ὅστις τοῦ πλέονος μέρους
Oedipus at Colonus. Sophocles. ed. Lewis Campbell. Oxford. 1879.
Table of Contents
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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)) — 1211-1248 focus
Χορός
ὅστις τοῦ πλέονος μέρους χρῄζει τοῦ μετρίου παρεὶς
ζώειν, σκαιοσύναν φυλάσσων
ἐν ἐμοὶ κατάδηλος ἔσται.
ἐπεὶ πολλὰ μὲν αἱ μακραὶ ἁμέραι κατέθεντο δὴ
1215
λύπας ἐγγυτέρω, τὰ τέρποντα δʼ οὐκ ἂν ἴδοις ὅπου,
ὅταν τις ἐς πλέον πέσῃ
τοῦ δέοντος· ὁ δʼ ἐπίκουρος ἰσοτέλεστος,
1220
Ἄϊδος ὅτε μοῖρʼ ἀνυμέναιος
ἄλυρος ἄχορος ἀναπέφηνε,
θάνατος ἐς τελευτάν.
ὅστις τοῦ πλέονος μέρους χρῄζει τοῦ μετρίου παρεὶς
ζώειν, σκαιοσύναν φυλάσσων
ἐν ἐμοὶ κατάδηλος ἔσται.
ἐπεὶ πολλὰ μὲν αἱ μακραὶ ἁμέραι κατέθεντο δὴ
1215
λύπας ἐγγυτέρω, τὰ τέρποντα δʼ οὐκ ἂν ἴδοις ὅπου,
ὅταν τις ἐς πλέον πέσῃ
τοῦ δέοντος· ὁ δʼ ἐπίκουρος ἰσοτέλεστος,
1220
Ἄϊδος ὅτε μοῖρʼ ἀνυμέναιος
ἄλυρος ἄχορος ἀναπέφηνε,
θάνατος ἐς τελευτάν.
Χορός
μὴ φῦναι τὸν ἅπαντα νικᾷ λόγον· τὸ δʼ, ἐπεὶ φανῇ,
1225
βῆναι κεῖθεν ὅθεν περ ἥκει,
πολὺ δεύτερον, ὡς τάχιστα.
ὡς εὖτʼ ἂν τὸ νέον παρῇ κούφας ἀφροσύνας φέρον,
1230
τίς πλαγὰ πολύμοχθος ἔξω; τίς οὐ καμάτων ἔνι;
φθόνος, στάσεις, ἔρις, μάχαι
καὶ φόνοι· τό τε κατάμεμπτον ἐπιλέλογχε
1235
πύματον ἀκρατὲς ἀπροσόμιλον
γῆρας ἄφιλον, ἵνα πρόπαντα
κακὰ κακῶν ξυνοικεῖ.
μὴ φῦναι τὸν ἅπαντα νικᾷ λόγον· τὸ δʼ, ἐπεὶ φανῇ,
1225
βῆναι κεῖθεν ὅθεν περ ἥκει,
πολὺ δεύτερον, ὡς τάχιστα.
ὡς εὖτʼ ἂν τὸ νέον παρῇ κούφας ἀφροσύνας φέρον,
1230
τίς πλαγὰ πολύμοχθος ἔξω; τίς οὐ καμάτων ἔνι;
φθόνος, στάσεις, ἔρις, μάχαι
καὶ φόνοι· τό τε κατάμεμπτον ἐπιλέλογχε
1235
πύματον ἀκρατὲς ἀπροσόμιλον
γῆρας ἄφιλον, ἵνα πρόπαντα
κακὰ κακῶν ξυνοικεῖ.
Χορός
ἐν ᾧ τλάμων ὅδʼ, οὐκ ἐγὼ μόνος,
πάντοθεν βόρειος ὥς τις
1240
ἀκτὰ κυματοπλὴξ χειμερία κλονεῖται,
ὣς καὶ τόνδε κατʼ ἄκρας
δειναὶ κυματοαγεῖς
ἆται κλονέουσιν ἀεὶ ξυνοῦσαι,
αἱ μὲν ἀπʼ ἀελίου δυσμᾶν,
1245
αἱ δʼ ἀνατέλλοντος·
αἱ δʼ ἀνὰ μέσσαν ἀκτῖνʼ,
αἱ δʼ ἐννυχιᾶν ἀπὸ Ῥιπᾶν.
