ὦ ξένε
Κεφαλλήν
κεφαλήν
κεφαλήνων, εἴθε σου διαμπερὲς
Philoctetes. Sophocles. ed. Lewis Campbell. Oxford. 1879.
Table of Contents
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Current edition Experimental
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Greek) (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879))
Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.
Editions (1)
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 827-864 focus
Χορός
Ὕπνʼ ὀδύνας ἀδαής, Ὕπνε δʼ ἀλγέων,
εὐαὲς ἡμῖν ἔλθοις,
εὐαίων εὐαίων, ὦναξ·
ὄμμασι δʼ ἀντίσχοις
830
τάνδʼ αἴγλαν, ἃ τέταται τανῦν.
ἴθι ἴθι μοι παιών.
ὦ τέκνον, ὅρα ποῦ στάσει,
ποῖ δέ μοι τἀνθένδε βάσει,
φροντίδος. ὁρᾷς ἤδη.
835
πρὸς τί μενοῦμεν πράσσειν;
καιρός τοι πάντων γνώμαν ἴσχων
πολύ τι πολὺ παρὰ πόδα κράτος ἄρνυται.
Ὕπνʼ ὀδύνας ἀδαής, Ὕπνε δʼ ἀλγέων,
εὐαὲς ἡμῖν ἔλθοις,
εὐαίων εὐαίων, ὦναξ·
ὄμμασι δʼ ἀντίσχοις
830
τάνδʼ αἴγλαν, ἃ τέταται τανῦν.
ἴθι ἴθι μοι παιών.
ὦ τέκνον, ὅρα ποῦ στάσει,
ποῖ δέ μοι τἀνθένδε βάσει,
φροντίδος. ὁρᾷς ἤδη.
835
πρὸς τί μενοῦμεν πράσσειν;
καιρός τοι πάντων γνώμαν ἴσχων
πολύ τι πολὺ παρὰ πόδα κράτος ἄρνυται.
Νεοπτόλεμος
ἀλλʼ ὅδε μὲν κλύει οὐδέν, ἐγὼ δʼ ὁρῶ οὕνεκα θήραν
τήνδʼ ἁλίως ἔχομεν τόξων, δίχα τοῦδε πλέοντες.
840
τοῦδε γὰρ ὁ στέφανος, τοῦτον θεὸς εἶπε κομίζειν.
κομπεῖν δʼ ἔστʼ ἀτελῆ σὺν ψεύδεσιν αἰσχρὸν ὄνειδος.
ἀλλʼ ὅδε μὲν κλύει οὐδέν, ἐγὼ δʼ ὁρῶ οὕνεκα θήραν
τήνδʼ ἁλίως ἔχομεν τόξων, δίχα τοῦδε πλέοντες.
840
τοῦδε γὰρ ὁ στέφανος, τοῦτον θεὸς εἶπε κομίζειν.
κομπεῖν δʼ ἔστʼ ἀτελῆ σὺν ψεύδεσιν αἰσχρὸν ὄνειδος.
Χορός
ἀλλά, τέκνον, τάδε μὲν θεὸς ὄψεται·
ὧν δʼ ἂν ἀμείβῃ μʼ αὖθις,
βαιάν μοι, βαιάν, ὦ τέκνον,
845
πέμπε λόγων φάμαν·
ὡς πάντων ἐν νόσῳ εὐδρακὴς
ὕπνος ἄϋπνος λεύσσειν.
ἀλλʼ ὅτι δύνᾳ μάκιστον
κεῖνο δή μοι κεῖνο λάθρᾳ
850
ἐξιδοῦ ὅπᾳ πράξεις.
οἶσθα γὰρ ἃν αὐδῶμαι,
εἰ ταύταν τούτων γνώμαν ἴσχεις,
μάλα τοι ἄπορα πυκινοῖς ἐνιδεῖν πάθη.
