Sophocles, Electra, Richard Jebb (Translator), 788

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Electra

Ah, what misery! Now, indeed, Orestes, I must mourn your misfortune, since even dead as you are

you are abused by this woman, your mother! Is it not just fine?
790

Clytaemnestra

You certainly are not, but he is fine as he is.

Electra

Listen to her, Nemesis of the recently departed!

Clytaemnestra

She has heard who should be heard, and has ordained well.

Electra

Abuse us! Fortune is with you today.

Clytaemnestra

You and Orestes will not stop me, then, will you?
795

Electra

It is we who are stopped; we cannot stop you.

Clytaemnestra

Your coming, sir, deserves large recompense, if you have stopped her clamorous tongue.

Paedagogus

Then I would take my leave, if all is well.

Clytaemnestra

Not so; your welcome would then be unworthy of me, and of my ally who sent you. No, come in. Leave her out here to shout out loud her misfortunes and those of her friends. Clytaemnestra and the Paedagogus enter the house.
800

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)) — 788 focus

Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 788 focus

Ἠλέκτρα

οἴμοι τάλαινα· νῦν γὰρ οἰμῶξαι πάρα,

Ὀρέστα, τὴν σὴν ξυμφοράν, ὅθʼ ὧδʼ ἔχων

πρὸς τῆσδʼ ὑβρίζει μητρός. ἆρʼ ἔχει καλῶς;
790

Κλυταιμνήστρα

οὔτοι σύ· κεῖνος δʼ ὡς ἔχει καλῶς ἔχει.

Ἠλέκτρα

ἄκουε, Νέμεσι τοῦ θανόντος ἀρτίως.

Κλυταιμνήστρα

ἤκουσεν ὧν δεῖ κἀπεκύρωσεν καλῶς.

Ἠλέκτρα

ὕβριζε· νῦν γὰρ εὐτυχοῦσα τυγχάνεις.

Κλυταιμνήστρα

οὔκουν Ὀρέστης καὶ σὺ παύσετον τάδε.
795

Ἠλέκτρα

πεπαύμεθʼ ἡμεῖς, οὐχ ὅπως σὲ παύσομεν.

Κλυταιμνήστρα

πολλῶν ἂν ἥκοις, ὦ ξένʼ, ἄξιος τυχεῖν,

εἰ τήνδʼ ἔπαυσας τῆς πολυγλώσσου βοῆς.

Παιδαγωγός

οὐκοῦν ἀποστείχοιμʼ ἄν, εἰ τάδʼ εὖ κυρεῖ.

Κλυταιμνήστρα

ἥκιστʼ· ἐπείπερ οὔτʼ ἐμοῦ κατάξιʼ ἂν
800

πράξειας οὔτε τοῦ πορεύσαντος ξένου.

ἀλλʼ εἴσιθʼ εἴσω· τήνδε δʼ ἔκτοθεν βοᾶν

ἔα τά θʼ αὑτῆς καὶ τὰ τῶν φίλων κακά.

Translations (4)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 836 focus

’Tis well that he is gone, not that you live.
840

EL

Hear, ’venging spirits of the lately dead!
840

CLY

The avenging spirits have heard and answered well.

EL

Insult us now, for thou art fortunate!

CLY

You and Orestes are to quench my pride.

EL

Our pride is quenched. No hope of quenching thee!

CLY

A world of good is in thy coming, stranger,

Since thou hast silenced this all-clamorous tongue.

OLD M

Then I may go my way, seeing all is well.
845

CLY

Nay, go not yet! That would disgrace alike
845

Me and the friend who sent you to our land.
845

But come thou in, and leave her out of door
845

To wail her own and loved ones’ overthrow.
845

EL

Think you the wretch in heartfelt agony

Weeps inconsolably her perished son?

She left us with a laugh! O misery!

How thou hast ruined me, dear brother mine,

By dying! Thou hast torn from out my heart

The only hope I cherished yet, that thou

Living wouldst come hereafter to avenge

Thy father’s woes and mine. Where must I go?

Since I am left of thee and of my sire

Bereaved and lonely, and once more must be

The drudge and menial of my bitterest foes,

My father’s murderers. Say, is it well?

Nay, nevermore will I consort with these,

But sinking here before the palace gate,

Thus, friendless, I will wither out my life.

Hereat if any in the house be vexed,

Let them destroy me; for to take my life

Were kindness, and to live is only pain:

Life hath not kindled my desires with joy.

O ever-blazing sun!

O lightning of the eternal Sire!

Can ye behold this done

And tamely hide your all-avenging fire?

