Sophocles, Electra, ed. Francis Storr, 251

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Χορός

ἐγὼ μέν, ὦ παῖ, καὶ τὸ σὸν σπεύδουσʼ ἅμα

καὶ τοὐμὸν αὐτῆς ἦλθον· εἰ δὲ μὴ καλῶς

λέγω, σὺ νίκα· σοὶ γὰρ ἑψόμεσθʼ ἅμα.

Ἠλέκτρα

αἰσχύνομαι μέν, ὦ γυναῖκες, εἰ δοκῶ

πολλοῖσι θρήνοις δυσφορεῖν ὑμῖν ἄγαν.
255

ἀλλʼ ἡ βία γὰρ ταῦτʼ ἀναγκάζει με δρᾶν,

σύγγνωτε· πῶς γὰρ ἥτις εὐγενὴς γυνή,

πατρῷʼ ὁρῶσα πήματʼ, οὐ δρῴη τάδʼ ἄν;

ἁγὼ κατʼ ἦμαρ καὶ κατʼ εὐφρόνην ἀεὶ

θάλλοντα μᾶλλον ἢ καταφθίνονθʼ ὁρῶ·
260

ᾗ πρῶτα μὲν τὰ μητρός, ἥ μʼ ἐγείνατο,

ἔχθιστα συμβέβηκεν· εἶτα δώμασιν

ἐν τοῖς ἐμαυτῆς τοῖς φονεῦσι τοῦ πατρὸς

ξύνειμι, κἀκ τῶνδʼ ἄρχομαι κἀκ τῶνδέ μοι

λαβεῖν θʼ ὁμοίως καὶ τὸ τητᾶσθαι πέλει.
265

ἔπειτα ποίας ἡμέρας δοκεῖς μʼ ἄγειν,

ὅταν θρόνοις Αἴγισθον ἐνθακοῦντʼ ἴδω

τοῖσιν πατρῴοις, εἰσίδω δʼ ἐσθήματα

φοροῦντʼ ἐκείνῳ ταὐτὰ καὶ παρεστίους

σπένδοντα λοιβὰς ἔνθʼ ἐκεῖνον ὤλεσεν,
270

ἴδω δὲ τούτων τὴν τελευταίαν ὕβριν,

τὸν αὐτοέντην ἡμὶν ἐν κοίτῃ πατρὸς

ξὺν τῇ ταλαίνῃ μητρί, μητέρʼ εἰ χρεὼν

ταύτην προσαυδᾶν τῷδε συγκοιμωμένην·

ἡ δʼ ὧδε τλήμων ὥστε τῷ μιάστορι
275

ξύνεστʼ, ἐρινὺν οὔτινʼ ἐκφοβουμένη·

ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ ἐγγελῶσα τοῖς ποιουμένοις,

εὑροῦσʼ ἐκείνην ἡμέραν, ἐν ᾗ τότε

πατέρα τὸν ἀμὸν ἐκ δόλου κατέκτανεν,

ταύτῃ χοροὺς ἵστησι καὶ μηλοσφαγεῖ
280

θεοῖσιν ἔμμηνʼ ἱερὰ τοῖς σωτηρίοις.

Electra. Sophocles. ed. Francis Storr. London. 1913.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Experimental

Ἠλέκτρα (Greek) (Sophocles, Volume 2. Storr, Francis, editor. London; New York: William Heinemann Ltd.; The Macmillan Company, 1913.)

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (1)

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 251 focus

ἐγὼ μέν, ὦ παῖ, καὶ τὸ σὸν σπεύδουσ᾽ ἅμα

καὶ τοὐμὸν αὐτῆς ἦλθον· εἰ δὲ μὴ καλῶς

λέγω, σὺ νίκα· σοὶ γὰρ ἐψόμεσθ᾽ ἅμα.

ΗΛ.