ἐν ᾧ τλάμων ὅδʼ, οὐκ ἐγὼ μόνος,
πάντοθεν βόρειος ὥς τις
1240
ἀκτὰ κυματοπλὴξ χειμερία κλονεῖται,
ὣς καὶ τόνδε κατʼ ἄκρας
δειναὶ κυματοαγεῖς
ἆται κλονέουσιν ἀεὶ ξυνοῦσαι,
αἱ μὲν ἀπʼ ἀελίου δυσμᾶν,
1245
αἱ δʼ ἀνατέλλοντος·
αἱ δʼ ἀνὰ μέσσαν ἀκτῖνʼ,
αἱ δʼ ἐννυχιᾶν ἀπὸ Ῥιπᾶν.
Translations (2)
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 1211 focus
Wer das längere Lebenstheil
Wünscht, nicht achtend des kürzeren,
Den hält thörichter Unverstand
Ewig gebunden nach meinem Urtheil.
1205
Denn viel herbe Bekümmerniß
Führt langdauerndes Alter dir
Näher; doch es gewahrt dein Blick
Nirgends lautere Freude, wenn
Du mehr verlangst, als dein Geschick
1210
Willig beut, und nie genug hast,
Bis sich am Ziele,
Ohne Brautlied, ohne Reigen,
Ohne Lauten, Tod vom Hades,
Allen gemeinsam, einstellt.
1215
Gegenstrophe.
Wer das längere Lebenstheil
Wünscht, nicht achtend des kürzeren,
Den hält thörichter Unverstand
Ewig gebunden nach meinem Urtheil.
1205
Denn viel herbe Bekümmerniß
Führt langdauerndes Alter dir
Näher; doch es gewahrt dein Blick
Nirgends lautere Freude, wenn
Du mehr verlangst, als dein Geschick
1210
Willig beut, und nie genug hast,
Bis sich am Ziele,
Ohne Brautlied, ohne Reigen,
Ohne Lauten, Tod vom Hades,
Allen gemeinsam, einstellt.
1215
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 1211-1245 focus
Chorus
Whoever craves the longer length of life, not content to desire a moderate span, him I will judge with no uncertainty: he clings to folly.
For the long years lay in deposit many things nearer to pain than joy; but as for your delights, you will find them nowhere, when someone’s life has fallen beyond the fitting period.
1215
The Helper comes at last to all alike, when the fate of Hades is suddenly revealed, without marriage-song, or lyre, or dance: Death at the end.
1220
Whoever craves the longer length of life, not content to desire a moderate span, him I will judge with no uncertainty: he clings to folly.
For the long years lay in deposit many things nearer to pain than joy; but as for your delights, you will find them nowhere, when someone’s life has fallen beyond the fitting period.
1215
The Helper comes at last to all alike, when the fate of Hades is suddenly revealed, without marriage-song, or lyre, or dance: Death at the end.
1220
Chorus
Not to be born is, beyond all estimation, best; but when a man has seen the light of day, this is next best by far, that with utmost speed he should go back from where he came.
For when he has seen youth go by, with its easy merry-making,
1225
what hard affliction is foreign to him, what suffering does he not know? Envy, factions, strife, battles,
1230
and murders. Last of all falls to his lot old age, blamed, weak, unsociable, friendless, wherein dwells every misery among miseries.
1235
Not to be born is, beyond all estimation, best; but when a man has seen the light of day, this is next best by far, that with utmost speed he should go back from where he came.
For when he has seen youth go by, with its easy merry-making,
1225
For when he has seen youth go by, with its easy merry-making,
what hard affliction is foreign to him, what suffering does he not know? Envy, factions, strife, battles,
1230
and murders. Last of all falls to his lot old age, blamed, weak, unsociable, friendless, wherein dwells every misery among miseries.
1235
Chorus
In such years is this poor man here, not I alone.
Like some cape that fronts the north which is lashed on every side by the waves of winter, so he also is fiercely lashed evermore by the dread disasters that break on him like the surf, some from the region of the setting sun,
1240
some from that of its rising, some in the realm of its noon-time rays, some from the gloom-wrapped hills of the North.
1245
In such years is this poor man here, not I alone.