Ah me!

My daughter, why these tears?

Woe!

Weep not, calm thy fears.

You kill me.

How?

To breathe

A hope for one beneath

So clearly sunk in death,

’Tis to afflict me more

Already pining sore.

CH. 5

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 788 focus

Weh, weh mir Armen! Jezt, Crestes, muß ich wohl

Dein Mißgeschick bejammern, da bei solchem Loos

Dich noch verhöhnt die Mutter. Ist so recht geschehn?

Dir nicht; dem Andern, wie's geschah, ist recht geschehu.
775

Elektra.

höre, du, des kaum Verblich'nen Nemesis!¹

Klytämnestra.

Sie hörte, wen sie mußte: recht hat sie's gefügt.

Elektra.

Nun, spotte! Denn jezt bist du ja die Glückliche.

Klytämnestra.

Und du und dein Orestes wehrt nicht unser Glück.

Elektra.

luns ist gewehrt schon, daß wir dir nicht wehren mehr.
780

Klytämnestra.

Freund, wehrtest du dem ungestümen Lästermund,

Du hättest durch dein Kommen großen Dank verdient.

Der Pfleger.

So kann ich weiter gehen, ist's hier wohl bestellt.

Klytämnestra.

Mit nichten: also würd'st du mein nicht Würdiges

Erfahren, noch des Freundes, der dich mir gesandt.
785

Nein, tritt in's Haus ein; diese laß hier außen schrei'n,

Ihr Leid bejammernd und das Leid der Ihrigen!

(sie geht mit dem Pfleger in's Hans.) Elektra. Der Chor.

Elektra.

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 836 focus

Miu-ked ye, my friends, did ye observe her
840

tears ?
840

Did she lament him ? Did the mother weep
840

For her lost child ? Oh, no ; she smiled and left me.
840

Thou hast undone me ; thou wert all my hope :
840

I thought thou wouldst have lived to aid my vengeance
840

For our loved father's death ; deprived of both
840

Whither shall I betake me 'i Left at last
840

A slave to those whom most on earth I hate,
840

The cruel murderers — must it then be so ?
840

Never, oh never ! Thus bereft of all.
840

Here will I lay me down, and on this spot
840

End my sad days. If it offend the t}Tants,
840

Let 'em destroy me — 'twill be kindly done.
840

Life is a pain ; I would not wish to keep it.
840

Chorus

Where is thy thunder, Jove ? or where thy

power,

O Phcebus ! if thou dost behold this' deed

And not avenge it ?

Chor

Oh

Alas

Why mournst thou thus ?

Oh ! do not gi'oan thus.

How have I huit thee ?

Thou destroyst me.

Electra

Why thus vainly try

To give me comfort, when I know he's dead ?

You but insult my woes.

Chorus

Yet weep not thus.

Think on the golden bracelet that betrayed

Amphiaraus, who now

Electra

Oh me !

Chorus

In bliss
845

Immortal reigns among the shades below.
845

Electra

Alas !

Chorus

No more ; a woman was the cause,

Th' accursed cause.

Eleo. She suffered, did she not ?

Chorus

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 836 focus

Hear, Nemesis, avenger of the dead!
840

Clytemnestra

She heard whom she should hear, and well decreed.

Electra

Triumph, insult; for prosperous is thy state.

Clytemnestra

That state wilt thou and thy Orestes sink?

Electra

No: we are sunk, and therefore sink not thee.

Clytemnestra

Great is thy merit, stranger, great thy meed,

If thou hast check'd that ever-clamourous tongue.

Attendant

Now, if these things are well, I would depart.
845

Clytemnestra

Not so; that would reflect disgrace on me,
845

And on the friend who sent thee. Go thou in,
845

And leave her here with clamourous grief to wail
845

The ruin which hath sunk her, and her friends.
845

Electra
ELECTRA, CHORUS.

Did this unnatural mother show one sign

Of grief or pity? Did she shed a tear?

Or once lament a son by such a fate

Cut off? She left us with a smile of joy.

My dear Orestes, how hast thou destroy'd

Thy poor unhappy sister by thy death!

Thou hast torn from me the fond hope, which cheer'd

Alone my sinking mind, that thou wouldst live,

Live to avenge my father's death, and me,

Unhappy me. Now whither shall I go?

