Sophocles Oedipus at Colonus 550

Theseus.

Von Vielen hört' ich früher, wie dein Augenlicht

In blut'ger Nacht erloschen, daß ich dich sofort

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Erkannte, Sohn des Laïos, und noch sichrer jezt

Aus dem erkenne, was ich hört' auf diesem Weg.

Denn dein Gewand und dein entsezenvolles Haupt

Bezeugt mir deutlich, wer du bist; mich jammert dein;

Drum will ich dich befragen, armer Dedipus,'

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Um was du mich zu bitten und die Bürger hier

Gekommen, du mit deiner armen Führerin.

So sprich: ein ungeheures Werk ja müßtest du

Mir nennen, wollt' ich deinem Dienste mich entzieh'n:

Ich weiß, in fremdem Lande wuchs ich selbst heran,

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Gleich dir; im Fremdlingslande, wie kein andrer Mann,

Durchkämpft' ich viel Gefahren über meinem Haupt.

Drum steh' ich keinem Fremdling, der, wie heute du,

Mir naht, mit meiner Hülfe fern; ich bin ein Mensch,

Wohl weiß ich dieses, und mir ward am nächsten Tag

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Kein größrer Antheil, als er dir beschieden ist.

Oedipus.

Dein Adel, Theseus, hat in kurzem Worte sich

Entfaltet, daß mir wenig nur zu sagen bleibt.

Denn wer ich bin und welches Vaters Sohn, woher

Des Landes ich gekommen, hast du selbst gesagt;

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So bliebe mir nichts übrig, als dir kundzuthun,

Was mein Begehr ist, und die Rede fand ihr Ziel.

Theseus.

Dies eben laß mich hören, dies enthülle mir.

Oedipus.

Ich komme, meinen müden Leib zur Gabe dir

Zu bringen, nicht gar lieblich anzuseh'n; indeß

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Der Lohn von ihm ist größer, als das Aeußre schön.

Theseus.

Chorus

Look, there comes our lord, Theseus son of Aegeus,

at the sound of your voice, to do that for which he was summoned.

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Theseus

Through hearing from many in the past about the bloody marring of your sight, I recognized it was you, son of Laius; and now on coming here, through sight I am more fully certain.

For your clothing and that heart-rending face alike assure me that it is you. And in all compassion I ask you, ill-fated Oedipus, with what petition to the city and to me have you taken your place here, you and the poor maiden at your side. Declare it. Dire indeed must be the fortune which you tell,

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for me to stand aloof from it; since I know that I myself also was reared in exile, just as you, and that in foreign lands I wrestled with perils to my life, like no other man.

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Never, then, would I turn aside from a stranger, such as you are now, or refuse to help in his deliverance. For I know well that I am a man, and that my portion of tomorrow is no greater than yours.

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Oedipus

Theseus, in a few words your nobleness has come to such a point

that I need make only a brief reply. You have said who I am, from what father I am sprung, and from what land I have come; and so nothing else remains for me but to speak my wish, and the tale is told.

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Theseus

Then inform me of this very thing, so that I may learn it.

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Oedipus

I come to offer you my care-worn body as a gift—not one fine to look on, but the gains from it are better than beauty.

Theseus

And what gain do you claim to have brought?

Oedipus

Later you may learn it—but not yet.

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Theseus

At what time, then, will the benefit become clear?

Oedipus

When I am dead, and you have given me burial.

Theseus

You crave life’s last service; but for all between you have no memory, or no care.

Oedipus

Indeed, for by that service I gather in all the rest.

585

Theseus

Well then, this favor you crave from me is brief indeed.

Oedipus

Yet take care; the struggle here is no light one. No, indeed.

Theseus

Do you mean in respect to your sons, or to me?

Oedipus

They will compel you to convey me there to Thebes .

Theseus

But if you are willing, then exile is not becoming.

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Oedipus

No, when I was willing, they refused.

Theseus

Foolish man, anger amidst woes is not suitable.

Oedipus

When you have heard my story, admonish; till then, forbear.

Theseus

Speak. I must not pronounce without knowledge.

Oedipus

I have suffered, Theseus, terrible woes upon woes.

595

Theseus

Will you speak of the ancient trouble of your race?

Oedipus

No, indeed; all Greeks speak of that.

Theseus

How, then, do you suffer beyond what is mortal?

Oedipus

The circumstance is this: from my country I have been driven by my own sons;

and I may not return, since I am guilty of a father’s blood.

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Theseus

Why would they have you brought back, if you must dwell apart?

Oedipus

The word of the god will compel them.

Theseus

What suffering do they fear from the oracles?

Oedipus

That they must be struck down in this land.

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Theseus

And how should bitterness come between them and me?

Oedipus

Dearest son of Aegeus, to the gods alone old age and death never come, but everything else sinks into chaos from time which overpowers all.

Earth’s strength decays, and so too the strength of the body; trust dies; distrust is born; and the same spirit is never steadfast among friends, or between city and city. For some now, for others tomorrow, sweet feelings turn to bitter, and then once more to being dear.

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And if now the sun shines brightly between Thebes and you, yet time in his course gives birth to days and nights untold, in which from a small cause they will

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scatter with the spear today’s pledges of concord. Then one day my slumbering and buried corpse, cold in death, will drink their warm blood, if Zeus is still Zeus, and Phoebus, the son of Zeus, speaks clear.
  But, since I would not break silence concerning words that must not spoken, allow me to cease where I began.

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Only keep your own pledge good, and never will you say that in vain you welcomed Oedipus to dwell in this land—if indeed the gods do not deceive me.

625

Chorus

Lord, from the first this man has shown a

will to bring these words, or similar ones, to completion for our land.

630

Theseus

Who, then, would reject the goodwill of such a one? To whom, first, the hearth of a spear-friend is always available on our side, by reciprocal right; then too he has come as a suppliant to our gods,

paying no small recompense to this land and to me. In reverence for these claims, I will never spurn his favor, and I will establish a dwelling for him as a citizen in the land. And if it is the pleasure of the stranger to remain here, I will command you to

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protect him; or, if it pleases him, to come with me. This choice or that, Oedipus, you may take; your desire will be mine.

640

Oedipus

O Zeus, may you be good to men such as these!

Theseus

What is your wish, then? Will you come to my house?

Oedipus

Yes, I would, if it were right. But this is the place—

Theseus

What will you do here? Speak, for I will not hinder you.

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Oedipus

—Where I will conquer those who cast me out.

Theseus

The promised gift of your presence would be great.

Oedipus

It shall be, if you keep your pledge with me.

Theseus

Have courage concerning me; never will I betray you.

Oedipus

I will not bind you with an oath as if an evil man.

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Theseus

Well, you would win nothing more than by my word.

Oedipus

What will you do, then?

Theseus

What is it that you fear?

Oedipus

Men will come—

Theseus

But these men here will see to that.

Oedipus

Beware that if you leave me—

Theseus

Do not instruct me in my duties.

Oedipus

Fear constrains me—

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Theseus

My heart feels no fear.

Oedipus

You do not know the threats—

Theseus

I know that none will lead you from here against my will. Often threats have blustered in men’s hearts with words loud and vain; but when the mind comes to itself once more,

the threats have vanished. For those men, too, perhaps—yes, even if in boldness they have spoken dreadful things of bringing you back, the voyage here will prove long and hard to sail. Now I exhort you, apart from any decision of mine, to take heart,

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if indeed Phoebus has been your escort here. Even if I am not present, still my name, I know, will shield you from harm.

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