ἀλλά, τέκνον, τάδε μὲν θεὸς ὄψεται·
ὧν δʼ ἂν ἀμείβῃ μʼ αὖθις,
βαιάν μοι, βαιάν, ὦ τέκνον,
845
πέμπε λόγων φάμαν·
ὡς πάντων ἐν νόσῳ εὐδρακὴς
ὕπνος ἄϋπνος λεύσσειν.
ἀλλʼ ὅτι δύνᾳ μάκιστον
κεῖνο δή μοι κεῖνο λάθρᾳ
850
ἐξιδοῦ ὅπᾳ πράξεις.
οἶσθα γὰρ ἃν αὐδῶμαι,
εἰ ταύταν τούτων γνώμαν ἴσχεις,
μάλα τοι ἄπορα πυκινοῖς ἐνιδεῖν πάθη.
Χορός
οὖρός τοι, τέκνον, οὖρος·
855
ἁνὴρ δʼ ἀνόμματος οὐδʼ ἔχων
ἀρωγὰν ἐκτέταται νύχιος,
ʽἁ̓λεὴς ὕπνος ἐσθλός,ʼ
οὐ χερός, οὐ ποδός, οὔ τινος ἄρχων,
860
ἀλλά τις ὡς Ἀΐδᾳ παρακείμενος.
ὅρα, βλέπʼ εἰ καίρια
φθέγγει· τὸ δʼ ἁλώσιμον
ἐμᾷ φροντίδι, παῖ,
πόνος ὁ μὴ φοβῶν κράτιστος.
οὖρός τοι, τέκνον, οὖρος·
855
ἁνὴρ δʼ ἀνόμματος οὐδʼ ἔχων
ἀρωγὰν ἐκτέταται νύχιος,
ʽἁ̓λεὴς ὕπνος ἐσθλός,ʼ
οὐ χερός, οὐ ποδός, οὔ τινος ἄρχων,
860
ἀλλά τις ὡς Ἀΐδᾳ παρακείμενος.
ὅρα, βλέπʼ εἰ καίρια
φθέγγει· τὸ δʼ ἁλώσιμον
ἐμᾷ φροντίδι, παῖ,
πόνος ὁ μὴ φοβῶν κράτιστος.
Translations (2)
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 782 focus
Ich fürchte, Jüngling, dein Gebet wird eitel sein:
Denn wieder quillt aus tiefer Wunde mir das Blut
In dunkeln Tropfen, und mir ahnt ein neuer Sturm.
755
weh! Ach!
Weh, wehe, Fuß! Ha, welche Marter schaffst du mir!
Es schleicht her,
Es dringt heran stets näher; weh mir Armen, weh!
Da seht ihr Alles; aber, ach, flieht nicht von mir!
760
Ah, ah, ah!
Kephallener, möchte doch an deiner Brust
Durchbohrend hasten dieser Schmerz! Ach wehe, weh!
Ja, wehe nochmals! Und des Heers Anführer ihr,
Agamemnon und Menelaos, daß an meiner Statt
765
Ihr diese Krankheit nährtet, und gleich lange Zeit!
Weh, weh mir!
O Tod, o Tod! Du, den ich also jeden Tag
Ohn' Unterlaß anrufe, was erscheinst du nie?
Mein Trauter du, mein Edler, komm und fasse mich,
770
Verbrenne mich in Lemnos' Flammengluten dort,
Den oft von mir geruf'nen! Hab' ich selber doch
Dem Sohn Kronions ehemals für diese Wehr,
Die jezo du bewahrest, gleichen Dienst erzeigt.
sprich, Sohn! sprich!
775
Du schweigst? Wo waren deine Sinne, Kind?
Ich fürchte, Jüngling, dein Gebet wird eitel sein:
Denn wieder quillt aus tiefer Wunde mir das Blut
In dunkeln Tropfen, und mir ahnt ein neuer Sturm.
755
weh! Ach!
Weh, wehe, Fuß! Ha, welche Marter schaffst du mir!
Es schleicht her,
Es dringt heran stets näher; weh mir Armen, weh!
Da seht ihr Alles; aber, ach, flieht nicht von mir!
760
Ah, ah, ah!