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-451-1 οἴμοι τάλαινα ¹

mvp-comment-451-2 οἰμῶξαι ²

mvp-comment-452-1 ἆρ’ ἔχει καλῶς ³

mvp-comment-453-1 οὔτοι σὺ ⁴

mvp-comment-454-1 Νέμεσι ⁵

mvp-comment-454-2 τοῦ θανόντος ἀρτίως ⁶

mvp-comment-454-3 Nemesis is the goddess who requires that each man should receive his due (

Νέμεσιν ἀπὸ τῆς ἑκάστῳ διανεμήσεως

, Mund. 7. p. 401 b. 13). The ‘Nemesis of the dead man’ is the avenger of wrong done to him; as the Greeks said

Δίκη τινός

( Aesch. Ag. 1432 ),

Ἐρινύς τινος

. Cp. Aesch. fr. 266

ἡμῶν γε μέντοι Νέμεσις

(‘ our Nemesis’)

ἔσθ’ ὑπερτέρα

, |

καὶ τοῦ θανόντος ἡ Δίκη πράσσει κότον

. At Athens

Νεμέσεια

were certain rites in honour of the dead ( Dem. or. 41 § 11 ),

ἐπεὶ ἡ Νέμεσις ἐπὶ τῶν ἀποθανόντων τέτακται

(Bekker Anecd. I. 282). Nemesis appears in art, too, as a goddess of the dead (Baumeister, Denkm., p. 1008).

mvp-comment-455-1 ἤκουσεν ὧν δεῖ ⁷

mvp-comment-455-2 κἀπεκύρωσεν ⁸

mvp-comment-456-1 οὔκουν … τάδε ⁹

mvp-comment-457-1 οὐχ ὅπως σε παύσομεν ¹⁰

mvp-comment-458-1 πολλῶν ἂν ἥκοις ¹¹ ἔπαυσας ¹² παύσαις ¹³

mvp-comment-458-2 πολλῶν ¹⁴ ἄξιος ¹⁵ τυχεῖν ¹⁶

mvp-comment-459-1 εὖ κυρεῖ ¹⁷

mvp-comment-459-2 800 f. With πράξειας ¹⁸

mvp-comment-459-3 The emendations which aim at introducing

ἄν

seem, then, superfluous. The change of καταξίως ¹⁹ πράξειας ²⁰

mvp-comment-459-4 τοῦ πορεύς. ξένου ²¹

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Electra Ah, what misery! Now, indeed, Orestes, I must mourn your misfortune, since even dead as you are you are abused by this woman, your mother! Is it not just fine? 790

Clytaemnestra You certainly are not, but he is fine as he is.

Electra Listen to her, Nemesis of the recently departed!

Clytaemnestra She has heard who should be heard, and has ordained well.

Electra Abuse us! Fortune is with you today.

Clytaemnestra You and Orestes will not stop me, then, will you? 795

Electra It is we who are stopped; we cannot stop you.

Clytaemnestra Your coming, sir, deserves large recompense, if you have stopped her clamorous tongue.

Paedagogus Then I would take my leave, if all is well.

Clytaemnestra Not so; your welcome would then be unworthy of me, and of my ally who sent you. No, come in. Leave her out here to shout out loud her misfortunes and those of her friends. Clytaemnestra and the Paedagogus enter the house. 800

Current edition Experimental

Ἠλέκτρα οἴμοι τάλαινα· νῦν γὰρ οἰμῶξαι πάρα, Ὀρέστα, τὴν σὴν ξυμφοράν, ὅθʼ ὧδʼ ἔχων πρὸς τῆσδʼ ὑβρίζει μητρός. ἆρʼ ἔχει καλῶς; 790

Κλυταιμνήστρα οὔτοι σύ· κεῖνος δʼ ὡς ἔχει καλῶς ἔχει.

Ἠλέκτρα ἄκουε, Νέμεσι τοῦ θανόντος ἀρτίως.

Κλυταιμνήστρα ἤκουσεν ὧν δεῖ κἀπεκύρωσεν καλῶς.

Ἠλέκτρα ὕβριζε· νῦν γὰρ εὐτυχοῦσα τυγχάνεις.

Κλυταιμνήστρα οὔκουν Ὀρέστης καὶ σὺ παύσετον τάδε. 795

Ἠλέκτρα πεπαύμεθʼ ἡμεῖς, οὐχ ὅπως σὲ παύσομεν.

Κλυταιμνήστρα πολλῶν ἂν ἥκοις, ὦ ξένʼ, ἄξιος τυχεῖν, εἰ τήνδʼ ἔπαυσας τῆς πολυγλώσσου βοῆς.

Παιδαγωγός οὐκοῦν ἀποστείχοιμʼ ἄν, εἰ τάδʼ εὖ κυρεῖ.