Like some cape that fronts the north which is lashed on every side by the waves of winter, so he also is fiercely lashed evermore by the dread disasters that break on him like the surf, some from the region of the setting sun,
1240
some from that of its rising, some in the realm of its noon-time rays, some from the gloom-wrapped hills of the North.
1245
Commentary
Commentary (R. C. Jebb) (OCR draft) (Commentary (R. C. Jebb))
mvp-comment-869-1 ὅστις τοῦ πλέονος μ. χρῄζει 1 ζώειν 2 παρεὶς 3 τοῦ μετρίου 4
mvp-comment-869-2 χρῄζ 5
mvp-comment-869-3 παρείς 6
mvp-comment-869-4 μετρίου 7
mvp-comment-869-5
Hartung explains his
τὰν μετρίου παρεὶς |
ζωάν as
"neglecting the life of moderate span" (
sc.
μέρους ). Though the phrase
τὸ μέτριον παρείς (
"in neglect of due limit" ) occurs in
Plat.
Legg. 691C
(quoted by Wunder), it seems very doubtful whether
παρεὶς is sound here. The conjecture
πέρα (Schneidewin) is possible, but derives no real support from the fact that
παρὰ τὸ καίριον καὶ τὸ μέτριον occurs in the schol.'s loose paraphrase. Verrall ingeniously proposes
παρὲκ , which, however, does not occur in Tragedy. Possibly
τοῦ μετρίου
προθεὶς,
"in preference to the moderate portion."
mvp-comment-869-6 σκαιοσύναν 8
mvp-comment-869-7 φυλάσσων 9
mvp-comment-869-8 ἐν ἐμοὶ 10
Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) focus
1211. mvp-comment-649-1 How foolish to desire long life, which but increases sorrow; while joys depart before the joyless hour of death. Far best for a man is never to be born; but after birth to go with all speed whence he came is next best by far. For when once thoughtless youth is come, [who escapes from grief?] what grief is not there? Blood, faction, strife, war, envy, and, last of ills, hateful, cold, helpless, friendless age, wherein all the greatest evils make their dwelling. So I have found, and so too this unfortunate is buffeted with a sea of troubles, some fresh calamity ever breaking over him, some borne on the sunset breeze, some at the rising of the sun, some coming through the noontide blaze, and some from the winds of night.
1211. mvp-comment-649-2 The iambic and trochaic metres which are here mingled with the glyconic and logaoedic, are lighter and more resolved than in the previous ode. Strophe and Antistrophe. The equivalence of the long and short syllables in the 2nd foot of l. 9 is remarkable, and indicates a retardation of the rhythm. Epode. * See note on 1248. The third line, both of strophe and antistrophe, introduces the reasons of the two lines which form the prelude.
1211. mvp-comment-649-3 The coming of Polynices again mars the peacefulness of the scene. The old age of Oedipus appears to have sorrow upon sorrow. The theme of the chorus is not, as some have thought, the unprofitableness of riches, but the misery of old age and the folly of desiring long life.
1211-1212. mvp-comment-650-1 He whose desire of life keeps not the mean, but craves the larger share, will be convicted in my judgment of cherishing folly.' ζώειν must be closely connected with the genitives, and is rather to be explained as an accusative of respect than as epexegetic infinitive.
1211-1212. mvp-comment-650-2 τοῦ μετρίου παρείς (1) Neglecting the moderate portion, a poetical construction for παρεὶς τὸ μέτριον. Cp. Plat. Legg. 3, 691 C, ἐάν τις μείζονα διδῷ τοῖς ἐλάττοσι δύναμιν παρεὶς τὸ μέτριον. The same construction occurs in Plat. Phaedr. 235 Ε, παρέντα τοῦ . . ἐγκωμιάζειν. Οι (2), supposing an ellipse of the inf., παρέντα τοῦ μετρίου χρήζειν, Omitting to desire the mean. Thuc 8.41, ἀφεὶς τὸ ἐς τὴν Χίον ἔπλει ἐς τὴν Καῦνον. The article, as elsewhere with words of number and measurement, opposing what is more to what is less. The expression d πλέον μέρος occurs in Cleobulus quoted by Suidas; ἀβουλία τὸ πλέον μέρος ἐν βροτοίσιν. Bergk, Poet. Lyr. Gr. Mel. xi.