Sophocles Electra 1070

Richard Jebb (Translator)

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Electra. Sophocles. Richard Jebb (Translator). Cambridge. 1894.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Experimental

Electra (English) (Sophocles the plays and fragments, Part 6: The Electra. Jebb, Richard Claverhouse, Sir, translator. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1894. (Modernized by Perseus.))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (2)
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 1070 focus
ὅτι σφὶν σφίσιν LAL3 Vat. ac. σφισιν Pal. σφίσι V. Schaefer. corr. ἤδη τὰ μὲν ἐκ δόμων νοσεῖ † —,
τὰ δὲ πρὸς τέκνων διπλῆ φύλοπις οὐκέτ᾽ ἐξισοῦται
φιλοτασίῳ διαίτᾳ. πρόδοτος δὲ μόνα σαλεύει
᾿Ηλέκτρα, τὸν ἀεὶ πατρὸς
δειλαία στενάχουσ᾽ ὅπως
1075
ἁ *πάνδυρτος πανόδυρτος LALª Pal. Vat. ac VV³. Porson corr. ἀηδών,
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 1070 focus
Translations (4)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 1058 focus
Wise are the birds of air
That with true filial care
For those provide convenient food
Who gave them birth, who wrought their good.
Why will not men the like perfection prove?
Else, by the fires above,
And heavenly Rectitude,
Fierce recompense they shall not long elude.
O darkling rumour, world-o’er-wandering voice
That piercest to the shades beneath the ground,
To dead Atrides waft a sound
Of sad reproach, not bidding him rejoice.
Stained is the ancestral hall,
Broken the battle-call,
That heretofore his children twain
In loving concord did sustain.
Alone, deserted, vexed, Electra sails,
Storm-tossed with rugged gales,
Lamenting evermore
Like piteous Philomel, and pining sore
For her lost father;—might she but bring down
That two-fold Fury, caring not for death,
But ready to resign her breath,
What maid so worthy of a sire’s renown?
None who inherit from a noble race,
Complying with things base
Will let their ancient glory be defiled.
So ’twas thy choice, dear child,
Through homeless misery to win a two-fold prize,
Purging the sin and shame
That cloud the Argive name,
So to be called most noble and most wise.
May’st thou surpass thy foes in wealth and power
As o’er thee now they tower!
Since I have found thee, not in bright estate,
Nor blessed by wayward fate,
But through thy loyalty to Heaven’s eternal cause
Wearing the stainless crown
Of perfectest renown,
And richly dowered by the mightiest laws.
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 1070 focus
Daß dieses Haus immer in schwerem Leide noch
Krankt, und der beiden Kinder Streit
Nimmer sich noch zu trauter Huld
1050
(geht ab.)
Freundlichem Bund verglichen hat.
Aber Elektra, verlassen, einsam,
Wallt vom Schicksal umhergestürmt,
Gleich der klagenden. Nachtigall,
Stets den Vater bejammernd.
1055
Nicht vor dem Tode zittert sie,
Scheidet vom Lichte freudenvoll,
Wenn sie vertilgt den Bund des Fluchs.
Liebte so innig ein Kind den Vater?
Zweite Strophe.
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 1058 focus
Pi lades {with Attendant), Electra, Chorus.
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 1058 focus
Mark you the birds that skim the air,
O'er their full nests they wave the busy wing,
By nature taught with pious care
Food to their callow young to bring,
To swell their plumes, and fit them for the skies.
Is man in nature's lore thus wise?
But, by the Thunderer's angry flame,
By Themis on her heavenly throne sublime,
Vengeance shall soon o'ertake the crime.
O thou, who fill'st this world, wide Fame,
Bear hence thy joyless voice of woe,
And fill with accents dread the world below!
ANTIS. 1. There 'midst the dead th' Atridæ tell
That guilt triumphant in their house remains;
That there the screaming Furies dwell;
That Discord 'twixt the sisters reigns.
Toss'd in the storms of fate, alone, betray'd,
Electra sighs in vain for aid;
Still for her father pours her tears,
Still in wild, melancholy notes complains,
Like Philomela's mournful strains:
No rage of tyrant pow'r she fears :
Content in death to close her eyes
These furies might her vengeful hand surprise.
Thus low sinks one of high-born race?
Thou art not sunk; to rise be thine :
The noble soul will ne'er disgrace
The glories of its ancient line;
Nor, when misfortune darkens round,
Obscure and dead to fame be found.
O'er thee, unhappy, generous maid,
Hath misery cast her baleful shade;
That shade thy choice, through high disdain,
Of guilt and all her gorgeous train,
Aspiring to enrich thy name
With wisdom's and with virtue's fame.
Oh may'st thou live in royal state,
Triumphant o'er thy prostrate foes,
As now beneath their hand thy fate
Hath sunk thee in disgrace and woes!
For I have seen thy generous soul
Burst from misfortune's harsh control;
Have seen thee with a fix'd disdain
Advance against her threat'ning train,
Bearing the high heroic thought
By heav'n-descended justice taught,
And all the firm mind's holy fires
Which piety to Jove inspires.