αἰσχύνομαι μέν, ὦ γυναῖκες, εἰ δοκῶ

πολλοῖσι θρήνοις δυσφορεῖν ὑμῖν ἄγαν.
255

ἀλλ᾽ ἡ βία γὰρ ταῦτ᾽ ἀναγκάζει με δρᾶν,

σύγγνωτε, πῶς γὰρ ἥτις εὐγενὴς γυνή,

πατρῷ ὁρῶσα πήματ', οὐ δρῴη τάδ᾽ ἄν,

ἁγὼ κατ᾿ ἡμαρ καὶ κατ᾿ εὐφρόνην ἀεὶ

θάλλοντα μᾶλλον ἢ καταφθíνονθ᾽ ὁρῶ;
260

ᾗ πρῶτα μὲν τὰ om. L add C². μητρός, ἥ μ᾿ ἐγείνατο,

ἔχθιστα συμβέβηκεν· εἶτα δώμασιν

ἐν τοῖς ἐμαυτῆς τοῖς φονεῦσι τοῦ πατρὸς

ξύνειμι, κἀκ τῶνδ᾽ ἄρχομαι κἀκ τῶνδέ μοι

λαβεῖν β from θ L pr. λαθεῖν Pal. pr. θ' ὁμοίως καὶ τὸ τητᾶσθαι πέλει.
265

ἔπειτα ποίας ἡμέρας δοκεῖς μ' ἄγειν,

ὅταν θρόνοις Αἴγισθον ἐνθακοῦντ᾽ ἴδω

τοῖσιν πατρῴοις, εἰσίδω δ᾽ ἐσθήματα

φοροῦντ᾽ ἐκείνῳ ταὐτά, καὶ παρεστίους

σπένδοντα λοιβὰς ἔνθ᾽ ἐκεῖνον ὤλεσεν,
270

ἴδω δὲ τούτων τὴν τελευταίαν ὕβριν,

τὸν αὐτοφόντην γρ. αὐτοέντην C3. ἡμὶν ἐν κοίτῃ πατρὸς

ξὺν τῇ ταλαίνῃ μητρί, μητέρ' εἰ χρεὼν χρεῶν L. χρεὼν A.

ταύτην προσαυδᾶν τῷδε συγκοιμωμένην·

Translations (5)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 251 focus

No more! I see approaching from the house

Thy sister by both parents of thy blood,

Chrysothemis; in her hand an offering,

Such as old custom yields to those below.

CHRYSOTHEMIS
Enter CHRYSOTHEMIS .

What converse keeps thee now beyond the gates,

Dear sister? why this talk in the open day?

Wilt thou not learn after so long to cease

From vain indulgence of a bootless rage?

I know in my own breast that I am pained

By what thou griev’st at, and if I had power,

My censure of their deeds would soon be known.

But in misfortune I have chosen to sail

With lowered canvas, rather than provoke

With puny strokes invulnerable foes.

I would thou didst the like: though I must own

The right is on thy side, and not on mine.

But if I mean to dwell at liberty,

I must obey in all the stronger will.

EL

’Tis strange and pitiful, thy father’s child

Can leave him in oblivion and subserve

The mother. All thy schooling of me springs

From her suggestion, not of thine own wit.

Sure, either thou art senseless, or thy sense

Deserts thy friends. Treason or dulness then?

Choose!—You declared but now, if you had strength,

You would display your hatred of this pair.

Yet, when I plan full vengeance for my sire,

You aid me not, but turn me from the attempt.

What’s this but adding cowardice to evil?
255

For tell me, or be patient till I show,
255

What should I gain by ceasing this my moan?
255

I live to vex them:—though my life be poor,
255

Yet that suffices, for I honour him,
255

My father,—if affection touch the dead.
255

You say you hate them, but belie your word,
255

Consorting with our father’s murderers.
255

I then, were all the gifts in which you glory
255

Laid at my feet, will never more obey
255

This tyrant power. I leave you your rich board

And life of luxury. Ne’er be it mine to feed

On dainties that would poison my heart’s peace!

I care not for such honour as thou hast.

Nor wouldst thou care if thou wert wise. But now,

Having the noblest of all men for sire,

Be called thy mother’s offspring; so shall most

Discern thine infamy and traitorous mind

To thy dead father and thy dearest kin.

CH

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 251 focus

Ich bin gekommen, Tochter, um dein Wohl zugleich

Und meins bekümmert. Sprech' ich denn das Rechte nicht,

So möge dein Wort gelten; denn dir folgen wir.
245

Elektra.