’Tis well that he is gone, not that you live. 840

EL Hear, ’venging spirits of the lately dead! 840

CLY The avenging spirits have heard and answered well.

EL Insult us now, for thou art fortunate!

CLY You and Orestes are to quench my pride.

EL Our pride is quenched. No hope of quenching thee!

CLY A world of good is in thy coming, stranger, Since thou hast silenced this all-clamorous tongue.

OLD M Then I may go my way, seeing all is well. 845

CLY Nay, go not yet! That would disgrace alike 845 Me and the friend who sent you to our land. 845 But come thou in, and leave her out of door 845 To wail her own and loved ones’ overthrow. 845

CH. 5

Weh, weh mir Armen! Jezt, Crestes, muß ich wohl Dein Mißgeschick bejammern, da bei solchem Loos Dich noch verhöhnt die Mutter. Ist so recht geschehn? Dir nicht; dem Andern, wie's geschah, ist recht geschehu. 775

Elektra. höre, du, des kaum Verblich'nen Nemesis! 1

Klytämnestra. Sie hörte, wen sie mußte: recht hat sie's gefügt.

Elektra. Nun, spotte! Denn jezt bist du ja die Glückliche.

Klytämnestra. Und du und dein Orestes wehrt nicht unser Glück.

Elektra. luns ist gewehrt schon, daß wir dir nicht wehren mehr. 780

Klytämnestra. Freund, wehrtest du dem ungestümen Lästermund, Du hättest durch dein Kommen großen Dank verdient.

Der Pfleger. So kann ich weiter gehen, ist's hier wohl bestellt.

Klytämnestra. Mit nichten: also würd'st du mein nicht Würdiges Erfahren, noch des Freundes, der dich mir gesandt. 785 Nein, tritt in's Haus ein; diese laß hier außen schrei'n, Ihr Leid bejammernd und das Leid der Ihrigen! (sie geht mit dem Pfleger in's Hans.) Elektra. Der Chor.

Elektra.

Chorus Where is thy thunder, Jove ? or where thy power, O Phcebus ! if thou dost behold this' deed And not avenge it ? Chor Oh Alas Why mournst thou thus ? Oh ! do not gi'oan thus. How have I huit thee ? Thou destroyst me.

Electra Why thus vainly try To give me comfort, when I know he's dead ? You but insult my woes.

Chorus Yet weep not thus. Think on the golden bracelet that betrayed Amphiaraus, who now

Electra Oh me !

Chorus In bliss 845 Immortal reigns among the shades below. 845

Electra Alas !

Chorus No more ; a woman was the cause, Th' accursed cause. Eleo. She suffered, did she not ?

Chorus

Hear, Nemesis, avenger of the dead! 840

Clytemnestra She heard whom she should hear, and well decreed.

Electra Triumph, insult; for prosperous is thy state.

Clytemnestra That state wilt thou and thy Orestes sink?

Electra No: we are sunk, and therefore sink not thee.

Clytemnestra Great is thy merit, stranger, great thy meed, If thou hast check'd that ever-clamourous tongue.

Attendant Now, if these things are well, I would depart. 845

Clytemnestra Not so; that would reflect disgrace on me, 845 And on the friend who sent thee. Go thou in, 845 And leave her here with clamourous grief to wail 845 The ruin which hath sunk her, and her friends. 845

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Electra

Ah, what misery! Now, indeed, Orestes, I must mourn your misfortune, since even dead as you are

you are abused by this woman, your mother! Is it not just fine?
790

Clytaemnestra

You certainly are not, but he is fine as he is.

Electra

Listen to her, Nemesis of the recently departed!

Clytaemnestra

She has heard who should be heard, and has ordained well.

Electra

Abuse us! Fortune is with you today.

Clytaemnestra

You and Orestes will not stop me, then, will you?
795

Electra

It is we who are stopped; we cannot stop you.

Clytaemnestra

Your coming, sir, deserves large recompense, if you have stopped her clamorous tongue.

Paedagogus

Then I would take my leave, if all is well.

Clytaemnestra

Not so; your welcome would then be unworthy of me, and of my ally who sent you. No, come in. Leave her out here to shout out loud her misfortunes and those of her friends. Clytaemnestra and the Paedagogus enter the house.
800

Ἠλέκτρα

οἴμοι τάλαινα· νῦν γὰρ οἰμῶξαι πάρα,

Ὀρέστα, τὴν σὴν ξυμφοράν, ὅθʼ ὧδʼ ἔχων

πρὸς τῆσδʼ ὑβρίζει μητρός. ἆρʼ ἔχει καλῶς;
790

Κλυταιμνήστρα

οὔτοι σύ· κεῖνος δʼ ὡς ἔχει καλῶς ἔχει.

