Sophocles Oedipus Tyrannus 33

Robert Potter (Translator)

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Chorus
What more my thought suggests I would propose.

Oedipus Tyrannus. Sophocles. Robert Potter (Translator). London. 1820.

Current edition Experimental

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) (English) (English (Robert Potter, 1788))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (2)
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 33 focus
ἀνδρῶν δὲ πρῶτον ἔν τε συμφοραῖς βίου
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)) — 33 focus
CHORUS
CHORUS (entering). 151
Kind voice of Heaven, soft-breathing from the height
Of Pytho’s opulent home to Thebè bright,
What wilt thou bring to day?
Ah, Delian Healer, say!
My heart hangs on thy word with trembling awe:
What new giv’n law,
155
Or what returning in Time’s circling round
Wilt thou unfold? Tell us, immortal sound,
159
Daughter of golden Hope, tell us, we pray, we pray!
First, child of Zeus, Pallas, to thee appealing,
160
Then to sweet Artemis, thy sister, kneeling,
Who with benignant hand
Still guards our sacred land,
Throned o’er the circling mart that hears her praise,
165
And thou, whose rays
169
Pierce evil from afar, ho! come and save,
Ye mighty three! if e’er before ye drave
The threatening fire of woe from Thebè, come to day!
For ah! the griefs that on me weigh
Are numberless; weak are my helpers all,
And thought finds not a sword to fray
175
This hated pestilence from hearth or hall.
Earth’s blossoms blasted fall:
179
Nor can our women rise
From childbed after pangs and cries;
But flocking more and more
180
Toward the western shore,
Soul after soul is known to wing her flight,
185
Swifter than quenchless flame, to the far realm of Night.
So deaths innumerable abound.
My city’s sons unpitied lie around
Over the plague-encumbered ground
190
And wives and matrons old on every hand
Along the altar-strand
190
Groaning in saddest grief
Pour supplication for relief.
Loud hymns are sounding clear
With wailing voices near.
Then, golden daughter of the heavenly sire,
195
Send bright-eyed Succour forth to drive away this fire.
And swiftly speed afar,
Windborne on backward car,
The viewless fiend who scares me with wild cries,
To oarless Thracian tide,
200
203
Of ocean-chambers wide,
About the bed where Amphitritè lies.
205
Day blights what night hath spared. O thou whose hand
Wields lightning, blast him with thy thundrous brand.
Shower from the golden string
Thine arrows Lycian King!
O Phoebus, let thy fiery lances fly
210
Resistless, as they rove
Through Xanthus’ mountain-grove!
O Thoeban Bacchus of the lustrous eye,
With torch and trooping Maenads and bright crown
Blaze on thee god whom all in Heaven disown.
215
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 14 focus
Nun denn, Beherrscher meines Landes, Dedipus,
Von jedem Alter siehst du hier gelagert uns
15
An deinen Herden: Kinder, die zu weitem Flug 1
Noch nicht erstarkt sind, Priester, die das Alter beugt, -
Zeus' Diener, mich, - hier auserles'ne Jünglinge;
Wie wir, geschmückt mit Zweigen, sizt das andre Volk
Kings auf den Märkten, um die beiden Tempel dort 2
20
Der Pallas und Ismenos' Seherherd zunächst.
Die Stadt, du siehst es selber ja, schwankt ungestüm
Im Wogenaufruhr und vermag nicht mehr das Haupt
Emporzuheben aus dem Meer der Todesflut,
Hinsterbend hier im fruchtbeschwerten Keim der Flur,
25
Hinsterbend dort in Rinderheerden und der Frau'n
Noch ungebor'nen Kindern; hergestürmt mit Glut,
Verwüstet grimmvoll unsre Stadt der Seuche Gott,
Daß Kadmos Haus verödet und das dunkle Land 3
Der Schatten reicher an Gestöhn und Klagen wird.
30
Drum lagr' ich samt den Kindern hier um deinen Herd;
Zwar nicht den Göttern achten wir dich gleich, o Herr,
Doch als der Menschen Ersten bei den Schickungen
Der Götter und auf wechselvoller Lebensbahn;
Denn du, gelangt zu Kadmos' Burg, erlöstest uns
35
Vom Zinse, den wir dargebracht der grausen Sphinx, 4
Und ohne daß dir weitre Kunde ward von uns,
Noch Unterweisung; nein, mit Götterhülse nur,
So sagt und glaubt man, schirmtest du das Leben uns.
Auch jezt, du hochgewaltig Haupt des Dedipus,
40
Fleh'n dir wir alle, lagernd hier zu deinen Knie'n,
Uns Hülfe wo zu finden, ob ein Gottesspruch,
Ob eines Menschen Wissen sie dir offenbart.
Denn wohl erkenn' ich, daß des Vielerfahrenen
Kathschlüsse stets ein segenvolles Ende krönt.
45
Auf, bester aller Menschen, richt' empor die Stadt!
Auf, walte sorgsam! Heute nennt dich Retter noch
Dies Land für Liebe, die du treu vordem bewährt;
Doch deiner Herrschaft dächten wir nie mehr hinfort,
Wenn sie zuerst uns steigen, dann versinken ließ.
50
Auf sichrem Grunde richte denn die Stadt empor!
Dich führten gute Götter, als du früher uns
Das Glück erschusest: zeige nun auch also dich!
Denn willst du Herr sein, wie du's bist, in diesem Reich,
Ist's über Menschen schöner, als im öden Land.
55
Denn wahrlich Nichts ist weder Schiff noch feste Burg,
Beraubt der Männer, die zuvor darin gewohnt.
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 33 focus
Chorus
276cont2
'Tis said some travellers did attack the king
QEdi. It is; but still no proof appears.
295
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-199-1 ἄνακτ’ 1

