ἵκου τὰ κράτιστα γᾶς ἔπαυλα,
Oedipus at Colonus. Sophocles. ed. Lewis Campbell. Oxford. 1879.
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Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Greek) (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879))
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Editions (1)
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 668-719 focus
Χορός
εὐίππου, ξένε, τᾶσδε χώρας
ἵκου τὰ κράτιστα γᾶς ἔπαυλα,
τὸν ἀργῆτα Κολωνόν, ἔνθʼ
670
ἁ λίγεια μινύρεται
θαμίζουσα μάλιστʼ ἀηδὼν
χλωραῖς ὑπὸ βάσσαις,
τὸν οἰνωπὸν ἔχουσα κισσὸν
καὶ τὰν ἄβατον θεοῦ
675
φυλλάδα μυριόκαρπον ἀνήλιον
ἀνήνεμόν τε πάντων
χειμώνων· ἵνʼ ὁ βακχιώτας
ἀεὶ Διόνυσος ἐμβατεύει
θεαῖς ἀμφιπολῶν τιθήναις.
680
εὐίππου, ξένε, τᾶσδε χώρας
ἵκου τὰ κράτιστα γᾶς ἔπαυλα,
τὸν ἀργῆτα Κολωνόν, ἔνθʼ
670
ἁ λίγεια μινύρεται
θαμίζουσα μάλιστʼ ἀηδὼν
χλωραῖς ὑπὸ βάσσαις,
τὸν οἰνωπὸν ἔχουσα κισσὸν
καὶ τὰν ἄβατον θεοῦ
675
φυλλάδα μυριόκαρπον ἀνήλιον
ἀνήνεμόν τε πάντων
χειμώνων· ἵνʼ ὁ βακχιώτας
ἀεὶ Διόνυσος ἐμβατεύει
θεαῖς ἀμφιπολῶν τιθήναις.
680
Χορός
θάλλει δʼ οὐρανίας ὑπʼ ἄχνας
ὁ καλλίβοτρυς κατʼ ἦμαρ ἀεὶ
νάρκισσος, μεγάλαιν θεαῖν
ἀρχαῖον στεφάνωμʼ, ὅ τε
χρυσαυγὴς κρόκος· οὐδʼ ἄϋπνοι
685
κρῆναι μινύθουσιν
Κηφισοῦ νομάδες ῥεέθρων,
ἀλλʼ αἰὲν ἐπʼ ἤματι
ὠκυτόκος πεδίων ἐπινίσσεται
ἀκηράτῳ σὺν ὄμβρῳ
690
στερνούχου χθονός· οὐδὲ Μουσᾶν
χοροί νιν ἀπεστύγησαν οὐδʼ ἁ
θάλλει δʼ οὐρανίας ὑπʼ ἄχνας
ὁ καλλίβοτρυς κατʼ ἦμαρ ἀεὶ
νάρκισσος, μεγάλαιν θεαῖν
ἀρχαῖον στεφάνωμʼ, ὅ τε
χρυσαυγὴς κρόκος· οὐδʼ ἄϋπνοι
685
κρῆναι μινύθουσιν
Κηφισοῦ νομάδες ῥεέθρων,
ἀλλʼ αἰὲν ἐπʼ ἤματι
ὠκυτόκος πεδίων ἐπινίσσεται
ἀκηράτῳ σὺν ὄμβρῳ
690
στερνούχου χθονός· οὐδὲ Μουσᾶν
χοροί νιν ἀπεστύγησαν οὐδʼ ἁ
Χορός
χρυσάνιος Ἀφροδίτα.
ἔστιν δʼ οἷον ἐγὼ γᾶς Ἀσίας οὐκ ἐπακούω
695
οὐδʼ ἐν τᾷ μεγάλᾳ Δωρίδι νάσῳ Πέλοπος πώποτε βλαστὸν
φύτευμʼ ἀχείρωτον αὐτόποιον,
ἐγχέων φόβημα δαΐων,
ὃ τᾷδε θάλλει μέγιστα χώρᾳ,
700
γλαυκᾶς παιδοτρόφου φύλλον ἐλαίας·
τὸ μέν τις οὐ νεαρὸς οὐδὲ γήρᾳ
συνναίων ἁλιώσει χερὶ πέρσας· ὁ γὰρ αἰὲν ὁρῶν κύκλος
λεύσσει νιν μορίου Διὸς
705
χἀ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθάνα.
χρυσάνιος Ἀφροδίτα.
ἔστιν δʼ οἷον ἐγὼ γᾶς Ἀσίας οὐκ ἐπακούω
695
οὐδʼ ἐν τᾷ μεγάλᾳ Δωρίδι νάσῳ Πέλοπος πώποτε βλαστὸν
φύτευμʼ ἀχείρωτον αὐτόποιον,
ἐγχέων φόβημα δαΐων,
ὃ τᾷδε θάλλει μέγιστα χώρᾳ,
700
γλαυκᾶς παιδοτρόφου φύλλον ἐλαίας·
τὸ μέν τις οὐ νεαρὸς οὐδὲ γήρᾳ
συνναίων ἁλιώσει χερὶ πέρσας· ὁ γὰρ αἰὲν ὁρῶν κύκλος
λεύσσει νιν μορίου Διὸς
705
χἀ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθάνα.