Erröthen muß ich, Frauen, schein' ich euch zu sehr

Von meines Jammers Uebermaß bewältiget.

Doch weil Gewaltthat also mich zu handeln zwingt,

Vergebt mir: denn wie möchte wohl ein edles Weib

Des Hauses Unglück sehen und nicht also thun?
250

Und dieses muß ich jeden Tag und jede Nacht

In neuer Fülle mehr erblüh'n als welken sehn.

Mir wird von meiner Mutter, ihr, die mich gebar,

Gelohnt mit bitterm Hasse nur; im eignen Haus

Wohn' ich mit ihnen, die den Vater mordeten,
255

Zusammen, ihnen unterthan, und sie allein

Bestimmen, ob ich darben, ob empfangen soll.

Und welche Tage glaubet ihr, verleb' ich wohl,

Wenn ich Aegisthos sizen seh' auf jenem Thron,

Dem Thron des Vaters, sehe mit Gewanden ihn,
260

Die dieser trug, bekleidet, und am Hausaltar

Trankopfer spenden, wo er ihn ermordete?

Und wenn ich dann der Frevel höchsten sehen muß,

Im Lager meines Vaters ihn, den Mörder selbst,

Mit meiner Unglücksmutter, darf ich Mutter noch
265

Die Freche nennen, die mit ihm das Lager theilt,

Die sonder Scham dem fluchbeladnen Manne sich

Verband, von keiner Rachegöttin Zorn geschreckt,

Nein, wie zum Hohne dessen, was sie frevelte,

Bei jenes Tages Wiederkehr, an welchem einst¹
270

Sie meinen Vater tückevoll gemordet hat,

Festreigentänze feiert und den rettenden

Gottheiten Lämmer jeden Mond als Opfer weiht.

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 251 focus

He boasts a noble nature, and will ne'er

Forget his friends : be confident.

Electra

I am,

Were I not so I had not lived till now.

Chorus

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 251 focus

Our duty, by our zeal for thee enforced,

Induced us hither: if our friendly words

Offend thy sense of honour, we desist;

Thine be the conquest, and to follow, ours,

Electra

I am ashamed, my friends, if deem'd by you

Indulging an excess of grief and tears;
255

But they are wrung from me by bitter force;

Electra

see him in my father's robes

Array'd, and pouring to the household gods

Libations on the spot where his curs'd hand

Shed the king's blood. And (oh that blackest stain !)

I see the murderer in my father's bed

With my abandon'd mother, if the name
255

Of mother be her due, who shares this bed
255

With him, unblushing with this man of blood
255

Cohabits, and no vengeful Fury fears;
255

But, as exulting in her horrid deeds,
255

Oft as the month leads round the welcome day

In which my father by her wiles she slew,

She forms the festal dance, and to the gods,

As guardians of her house, the victims slays.

Chorus

English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 251 focus

Chorus

I came, my child, mindful of your interests no less than my own. But if what I say is wrong, let your way prevail; for united we will follow you.

Electra

I am ashamed, my friends, if you judge me

too intolerant with my many laments; but, since rough compulsion forces me to act this way, forgive me. How indeed could any woman of noble nature not act, when she sees her father’s sufferings as I see them day and night continually,
255

and flourishing rather than fading? First, everything to do with the mother who bore me has become most hateful towards me; next, in my own home I live with my father’s murderers; they rule over me and from them
260

equally I either have or do without.
And then think what manner of days I pass, when I see Aegisthus sitting on my father’s throne; when I look on him wearing the very robes which my father wore and
265

pouring libations at the hearth where he killed him; and when I see the chief outrage of them all, the murderer in my father’s bed at my wretched mother’s side, if I must call her mother, even though she shares her bed with that man.
270

So hardened is she that she joins with this polluter, fearing no Erinys. No, as if laughing at her deeds, having found the day on which in the past she treacherously killed my father,
275

she celebrates it with dance and song, and in monthly rites she sacrifices sheep to the gods who worked her deliverance.
280

