Sophocles, Electra, Richard Jebb (Translator), 860

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Chorus

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?

Chorus

The mutilation is beyond thought!

Electra

Yes, so it is, when in foreign soil, without being tended by my hands—
865

Chorus

Ah, no!

Electra

—he has been buried not receiving from me either burial

or lamentation.
870

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)) — 860 focus

Πᾶσι θνατοῖς θ(α)νατοῖς L. ἔφυ μόρος.

ΧΟ.

ἢ καὶ χαλαργοῖς ἐν ἁμίλλαις ἁμιλλαις L. ἁμίλλαις CF.

οὕτως, ὡς κείνῳ δυστάνῳ,

τμητοῖς τμητοῖ L. τμητοῖς C2. ὁλκοῖς ἐγκῦρσαι ἐνκύσαι L. ἐνκύρσαι CL². ἐγκύρσαι A. ἐγκῦρσαι Γ.?

ΗΛ.

ἄσκοπος ὁ λώβα.

ΧΟ.

πῶς γὰρ οὔκ; εἰ ξένος
865

ἄτερ· ἐμᾶν χερῶν

ΗΛ.

παπαῖ παπαί L..

ΧΟ.

κέκευθεν, οὔτε του του L. του om. Γ. τοῦ Pal. τάφου ἀντιάσας

οὔτε γόων παρ᾿ ἡμῶν.
870

ΧΡΥΣΟΘΕΜΙΣ.

Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 860 focus

Χορός

πᾶσι θνατοῖς ἔφυ μόρος.
860

Ἠλέκτρα

ἦ καὶ χαλάργοις ἐν ἁμίλλαις

οὕτως, ὡς κείνῳ δυστάνῳ,

τμητοῖς ὁλκοῖς ἐγκῦρσαι;

Χορός

ἄσκοπος ἁ λώβα.

Ἠλέκτρα

πῶς γὰρ οὔκ; εἰ ξένος
865

ἄτερ ἐμᾶν χερῶν

Χορός

παπαῖ.

Ἠλέκτρα

κέκευθεν, οὔτε του τάφου ἀντιάσας

οὔτε γόων παρʼ ἡμῶν.
870

Translations (4)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 860 focus

True!

That faithful mourner knew

A brother’s aid. But I

Have no man now. The one

I had, is gone, is gone.

Rapt into nothingness.

CH. 9

Thou art wrung with sore distress.

EL

I know it. Too well I know,

Taught by a life of woe,

Where horror dwells without relief.

CH. 10

Our eyes have seen thy grief.

EL

Then comfort not again—

CH. 11

Whither now turns thy strain?

EL

One utterly bereft,

Seeing no hope is left,

Of help from hands owning the same great sire.

’Tis nature’s debt.

To expire

On sharp-cut dragging thongs,

’Midst wildly trampling throngs

Of swiftly racing hoofs, like him,

Poor hapless one?
870

Vast, dim,
870

And boundless was the harm.
870

Yea, severed from mine arm,
870

By strangers kept—
870

O pain!
870

Hidden he must remain,
870

Of me unsepulchred, unmourned, unwept.
870

CHR
Enter CHRYSOTHEMIS .

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 860 focus

Aller Erdsöhne harrt der Tod.

So war es verhängt auch, gleichwie dort
840

Es dem Armen erging, bei'm Roßwettlauf

Elektra.

In den Zaum des Gespannes zu stürzen?

Der Chor.

Nimmer erhörtes Leid!

Elektra.

Ach, gewiß, wenn er, uns

Fern, in dem fremden Land
845

Weh, weh!

Versunken, ohne daß er ein Grab sich errang,

Oder von uns beweint ward!

Chrysothemis. Die Vorigen.

Chrysothemis.

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 860 focus

There is none,

None left for me — my noble brother slain !

Chorus

Death is the lot of human race.

Electra

But, oh !

Not death like his — entangled in the reins,

His mangled body dragged along the field.

Chorus

A strange unthought-of chance.

Electra

And then to fall

A wretched stranger in a foreign land !

Chorus

Oh horrible !

Electra

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 860 focus

And on her vengeance fell.

Chorus

It fell severe.

Electra

I know it, yes, I know it; 'midst his grief

A warm avenger rose: but I have none,

I now have none, for mine is snatch'd away.

Chorus

Unhappy virgin, mournful are thy ills.

