Sophocles, Oedipus Tyrannus, Thomas Francklin (Translator), 164

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Jocasta
Scene V. StroijJie I. Antistrophe i. Stro2)he 2. Antistrophe 2. ACT IV. 950cont2

Chorus.

Oedipus Tyrannus. Sophocles. Thomas Francklin (Translator). London. 1758–1759.

Current edition Experimental

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) (English) (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (2)

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 163 focus

τρισσοὶ ἀλεξίμοροι προφάνητέ μοι,

Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 151-215 focus

Χορός

ὦ Διὸς ἁδυεπὲς φάτι, τίς ποτε τᾶς πολυχρύσου

Πυθῶνος ἀγλαὰς ἔβας

Θήβας; ἐκτέταμαι φοβερὰν φρένα, δείματι πάλλων,

ἰήιε Δάλιε Παιάν,

ἀμφὶ σοὶ ἁζόμενος τί μοι ἢ νέον
155

ἢ περιτελλομέναις ὥραις πάλιν ἐξανύσεις χρέος.

εἰπέ μοι, ὦ χρυσέας τέκνον Ἐλπίδος, ἄμβροτε Φάμα.

159

Χορός

πρῶτα σὲ κεκλόμενος, θύγατερ Διός, ἄμβροτʼ Ἀθάνα
160

γαιάοχόν τʼ ἀδελφεὰν

Ἄρτεμιν, ἃ κυκλόεντʼ ἀγορᾶς θρόνον εὐκλέα θάσσει,

καὶ Φοῖβον ἑκαβόλον, ἰὼ

τρισσοὶ ἀλεξίμοροι προφάνητέ μοι,

εἴ ποτε καὶ προτέρας ἄτας ὕπερ ὀρνυμένας πόλει
165

ἠνύσατʼ ἐκτοπίαν φλόγα πήματος, ἔλθετε καὶ νῦν.

169

Χορός

ὦ πόποι, ἀνάριθμα γὰρ φέρω

πήματα· νοσεῖ δέ μοι πρόπας στόλος, οὐδʼ ἔνι φροντίδος ἔγχος
170

ᾧ τις ἀλέξεται. οὔτε γὰρ ἔκγονα

κλυτᾶς χθονὸς αὔξεται οὔτε τόκοισιν

ἰηίων καμάτων ἀνέχουσι γυναῖκες·

ἄλλον δʼ ἂν ἄλλῳ προσίδοις ἅπερ εὔπτερον ὄρνιν
175

κρεῖσσον ἀμαιμακέτου πυρὸς ὄρμενον

ἀκτὰν πρὸς ἑσπέρου θεοῦ.

179

Χορός

ὧν πόλις ἀνάριθμος ὄλλυται·

νηλέα δὲ γένεθλα πρὸς πέδῳ θαναταφόρα κεῖται ἀνοίκτως·
180

ἐν δʼ ἄλοχοι πολιαί τʼ ἔπι ματέρες

ἀχὰν παραβώμιον ἄλλοθεν ἄλλαν

λυγρῶν πόνων ἱκετῆρες ἐπιστενάχουσιν.

παιὰν δὲ λάμπει στονόεσσά τε γῆρυς ὅμαυλος
185

ὧν ὕπερ, ὦ χρυσέα θύγατερ Διός,

εὐῶπα πέμψον ἀλκάν.

