Sophocles Electra 634

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)) — 634 focus
ἔπαιρε δὴ σὺ θύμαθ᾽ ἡ παροῦσά μοι
πάγκαρπ᾽, ἄνακτι τῷδ᾽ ὅπως λυτηρίους
635
εὐχὰς ἀνάσχω δειμάτων, ἃ νῦν ἔχω.
κλύοις ἂν ἤδη, Φοῖβε προστατήριε,
κεκρυμμένην μου βάξιν. οὐ γὰρ ἐν φίλοις
ὁ μῦθος, οὐδὲ πᾶν ἀναπτύξαι πρέπει
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 634 focus
Translations (4)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 634 focus
().
Then lift for me those fruitful offerings,
While to Apollo, before whom we stand,
I raise my supplication for release
From doubts and fears that shake my bosom now.
And, O defender of our house! attend
635
My secret utterance. No friendly ear
635
Is that which hearkens for my voice. My thought
635
Must not be blazoned with her standing by,
635
Lest through her envious and wide-babbling tongue
She fill the city full of wild surmise.
List, then, as I shall speak: and grant the dreams
Whose two-fold apparition I to-night
Have seen, if good their bodement, be fulfilled:
If hostile, turn their influence on my foes.
And yield not them their wish that would by guile
Thrust me from this high fortune, but vouchsafe
That ever thus exempt from harms I rule
The Atridae’s home and kingdom, in full life,
Partaking with the friends I live with now
All fair prosperity, and with my children,
Save those who hate and vex me bitterly.
Lykeian Phoebus, favourably hear
My prayer, and grant to all of us our need!
More is there, which, though I be silent here,
A God should understand. No secret thing
Is hidden from the all-seeing sons of Heaven.
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 634 focus
Du hebe denn das Opfer, du die Nächste mir,
Die Früchte, daß ich mein Gebet zu diesem Gott
Entsende, mich zu retten aus der schweren Angst.
620
(sie tritt vor den Altar des Apollon)
Wohl hörst du jezt, o Phöbos, unsers Hauses Hort, 1
Auf mein verborgnes Beten. Nicht vor Freunden wird's
Gesprochen, und nicht Alles darf dem Lichte sich
Entfalten, da mir diese nah zur Seite steht,
Daß nicht in tausendfachem Ruf aus Tücke sie
625
Ein leer Gered' aussprenge durch die ganze Stadt.
Nein, so vernimm mich, sprech' ich's aus in dieser Art.
Des Doppeltraumes Bilder, die in dieser Nacht 2
An mir vorübergingen, laß, Lykeierfürst,
Wofern sie günstig nahten, sich bestätigen,
630
Wenn feindlich, wend' auf unsre Feinde sie zurück!
Und nicht gestatt' es, wenn mich Einer ränkevoll
Herab von meines Glückes Höh'n zu stürzen sinnt!
Nein laß mich also lebend, nie von Gram getrübt,
Im Haus des Atreus walten mit dem Herrscherstab,
635
Vereint den Lieben, die mir jezt verbunden sind,
In heitern Tagen, und umringt von Kindern, die
Kein bittrer Unmuth gegen mich, kein Haß erfüllt!
Dies, o Lykeier Phöbos, hör' in Gnaden an,
Und dies gewähr' uns allen, wie wir's fleh'n von dir;
640
Doch alles Andre, hüllt es auch mein Schweigen ein,
Das ist, eracht' ich, dir dem Gott nicht unbekannt:
Denn die von Zeus sind, müssen wohl allsehend sein.
Der Pfleger des Orestes. Die Vorigen.
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 634 focus
Why might not they have died ? Their parent's guilt,
Source of the war, more justly had deserved it.
635
Or thinkst thou death with keener appetite
Could feast on mine, and Helen's not aflbrd
As sweet a banquet? Whv was all the lo_ve,
To me and to my child so justly dUe,
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 634 focus
Thou, my attendant, the oblations bring
Of the earth's various fruits, that I may pour
My pray'rs to royal Phoebus, from my soul
635
To chase the terrors that appal me now.
635
O thou, who hold'st thy guardian station here,
Now, Phoebus, hear the whispers of my voice:
I am not 'mongst my friends; nor to the light,
While she is near, behoves me all unfold.
By envy moved her ever-clamorous tongue
Through all the city wild reports would spread.
Hear me e'en thus; thus low must be my voice.
The nightly visions of this doubtful dream,

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-366-1 λυτηρίους … δειμάτων 1

mvp-comment-366-2 ἀνάσχω 2

mvp-comment-367-1 κλύοις ἂν 3

mvp-comment-367-2 προστατήριε 4

mvp-comment-368-1 κεκρυμμένην 5

mvp-comment-368-2 οὐ γὰρ ἐν φίλοις 6

mvp-comment-369-1 πρὸς φῶς 7

mvp-comment-370-1 πολυγλώσσῳ 8

mvp-comment-370-2 σπείρῃ 9

mvp-comment-370-3 ματαίαν 10

mvp-comment-371-1 ὧδ’ 11

mvp-comment-372-1 γὰρ 12

mvp-comment-372-2 δισσῶν ὀνείρων 13

mvp-comment-372-3 Jacobs Fr.( ap. Wunder) understood, ‘ two dreams,’—as if Clyt.'s vision consisted of two parts,—the return of Agamemnon, and the growth from the sceptre (417—423). This seems forced. Still less can we assume that there was some second dream which Clyt. did not relate even to the Sun-god (425).