Ἠλέκτρα

ἄκουε, Νέμεσι τοῦ θανόντος ἀρτίως.

Κλυταιμνήστρα

ἤκουσεν ὧν δεῖ κἀπεκύρωσεν καλῶς.

Ἠλέκτρα

ὕβριζε· νῦν γὰρ εὐτυχοῦσα τυγχάνεις.

Κλυταιμνήστρα

οὔκουν Ὀρέστης καὶ σὺ παύσετον τάδε.
795

Ἠλέκτρα

πεπαύμεθʼ ἡμεῖς, οὐχ ὅπως σὲ παύσομεν.

Κλυταιμνήστρα

πολλῶν ἂν ἥκοις, ὦ ξένʼ, ἄξιος τυχεῖν,

εἰ τήνδʼ ἔπαυσας τῆς πολυγλώσσου βοῆς.

Παιδαγωγός

οὐκοῦν ἀποστείχοιμʼ ἄν, εἰ τάδʼ εὖ κυρεῖ.

’Tis well that he is gone, not that you live.
840

EL

Hear, ’venging spirits of the lately dead!
840

CLY

The avenging spirits have heard and answered well.

EL

Insult us now, for thou art fortunate!

CLY

You and Orestes are to quench my pride.

EL

Our pride is quenched. No hope of quenching thee!

CLY

A world of good is in thy coming, stranger,

Since thou hast silenced this all-clamorous tongue.

OLD M

Then I may go my way, seeing all is well.
845

CLY

Nay, go not yet! That would disgrace alike
845

Me and the friend who sent you to our land.
845

But come thou in, and leave her out of door
845

To wail her own and loved ones’ overthrow.
845

Weh, weh mir Armen! Jezt, Crestes, muß ich wohl

Dein Mißgeschick bejammern, da bei solchem Loos

Dich noch verhöhnt die Mutter. Ist so recht geschehn?

Dir nicht; dem Andern, wie's geschah, ist recht geschehu.
775

Elektra.

höre, du, des kaum Verblich'nen Nemesis!¹

Klytämnestra.

Sie hörte, wen sie mußte: recht hat sie's gefügt.

Elektra.

Nun, spotte! Denn jezt bist du ja die Glückliche.

Klytämnestra.

Und du und dein Orestes wehrt nicht unser Glück.

Elektra.

luns ist gewehrt schon, daß wir dir nicht wehren mehr.
780

Klytämnestra.

Freund, wehrtest du dem ungestümen Lästermund,

Du hättest durch dein Kommen großen Dank verdient.

Der Pfleger.

So kann ich weiter gehen, ist's hier wohl bestellt.

Klytämnestra.

Mit nichten: also würd'st du mein nicht Würdiges

Erfahren, noch des Freundes, der dich mir gesandt.
785

Nein, tritt in's Haus ein; diese laß hier außen schrei'n,

Ihr Leid bejammernd und das Leid der Ihrigen!

(sie geht mit dem Pfleger in's Hans.) Elektra. Der Chor.

Chorus

Where is thy thunder, Jove ? or where thy

power,

O Phcebus ! if thou dost behold this' deed

And not avenge it ?

Chor

Oh

Alas

Why mournst thou thus ?

Oh ! do not gi'oan thus.

How have I huit thee ?

Thou destroyst me.

Electra

Why thus vainly try

To give me comfort, when I know he's dead ?

You but insult my woes.

Chorus

Yet weep not thus.

Think on the golden bracelet that betrayed

Amphiaraus, who now

Electra

Oh me !

Chorus

In bliss
845

Immortal reigns among the shades below.
845

Electra

Alas !

Chorus

No more ; a woman was the cause,

Th' accursed cause.

Eleo. She suffered, did she not ?

Hear, Nemesis, avenger of the dead!
840

Clytemnestra

She heard whom she should hear, and well decreed.

Electra

Triumph, insult; for prosperous is thy state.

Clytemnestra

That state wilt thou and thy Orestes sink?

Electra

No: we are sunk, and therefore sink not thee.

Clytemnestra

Great is thy merit, stranger, great thy meed,

If thou hast check'd that ever-clamourous tongue.

Attendant

Now, if these things are well, I would depart.
845

Clytemnestra

Not so; that would reflect disgrace on me,
845

And on the friend who sent thee. Go thou in,
845

And leave her here with clamourous grief to wail
845

The ruin which hath sunk her, and her friends.
845