190

Χορός

Ἄρεά τε τὸν μαλερόν, ὃς νῦν ἄχαλκος ἀσπίδων
190

φλέγει με περιβόατον, ἀντιάζω

παλίσσυτον δράμημα νωτίσαι πάτρας

ἔπουρον, εἴτʼ ἐς μέγαν θάλαμον Ἀμφιτρίτας

εἴτʼ ἐς τὸν ἀπόξενον ὅρμων
195

Θρῄκιον κλύδωνα·

τελεῖν γὰρ εἴ τι νὺξ ἀφῇ,

τοῦτʼ ἐπʼ ἦμαρ ἔρχεται·

τόν, ὦ τᾶν πυρφόρων

ἀστραπᾶν κράτη νέμων,
200

ὦ Ζεῦ πάτερ, ὑπὸ σῷ φθίσον κεραυνῷ,

203

Χορός

Λύκειʼ ἄναξ, τά τε σὰ χρυσοστρόφων ἀπʼ ἀγκυλᾶν

βέλεα θέλοιμʼ ἂν ἀδάματʼ ἐνδατεῖσθαι

ἀρωγὰ προσταχθέντα τάς τε πυρφόρους
205

Ἀρτέμιδος αἴγλας, ξὺν αἷς Λύκιʼ ὄρεα διᾴσσει·

τὸν χρυσομίτραν τε κικλήσκω,

τᾶσδʼ ἐπώνυμον γᾶς,
210

οἰνῶπα Βάκχον εὔιον,

Μαινάδων ὁμόστολον,

πελασθῆναι φλέγοντʼ

ἀγλαῶπι ¯ ˘ ¯

πεύκᾳ ʼπὶ τὸν ἀπότιμον ἐν θεοῖς θεόν.
215

Translations (4)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 164 focus

CH. 1
649

Incline to our request

Thy mind and heart, O King!

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 159 focus

Dich erst rus' ich, Athene, des Zeus unsterbliche Tochter;

Auch Schwester, dir, des Landes Hut,
160

Artemis, sizend im Kreise des Markt's auf strahlendem Throne,¹

Und Phöbos, dem Treffenden, fleh' ich:

Drei todwehrende Götter, erscheinet mir!²

Schafftet ihr einst, als über die Häupter des³

Volkes der Fluch herab
165

Schwebte, die Glut des Verderbens hinaus, o zeiget auch jezt euch!

Zweite Strophe.

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 164 focus

Jocasta

Phocis the realm is call'd; the separate roads

From Delphi and from Daulia there unite.

English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 151-215 focus

The chorus of Theban elders enters.

Chorus

O sweetly-speaking message of Zeus, in what spirit have you come to glorious Thebes from golden Pytho ? I am on the rack, terror shakes my soul, O Delian healer to whom wild cries rise,

in holy fear of you, wondering what debt you will extract from me, perhaps unknown before, perhaps renewed with the revolving years. Tell me, immortal Voice, child of golden Hope.
155

159

Chorus

First I call on you, daughter of Zeus, immortal Athena,

and on your sister, Artemis, guardian of our earth, who sits on her glorious throne above the circle of our market-place, and on far-shooting Apollo: oh shine forth for me, my three-fold help against death!
160

If ever before you drove a fiery pest from our borders to stop ruin rushing upon our city, come now also!
165

169

Chorus

Alas, countless are the sorrows I bear.

A plague is on all our people, and thought can find no weapon for defense. The fruits of the glorious earth do not grow; by no birth of offspring do women surmount the pangs in which they shriek.
170

You can see life after life speed away, like a bird on the wing, swifter than irresistible fire, to the shore of the western god.
175

179

Chorus

With such deaths, past numbering, the city perishes.

Unpitied, her children lie on the ground, spreading pestilence, with no one to mourn them. Meanwhile young wives and grey-haired mothers raise a wail at the steps of the altars, some here, some there,
180

and groan in supplication for their terrible woes. The prayers to the Healer ring clear, and with them the voice of lamentation. For which things, golden daughter of Zeus, send us the bright face of comfort.
185

190

Chorus

Grant that the fierce god of death, who now without the bronze of shields, though among cries like those of battle, wraps me in the flames of his onset, may turn his back in speedy flight from our land, borne by a favorable wind to the great chamber of Amphitrite,
190

or to the Thracian waves, those waters where none find haven. For if night leaves anything undone in the working of destruction, day follows to accomplish it. You who wield the
195

powers of fiery lightning, Zeus our father, slay him beneath your thunder-bolt.
200

