βῆναι κεῖθεν ὅθεν περ ἥκει πολὺ δεύτερον ὡς τάχιστα.
Oedipus at Colonus. 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)) — 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)) — 1225 focus
Nie geboren zu werden, ist
Weit das Beste; doch wenn du lebst,
Ist das Zweite, dich schnell dahin
Wieder zu wenden, woher du kameſt.
Denn so lange die Jugend blüht,
1220
Leichten, thörichten Sinnes voll,
Wer lebt ohne Bekümmerniß?
Wo blieb eine Beschwerd' ihm fern?
Mord, Hader, Aufruhr, Kriegeskampf,
Neid und Haß: am düstern Ende
1225
Naht sich, verachtet,
Dede, kraftlos, aller Freunde
Leer, das Alter, dem sich jedes
Wehe des Weh's gesellt hat,
Schlußgesang.
Nie geboren zu werden, ist
Weit das Beste; doch wenn du lebst,
Ist das Zweite, dich schnell dahin
Wieder zu wenden, woher du kameſt.
Denn so lange die Jugend blüht,
1220
Leichten, thörichten Sinnes voll,
Wer lebt ohne Bekümmerniß?
Wo blieb eine Beschwerd' ihm fern?
Mord, Hader, Aufruhr, Kriegeskampf,
Neid und Haß: am düstern Ende
1225
Naht sich, verachtet,
Dede, kraftlos, aller Freunde
Leer, das Alter, dem sich jedes
Wehe des Weh's gesellt hat,
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-874-1
The MS.
βῆναι
κεῖθεν ὅθεν περ ἥκειis usu. defended as an instance of
"attraction" ; but it is harsher than any example that can be produced. Thus in
Plat.
Crito 45B
πολλαχοῦ μὲν γὰρ καὶ ἄλλοσε ὅποι ἂν ἀφίκῃ ἀγαπήσουσί σε, where
ἄλλοσε stands for
ἄλλοθι by attraction to
ὅποι , it is not preceded by a verb answering to
βῆναι here. Who could say,
ἀπελθὼν ἄλλοσε (for
ἄλλοθεν )
ὅποι ἂν ἀφίκῃ , if he meant,
"having departed
from another place, whithersoever you may have come"? So, here,
βῆναι κεῖθεν ὅθεν περ ἥκει surely could not mean,
"to go
to that place whence he has come."
βῆναιand
ἥκει being thus sharply opposed, each verb requires its proper adverb. I should prefer to read
κεῖσ’ ὁπόθεν , as Blaydes proposed. Cp. Tennyson,
"The Coming of Arthur," (of man's destiny,)
"From the great deep to the great deep he goes."
mvp-comment-874-2 πολὺ δεύτερον 1
mvp-comment-874-3 πολὺ 2
Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) focus
1226. mvp-comment-657-1 βῆναι κεῖθεν ὅθεν περ ἥκει To go from whence he came. A curious attraction of the antecedent for κεῖσε ὅθεν περ. Essay on Language § 35. p. 60.