φεῦ δῆτ᾽· ὀλοὰ γὰρ
Electra. Sophocles. ed. Lewis Campbell. Oxford. 1879.
Table of Contents
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Current edition Experimental
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Greek) (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879))
Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.
Editions (1)
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 823-870 focus
Χορός
ποῦ ποτε κεραυνοὶ Διὸς ἢ ποῦ φαέθων
Ἅλιος, εἰ ταῦτʼ ἐφορῶντες κρύπτουσιν ἕκηλοι;
825
ποῦ ποτε κεραυνοὶ Διὸς ἢ ποῦ φαέθων
Ἅλιος, εἰ ταῦτʼ ἐφορῶντες κρύπτουσιν ἕκηλοι;
825
Ἠλέκτρα
ἒ ἔ, αἰαῖ.
ἒ ἔ, αἰαῖ.
Χορός
ὦ παῖ, τί δακρύεις;
ὦ παῖ, τί δακρύεις;
Ἠλέκτρα
φεῦ.
φεῦ.
Χορός
μηδὲν μέγʼ ἀΰσῃς.
830
μηδὲν μέγʼ ἀΰσῃς.
830
Ἠλέκτρα
ἀπολεῖς.
ἀπολεῖς.
Χορός
πῶς;
πῶς;
Ἠλέκτρα
εἰ τῶν φανερῶς οἰχομένων
εἰς Ἀΐδαν ἐλπίδʼ ὑποίσεις, κατʼ ἐμοῦ τακομένας
μᾶλλον ἐπεμβάσει.
835
εἰ τῶν φανερῶς οἰχομένων
εἰς Ἀΐδαν ἐλπίδʼ ὑποίσεις, κατʼ ἐμοῦ τακομένας
μᾶλλον ἐπεμβάσει.
835
Χορός
οἶδα γὰρ ἄνακτʼ Ἀμφιάρεων χρυσοδέτοις
ἕρκεσι κρυφθέντα γυναικῶν· καὶ νῦν ὑπὸ γαίας
οἶδα γὰρ ἄνακτʼ Ἀμφιάρεων χρυσοδέτοις
ἕρκεσι κρυφθέντα γυναικῶν· καὶ νῦν ὑπὸ γαίας
Ἠλέκτρα
ἒ ἔ, ἰώ.
840
ἒ ἔ, ἰώ.
840
Χορός
πάμψυχος ἀνάσσει.
πάμψυχος ἀνάσσει.
Ἠλέκτρα
φεῦ.
φεῦ.
Χορός
φεῦ δῆτʼ· ὀλοὰ γὰρ
φεῦ δῆτʼ· ὀλοὰ γὰρ
Ἠλέκτρα
ἐδάμη.
ἐδάμη.
Χορός
ναί.
845
ναί.
845
Ἠλέκτρα
οἶδʼ οἶδʼ· ἐφάνη γὰρ μελέτωρ
ἀμφὶ τὸν ἐν πένθει· ἐμοὶ δʼ οὔτις ἔτʼ ἔσθʼ· ὃς γὰρ ἔτʼ ἦν,
φροῦδος ἀναρπασθείς.
οἶδʼ οἶδʼ· ἐφάνη γὰρ μελέτωρ
ἀμφὶ τὸν ἐν πένθει· ἐμοὶ δʼ οὔτις ἔτʼ ἔσθʼ· ὃς γὰρ ἔτʼ ἦν,
φροῦδος ἀναρπασθείς.
Χορός
δειλαία δειλαίων κυρεῖς.
δειλαία δειλαίων κυρεῖς.
Ἠλέκτρα
κἀγὼ τοῦδʼ ἴστωρ, ὑπερίστωρ,
850
πανσύρτῳ παμμήνῳ πολλῶν
δεινῶν στυγνῶν τʼ αἰῶνι.
κἀγὼ τοῦδʼ ἴστωρ, ὑπερίστωρ,
850
πανσύρτῳ παμμήνῳ πολλῶν
δεινῶν στυγνῶν τʼ αἰῶνι.
Χορός
εἴδομεν ἁθρήνεις.
εἴδομεν ἁθρήνεις.
Ἠλέκτρα
μή μέ νυν μηκέτι
855
παραγάγῃς, ἵνʼ οὐ
μή μέ νυν μηκέτι
855
παραγάγῃς, ἵνʼ οὐ
Χορός
τί φής;
τί φής;
Ἠλέκτρα
πάρεισιν ἐλπίδων ἔτι κοινοτόκων
εὐπατριδᾶν ἀρωγαί.
πάρεισιν ἐλπίδων ἔτι κοινοτόκων
εὐπατριδᾶν ἀρωγαί.
Χορός
πᾶσι θνατοῖς ἔφυ μόρος.
860
πᾶσι θνατοῖς ἔφυ μόρος.
860
Ἠλέκτρα
ἦ καὶ χαλάργοις ἐν ἁμίλλαις
οὕτως, ὡς κείνῳ δυστάνῳ,
τμητοῖς ὁλκοῖς ἐγκῦρσαι;
ἦ καὶ χαλάργοις ἐν ἁμίλλαις
οὕτως, ὡς κείνῳ δυστάνῳ,
τμητοῖς ὁλκοῖς ἐγκῦρσαι;
Χορός
ἄσκοπος ἁ λώβα.
ἄσκοπος ἁ λώβα.
Ἠλέκτρα
πῶς γὰρ οὔκ; εἰ ξένος
865
ἄτερ ἐμᾶν χερῶν
πῶς γὰρ οὔκ; εἰ ξένος
865
ἄτερ ἐμᾶν χερῶν
Χορός
παπαῖ.
παπαῖ.
