Sophocles Oedipus Tyrannus 1086-1105

Richard Jebb (Translator)

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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)) — 1086 focus
εἴπερ ἐγὼ μάντις εἰμὶ καὶ κατὰ γνώμαν ἴδρις,
οὐ τὸν Ὄλυμπον ἀπείρων,
ὦ Κιθαιρών, οὐκ ἔσῃ τὰν αὔριον
πανσέληνον, μὴ οὐ σέ γε καὶ πατριώταν Οἰδίπου
καὶ τροφὸν καὶ ματέρ᾽ αὔξειν,
1090
καὶ χορεύεσθαι πρὸς ἡμῶν, ὡς ἐπίηρα φέρον-
1095
τα τοῖς ἐμοῖς τυράννοις.
ἰήϊε Φοῖβε, σοὶ δὲ ταῦτ᾽ ἀρέστ᾽ εἴη.
[45 a.
τίς σε, τέκνον, τίς σ᾽ ἔτικτε τῶν μακραιώνων ἄρα
Πανὸς ὀρεσσιβάτα *που
1100
προσπελασθεῖσ᾽, ἢ σέ γ' *εὐνάτειρά τις
Λοξίου; τῷ γὰρ πλάκες ἀγρόνομοι πᾶσαι φίλαι·
εἴθ᾽ ὁ Κυλλάνας ἀνάσσων,
εἴθ᾽ ὁ Βακχεῖος θεὸς ναίων ἐπ᾿ ἄκρων ὀρέων
1105
εὕρημα δέξατ᾽ ἔκ του
Νυμφᾶν Ἑλικωνίδων, αἷς πλεῖστα συμπαίζει.
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 1086-1107 focus
Translations (4)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 1086 focus
If I wield a prophet’s might,
Or have sense to search aright,
Cithaeron, when all night the moon rides high,
Loud thy praise shall be confessed,
How upon thy rugged breast,
Thou, mighty mother, nursed’st tenderly
Great Oedipus, and gav’st his being room
1090
Within thy spacious home.
1090
Yea, we will dance and sing
1095
Thy glory for thy kindness to our king.
Phoebus, unto thee we cry,
Be this pleasing in thine eye!
Who, dear sovereign, gave thee birth,
Of the long lived nymphs of earth?
Say, was she clasped by mountain roving Pan?
1100
Or beguiled she one sweet hour
With Apollo in her bower,
Who loves to trace the field untrod by man?
Or was the ruler of Cyllene’s height
The author of thy light?
Or did the Bacchic god,
1105
Who makes the top of Helicon to nod,
Take thee for a foundling care
From his playmates that are there?
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 1086 focus
Wenn mir im Geist Seherkunde, wenn Verstand im Busen wohnt,
Soll dir die Lust, o Kithäron,
1060
Bei'm Olympos, werden, wann
Der volle Mond morgen aufstrahlt,
Daß du verherrlichet wirst als Dedipus'
Landsgenoß und Amm' und Mutter,
Daß wir dich mit Reigen feiern,
1065
Weil du so freundlich gewesen
Meines Landes Herrschern!
Heilbringender Phöbos, dir, gefalle dir's also!
Gegenstrophe.
Welche, mein Kind, welche Tochter war's der Ewigwaltenden,
Die dich geboren, und war ihr
1070
Pan, der Berghöh'n Schirmer, war
Apollon ihr zugesellt? Der
Liebt ja die Wildnisse, liebt Bergwaldungen.
Oder war's Kyllene's Herrscher, 1
War es Bacchos, droben wohnend
1075
Auf den gebirgigen Höh'n, der
Dich gewann von Einer
Aus Helikons Nymphenchor, mit dem er oft Scherz treibt?
Ein Hirte. Die Vorigen. (zu dem Chore)
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 1086 focus
Sorely distressed she seemed, and much I fear
Her silence bodes some sad event.
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 1086 focus
If a prophet's soul be mine
Aught illumed with skill divine,
By Olympus' sacred height,
Ere the morning's streaming light
Thou, Cithæron, shalt unfold
All this mystery round thee roll'd,
And with pride and triumph own
Edipus thy foster'd son.
Then with joy would we advance,
1090
Leading light the festive dance;
1090
Teach thy woods with joy to ring,
1095
And with transport hail our king.
1095
Glorious with thy silver bow,
Phœbus, these our joys allow !
Who, of all the heav'nly pow'rs.
Gave thee birth in these close bow'rs ?
Some bright Nymph of sylvan race
Did the frolic Pan embrace,
1100
Wand'ring o'er the mountain's brow?
1100
Or to Phœbus dost thou owe
Thy birth? For him the craggy height,
Him the pastured ales delight.
Or to him, the god who roves
Through Cyllene's cypress groves ?
Or did Bacchus, wont to tread,
His loved haunt, the mountain's head,
1105
Thee receive, confess'd his son,
1105
From the Nymphs of Helicon ?
Raptured with their tuneful strain
Sportive oft he joins their train.

