Sophocles, Electra, Richard Jebb (Translator), 823

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Chorus

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!

Chorus

My child, why do you weep?

Electra

Oh!

Chorus

Give no cry of bad omen!
830

Electra

You will break my heart!

Chorus

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

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)) — 823 focus

Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 823 focus

Χορός

ποῦ ποτε κεραυνοὶ Διὸς ἢ ποῦ φαέθων

Ἅλιος, εἰ ταῦτʼ ἐφορῶντες κρύπτουσιν ἕκηλοι;
825

Ἠλέκτρα

ἒ ἔ, αἰαῖ.

Χορός

ὦ παῖ, τί δακρύεις;

Ἠλέκτρα

φεῦ.

Χορός

μηδὲν μέγʼ ἀΰσῃς.
830

Ἠλέκτρα

ἀπολεῖς.

Χορός

πῶς;

Ἠλέκτρα

εἰ τῶν φανερῶς οἰχομένων

εἰς Ἀΐδαν ἐλπίδʼ ὑποίσεις, κατʼ ἐμοῦ τακομένας

μᾶλλον ἐπεμβάσει.
835

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)) — 823 focus

Wo sind des Zeus Donner und du, strahlender Gott,

Helios, wenn solches ihr schaut und

Langmüthig verberget?

Elektra.

Ach, ach, weh, weh!
810

Der Chor.

Was weinst Du, o Jungfrau?

Elektra.

Ho!

Der Chor.

Nicht höhne die Götter!

Schont mein!

Wie?

Elektra.

Wenn hoffen du mich heißest auf die,
815

Die mir der Tod sichtbar entrafft: drückst du mich noch tiefer hinab,

Mich, die der Gram aufzehrt.

Erste Gegenstrophe.

Der Chor.

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-470-1 Kommos. 1st strophe, 823—835, =1st antistr., 836—848: 2nd str., 849—859, =2nd antistr., 860—870. For metres see Metrical Analysis. Changes of person occur within a verse (as in 829 ff.,

ΗΛ. φεῦ. ΧΟ. μηδὲν μέγ’ ἀΰσῃς. ΗΛ. ἀπολεῖς. ΧΟ. πῶς

; ). This indicates that the Chorus is here represented by the coryphaeus; it is, in fact, a lyric duet between the leader and Electra. Similar duets occur in O. T. 649 —697 and O. C. 510 —548, passages which further resemble this as being

κομμοί

inserted in

ἐπεισόδια

: also in the parodos of the O. C.(as at 178 ff.), and its exodos (as at 1677 ff.): and in Ph. 1081 —1217 (as at 1184 f.).

mvp-comment-470-2 These lyrics mark the climax of Electra's grief. The comforter vainly seeks to rouse her from despair.

mvp-comment-470-3 ποῦ ποτε ¹

mvp-comment-470-4 φαέθων ²

mvp-comment-470-5 ἐφορῶντες ³

mvp-comment-470-6 κρύπτουσιν ⁴

mvp-comment-471-1 τί δακρύεις ⁵

mvp-comment-472-1 μηδὲν μέγ’ ἀΰσῃς ⁶

mvp-comment-472-2 ἀΰσῃς ⁷

mvp-comment-473-1 ἀπολεῖς ⁸

mvp-comment-474-1 τῶν … οἰχομένων ⁹ φανερῶς ¹⁰ ἐλπίδα ¹¹

mvp-comment-475-1 κατ’ ἐμοῦ τακομένας ¹² ἐπεμβάσει ¹³ κατ’ ἐμοὶ τακομένᾳ ¹⁴

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Chorus 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!

Chorus My child, why do you weep?

Electra Oh!

Chorus Give no cry of bad omen! 830

Electra You will break my heart!

Chorus 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

Current edition Experimental

Χορός ποῦ ποτε κεραυνοὶ Διὸς ἢ ποῦ φαέθων Ἅλιος, εἰ ταῦτʼ ἐφορῶντες κρύπτουσιν ἕκηλοι; 825

Ἠλέκτρα ἒ ἔ, αἰαῖ.

Χορός ὦ παῖ, τί δακρύεις;

Ἠλέκτρα φεῦ.

Χορός μηδὲν μέγʼ ἀΰσῃς. 830

Ἠλέκτρα ἀπολεῖς.

Χορός πῶς;

Ἠλέκτρα εἰ τῶν φανερῶς οἰχομένων εἰς Ἀΐδαν ἐλπίδʼ ὑποίσεις, κατʼ ἐμοῦ τακομένας μᾶλλον ἐπεμβάσει. 835

’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

Wo sind des Zeus Donner und du, strahlender Gott, Helios, wenn solches ihr schaut und Langmüthig verberget?

Elektra. Ach, ach, weh, weh! 810

Der Chor. Was weinst Du, o Jungfrau?

Elektra. Ho!

Der Chor. Nicht höhne die Götter! Schont mein! Wie?

Elektra. Wenn hoffen du mich heißest auf die, 815 Die mir der Tod sichtbar entrafft: drückst du mich noch tiefer hinab, Mich, die der Gram aufzehrt. Erste Gegenstrophe.

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 ?

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

Chorus

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!

Chorus

My child, why do you weep?

Electra

Oh!

Chorus

Give no cry of bad omen!
830

Electra

You will break my heart!

Chorus

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

Χορός

ποῦ ποτε κεραυνοὶ Διὸς ἢ ποῦ φαέθων

Ἅλιος, εἰ ταῦτʼ ἐφορῶντες κρύπτουσιν ἕκηλοι;
825

Ἠλέκτρα

ἒ ἔ, αἰαῖ.

Χορός

ὦ παῖ, τί δακρύεις;

Ἠλέκτρα

φεῦ.

Χορός

μηδὲν μέγʼ ἀΰσῃς.
830

Ἠλέκτρα

ἀπολεῖς.

Χορός

πῶς;

Ἠλέκτρα

εἰ τῶν φανερῶς οἰχομένων

εἰς Ἀΐδαν ἐλπίδʼ ὑποίσεις, κατʼ ἐμοῦ τακομένας

μᾶλλον ἐπεμβάσει.
835

’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

Wo sind des Zeus Donner und du, strahlender Gott,

Helios, wenn solches ihr schaut und

Langmüthig verberget?

Elektra.

Ach, ach, weh, weh!
810

Der Chor.

Was weinst Du, o Jungfrau?

Elektra.

Ho!

Der Chor.

Nicht höhne die Götter!

Schont mein!

Wie?

Elektra.

Wenn hoffen du mich heißest auf die,
815

Die mir der Tod sichtbar entrafft: drückst du mich noch tiefer hinab,

Mich, die der Gram aufzehrt.

Erste Gegenstrophe.

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