Sophocles Oedipus Tyrannus 2

Thomas Francklin (Translator)

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Oedipus
58
O my unhappy sons ! too well I know
Your sad estate. I know the woes of Thebes ;
And yet amongst you lives not such a wretch
60
As (Edipus ; for oh ! on me, my children.
Your sorrows press. Alas ! I feel for you
My people, for myself, for Thebes, for all !
Think not I slept regardless of your ills ;
Oh no ! with many a tear I wept your fate.
65
And oft in meditation deep revolved
How best your peace and safety to restore :
The only medicine that my thoughts could find
I have administered : Menteceus' son.
The noble Creon, went by my command
70
To Delphos from Apollo's shrine, to know
What must be done to save this wretched land t
'Tis time he were returned : I wonder much
At his delay. If, when he comes, your king
Perform not all the god enjoins, then say
75
He is the worst of men.

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)) — 2 focus
τίνας ποθ᾽ ἕδρας τάσδε μοι θοάζετε
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 1-150 focus
Translations (4)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 2 focus
PRIEST
14
Great ruler of my country, thou beholdest
The different ages of our flock who here
Are gathered round thine altar,—some, whose wing
15
Hath not yet ventured far from home, and some
Burdened with many years, priests of the Gods,
Myself the arch priest of Zeus, and these fresh youths,
A chosen few. Others there are who crowd
The holy agora and the temples twain
20
Of Pallas, and Ismenus’ hallowed fires,
A suppliant host. For, as thyself perceivest,
Our city is tempest tost, and all too weak
To lift above the waves her weary prow
That plunges in a rude and ravenous sea.
Earth’s buds are nipped, withering the germs within,
25
Our cattle lose their increase, and our wives
Have fruitless travail; and that scourge from Heaven,
The fiery Pestilence abhorred of men,
Descending on our people with dire stroke
Lays waste the Home of Cadmus, while dark Death
Wins ample tribute of laments and groans.
30
We kneel, then, at thy hearth; not likening thee
Unto the gods, I nor these children here,
But of men counting thee the first in might
Whether to cope with earthly casualty
Or visiting of more than earthly Power.
35
Thou, in thy coming to this Theban land,
Didst take away the hateful tax we paid
To that stern songstress,—aided not by us
With hint nor counsel, but, as all believe,
Gifted from heaven with life-restoring thought.
Now too, great Oedipus of matchless fame,
40
We all uplift our suppliant looks to thee,
To find some help for us, whether from man,
Or through the prompting of a voice Divine.
Experienced counsel, we have seen and know,
Hath ever prosperous issue. Thou, then, come,
Noblest of mortals, give our city rest
45
From sorrow! come, take heed! seeing this our land
Now calls thee Saviour for thy former zeal;
And ’twere not well to leave this memory
Of thy great reign among Cadmean men,
‘He raised us up, only again to fall.’
50
Let the salvation thou hast wrought for us
50
Be flawless and assured! As once erewhile
Thy lucky star gave us prosperity,
Be the same man to-day. Wouldst thou be king
In power, as in command, ’tis greater far
To rule a people than a wilderness.
55
Since nought avails or city or buttressed wall
Or gallant vessel, if unmanned and void.
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 1 focus
Kinder, ihr, des alten Kadmos neuer Stamm, 1 2 3
1
Weßhalb erscheint ihr lagernd auf den Stufen hier,
Geschmückt mit Zweigen als die Hülfeflehenden? 4
Erfüllt von Opferdüften ist die ganze Stadt,
Erfüllt von Bittgesängen und von Klageruf.
5
Hierüber wollt' ich Kunde nicht durch Boten erst
Vernehmen, Kinder; darum trat ich selbst heraus,
Ich, Dedipus, von Allen weit mit Ruhm genannt.
(zu dem Oberpriester)
So sage du mir, Alter, weil es dir geziemt,
Für die das Wort zu führen: was trieb euch hieher?
10
War's eine Sorge, war's ein Wunsch? Gern möcht' ich euch
Beisteh'n in Allem, und gefühllos wär' ich ja,
Erweckte solches Flehen nicht Mitleid in mir.
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 2 focus
Priest
14
Sovereign of Thebes, imperial Edipus,...
Thou seest us what we are, who sit thus low
15
Before thy altars; some whose unfledged wings
Bear them not far; and some who bend beneath
The weight of age, Priests these, myself the Priest
Of Jupiter; and some, the noblest youths,
The flow'r of Thebes. Her other sons arranged
20
Along the forum hold their suppliant boughs,
And at Minerva's temples, and the shrine
Prophetic nigh Ismenus: for the state,
Thine eyes behold it, labours in the storm,
Unable from the blood-stain'd wave to rear
25
Her head: her opening buds unfruitful fall,
Scorch'd by the baneful blasts: her pastured herds
Perish, her infants perish ere the birth.
Incumbent o'er the town destructive hangs
The fiery pestilence, beneath whose force
Thebes becomes desolate; with sighs and groans
Mean while the gloomy Pluto is enrich'd.
Now at thy altars sit I, and these youths,
Not that we deem thee equal to the gods,
35
But 'midst th' afflicting accidents of life,
Or sufferings sent from heav'n, the first of men.
For thou at Thebes arriving didst redeem.
The city from the tribute which we paid
To the harsh-screaming monster, not inform'd
40
By us, or counsell'd; no, with higher thought
We deem thee by some god inspired to raise
Our state to life. And now, most potent king,
Thus prostrate at thy feet we all implore
Thy aid; for our distress find some relief,
45
Attending to some god's oracular voice,
Or by some sage instructed; for I see
The counsels of th' experienced give fresh life
Since now
50
E'en in calamities. Thou best of men,
Go on, th' afflicted city once more raise;
Go on, and prudence be thy guide.
This country for thy former generous deeds
Hails thee as her preserver, of thy reign
55
Let us not hold this memory, that by thee
From ruin raised, by sad reverse at last
78
We sink in ruin; but once more this state
Restore to safety; as thou gavest us then
With happy auspices fair fortune, now
Be like thyself. More glorious wilt thou reign
132
O'er peopled, than o'er desolated realms :
The strong-ribb'd galley, and the rampired tow'r,
Their martial youth if wanting, nought avail.
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-45-1 γνωτὰ κοὐκ ἀγνῶτα 1