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-667-1 μάντις 1

mvp-comment-668-1 κατὰ 2

mvp-comment-669-1 οὐ 3

mvp-comment-669-2 ἀπείρων 4

mvp-comment-670-1 τὰν αὔριον πανσέληνον 5 αὖρι 6 ἦρι 7

mvp-comment-670-2 πανσέληνον 8

mvp-comment-671-1 πατριώταν 9 Οἰδίπουν 10 Οἰδίπου 11 αὔξειν 12 Οἰδίπουν 13 πρὸς 14 μὴ οὐ 15 αὔξειν 16 αὔξειν 17 φέροντα 18

mvp-comment-672-1 τροφὸν 19 ματέρ’ 20

mvp-comment-673-1 χορεύεσθαι 21

mvp-comment-674-1 ἐπὶ ἦρα φέροντα 22 ἦρα 23

mvp-comment-674-2 τοῖς ἐμοῖς τυρ. 24

mvp-comment-675-1 ἰήϊε 25

mvp-comment-676-1 σοὶ δὲ 26

mvp-comment-676-2 ἀρέστ’ 27

mvp-comment-677-1 ἔτικτε 28

mvp-comment-678-1 τᾶν μακραιώνων 29

mvp-comment-679-1 In Πανὸς ὀρεσσιβάτα προσπελασθεῖσ’ 30 λέκτροις πελασθεῖσ’ 31 πατρὸς πελασθεῖσ’ 32

mvp-comment-680-1 If in 1090 we keep οὐκ ἔσει τὰν αὔριον 33 ἢ σέ γ’ εὐνάτειρά τις 34 σέ γε 35

mvp-comment-681-1 πλάκες ἀγρόνομοι 36

mvp-comment-682-1 ὁ Κυλλάνας ἀνάσσων 37

mvp-comment-683-1 ὁ Βακχεῖος θεὸς 38

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

1087. mvp-comment-621-1 οὐ τὸν Ὄλυμπον Ant. 758.

1087. mvp-comment-621-2 ἀπείρων Hesychius, ἀπείρονας· ἀπειράτους. Σοφοκλῆς Θυέστῃ.

1090. mvp-comment-622-1 τὰν αὔριον πανσέληνον In the coming moonlit hour. Cp. Ant. 153, θεῶν δὲ ναοὺς χοροῖς παννυχίοις πάντας ἐπέλθωμεν. (1) The comparison of Arist. Η. Α. 10. 38, νύκτας τὰς πανσελήνους, shows that πανσέληνος is not always to be construed strictly of the full moon. A moonlight night is all that need be meant. And αύριον may be transferred from next sunrise to next moon-rise. Or (2) the expression may be understood to mean, 'In to-morrow's moonlight festival.' If this interpretation is adopted, we must suppose the full moon to occur the day following. But no hint of this is given in the context.

1090. mvp-comment-622-2 ἀπείρων .. μὴ οὐ σε γε .. αὔξειν Thou shalt not be without experience of our celebrating thee, as of the same clime with Oedipus, and as having been to him a nurse and mother.'

1090. mvp-comment-622-3 πατριώταν A native of the same region,' countryman.

