Sophocles, Oedipus Tyrannus, Richard Jebb (Translator), 1321

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Oedipus

Ah, friend, you still are steadfast in your care for me, and still have patience to tend to the blind man! Ah, me!

Your presence is not hidden from me—no, blind though I am, nevertheless I know your voice full well.
1325

Chorus

Man of dread deeds, how could you quench your vision in this way? What divinity urged you on?

Oedipus Tyrannus. Sophocles. Richard Jebb (Translator). Cambridge. 1887.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Experimental

Oedipus Tyrannus (English) (Sophocles the plays and fragments, Part 1: The Oedipus Tyrannus. Jebb, Richard Claverhouse, Sir, translator. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1887. (Modernized by Perseus.))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (2)

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 1321 focus

ἰὼ φίλος,

σὺ μὲν ἐμὸς ἐπίπολος ἔτι μόνιμος· ἔτι γὰρ

ὑπομένεις με τὸν τυφλὸν κηδεύων.

φεῦ φεῦ.

οὐ γάρ με λήθεις, ἀλλὰ γιγνώσκω σαφῶς,
1325

καίπερ σκοτεινός, τήν γε σὴν αὐδὴν ὅμως.

Χορός

ὦ δεινὰ δράσας, πῶς ἔτλης τοιαῦτα σὰς

ὄψεις μαρᾶναι; τίς σ᾽ ἐπῆρε δαιμόνων;

Οἰδίπους

Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 1321 focus

Οἰδίπους

ἰὼ φίλος,

σὺ μὲν ἐμὸς ἐπίπολος ἔτι μόνιμος· ἔτι γὰρ

ὑπομένεις με τὸν τυφλὸν κηδεύων.

φεῦ φεῦ.

οὐ γάρ με λήθεις, ἀλλὰ γιγνώσκω σαφῶς,
1325

καίπερ σκοτεινός, τήν γε σὴν αὐδὴν ὅμως.

Χορός

ὦ δεινὰ δράσας, πῶς ἔτλης τοιαῦτα σὰς

ὄψεις μαρᾶναι; τίς σʼ ἐπῆρε δαιμόνων;

Translations (4)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 1321 focus

Ah! Friend, thou art still constant! Thou remainest

To tend me and to care for the blind man.

Alas!

I know thee well, nor fail I to perceive,

Dark though I be, thy kind familiar voice.

CH

How dreadful is thy deed! How couldst thou bear

Thus to put out thine eyes? What Power impelled thee?

OED

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 1321 focus

theurer Freund,

Oedipus.

Allein treue Stüze mir! Pflegst du doch
1295

Allein noch mich Blinden, ja, du harrst aus bei mir! Weh!

Du bist mir nicht verborgen; denn obwohl in Nacht,

Erkenn' ich doch ganz deutlich deiner Stimme Ton.

Der Chor.

Ha, Frevler! Wie vermochtest du's, der Augen Licht

Also zu schänden? Welcher Gott trieb dich dazu?
1300

Oedipus.

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 1321 focus

O cruel darkness ! endless, hopeless night,

Shame, terrors, and unutterable woe !

Mere painful is the memory of my crimes

Than all the wounds my wild distraction made.

Chorus

Thus doubly cursed, O prince ! I wonder not

At thy affliction.

Oedipus

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 1321 focus

Ah me, this cloud of darkness thick'ning round,

Hateful, beyond expression, beyond cure,

And beyond hope! Ah me, how keen the sting

Of frenzy, and the memory of my ills!

Chorus

No marvel if in sufferings great as thine

Redoubled ills bring on redoubled woes.

Oedipus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-810-1 μόνιμος ¹

mvp-comment-811-1 A distinct echo of Hom. Il. 24.563

καὶ δὲ σὲ γιγνώσκω, Πρίαμε, φρεσίν, οὐδέ με λήθεις.

Besides λήθω, λήσω, λέληθα, Soph. has ἔληθον ( Soph. El. 1359 ). Cp. Soph. OC 891 , where Oed. recognises the voice of Theseus.

mvp-comment-812-1 σκοτεινός ²

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

1322. mvp-comment-745-1 The line is cited by Eustathius in this form. ἐμοῖς ἐπὶ πόνοις, quoted as a v. r. in L. mg., has arisen from the misreading of ἐπίπολος by some early scribe. Cp. the v. r. τήνδε θεσπίζει γραφήν for τὴνδ᾽ ἔθεσθ᾽ ἐπιστροφήν, supr. 134. με is governed, (1) by ὑπομένεις, You endure me, do not avoid me; (2) by κηδεύων.

1325. mvp-comment-746-1 Cp. Il. 24.563, καὶ δὲ σὲ γιγνώσκω, Πρίαμε, φρεσίν, οὐδέ με λήθεις, κ.τ.λ.

Sophocles Oedipus Tyrannus 1321

Richard Jebb (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Oedipus

Ah, friend, you still are steadfast in your care for me, and still have patience to tend to the blind man! Ah, me!

Your presence is not hidden from me—no, blind though I am, nevertheless I know your voice full well.
1325

Chorus

Man of dread deeds, how could you quench your vision in this way? What divinity urged you on?

Current edition Experimental

Χορός

ὦ δεινὰ δράσας, πῶς ἔτλης τοιαῦτα σὰς

ὄψεις μαρᾶναι; τίς σ᾽ ἐπῆρε δαιμόνων;

Οἰδίπους

Χορός

ὦ δεινὰ δράσας, πῶς ἔτλης τοιαῦτα σὰς

ὄψεις μαρᾶναι; τίς σʼ ἐπῆρε δαιμόνων;

Ah! Friend, thou art still constant! Thou remainest

To tend me and to care for the blind man.