Ἠλέκτρα
κέκευθεν, οὔτε του τάφου ἀντιάσας
οὔτε γόων παρʼ ἡμῶν.
870
κέκευθεν, οὔτε του τάφου ἀντιάσας
οὔτε γόων παρʼ ἡμῶν.
870
Translations (2)
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 849 focus
Schwer, ja schwer liegt auf dir das Leid.
Schwer, ja schwer liegt auf dir das Leid.
Elektra.
Wohl, zu wohl lehrte mich selbst auch dies
830
Mein Leben, auf das endlos, zahllos
Der Verhängnisse Graun sich gelagert.
Wohl, zu wohl lehrte mich selbst auch dies
830
Mein Leben, auf das endlos, zahllos
Der Verhängnisse Graun sich gelagert.
Der Chor.
Was du beklagst, sah'n wir.
Was du beklagst, sah'n wir.
Elektra.
Suche denn nicht mehr mit Trost
Mich zu berücken; denn
835
Suche denn nicht mehr mit Trost
Mich zu berücken; denn
835
Der Chor.
Wie so?
Wie so?
Elektra.
Hin ist die Hoffnung auf den erwarteten Schuz
Helfender Bruderhände.
Zweite Gegenstrophe.
Hin ist die Hoffnung auf den erwarteten Schuz
Helfender Bruderhände.
Der Chor.
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 823-870 focus
Chorus
Where are the thunderbolts of Zeus, or where the
shining Sun, if they look upon these things and quietly cover them over?
825
Where are the thunderbolts of Zeus, or where the
shining Sun, if they look upon these things and quietly cover them over?
825
Electra
Ah, me, ah, me!
Ah, me, ah, me!
Chorus
My child, why do you weep?
My child, why do you weep?
Electra
Oh!
Oh!
Chorus
Give no cry of bad omen!
830
Give no cry of bad omen!
830
Electra
You will break my heart!
You will break my heart!
Chorus
How do you mean?
How do you mean?
Electra
If you suggest that I keep hope for those who have surely passed to Hades,
you will trample even harder upon me as I waste away.
835
If you suggest that I keep hope for those who have surely passed to Hades,
you will trample even harder upon me as I waste away.
835
Chorus
No, for I know that the prince Amphiaraus was ensnared by a woman’s chain of gold and swallowed up. And now beneath the earth—
No, for I know that the prince Amphiaraus was ensnared by a woman’s chain of gold and swallowed up. And now beneath the earth—
Electra
ah, me, ah, me!
840
ah, me, ah, me!
840
Chorus
—He reigns supreme with the wits of the living.
—He reigns supreme with the wits of the living.
Electra
ah, me!
ah, me!
Chorus
ah, me, indeed! For the murderess—
ah, me, indeed! For the murderess—
Electra
Was slain.
Was slain.
Chorus
Yes.
845
Yes.
845
Electra
I know it; I know it. For a champion arose to avenge the grieving dead. But for me no champion remains: he who yet remained has been snatched clean away.
I know it; I know it. For a champion arose to avenge the grieving dead. But for me no champion remains: he who yet remained has been snatched clean away.
Chorus
Unhappy are you, unhappy your destiny!
Unhappy are you, unhappy your destiny!
Electra
How well I know that, all too well, with my life swept through all the months by abundant terrors and horrors!
850
How well I know that, all too well, with my life swept through all the months by abundant terrors and horrors!
850
Chorus
We have witnessed the events for which you mourn.
We have witnessed the events for which you mourn.
Electra
Cease, then, to divert me from it, since no longer—
855
Cease, then, to divert me from it, since no longer—
855
Chorus
What do you say?
What do you say?
Electra
—Since I no longer have hope in my brother, the seed of our shared noble line, to aid me.
—Since I no longer have hope in my brother, the seed of our shared noble line, to aid me.
Chorus
Nature ordains death as the destiny of all mortals.
860
Nature ordains death as the destiny of all mortals.
860
Electra
What, a death like the one which that ill-fated one died beneath a race of swift hooves, entangled in the cutting, dragging reins?
What, a death like the one which that ill-fated one died beneath a race of swift hooves, entangled in the cutting, dragging reins?
Chorus
The mutilation is beyond thought!
The mutilation is beyond thought!
Electra
Yes, so it is, when in foreign soil, without being tended by my hands—
865
Yes, so it is, when in foreign soil, without being tended by my hands—
865
Chorus
Ah, no!
Ah, no!
Electra
—he has been buried not receiving from me either burial
or lamentation.
870
—he has been buried not receiving from me either burial
or lamentation.
870
Commentary
Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) focus
823-869. mvp-comment-388-1 In this short commos, in which the broken lines are expressive of intense feeling, the several members of the Chorus, with the exception of the Coryphaeus, who, having spoken in 11. 764, 5, remains in silent sympathy with Electra, attempt to rouse her from her utter despair, partly with consolation and partly with expressions of pity. But she is, if possible, more inconsolable than before. The metres are as follows:-
843. mvp-comment-400-1 φεῦ δῆτ᾽.. ὀλοὰ γάρ] The connection is difficult, and Wecklein reads μάν for γάρ. If γάρ is retained, the Chorus must be supposed to give a different turn to the interjection. Electra, thinking of her father, dwells on the sadness of Amphiaraus' death. The Choreutes, who interposes, reflects on the sadness of the whole story, including the death of Eriphyle by the hand of her son Alcmaeon (which Sophocles made the subject of a tragedy). 'Woe, indeed, you may cry! For the wretched (or baneful) woman-' Electra instantly perceives the drift, and quickly interrupts, in a tone of momentary triumph, -' Was overpowered!' Then, recollecting that he who should have done Alcmaeon's part for her is now no more, she relapses into despair.