mvp-comment-372-4 Λύκεἰ ἄναξ 14

mvp-comment-373-1 ἐσθλά … ἐχθρά 15

mvp-comment-373-2 Cp. Aesch. Pers. 217 , where the Chorus are advising Atossa how to propitiate the gods after her dream:

εἴ τι φλαῦρον εἶδες, αἰτοῦ τῶνδ’ ἀποτροπὴν τελεῖν
, |
τὰ δ’ ἀγάθ’ ἐκτελῆ γενέσθαι σοί τε καὶ τέκνῳ σέθεν κ.τ.λ.

mvp-comment-373-3 ἔμπαλιν μέθες 16

mvp-comment-374-1 εἴ τινες 17

mvp-comment-375-1 ἀλλ’ ὧδε 18

mvp-comment-375-2 ἀβλαβεῖ βίῳ 19

mvp-comment-376-1 δόμους 20

mvp-comment-376-2 ἀμφέπειν 21

mvp-comment-376-3 φίλοισι 22

mvp-comment-377-1 εὐημεροῦσαν 23

mvp-comment-377-2 καὶ τέκνων 24 ὅσων 25

mvp-comment-377-3 We might also take

τέκνων
as standing, by attraction, for
τέκνοις
. When the antecedent is thus attracted, it usually comes after the relative ( O.C. 56); but sometimes precedes it, as in Tr. 151 f.
τότ’ ἄν τις εἰσίδοιτο
... | ...
κακοῖσιν
(for
κακά
)
ο<*>ς ἐγὼ βαρύνομαι
. In examples of the latter kind, however, the acc. (and not, as it would be here, the dat.) is elsewhere the case attracted. In favour of taking
τέκνων
as partitive, it may be added that this suits the distinction between two groups of
τέκνα
. By
ὅσων
she means Chrysothemis, Iphianassa, and the offspring o<*> her union with Aegisthus (157; 589).

mvp-comment-377-4 ἐμοὶ … πρόσεστιν 26

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

634. mvp-comment-285-1 ἡ παροῦσά μοι] ‘Thou that art with me.' Cp. supr. 424. In Sophocles the attendants are never called by name, -as the Nurse is in Aesch. Cho. 732.

634-635. mvp-comment-286-1 θύμαθ᾽.. πάγκαρπ'] 'Rich offerings of various produce.'

635. mvp-comment-287-1 ἄνακτι . . τῷδ'] 'The king in presence here; '-Apollo Lyceius, infr. 645: ср. О. Т. 919, supr. l. 7.

635-636. mvp-comment-288-1 ὅπως.. ἔχω] 'That I may offer up a prayer for release from the terrors which are now haunting me.' The words, δειμάτων & νῦν ἔχω, are added in construction with λυτηρίους. For the sense, cp. O. Τ. 921, ὅπως λύσιν τιν' ἡμὶν εὐαγῆ πόρῃς.

639-640. mvp-comment-289-1 οὐδὲ πᾶν . . ἐμοί] 'Nor is it fitting that I unfold everything to light while she is near me.' In listening to these words the spectator recollects

640-642. mvp-comment-290-1 that Electra is already in possession of the whole truth about the dream. Cp. supr. 417 foll.

641-642. mvp-comment-291-1 'Lest with inauspicious and noisy outcry she disseminate a lewd report throughout the city.' φθόνῳ is lit. *odium.' ματ ματαίαν is not merely 'causeless,' but 'wanton,' conveying the notion of positive mischief. In πολυγλώσσῳ the first part of the compound is intensive. Cp. supr. 488, 9, infr. 798.

643. mvp-comment-292-1 But hear it, even in the (vague) form in which I will make it known.' Cp. O. C. 484, for the importance attached to the form of words used in prayer.

644. mvp-comment-293-1 γάρ introduces the promised statement.

645. mvp-comment-294-1 δισσῶν is supposed by some to mean, 'Ambiguous; but it is simpler and more natural to understand it either of two different dreams, or of the same dream repeated. Cp. Plat. Phaedo, 60 E, πολλάκις μοι φοιτῶν τὸ αὐτὸ ἐνύπνιον ἐν τῷ παρελθόντι βίῳ, ἄλλοτ᾽ ἐν ἄλλῃ ὄψει φαινόμενον, τὰ αὐτὰ δὲ λέγον, κ.τ.λ.

647. mvp-comment-295-1 ἔμπαλιν] 'On the contrary,'- because ἐμοί is understood with τελεσφόρα in l. 646. μέθες] 'Let it fall instead.'

648-649. mvp-comment-296-1 'And if there is one who plans to cast me forth by guile from my present high estate, do not permit it to him.' Though τινες is plural, Orestes is meant, just as Aegisthus is indicated by the vague φίλοισι in infr. 652. Cp. supr. 590. The spectator knows that the will of Apollo is directly opposed to this petition. For it is difficult to suppose either here or in O. Τ. 908, 919, an entire separation of the Lyceian from the Pythian Apollo. See Introduction.

653. mvp-comment-297-1 καὶ τέκνων ὅσων] ‘And with the children from whom." τέκνοις, the antecedent to ὅσων, is attracted into the case of the relative. Essay on L. § 35. p. 59. She is thinking of Chrysothemis and Iphianassa ( supr. 157) to the exclusion of Electra.

654. mvp-comment-298-1 λύπη] ‘Vexation,' in an active sense.

655. mvp-comment-299-1 This part of the prayer is merely formal, and is uttered in a loud voice, the rest having been spoken aside.

655. mvp-comment-299-2 This part of the prayer is merely formal, and is uttered in a loud voice, the rest having been spoken aside.