Alas!

I know thee well, nor fail I to perceive,

Dark though I be, thy kind familiar voice.

CH

How dreadful is thy deed! How couldst thou bear

Thus to put out thine eyes? What Power impelled thee?

OED

theurer Freund,

Oedipus.

Allein treue Stüze mir! Pflegst du doch
1295

Allein noch mich Blinden, ja, du harrst aus bei mir! Weh!

Du bist mir nicht verborgen; denn obwohl in Nacht,

Erkenn' ich doch ganz deutlich deiner Stimme Ton.

Der Chor.

Ha, Frevler! Wie vermochtest du's, der Augen Licht

Also zu schänden? Welcher Gott trieb dich dazu?
1300

Oedipus.

O cruel darkness ! endless, hopeless night,

Shame, terrors, and unutterable woe !

Mere painful is the memory of my crimes

Than all the wounds my wild distraction made.

Chorus

Thus doubly cursed, O prince ! I wonder not

At thy affliction.

Oedipus

Ah me, this cloud of darkness thick'ning round,

Hateful, beyond expression, beyond cure,

And beyond hope! Ah me, how keen the sting

Of frenzy, and the memory of my ills!

Chorus

No marvel if in sufferings great as thine

Redoubled ills bring on redoubled woes.

Oedipus

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Oedipus Ah, friend, you still are steadfast in your care for me, and still have patience to tend to the blind man! Ah, me! Your presence is not hidden from me—no, blind though I am, nevertheless I know your voice full well. 1325

Chorus Man of dread deeds, how could you quench your vision in this way? What divinity urged you on?

Current edition Experimental

Χορός ὦ δεινὰ δράσας, πῶς ἔτλης τοιαῦτα σὰς ὄψεις μαρᾶναι; τίς σ᾽ ἐπῆρε δαιμόνων;

Οἰδίπους

Χορός ὦ δεινὰ δράσας, πῶς ἔτλης τοιαῦτα σὰς ὄψεις μαρᾶναι; τίς σʼ ἐπῆρε δαιμόνων;

Ah! Friend, thou art still constant! Thou remainest To tend me and to care for the blind man. Alas! I know thee well, nor fail I to perceive, Dark though I be, thy kind familiar voice.

CH How dreadful is thy deed! How couldst thou bear Thus to put out thine eyes? What Power impelled thee?

OED

theurer Freund,

Oedipus. Allein treue Stüze mir! Pflegst du doch 1295 Allein noch mich Blinden, ja, du harrst aus bei mir! Weh! Du bist mir nicht verborgen; denn obwohl in Nacht, Erkenn' ich doch ganz deutlich deiner Stimme Ton.

Der Chor. Ha, Frevler! Wie vermochtest du's, der Augen Licht Also zu schänden? Welcher Gott trieb dich dazu? 1300

Oedipus.

O cruel darkness ! endless, hopeless night, Shame, terrors, and unutterable woe ! Mere painful is the memory of my crimes Than all the wounds my wild distraction made.

Chorus Thus doubly cursed, O prince ! I wonder not At thy affliction.

Oedipus

Ah me, this cloud of darkness thick'ning round, Hateful, beyond expression, beyond cure, And beyond hope! Ah me, how keen the sting Of frenzy, and the memory of my ills!

Chorus No marvel if in sufferings great as thine Redoubled ills bring on redoubled woes.

Oedipus

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Oedipus

Ah, friend, you still are steadfast in your care for me, and still have patience to tend to the blind man! Ah, me!

Your presence is not hidden from me—no, blind though I am, nevertheless I know your voice full well.
1325

Chorus

Man of dread deeds, how could you quench your vision in this way? What divinity urged you on?

Χορός

ὦ δεινὰ δράσας, πῶς ἔτλης τοιαῦτα σὰς

ὄψεις μαρᾶναι; τίς σ᾽ ἐπῆρε δαιμόνων;

Χορός

ὦ δεινὰ δράσας, πῶς ἔτλης τοιαῦτα σὰς

ὄψεις μαρᾶναι; τίς σʼ ἐπῆρε δαιμόνων;

Ah! Friend, thou art still constant! Thou remainest

To tend me and to care for the blind man.

Alas!

I know thee well, nor fail I to perceive,

Dark though I be, thy kind familiar voice.

CH

How dreadful is thy deed! How couldst thou bear

Thus to put out thine eyes? What Power impelled thee?

Oedipus.

Allein treue Stüze mir! Pflegst du doch
1295

Allein noch mich Blinden, ja, du harrst aus bei mir! Weh!

Du bist mir nicht verborgen; denn obwohl in Nacht,

Erkenn' ich doch ganz deutlich deiner Stimme Ton.

Der Chor.

Ha, Frevler! Wie vermochtest du's, der Augen Licht

Also zu schänden? Welcher Gott trieb dich dazu?
1300

O cruel darkness ! endless, hopeless night,

Shame, terrors, and unutterable woe !

Mere painful is the memory of my crimes

Than all the wounds my wild distraction made.

Chorus

Thus doubly cursed, O prince ! I wonder not

At thy affliction.

Ah me, this cloud of darkness thick'ning round,

Hateful, beyond expression, beyond cure,

And beyond hope! Ah me, how keen the sting

Of frenzy, and the memory of my ills!

Chorus

No marvel if in sufferings great as thine

Redoubled ills bring on redoubled woes.