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-606-1 νοσεῖ 1 δή 2

mvp-comment-607-1 τὰ δὲ πρὸς τέκνων 3

mvp-comment-607-2 διπλῆ φύλοπις 4

mvp-comment-607-3 οὐκέτ’ ἐξισοῦται 5 φιλοτασίῳ διαίτᾳ 6

mvp-comment-607-4 It is also possible, though (I think) less natural, to take the dat.

φιλοτασίῳ διαίτᾳ
as depending on
ἐξισοῦται
(‘is no longer compatible with friendly intercourse’).

mvp-comment-608-1 σαλεύει 7

mvp-comment-609-1 Ἠλέκτρα, †τὸν ἀεὶ πατρὸς 8

mvp-comment-609-2 Hence it is now generally held that this verse is corrupt. But no certain correction has yet been proposed. The word ἀεὶ 9 πατρὸς 10

mvp-comment-609-3 Far the best conjecture is Heath's, ἁ παῖς, οἶτον ἀεὶ πατρὸς 11

mvp-comment-610-1 πάνδυρτος 12

mvp-comment-611-1 οὔτε … τε 13

mvp-comment-611-2 τὸ … μὴ βλέπειν 14

mvp-comment-612-1 διδύμαν … Ἐρινύν 15

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

1058-1097. mvp-comment-504-1 The Chorus lament, for Agamemnon's sake, over the quarrel between his daughters, which is added to the other troubles of his house, including the supposed death of Orestes, and express their admiration of Electra's attitude. Addressing her in the second strophe, they encourage her with words of sympathy and commendation. While Orestes lived, they bade her hope and trust. Now that they believe him to be dead, they are carried away by the heroism of her despair. That Electra remains upon the stage appears from infr. 1105.

1070. mvp-comment-515-1 Various corrections of νοσεῖ have been attempted, of which Wecklein's ὀνοστά is the most ingenious. Others are νοσεῖ δή, νοσεῖται, νοσεύει, to which one more may be added, νοσώδη. The point especially indicated in this line is the supposed death of Orestes, which leaves the house of Agamemnon apparently without hope of healing or purgation.

1071-1072. mvp-comment-516-1 τὰ δὲ πρὸς τέκνων . . διαίτᾳ] (1) Most editors agree in understanding this to mean, 'While between his two children a quarrel has arisen that puts an end to the harmony of loving intercourse.' But (a) would Sophocles put φύλοπις for a private quarrel? Or (b) can φ. οὐκέτ᾽ ἐξισοῦται be construed so as to mean νείκει διίστανται? Another interpretation seems possible, if we may suppose the Chorus to have been carried away by the visionary hopes of Electra. Then (2) διπλή φύλοπις might be taken to mean the 'two-fold war-cry,' i.e. the combination of the two sisters for hostile purposes, which had seemed possible, supr. 448-71 (note esp. ll. 453-6), and which Electra had depicted in such glowing colours in supr. 967-89. This combination 'is no longer evenly maintained in concord,' since Chrysothemis has renounced her part in it. Or (3) φύλοπις may have lost its hostile association and be used etymologically (Essay on L. $ 54. p. 100 d) for 'the combined voice of the family' as a symbol of fraternal concord. The two sisters no longer 'speak the same thing.' This explanation may be further modified by taking διπλῆ τo mean 'divided.' 'The voices of their children are disparted and no longer harmoniously sustained in a life of affection.'

1072. mvp-comment-517-1 σαλεύει] 'Endures the storm.' Essay on L. § 58. p. 105.

1075-1076. mvp-comment-518-1 τὸν ἀεὶ .. στενάχουσ] Everlastingly mourning for her sire (πατρός, gen. of cause), unhappy maiden.' τὸν ἀεί, sc. χρόνον. Cp. Ο. C. 1584, 1701, and notes. If this 'idiotism' is rejected, it is necessary to have recourse to conjecture here, as well as to a forced explanation of the passages in the Oedipus Coloneus. Schndw. conjectures Ηλέκτρα πότμον ἀεὶ πατρός (retaining μá in the strophe): and this is adopted by Wecklein. Paley, Ἠλ. τὸν ἀεὶ πότμον (‘The irrevocable fate of death'). Dind., τὸν ἑὸν πότμον.

1077. mvp-comment-519-1 For the correction, *πάνδυρτος for πανόδυρτος, cp. Ο. Τ. 1219, *δύρομαι

1077-1080. mvp-comment-520-1 (MSS. ὀδύρομαι). And for the sense, cp. supr. 148 foll.

1078-1080. mvp-comment-521-1 οὔτε. Ἐρινύν] ‘Not avoiding death, but willing to die, if she may but destroy the twofold Evil Power.' Cp. supr. 399, 956, 7. Electra has only spoken of killing Aegisthus. But see note on supr. 987 foll. There is here a reminiscence of Aesch. Cho. 438, ἔπειτ' ἐγὼ νοσφίσας ὀλοίμαν.