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-144-1 ἐγὼ μὲν ¹

mvp-comment-144-2 καὶ ² τὸ σὸν … καὶ τοὐμὸν ³

mvp-comment-145-1 νίκα ⁴

mvp-comment-145-2 ἅμα ⁵

mvp-comment-146-1 πολλοῖσι θρήνοις ⁶

mvp-comment-147-1 ἀλλὰ … γὰρ ⁷

mvp-comment-148-1 ἥτις εὐγενὴς γυνή ⁸

mvp-comment-149-1 πατρῷα … πήματα ⁹

mvp-comment-150-1 κατ’ εὐφρόνην ¹⁰

mvp-comment-150-2 θάλλοντα ¹¹

mvp-comment-151-1 ᾗ ¹²

mvp-comment-151-2 πρῶτα μὲν … εἶτα … ἔπειτα ¹³ ᾗ ¹⁴

mvp-comment-151-3 τὰ μητρὸς ¹⁵

mvp-comment-151-4 ἔχθιστα συμβέβηκεν ¹⁶

mvp-comment-152-1 κἀκ τῶνδ’ ἄρχομαι ¹⁷

mvp-comment-153-1 λαβεῖν … τὸ τητᾶσθαι ¹⁸

mvp-comment-154-1 ποίας ¹⁹ δοκεῖς ²⁰

mvp-comment-155-1 ἴδω ²¹ εἰσίδω δ’ ²² ἴδω δὲ ²³

mvp-comment-155-2 μὲν ²⁴

mvp-comment-156-1 ἐσθήματα ²⁵

mvp-comment-156-2 ἐκείνῳ ²⁶

mvp-comment-156-3 παρεστίους … λοιβάς ²⁷ ἔνθ’ ἐκεῖνον ὤλεσεν ²⁸

mvp-comment-156-4 Acc. to Homer. Hymn. 29. 4 ff., feasts began and ended with libations to Hestia:

οὐ γὰρ ἄτερ σοῦ

εἰλαπίναι θνητοῖσιν, ἵν’ οὐ πρώτῃ πυμάτῃ τε

Ἱστίῃ ἀρχόμενος σπένδει μελιηδέα οἶνον

. Soph. fr. 658

<*> πρῷρα λοιβῆς Ἑστία

. Other divinities, including Zeus

σωτήρ

, were similarly honoured; then the paean was sung, and the

πότος

began ( Plat. Symp.p. 176 A).

mvp-comment-157-1 τούτων ²⁹

mvp-comment-158-1 αὐτοέντην ³⁰

mvp-comment-158-2 Brunck first adopted αὐτοέντην ³¹ αὐτοφόντην ³²

mvp-comment-158-3 ἡμὶν ³³

mvp-comment-159-1 ταλαίνῃ ³⁴

mvp-comment-160-1 ταύτην … τῷδε ³⁵

mvp-comment-161-1 μιάστορι ³⁶ Ἐρινὺν ³⁷

mvp-comment-162-1 ἐγγελῶσα τοῖς ποιουμένοις ³⁸

mvp-comment-163-1 εὑροῦς’ ³⁹ τότε ⁴⁰

mvp-comment-163-2 The conjecture φρουροῦς’ ⁴¹ τηροῦς’ ⁴²

mvp-comment-164-1 χοροὺς ἵστησι ⁴³

mvp-comment-164-2 μηλοσφαγεῖ … ἱερὰ ⁴⁴

mvp-comment-164-3 ἔμμην’ ἱερά ⁴⁵

mvp-comment-164-4 τοῖς σωτηρίοις ⁴⁶

mvp-comment-164-5 Argive tradition placed Agamemnon's death on the 13th of Gamelion (about the end of January). So said ‘the Argive historians’ (

οἱ Ἀργολικοὶ συγγραφεῖς

),— according to an Argive writer named Deinias, who lived about 225 B.C. (Schol. here: Müller, Frag. Hist. vol. III. p. 25.) Possibly, then, the idea of Clytaemnestra's hideous festival may have been suggested to the poet by some actual commemoration of the event in Argolis. There was a cult of Agamemnon in various places,—notably in Laconia. (Cp. Roscher's Lexicon, p. 96.)

