Sophocles, Oedipus Tyrannus, Lewis Campbell (Translator), 388

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MESS
Enter Messenger . 1223

O ye who in this land have ever held

Chief honour, what an object of dire woe

Awaits your eyes, your ears! What piercing grief

Your hearts must suffer, if as kinsmen should
1225

Ye still regard the house of Laius!

Not Phasis, nor the Danube’s rolling flood,

Can ever wash away the stain and purge

This mansion of the horror that it hides.

—And more it soon shall give to light, not now

Unconsciously enacted. Of all ill,
1230

Self-chosen sorrows are the worst to bear.

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)) — 388 focus

δόλιον ἀγύρτην, ὅστις ἐν τοῖς κέρδεσιν

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-752-1 A messenger comes forth from the house. An ἐξάγγελος is one who announces τὰ ἔσω γεγονότα τοῖς ἔξω (Hesych.), while the ἄγγελος (924) brings news from a distance: in Thuc. 8.51

(τῷ στρατεύματι ἐξάγγελος γίγνεται ὡς, κ.τ.λ.),

one who betrays secrets.

mvp-comment-753-1 ὅσον δ’ ¹

mvp-comment-753-2 ἀρεῖσθε ²

mvp-comment-753-3 ἐγγενῶς ³

mvp-comment-754-1 Ἴστρον ⁴

mvp-comment-754-2 Φᾶσιν ⁵

mvp-comment-755-1 καθαρμῷ, modal dat., “by way of purification, ” so as to purify.

mvp-comment-755-2 νίψαι ⁶

mvp-comment-755-3 ὅσα ⁷

mvp-comment-756-1 The construction is ὅσα κακὰ ⁸ κεύθει, τὰ δὲ αὐτίκα ἐς τὸ φῶς φανεῖ ⁹ κεύθει ¹⁰ φανεῖ ¹¹ ἑκόντα ¹² ἄκοντἀ. ἑκόντα … ἄκοντα ¹³

mvp-comment-757-1 μάλιστα ¹⁴ λυποῦσι ¹⁵

mvp-comment-757-2 αἳ ¹⁶

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

1224-1225. mvp-comment-693-1 ὅσον δ᾽ ἀρεῖσθε πένθος What mourning will be yours! αἴρεσθαι πένθος is to assume the burden of grief.

1225. mvp-comment-694-1 ἐγγενῶς i. e. πρεπόντως τοῖς ἐν γένει, with the feeling of kindred. Cp. Thuc. 2.60, οὐκ ἂν ὁμοίως τι οἰκείως φρά- Coi. The Theban elders are closely allied by descent to the royal house of Cadmus. Cp. supr. 911, χώρας ἄνακτες : Ant. 988, Θήβης άνακτες.

1227. mvp-comment-695-1 Cp. Aesch. Cho. 72, πόροι τε πάντες ἐκ μιᾶς ὁδοῦ βαίνοντες τὸν χερομυσῆ φόνον καθαίροντες ῥέουσιν μάτην: Ant. 1284, δυσκάθαρτος Ἅιδου λιμήν.

1228. mvp-comment-696-1 καθαρμῷ Dative of manner used proleptically = ὥστε καθαρὸν εἶναι. Cp. Shak. Macbeth, 2. 1,

Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood | Clean from this hand?-no, this my hand will rather | The multitudinous seas incarnadine, | Making the greenone red.

The Greeks exaggerated the size of distant rivers.

1228. mvp-comment-696-2 ὅσα κεύθει Of all that it hides. Cp. Aesch. Ag. 1189, κῶμος ἐν δόμοις μένει | δύσπεμπτος ἔξω, συγγόνων Ἐρινύων.

1229. mvp-comment-697-1 τὰ δ' And fresh evils, not this time involuntary, it will now disclose. The messenger first referred generally to the horrors of the house of Laius; he now speaks of the suicide of Jocasta and the self-inflicted blindness of Oedipus. Cp. Ant. 1279-1280, τὰ μὲν πρὸ χειρῶν τάδε φέρων, τὰ δ' ἐν δόμοις | ἔοικας ἥκειν καὶ τάχ᾿ ὄψεσθαι κακά. For τὰ δέ without τὰ μέν preceding, see Essay on Language § 39. p. 74. And for ἑκόντα = ἑκούσια, ib. § 50. 3. p. 94. Cp. Ο. C. 977, τό γ' ἶκον πρᾶγμα.

1231. mvp-comment-698-1 αἱ φανῶσ' Which are seen to be. For the poetical omission of av, see Essay on Language § 27. p. 45.

Sophocles Oedipus Tyrannus 388

Lewis Campbell (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

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:

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

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.