Kephallener, möchte doch an deiner Brust
Durchbohrend hasten dieser Schmerz! Ach wehe, weh!
Ja, wehe nochmals! Und des Heers Anführer ihr,
Agamemnon und Menelaos, daß an meiner Statt
765
Ihr diese Krankheit nährtet, und gleich lange Zeit!
Weh, weh mir!
O Tod, o Tod! Du, den ich also jeden Tag
Ohn' Unterlaß anrufe, was erscheinst du nie?
Mein Trauter du, mein Edler, komm und fasse mich,
770
Verbrenne mich in Lemnos' Flammengluten dort,
Den oft von mir geruf'nen! Hab' ich selber doch
Dem Sohn Kronions ehemals für diese Wehr,
Die jezo du bewahrest, gleichen Dienst erzeigt.
sprich, Sohn! sprich!
775
Du schweigst? Wo waren deine Sinne, Kind?
Neoptolemos.
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 827-860 focus
Chorus
Divine Sleep, god who knows no pain, Sleep, stranger to anguish, come in favor to us, come happy, and giving happiness, great King!
Keep before his eyes such light as is spread before them now. Come to him, I pray you, come with power to heal! Son, consider what position you will take, and to what strategy you will next direct our course.
830
You see his condition now! Why should we hesitate to act? Opportunity, the umpire of all contests, often wins a great victory by one swift stroke.
835
839
Divine Sleep, god who knows no pain, Sleep, stranger to anguish, come in favor to us, come happy, and giving happiness, great King!
Keep before his eyes such light as is spread before them now. Come to him, I pray you, come with power to heal! Son, consider what position you will take, and to what strategy you will next direct our course.
830
You see his condition now! Why should we hesitate to act? Opportunity, the umpire of all contests, often wins a great victory by one swift stroke.
835
Neoptolemus
No, even though he hears nothing, I see that
we have made this bow our quarry to no end, if we sail without him. His must be the victor’s crown. It is he that the god commanded we bring. It would be a foul disgrace upon us to boast of deeds in which failure and fraud had equal parts.
840
No, even though he hears nothing, I see that
we have made this bow our quarry to no end, if we sail without him. His must be the victor’s crown. It is he that the god commanded we bring. It would be a foul disgrace upon us to boast of deeds in which failure and fraud had equal parts.
840
Chorus
Well, the god must look to that, son. But when you answer me again,
softly, please, softly whisper your words. For sick men’s restless sleep is quick to vision. But, please, use your utmost care to win that prize,
845
that great prize, by stealth. For if you maintain your present purpose towards this man—you know what purpose I mean—then truly there are irremediable troubles in store, which a shrewd mind can foresee.
850
Well, the god must look to that, son. But when you answer me again,
softly, please, softly whisper your words. For sick men’s restless sleep is quick to vision. But, please, use your utmost care to win that prize,
845
that great prize, by stealth. For if you maintain your present purpose towards this man—you know what purpose I mean—then truly there are irremediable troubles in store, which a shrewd mind can foresee.
850
Chorus
Now, son, a fair wind blows you on your way: sightless and helpless, the man lies stretched in darkness—sleep in the heat is sound—
855
with no command of hands or feet, but stripped of all his powers, like one who rests with Hades. Take note, see if your pronouncements are seasonable. So far as my thoughts can seize the truth, boy, the best strategy is that which stirs no alarm.
860
Now, son, a fair wind blows you on your way: sightless and helpless, the man lies stretched in darkness—sleep in the heat is sound—
855
with no command of hands or feet, but stripped of all his powers, like one who rests with Hades. Take note, see if your pronouncements are seasonable. So far as my thoughts can seize the truth, boy, the best strategy is that which stirs no alarm.
860
Commentary
Commentary (R. C. Jebb) (OCR draft) (Commentary (R. C. Jebb))
Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) focus
791-792. mvp-comment-558-1 εἴθε.. ἥδε] 'Would that this pang might pierce thy breast and cling there!' For ξένε, cp. Aj.817. Philoctetes and Odysseus had been bound by a common oath,