he of whom the divine voice from the Delphian rock has said

to have wrought with blood-red hands horrors that no tongue can tell? It is time that he ply in flight a foot stronger than the feet of storm-swift steeds.
465

The son of Zeus is springing upon him with fiery lightning, and with him come the dread unerring Fates.
470

473

Chorus

Recently the message has flashed forth from snowy Parnassus

ordering all to search for the unknown man. He wanders under cover of the wild wood, among caves and rocks, fierce as a bull, wretched and forlorn on his joyless path, still seeking to separate himself from the doom revealed at the central shrine of the earth.
475

But that doom lives forever, forever flits around him.
480

483

Chorus

The wise augur moves me, neither approving nor denying, with dread, with dread indeed.

I am at a loss what to say. I am flustered in my expectations, seeing neither the present nor the future clearly. Never in past days or in these have I heard how the house of Labdacus or the son of Polybus had any quarrel with one another that
485

I could bring as proof in assailing the public reputation of Oedipus, seeking to avenge the line of Labdacus
490

for the undiscovered murder.
495

496

Chorus

Zeus and Apollo indeed are keen of thought and know the affairs of the earth.

But there is no sure test of whether a mortal seer attains more knowledge than I do, though man may surpass man in wisdom. But until I see the word made good, I will never assent when men blame Oedipus. Before all eyes the winged maiden came against him once upon a time, and he was seen to be wise,
500

and bore the test in welcome service to the state. Never, therefore, will he be adjudged guilty of evil.
510

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-725-1 “I gave up the child through pity,” ὡς … δοκῶν ¹ ὡς ²

mvp-comment-725-2 ἄλλην χθόνα ἀποίσειν ³

mvp-comment-726-1 κάκ’ ⁴

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

1180. mvp-comment-667-1 A few touches now reveal the whole secret. The herdsman is not required to give the information for which he was at first summoned. There is no need to explain the horror further.

Sophocles Oedipus Tyrannus 385

Lewis Campbell (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

THEB. SH

Pity, my sovereign lord!

Supposing he would take him far away

Unto the land whence he was come. But he

Preserved him to great sorrow. For if thou
1180

Art he this man hath said, be well assured
1180

Thou bear’st a heavy doom.

Current edition Experimental

Der Chor.

Uns, wenn wir überlegen, dünkt des Greises Wort
405

Im Zorn gesprochen, so wie deines, Dedipus.

Nicht solches kann uns frommen, nein, uns ziemt zu späh'n,

Wie wir am besten Gnüge thun des Gottes Spruch.

Teiresias.

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

THEB. SH Pity, my sovereign lord! Supposing he would take him far away Unto the land whence he was come. But he Preserved him to great sorrow. For if thou 1180 Art he this man hath said, be well assured 1180 Thou bear’st a heavy doom.

Current edition Experimental

Der Chor. Uns, wenn wir überlegen, dünkt des Greises Wort 405 Im Zorn gesprochen, so wie deines, Dedipus. Nicht solches kann uns frommen, nein, uns ziemt zu späh'n, Wie wir am besten Gnüge thun des Gottes Spruch.

Teiresias.

Commentary

Stable identifiers

THEB. SH

Pity, my sovereign lord!

Supposing he would take him far away

Unto the land whence he was come. But he

Preserved him to great sorrow. For if thou
1180

Art he this man hath said, be well assured
1180

Thou bear’st a heavy doom.

Der Chor.

Uns, wenn wir überlegen, dünkt des Greises Wort
405

Im Zorn gesprochen, so wie deines, Dedipus.

Nicht solches kann uns frommen, nein, uns ziemt zu späh'n,

Wie wir am besten Gnüge thun des Gottes Spruch.