Electra

I feel them all, an aggregated mass,

Of various, endless, dreadful, hated griefs.

Chorus

We see thou hast abundant cause of grief.

Electra

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-491-1 ἔφυ ¹

mvp-comment-492-1 χαλαργοῖς ²

mvp-comment-493-1 τμητοῖς ³

mvp-comment-494-1 ἄσκοπος ⁴

mvp-comment-494-2 ἁ λώβα ⁵

mvp-comment-495-1 ξένος ⁶

mvp-comment-496-1 ἄτερ ἐμᾶν χερῶν ⁷

mvp-comment-497-1 κέκευθεν ⁸

mvp-comment-497-2 οὔτε του ⁹

mvp-comment-497-3 ἀντιάσας ¹⁰

mvp-comment-497-4 τάφου … γόων ¹¹

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:-

859. mvp-comment-408-1 ἔφυ] « Is ordained by Nature.' For φῦναι, of divine appointment, cp. Ο. C. 1443, 4, ταῦτα δ' ἐν τῷ δαίμονι | καὶ τῇδε φῦναι χἀτέρᾳ.

861-863. mvp-comment-409-1 'Is it likewise decreed by Nature to fall, as my poor brother did, on a sharp dragging-instrument amid swift-racing hoofs? For the lyrical use of the abstract word ὁλκός, cp. Eur. Ion 144, 5, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκπαύσω γὰρ μόχθους | δάφνας ὁλκοῖς. On τμητοῖς see above, note on 747.

864. mvp-comment-410-1 ἄσκοπος ὁ λώβα] ‘The ruin is beyond thought; ' i.e. either (1) 'greater than can be conceived,' or (2) 'greater than could have been imagined beforehand.' For ἄσκοπος, cp. Aj. 21, and note; and see Essay on L. § 51. p. 96. The Scholiast says ἀπροόρατος ὁ θάνατος, and with this some interpreters are satisfied.

865-870. mvp-comment-411-1 'Indeed it is unimaginable :- to think that he is hidden from the light of day, without my hands-Cho. Alas!-El. to deck his corpse and bury him, without our voices to lament for him!'

866. mvp-comment-412-1 ἄτερ ἐμᾶν χερῶν] Cp. infr. 1141, ἐν ξέναισι χερσὶ κηδευθείς: Ant. 900-3 (Antigone had the consolation which is denied to Electra).

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Chorus 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?

Chorus The mutilation is beyond thought!

Electra Yes, so it is, when in foreign soil, without being tended by my hands— 865

Chorus Ah, no!

Electra —he has been buried not receiving from me either burial or lamentation. 870

Current edition Experimental

Πᾶσι θνατοῖς θ(α)νατοῖς L. ἔφυ μόρος.

ΗΛ. ἄσκοπος ὁ λώβα.

ΧΟ. πῶς γὰρ οὔκ; εἰ ξένος 865 ἄτερ· ἐμᾶν χερῶν

ΗΛ. παπαῖ παπαί L..

ΧΟ. κέκευθεν, οὔτε του του L. του om. Γ. τοῦ Pal. τάφου ἀντιάσας οὔτε γόων παρ᾿ ἡμῶν. 870

ΧΡΥΣΟΘΕΜΙΣ.

Χορός πᾶσι θνατοῖς ἔφυ μόρος. 860

Ἠλέκτρα ἦ καὶ χαλάργοις ἐν ἁμίλλαις οὕτως, ὡς κείνῳ δυστάνῳ, τμητοῖς ὁλκοῖς ἐγκῦρσαι;

Χορός ἄσκοπος ἁ λώβα.

Ἠλέκτρα πῶς γὰρ οὔκ; εἰ ξένος 865 ἄτερ ἐμᾶν χερῶν

Χορός παπαῖ.

Ἠλέκτρα κέκευθεν, οὔτε του τάφου ἀντιάσας οὔτε γόων παρʼ ἡμῶν. 870

True! That faithful mourner knew A brother’s aid. But I Have no man now. The one I had, is gone, is gone. Rapt into nothingness.

CH. 9 Thou art wrung with sore distress.

EL I know it. Too well I know, Taught by a life of woe, Where horror dwells without relief.

CH. 10 Our eyes have seen thy grief.

EL Then comfort not again—

CH. 11 Whither now turns thy strain?

CHR Enter CHRYSOTHEMIS .