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

251-252. mvp-comment-144-1 καὶ τὸ σὸν.. καὶ τοὐμὸν αὐτῆς] 'More in care for thee than for myself. This is really the meaning, although, by the usual Greek litotes, 'as much as' is put for more than.' The most important matter is put first. E. on L. § 41. p. 78.

253. mvp-comment-145-1 ἑψόμεσθ'] Cp. infr. 1052.

254-255. mvp-comment-146-1 I am ashamed of seeming to you, as I must seem, to be too impatient in multiplying lamentations.' δοκῶ is indicative.

258. mvp-comment-147-1 πατρῷ᾽ ὁρῶσα πήματ'] 'Seeing woful things performed against her sire.' Electra's filial affection for Agamemnon is kept prominently before us as her chief motive; and every insult to his memory, including her own sufferings, is regarded by her as part of the wrong done to him. πατρῷα is at first general, but in the antecedent to a it becomes individual, -' of my father.'

260. mvp-comment-148-1 θάλλοντα .. καταφθίνονθ'] “Not lessening but increasing.'

260-261. mvp-comment-149-1 ᾖ.. συμβέβηκεν] 'Since, first of all, I have found in my own mother the deepest cause for hatred.' This (Paley, etc.) is better than my mother is my enemy.'

264. mvp-comment-150-1 κἀκ τῶνδ᾽ ἄρχομαι] ‘And I am in subjection to them. Cp. O. C. 67, ἐκ τοῦ κατ᾿ ἄστυ βασιλέως τάδ' ἄρχεται.

270. mvp-comment-151-1 ἔνθ᾽ ἐκεῖνον ὤλεσεν] Here again Sophocles seems to follow the account that is given in the fourth book of the Odyssey, ll. 529 foll., according to which Aegisthus murdered Agamemnon at or after a banquet. Hence he is said to have destroyed him beside the hearth. Cp. infr. 1495.

271-274. mvp-comment-152-1 Further, when I see their crowning insult, when I see, forsooth, the author of his death reclining on my father's couch, beside my wretched mother, if so I must call this woman, when cohabiting with him!' The clause τὸν αὐτοφόντην κ.τ.λ. is in the same construction with ὕβριν, governed by ἴδω. ἡμίν is ethical dative, and has a sarcastic force; i.e. That is what I am compelled to look upon.' The participle (κείμενον) which should have gone with ἐν κοίτῃ is absorbed and resumed in συγκοιμωμένην.

Sophocles Electra 251

ed. Francis Storr

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Χορός

ἐγὼ μέν, ὦ παῖ, καὶ τὸ σὸν σπεύδουσʼ ἅμα

καὶ τοὐμὸν αὐτῆς ἦλθον· εἰ δὲ μὴ καλῶς

λέγω, σὺ νίκα· σοὶ γὰρ ἑψόμεσθʼ ἅμα.

Current edition Experimental

ἐγὼ μέν, ὦ παῖ, καὶ τὸ σὸν σπεύδουσ᾽ ἅμα

καὶ τοὐμὸν αὐτῆς ἦλθον· εἰ δὲ μὴ καλῶς

λέγω, σὺ νίκα· σοὶ γὰρ ἐψόμεσθ᾽ ἅμα.

ΗΛ.

αἰσχύνομαι μέν, ὦ γυναῖκες, εἰ δοκῶ

πολλοῖσι θρήνοις δυσφορεῖν ὑμῖν ἄγαν.
255

ἀλλ᾽ ἡ βία γὰρ ταῦτ᾽ ἀναγκάζει με δρᾶν,

No more! I see approaching from the house

Thy sister by both parents of thy blood,

Chrysothemis; in her hand an offering,

Such as old custom yields to those below.

CH

Ich bin gekommen, Tochter, um dein Wohl zugleich

Und meins bekümmert. Sprech' ich denn das Rechte nicht,

So möge dein Wort gelten; denn dir folgen wir.
245

He boasts a noble nature, and will ne'er

Forget his friends : be confident.

Electra

I am,

Were I not so I had not lived till now.

Chorus

Our duty, by our zeal for thee enforced,

Induced us hither: if our friendly words

Offend thy sense of honour, we desist;

Thine be the conquest, and to follow, ours,

Electra

I am ashamed, my friends, if deem'd by you

Indulging an excess of grief and tears;
255

But they are wrung from me by bitter force;

Electra

Chorus

Chorus

I came, my child, mindful of your interests no less than my own. But if what I say is wrong, let your way prevail; for united we will follow you.