1092. mvp-comment-623-1 ματέρα As a mountain is called μήτηρ μήλων, θηρῶν, etc., e. g. Il. 8. 47, Ἴδην.. μητέρα θηρῶν, Γάργαρον, τροφόν coming between makes tolerable the transition from masc. to fem. αὔξειν, sc. ἐμὲ or ἡμᾶς, borrowed from the context.

1095. mvp-comment-624-1 καὶ χορεύεσθαι πρὸς ἡμῶν Or of being the theme of our choral song. For the change of voice and subject, see Essay on Language p. 65, d.

1095. mvp-comment-624-2 ἐπίηρα φέροντα Giving pleasure: Epicè. II. 1. 578, πατρὶ φίλῳ ἐπὶ ἦρα φέρειν Διΐ. Od. 19. 343, οὐδέ τί μοι ποδάνιπτρα ποδῶν ἐπιήρανα θυμῷ | γίγνεται.

1097. mvp-comment-625-1 In hoping for a happy solution, the chorus still look up to Phoebus, whom they had at first invoked (154), and on the interpretation of whose still doubtful oracles the issue depends. This is the only shadow of apprehension which remains. O Phoebus, to whom we cry, may this event prove well-pleasing to thee. ἰήϊε] Cp. supr. 154, and note.

1098. mvp-comment-626-1 τέκνον So Theseus is addressed by the chorus in O. C. 1491, ἰὼ παῖ.

1098. mvp-comment-626-2 ἔτικτε Cp. supr. 870.

1098. mvp-comment-626-3 τῶν μακραιώνων The context shows that the nymphs are meant. Cp. Hom. h. Ven. 258, Hes. ap. Plutarch. 415 c. fr. 50 Gaisf., Ap. Rh. 2. 509. 1100 ff. The MS. reading was thus explained by Hermann, Constructio verborum haec est: τίς σ᾽ ἔτικτε τῶν μακραιώνων ἄρα θυγάτηρ, προσπελασθεῖσα Πανὸς ἢ Λοξίου; [ Was it some young daughter of the long-lived Nymphs, having been brought near to the mountain Pan or to Loxias, who bore thee?"] Sed quum in illis, ἢ Λοξίου, adderet poeta augendi causa σε γε, istoque demum loco poneret illud nomen θυγάτηρ, adjecit etiam pronomen e: cliticum τις, sine quo θυγάτηρ tam remotum a genitivo suo obscurum fuisset. Apa etiam alibi longius ab initio remotum invenitur, ut in Ajace v. 925, ἔμελλες, τάλας, ἔμελλες χρόνῳ στερεόφρων ἄρ᾽ ὧδ᾽, κ.τ.λ. (Cp. Phil. 996). But this reasoning is upset by the double objection to the position and quantity of θυγάτηρ, and by the difficulty of obtaining a satisfactory arrangement of the lines with θυγάτηρ. Lachm. conj. πατρὸς πελασθεῖσ', in which the appellation of Pan is unusual and inappropriate. Arndt's very ingenious conjecture is adopted in the text.

1098. mvp-comment-626-4 υν πρέσβει C. πρέσβυν 1103. i.e. He is one of the νόμιοι θεοί, or pastoral gods.

1104. mvp-comment-627-1 Schol. ὁ Ἑρμῆς· νόμιος γάρ. For εἴτε = or, without εἴτε preceding, see on supr. 517, О. С. 1492.

1105. mvp-comment-628-1 ναίων ἐπ᾿ ἄκρων ὀρέων Anacreon ap. Dion. Chrys. i. 94, ὧναξ, ᾧ δαμάλης ἔρως, | καὶ νυμφαὶ κυανώπιδες | πορφυρέη τ' Ἀφροδίτη | συμπαίζουσιν, ἐπιστρέφεαι δ᾽ | ὑψηλῶν κορυφὰς ὀρέων.

1105. mvp-comment-628-2 εὕρημα δέξατ For the expression, see above l. 1026, and cp. Plat. Theaet. 150 D, οὐδέ τί μοι ἔστιν εὕρημα τοιοῦτον γεγονός, τῆς ἐμῆς ψυχῆς ἔκγονον.