τοῦ ζῆν ἀφικνῇ, τῷ προφερτάτῳ μόνῳ
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)) — 1556-1578 focus
Χορός
εἰ θέμις ἐστί μοι τὰν ἀφανῆ θεὸν
καὶ σὲ λιταῖς σεβίζειν,
ἐννυχίων ἄναξ,
Αἰδωνεῦ Αἰδωνεῦ, λίσσωμαι
1560
ἄπονα μήτʼ ἐπὶ βαρυαχεῖ
ξένον ἐξανύσαι
μόρῳ τὰν παγκευθῆ κάτω
νεκρῶν πλάκα καὶ Στύγιον δόμον.
πολλῶν γὰρ ἂν καὶ μάταν
1565
πημάτων ἱκνουμένων
πάλιν σφε δαίμων δίκαιος αὔξοι.
εἰ θέμις ἐστί μοι τὰν ἀφανῆ θεὸν
καὶ σὲ λιταῖς σεβίζειν,
ἐννυχίων ἄναξ,
Αἰδωνεῦ Αἰδωνεῦ, λίσσωμαι
1560
ἄπονα μήτʼ ἐπὶ βαρυαχεῖ
ξένον ἐξανύσαι
μόρῳ τὰν παγκευθῆ κάτω
νεκρῶν πλάκα καὶ Στύγιον δόμον.
πολλῶν γὰρ ἂν καὶ μάταν
1565
πημάτων ἱκνουμένων
πάλιν σφε δαίμων δίκαιος αὔξοι.
Χορός
ὦ χθόνιαι θεαὶ σῶμά τʼ ἀνικάτου
θηρός, ὃν ἐν πύλαισι
ταῖσι πολυξένοις
1570
εὐνᾶσθαι κνυζεῖσθαί τʼ ἐξ ἄντρων
ἀδάματον φύλακα παρʼ Ἁίδᾳ
λόγος αἰὲν ἔχει·
τόν, ὦ Γᾶς παῖ καὶ Ταρτάρου,
κατεύχομαι ἐν καθαρῷ βῆναι
1575
ὁρμωμένῳ νερτέρας
τῷ ξένῳ νεκρῶν πλάκας·
σέ τοι κικλήσκω τὸν αἰένυπνον.
ὦ χθόνιαι θεαὶ σῶμά τʼ ἀνικάτου
θηρός, ὃν ἐν πύλαισι
ταῖσι πολυξένοις
1570
εὐνᾶσθαι κνυζεῖσθαί τʼ ἐξ ἄντρων
ἀδάματον φύλακα παρʼ Ἁίδᾳ
λόγος αἰὲν ἔχει·
τόν, ὦ Γᾶς παῖ καὶ Ταρτάρου,
κατεύχομαι ἐν καθαρῷ βῆναι
1575
ὁρμωμένῳ νερτέρας
τῷ ξένῳ νεκρῶν πλάκας·
σέ τοι κικλήσκω τὸν αἰένυπνον.
Translations (2)
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 1556 focus
Ist es verstattet, dich, nächtliche Göttin, und
Dich im Gebet zu feiern,
1540
König der Schattenwelt,
1
Aidoneus, Aidoneus, hört uns fleh'n!
Ohne Schmerz, ohne Gestöhn der Angst,
Laßt den verscheidenden Gast
Zur allverbergenden düstern Flur
1545
Der Todten entwandern, in Plutons Haus!
Nachdem so viel Jammer ihn ohne Schuld bestürmt, erhöht
Jezt wiederum
Ein gerechter Gott ihn.
Gegenstrophe.
Ist es verstattet, dich, nächtliche Göttin, und
Dich im Gebet zu feiern,
1540
König der Schattenwelt,
1
Aidoneus, Aidoneus, hört uns fleh'n!
Ohne Schmerz, ohne Gestöhn der Angst,
Laßt den verscheidenden Gast
Zur allverbergenden düstern Flur
1545
Der Todten entwandern, in Plutons Haus!
Nachdem so viel Jammer ihn ohne Schuld bestürmt, erhöht
Jezt wiederum
Ein gerechter Gott ihn.
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 1556-1575 focus
Chorus
If it is right for me with prayer to adore the Unseen Goddess and you, Lord of the Dead, then hear me, Aidoneus, Aidoneus!
Grant that without pain, without a fate arousing heavy grief, the stranger may pass to the all-concealing fields of the dead below, and to the Stygian house.
1560
Many were the sorrows that came to him without cause, but a just divinity will lift him up again.
1565
If it is right for me with prayer to adore the Unseen Goddess and you, Lord of the Dead, then hear me, Aidoneus, Aidoneus!
Grant that without pain, without a fate arousing heavy grief, the stranger may pass to the all-concealing fields of the dead below, and to the Stygian house.
1560
Many were the sorrows that came to him without cause, but a just divinity will lift him up again.
1565
Chorus
Goddesses of the nether world and unconquered beast
whose lair lies in the gates of many guests, you untamable Watcher of Hades, snarling from the cavern’s jaws, as rumor has always told! Hear me, Death, son of Earth and Tartarus!
1570
May that Watcher leave a clear path for the stranger on his way to the nether fields of the dead! To you I call, giver of the eternal sleep.
1575
Goddesses of the nether world and unconquered beast
whose lair lies in the gates of many guests, you untamable Watcher of Hades, snarling from the cavern’s jaws, as rumor has always told! Hear me, Death, son of Earth and Tartarus!
1570
May that Watcher leave a clear path for the stranger on his way to the nether fields of the dead! To you I call, giver of the eternal sleep.
1575
Commentary
Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) focus
1531. mvp-comment-814-1 ἀφικνῇ Elmsley observes that the imperf. makes better sense than the aor., besides being essential to the metre. When you are on the point of coming. When you are coming to the end of life. The words probably refer to some custom unknown to us. ceremonies at the grave of Oedipus may have been performed by the Archon Basileus, to whom, as Plato says, certain solemn traditional rites were entrusted: Polit. 290 E, τῷ γὰρ λαχόντι βασιλεῖ φασὶ τῖδε τὰ σεμνύτατα καὶ μάλιστα πάτρια τῶν ἀρχαίαν θυσιῶν ἀποδεδόσθαι. Cp Lys. adv. Andoc. p. 103. Plutarch, Mor. p. 578 B, says that the tomb of Dirce was only known to the chief magistrate for the time being at Thebes.