203

Chorus

Lycean Lord, would that the shafts from your bent bow’s string of woven gold might

go forth in their might, our champions in the face of the foe, and the flashing fires of Artemis too, with which she darts through the Lycian hills. I call him whose locks are bound with gold,
205

who is named with the name of this land, ruddy Bacchus to whom Bacchants cry, to draw near with the blaze of his shining torch,
210

our ally against the god unhonored among the gods.
215

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-589-1 ἐξεπέμψω ¹

mvp-comment-590-1 τί μοι λέγει; ²

mvp-comment-591-1 ὡς ³

mvp-comment-592-1 σημάντωρ ⁴ σημήνας γενοῦ ⁵

mvp-comment-593-1 εὖ ἴσθ’ ⁶ σαφῶς ⁷

mvp-comment-593-2 θανάσιμον βεβηκότα ⁸

mvp-comment-594-1 ξυναλλαγῇ ⁹

mvp-comment-595-1 σμικρὰ ῥοπή ¹⁰ εὐνάζει ¹¹

mvp-comment-596-1 Yes, he died of infirmities (νόσοις ἔφθιτὀ, and of the long years (τῷ μακρῷ χρόνῳ, causal dat.), in accordance with their term ( συμμετρούμενος ¹²

mvp-comment-597-1 σκοποῖτο ¹³

mvp-comment-597-2 τὴν Π. ἑστίαν ¹⁴ ἑστίαν ¹⁵

mvp-comment-598-1 κλάζοντας ¹⁶

mvp-comment-598-2 ὧν ὑφηγητῶν ¹⁷

mvp-comment-599-1 κτενεῖν ¹⁸

mvp-comment-600-1 κεύθει ¹⁹

mvp-comment-600-2 δὴ ²⁰

mvp-comment-601-1 ἄψαυστος ²¹

mvp-comment-601-2 εἴ τι μὴ ²²

mvp-comment-602-1 εἴη ξ ²³

mvp-comment-603-1 τὰ δ’ οὖν παρόντα ²⁴ δ’ οὖν ²⁵ ἄξῑ οὐδενός ²⁶

mvp-comment-603-2 τὰ παρόντα ²⁷

mvp-comment-603-3 συλλαβὼν ²⁸

mvp-comment-604-1 ηὔδας ²⁹

mvp-comment-605-1 νυν ³⁰

mvp-comment-606-1 ᾦ, ³¹

mvp-comment-606-2 τὰ τῆς τύχης ³² τύχη ³³

mvp-comment-607-1 πρόνοια ³⁴

mvp-comment-608-1 εἰκῆ ³⁵

mvp-comment-608-2 κράτιστον … ὅπως δύναιτο ³⁶

mvp-comment-609-1 φοβοῦ ³⁷

mvp-comment-610-1 κἀν ὀνείρασιν ³⁸

mvp-comment-611-1 παρ’ οὐδέν ³⁹

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

951. mvp-comment-553-1 ἐξεπέμψω Hast thou had me called forth? The middle voice as in μεταπέμπεσθαι, of that which is done through others. In Ant. 19, where Antigone herself brings Ismene forth, the active is used.

954. mvp-comment-554-1 τί μοι λέγει What, pray, has he to tell? rather than, What has he to tell me?'

955. mvp-comment-555-1 ἐκ τῆς Κορίνθου Answers not quite exactly to τίς ποτ' ἐστί; cp. supr. 936

957. mvp-comment-556-1 σημήνας γενοῦ Εssay on Language p. 51.

957. mvp-comment-556-2 σημήνας The periphrasis is more courteous than σήμηνον here.

958. mvp-comment-557-1 The messenger would rather tell first the accession of Oedipus to the Corinthian throne. Supr. 939.

959. mvp-comment-558-1 εἰ ἴσθ᾽ Porson corrected this το σάφ'᾽ ἴσθ'. But the hiatus is sufficiently defended by the recurrence of the open vowel after φεῦ, τί, ὦ.

960. mvp-comment-559-1 νόσου ξυναλλαγή By visitation of disease. 961. A little touch lays low the aged frame. σμ. δ = A slight inclination of the balance. Cp. Plat. Rep. 8. 556 E, ὥσπερ σῶμα νοσῶδες μικρᾶς ῥοπῆς ἔξωθεν δεῖται προσλαβέσθαι πρὸς τὸ κάμνειν.