Commentary

Stable identifiers

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Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Χορός ἐγὼ μέν, ὦ παῖ, καὶ τὸ σὸν σπεύδουσʼ ἅμα καὶ τοὐμὸν αὐτῆς ἦλθον· εἰ δὲ μὴ καλῶς λέγω, σὺ νίκα· σοὶ γὰρ ἑψόμεσθʼ ἅμα.

Current edition Experimental

ἐγὼ μέν, ὦ παῖ, καὶ τὸ σὸν σπεύδουσ᾽ ἅμα καὶ τοὐμὸν αὐτῆς ἦλθον· εἰ δὲ μὴ καλῶς λέγω, σὺ νίκα· σοὶ γὰρ ἐψόμεσθ᾽ ἅμα.

ΗΛ. αἰσχύνομαι μέν, ὦ γυναῖκες, εἰ δοκῶ πολλοῖσι θρήνοις δυσφορεῖν ὑμῖν ἄγαν. 255 ἀλλ᾽ ἡ βία γὰρ ταῦτ᾽ ἀναγκάζει με δρᾶν,

No more! I see approaching from the house Thy sister by both parents of thy blood, Chrysothemis; in her hand an offering, Such as old custom yields to those below.

CH

Ich bin gekommen, Tochter, um dein Wohl zugleich Und meins bekümmert. Sprech' ich denn das Rechte nicht, So möge dein Wort gelten; denn dir folgen wir. 245

He boasts a noble nature, and will ne'er Forget his friends : be confident.

Electra I am, Were I not so I had not lived till now.

Chorus

Our duty, by our zeal for thee enforced, Induced us hither: if our friendly words Offend thy sense of honour, we desist; Thine be the conquest, and to follow, ours,

Electra I am ashamed, my friends, if deem'd by you Indulging an excess of grief and tears; 255 But they are wrung from me by bitter force;

Electra

Chorus

Chorus I came, my child, mindful of your interests no less than my own. But if what I say is wrong, let your way prevail; for united we will follow you.

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Χορός

ἐγὼ μέν, ὦ παῖ, καὶ τὸ σὸν σπεύδουσʼ ἅμα

καὶ τοὐμὸν αὐτῆς ἦλθον· εἰ δὲ μὴ καλῶς

λέγω, σὺ νίκα· σοὶ γὰρ ἑψόμεσθʼ ἅμα.

ἐγὼ μέν, ὦ παῖ, καὶ τὸ σὸν σπεύδουσ᾽ ἅμα

καὶ τοὐμὸν αὐτῆς ἦλθον· εἰ δὲ μὴ καλῶς

λέγω, σὺ νίκα· σοὶ γὰρ ἐψόμεσθ᾽ ἅμα.

ΗΛ.

αἰσχύνομαι μέν, ὦ γυναῖκες, εἰ δοκῶ

πολλοῖσι θρήνοις δυσφορεῖν ὑμῖν ἄγαν.
255

ἀλλ᾽ ἡ βία γὰρ ταῦτ᾽ ἀναγκάζει με δρᾶν,

No more! I see approaching from the house

Thy sister by both parents of thy blood,

Chrysothemis; in her hand an offering,

Such as old custom yields to those below.

Ich bin gekommen, Tochter, um dein Wohl zugleich

Und meins bekümmert. Sprech' ich denn das Rechte nicht,

So möge dein Wort gelten; denn dir folgen wir.
245

He boasts a noble nature, and will ne'er

Forget his friends : be confident.

Electra

I am,

Were I not so I had not lived till now.

Our duty, by our zeal for thee enforced,

Induced us hither: if our friendly words

Offend thy sense of honour, we desist;

Thine be the conquest, and to follow, ours,

Electra

I am ashamed, my friends, if deem'd by you

Indulging an excess of grief and tears;
255

But they are wrung from me by bitter force;

Chorus

I came, my child, mindful of your interests no less than my own. But if what I say is wrong, let your way prevail; for united we will follow you.