mvp-comment-46-1 νοσοῦντες … νοσεῖ 2

mvp-comment-47-1 εἰς ἕν’ … μόνον καθ’ αὑτόν 3

mvp-comment-48-1 πόλιν τε κἀμὲ καὶ σ’ 4

mvp-comment-49-1 The modal dat. ὕπνῳ 5

mvp-comment-50-1 πλάνοις 6

mvp-comment-51-1 ηὕρισκον 7

mvp-comment-52-1 ταύτην ἔπραξα 8

mvp-comment-53-1 Φοίβου … ὅ τι δρῶν … τί φωνῶν 9

mvp-comment-54-1 δρῶν ἢ … φωνῶν 10

mvp-comment-54-2 ῥυσαίμην 11

mvp-comment-55-1 καί μ’ ἦμαρ … χρόνῳ 12 ἤδη 13 χρόνῳ 14 ξυμμετρούμενον 15

mvp-comment-56-1 λυπεῖ τί πράσσει 16 τοῦ γὰρ εἰκότος πέρα 17

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

58. mvp-comment-43-1 Oedipus is full of anxiety, not for himself, but for his people, whose sorrows he bears. In his care for them he has sent Creon to consult the oracle, and now looks impatiently for his return. In a sense of which he is ignorant, his woe is indeed greater than the people's woe, and the plan which he has chosen as the only cure will bring the curse on him.

58. mvp-comment-43-2 ὦ παῖδες οἰκτροί O my poor children. The unusual position of the adjective gives a pathetic emphasis. See Essay on Language § 23. P. 37.

60. mvp-comment-44-1 νοσοῦντες is the real subject of the sentence, but the construction is changed for the sake of the emphatic phrase οὐκ ἔστιν ὅστις, See Essay on Language § 15. p. 21. In ὡς ἐγώ and ἐξ ἴσου there is a confusion of οὕτως ὡς ἐγώ and ἐξ ἴσου ἐμοί: i.e. ἐξ ἴσου is substituted for οὕτως. And although you are sick at heart, the sickness of none of you is equal to mine.

65. mvp-comment-45-1 ὕπνῳ γ' εὔδοντα When taking rest in sleep. The redundancy (as in Ο. C. 306, βραδὺς εὕδει), is no objection to the reading. The repetition is emphatic. I am not asleep, and you do not rouse me from slumber. For this pleonasm as well as for the present participle, cp. Τr. 175, ὥσθ᾽ ἡδέως εὕδουσαν ἐκπηδᾶν ἐμὲ | φύβῳ, φίλαι, ταρβοῦσαν: also (for the participle) ib. 1163, ζῶντά μ᾽ ἔκτεινεν. Ε. on L. § 4. 5. p. 75.

67. mvp-comment-46-1 'And have traversed many paths in the wanderings of thought.' Cp. Hdt. 3. 156, πάσας τὰς διεξόδους τῶν βουλευμάτων. The gloss of the Schol., ἀντὶ τοῦ πλάναις θηλυκῶς, confirms the reading πλάνοις.

68. mvp-comment-47-1 That which on careful consideration I found the only cure, I put in execution. Cp. Ar. Nub. 76.

71. mvp-comment-48-1 πύθοιθ Probably suggested by the sound of Πυθικά, but not an intentional play upon the word. Essay on Language § 44. p. 83.

72. mvp-comment-49-1 ῥυσαίμην Cp. Ant. 271-272, οὔθ' ὅπως δρῶντες καλῶς πράξαιμεν. The short syllable (in thesi) before the initial p is an Epic usage, but rare in tragedy. Cp. Aesch. S. c. Τ. 91, τίς ἄρα ῥύσεται;

73. mvp-comment-50-1 Lit. The day now measured by the course of time makes me anxious to know how he fares; i. e. When I think what day this is,' When I count the days. χρόνῳ, not the time of his absence but time generally. The comparative unfamiliarity of the abstract notion of time may account for the vagueness of the expression, which is supplemented in the two following lines. Each day is compared with an absolute standard of time. See Essay on L p. 91. For the intransitive sense of τί πράσσει, cp. Aj. 1418-1419, οὐδεὶς μάντις τῶν μελλόντων ὅ τι πράξει, and for the construction, ib. 794, ὥστε μ' ὠδίνειν, τί φής.

74-75. mvp-comment-51-1 The expression is redundant, so that ἄπεστι is joined at once with τοῦ εἰκότος πέρα and with πλείω τοῦ καθήκοντος χρόνου. The clause πλείω, κ.τ.λ., is added as an explanation of τοῦ γὰρ εἰκότος πέρα, and more fully expresses Oedipus' surprise at the continued absence of Creon. He is absent longer than he ought to be, beyond due measure.

77. mvp-comment-52-1 For κακὸς ἂν εἴην μὴ δρῶν, cp. Eur. Heracl. 282-283, μάτην.. ἥβην.. ἂν κεκτῴμεθα.. μή σε τιμωρούμενοι. Ε. on L p. 50.