Aller Erdsöhne harrt der Tod. So war es verhängt auch, gleichwie dort 840 Es dem Armen erging, bei'm Roßwettlauf

Elektra. In den Zaum des Gespannes zu stürzen?

Der Chor. Nimmer erhörtes Leid!

Elektra. Ach, gewiß, wenn er, uns Fern, in dem fremden Land 845 Weh, weh! Versunken, ohne daß er ein Grab sich errang, Oder von uns beweint ward! Chrysothemis. Die Vorigen.

Chrysothemis.

There is none, None left for me — my noble brother slain !

Chorus Death is the lot of human race.

Electra But, oh ! Not death like his — entangled in the reins, His mangled body dragged along the field.

Chorus A strange unthought-of chance.

Electra And then to fall A wretched stranger in a foreign land !

Chorus Oh horrible !

Electra

And on her vengeance fell.

Chorus It fell severe.

Electra I know it, yes, I know it; 'midst his grief A warm avenger rose: but I have none, I now have none, for mine is snatch'd away.

Chorus Unhappy virgin, mournful are thy ills.

Electra I feel them all, an aggregated mass, Of various, endless, dreadful, hated griefs.

Chorus We see thou hast abundant cause of grief.

Electra

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Chorus

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?

Chorus

The mutilation is beyond thought!

Electra

Yes, so it is, when in foreign soil, without being tended by my hands—
865

Chorus

Ah, no!

Electra

—he has been buried not receiving from me either burial

or lamentation.
870

ΗΛ.

ἄσκοπος ὁ λώβα.

ΧΟ.

πῶς γὰρ οὔκ; εἰ ξένος
865

ἄτερ· ἐμᾶν χερῶν

ΗΛ.

παπαῖ παπαί L..

ΧΟ.

κέκευθεν, οὔτε του του L. του om. Γ. τοῦ Pal. τάφου ἀντιάσας

οὔτε γόων παρ᾿ ἡμῶν.
870

Χορός

πᾶσι θνατοῖς ἔφυ μόρος.
860

Ἠλέκτρα

ἦ καὶ χαλάργοις ἐν ἁμίλλαις

οὕτως, ὡς κείνῳ δυστάνῳ,

τμητοῖς ὁλκοῖς ἐγκῦρσαι;

Χορός

ἄσκοπος ἁ λώβα.

Ἠλέκτρα

πῶς γὰρ οὔκ; εἰ ξένος
865

ἄτερ ἐμᾶν χερῶν

Χορός

παπαῖ.

Ἠλέκτρα

κέκευθεν, οὔτε του τάφου ἀντιάσας

οὔτε γόων παρʼ ἡμῶν.
870

True!

That faithful mourner knew

A brother’s aid. But I

Have no man now. The one

I had, is gone, is gone.

Rapt into nothingness.

CH. 9

Thou art wrung with sore distress.

EL

I know it. Too well I know,

Taught by a life of woe,

Where horror dwells without relief.

CH. 10

Our eyes have seen thy grief.

EL

Then comfort not again—

CH. 11

Whither now turns thy strain?

CHR
Enter CHRYSOTHEMIS .

Aller Erdsöhne harrt der Tod.

So war es verhängt auch, gleichwie dort
840

Es dem Armen erging, bei'm Roßwettlauf

Elektra.

In den Zaum des Gespannes zu stürzen?

Der Chor.

Nimmer erhörtes Leid!

Elektra.

Ach, gewiß, wenn er, uns

Fern, in dem fremden Land
845

Weh, weh!

Versunken, ohne daß er ein Grab sich errang,

Oder von uns beweint ward!

Chrysothemis. Die Vorigen.

There is none,

None left for me — my noble brother slain !

Chorus

Death is the lot of human race.

Electra

But, oh !

Not death like his — entangled in the reins,

His mangled body dragged along the field.

Chorus

A strange unthought-of chance.

Electra

And then to fall

A wretched stranger in a foreign land !

Chorus

Oh horrible !

Chorus

It fell severe.

Electra

I know it, yes, I know it; 'midst his grief

A warm avenger rose: but I have none,

I now have none, for mine is snatch'd away.

Chorus

Unhappy virgin, mournful are thy ills.

Electra

I feel them all, an aggregated mass,

Of various, endless, dreadful, hated griefs.

Chorus

We see thou hast abundant cause of grief.