mvp-comment-199-2 ταὐτὰ ὁρῶντα 2 ὁρῶντα 3 ταὐτὰ 4 ἄνακτ’ 5

mvp-comment-200-1 οὐκ ἐν ἀργοῖς τοῦτο 6 ἐπραξάμην 7 ἐν 8 ἀργοῖς 9

mvp-comment-201-1 διπλοῦς | πομπούς 10

mvp-comment-202-1 μὴ παρὼν θαυμάζεται 11

mvp-comment-203-1 τά γ’ ἄλλα … ἔπη 12 κωφὰ 13

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

284. mvp-comment-181-1 ἄνακτ' Od. 11. 144 (Τειρεσίη), εἰπέ, ἄναξ, πῶς, κ.τ.λ.

285-286. mvp-comment-182-1 παρ' οὗ .. σκοπῶν παρ' οὗ is in two constructions: (1) with ἐκμάθοι, from whom one might learn this clearly; (2) with σκοπών, if we viewed it in the light of his words.

287. mvp-comment-183-1 ἐν ἀργοῖς .. ἐπραξάμην A verbal contrast like ἐν σκότῳ.. ὀψοίατο (infr. 1273). But neither have I done this as one of my omissions, i. e. I have not left this undone. Essay on Language p. 69. For the subjective use of the middle voice in ἐπραξάμην, see Essay on Language § 31. p. 53, d, and for ἀργοῖς, cp. O. C.1605; Eur. Phoen. 766, ἓν δ᾽ ἐστὶν ἡμῖν ἀργόν, εἴ τι θέσφατον | οἰωνόμαντις Τειρεσίας ἔχει φράσαι. but the possibility of finding and questioning this man does not yet occur to Oedipus. The general effect of 11. 116 119, was to reduce the available evidence to the lowest point. It is only afterwards, when he begins to suspect the truth, that Oedipus catches at straws.

288. mvp-comment-184-1 Κρέοντος εἰπόντος Cp. 1. 555.

289. mvp-comment-185-1 I have long been wondering he should not be here. μὴ παρὼν = εἰ μὴ πάρεστι. Teiresias is slow to come, as when he comes he is slow to speak. For the use of the passive in θαυμάζεται, see Essay on L, § 31. p. 53. He has long been wondered at by me; i. e. I have long been wondering about him.

290. mvp-comment-186-1 Certainly what other rumours there were, told nothing, and are forgotten.

290. mvp-comment-186-2 ἄλλα, i. e. other than we may hope to hear from Phoebus or his prophet.

290. mvp-comment-186-3 κωφά, lit. dumb, i.e. giving no clear intelligence. The chorus allude for a moment to the report which Creon spoke of ll. 122-123; but this slight clue is again broken off by the entrance of Teiresias, to be resumed afterwards.