963. mvp-comment-560-1 Yes, and by the length of years which his life had measured.' The dative is first instrumental, and then joined with συμμετρούμενοs in a supplementary construction.

964. mvp-comment-561-1 τί.. σκοποῖτο Cp. Phil. 428, τί δῆτα δεῖ σκοπεῖν; and for the middle v., infr. 1487, νοούμενος.

966. mvp-comment-562-1 κλάζοντας ὄρνις The informants of Teiresias, supr. 350 foll., cp. Ant. 998, foll.

967. mvp-comment-563-1 κτανεῖν On the aor. inf. after μέλλω, see L. and S. s. v. μέλλω. The resolved feet have here the effect of a crescendo.

969. mvp-comment-564-1 ἄψαυστος ἔγχους Without having laid hand to sword.

971. mvp-comment-565-1 τὰ.. παρόντα i. e. Well, and so he is in his grave, and has taken with him those prophecies which were troubling us, worth nothing now. There is no special emphasis on παρόντα; δ᾽ οὖν merely marking the return from the digression εἴ τι μὴ.. εἴη ἐξ ἐμοῦ. The new fear of Oedipus (976) is inconsistent with this speech, but the inconsistency is natural, and in keeping with his irresolution and excitement. See l. 914, and cp. Shakespeare, Macbeth, 3. 4,

Then comes my fit again; I had else been perfect, | Whole as the marble, founded as the rock, | As broad and general as the casing air; | But now I am cabined, cribbed, confined, bound in | To saucy doubts and fears.

975. mvp-comment-566-1 ἐς θυμὸν βάλῃς Take to heart, — allow to weigh upon your spirit. Cp. Hdt. 7.51, ἐς θυμὸν ὧν βαλεῦ καὶ τὸ παλαιὸν ἔπος, ὡς εὖ εἴρηται, κ.τ.λ. Supr. 739, τί δ᾽ ἐστί σοι τοῦτ᾽, Οἰδίπους, ἐνθύμιον;

976. mvp-comment-567-1 λέχος cannot be retained without altering the order of the words, which is best as it is.

977. mvp-comment-568-1 Why should man fear, seeing that Fortune rules his life and he has no clear foreknowledge of anything?' ἄνθρωπος] Quite general, as in O. C. 1153, πρᾶγος δ᾽ ἀτίζειν οὐδὲν ἄνθρωπον χρεών. For the sentiment, cp. Thuc. 4.62, τὸ δὲ ἀστάθμητον τοῦ μέλλοντος, κ.τ.λ.

979. mvp-comment-569-1 ''Tis best to live by chance, as best one may.' Cp. Eur. Hipp. 261 ff. For the asyndeton, cp. supr. 945.

979. mvp-comment-569-2 ὅπως δύναιτο is the more generalized form of ὅπως ἂν δύνηται. Cp. 315, ἀφ᾿ ὧν ἔχοι τε καὶ δύναιτο ; and see Essay on Language § 36. p. 61.

981. mvp-comment-570-1 Cp. Hdt. 6. 107: Plat. Rep. 9. 571 C.

Sophocles Oedipus Tyrannus 164

Thomas Francklin (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Jocasta
Scene V. StroijJie I. Antistrophe i. Stro2)he 2. Antistrophe 2. ACT IV. 950cont2

Chorus.

Current edition Experimental

CH. 1
649

Incline to our request

Thy mind and heart, O King!

Jocasta

Phocis the realm is call'd; the separate roads

From Delphi and from Daulia there unite.

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Jocasta Scene V. StroijJie I. Antistrophe i. Stro2)he 2. Antistrophe 2. ACT IV. 950cont2 Chorus.

Current edition Experimental

CH. 1 649 Incline to our request Thy mind and heart, O King!

Jocasta Phocis the realm is call'd; the separate roads From Delphi and from Daulia there unite.

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Jocasta
Scene V. StroijJie I. Antistrophe i. Stro2)he 2. Antistrophe 2. ACT IV. 950cont2

Chorus.

CH. 1
649

Incline to our request

Thy mind and heart, O King!

Jocasta

Phocis the realm is call'd; the separate roads

From Delphi and from Daulia there unite.