Χορός
ἄλλον δʼ αἶνον ἔχω ματροπόλει τᾷδε κράτιστον
δῶρον τοῦ μεγάλου δαίμονος, εἰπεῖν, χθονὸς αὔχημα μέγιστον,
710
εὔιππον, εὔπωλον, εὐθάλασσον.
ὦ παῖ Κρόνου, σὺ γάρ νιν εἰς
τόδʼ εἷσας αὔχημʼ, ἄναξ Ποσειδάν,
ἵπποισιν τὸν ἀκεστῆρα χαλινὸν
715
πρώταισι ταῖσδε κτίσας ἀγυιαῖς.
ἁ δʼ εὐήρετμος ἔκπαγλʼ ἁλία χερσὶ παραπτομένα πλάτα
θρῴσκει, τῶν ἑκατομπόδων
Νηρῄδων ἀκόλουθος.
ἄλλον δʼ αἶνον ἔχω ματροπόλει τᾷδε κράτιστον
δῶρον τοῦ μεγάλου δαίμονος, εἰπεῖν, χθονὸς αὔχημα μέγιστον,
710
εὔιππον, εὔπωλον, εὐθάλασσον.
ὦ παῖ Κρόνου, σὺ γάρ νιν εἰς
τόδʼ εἷσας αὔχημʼ, ἄναξ Ποσειδάν,
ἵπποισιν τὸν ἀκεστῆρα χαλινὸν
715
πρώταισι ταῖσδε κτίσας ἀγυιαῖς.
ἁ δʼ εὐήρετμος ἔκπαγλʼ ἁλία χερσὶ παραπτομένα πλάτα
θρῴσκει, τῶν ἑκατομπόδων
Νηρῄδων ἀκόλουθος.
Translations (2)
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 668 focus
Zur roßprangenden Flur, o Freund,
Kamst du, hier zu des Landes bester Wohnstadt,
Des glanzvollen Kolonos Hain,
Wo hinflatternd die Nachtigall
In helltönenden Lauten klagt
670
Aus den grünenden Schluchten,
Wo weinfarbiger Epheu rankt,
Tief im heiligen Laube des
Gottes, dem schattigen, früchtebeladenen,
1
Dem stillen, das kein Sturmwind
675
Aufregt, wo der begeisterte
Freudengott Dionysos stets hereinzieht,
Im Chor göttlicher Ammen schwärmend.
2
Erste Gegenstrophe.
Zur roßprangenden Flur, o Freund,
Kamst du, hier zu des Landes bester Wohnstadt,
Des glanzvollen Kolonos Hain,
Wo hinflatternd die Nachtigall
In helltönenden Lauten klagt
670
Aus den grünenden Schluchten,
Wo weinfarbiger Epheu rankt,
Tief im heiligen Laube des
Gottes, dem schattigen, früchtebeladenen,
1
Dem stillen, das kein Sturmwind
675
Aufregt, wo der begeisterte
Freudengott Dionysos stets hereinzieht,
Im Chor göttlicher Ammen schwärmend.
2
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 668-715 focus
Chorus
Stranger, in this land of fine horses you have come to earth’s fairest home, the shining
Colonus
.
Here the nightingale, a constant guest, trills her clear note under the trees of green glades, dwelling amid the wine-dark ivy
670
and the god’s inviolate foliage, rich in berries and fruit, unvisited by sun, unvexed by the wind of any storm. Here the reveller Dionysus ever walks the ground,
675
companion of the nymphs that nursed him.
680
Stranger, in this land of fine horses you have come to earth’s fairest home, the shining
Colonus
.
Here the nightingale, a constant guest, trills her clear note under the trees of green glades, dwelling amid the wine-dark ivy
670
and the god’s inviolate foliage, rich in berries and fruit, unvisited by sun, unvexed by the wind of any storm. Here the reveller Dionysus ever walks the ground,
675
companion of the nymphs that nursed him.
680
Chorus
And, fed on heavenly dew, the narcissus blooms day by day with its fair clusters; it is the ancient crown of the Great Goddesses.
And the crocus blooms with a golden gleam. Nor do the ever-flowing springs diminish, from which the waters of Cephisus wander, and each day with pure
685
current it moves over the plains of the land’s swelling bosom, bringing fertility. Nor have the dancing Muses shunned this place, nor Aphrodite of the golden rein.
690
And, fed on heavenly dew, the narcissus blooms day by day with its fair clusters; it is the ancient crown of the Great Goddesses.
And the crocus blooms with a golden gleam. Nor do the ever-flowing springs diminish, from which the waters of Cephisus wander, and each day with pure
685
current it moves over the plains of the land’s swelling bosom, bringing fertility. Nor have the dancing Muses shunned this place, nor Aphrodite of the golden rein.
690
Chorus
And there is a thing such as I have not heard of on Asian ground,
nor as ever yet born in the great Dorian isle of Pelops: a plant unconquered, self-renewing, causing terror to destroying enemies.
695
It greatly flourishes in this land—the gray-leafed olive, nurturer of children. Youth cannot harm it by the ravages of his hand, nor can any who lives with old age. For the sleepless eye
700
of Zeus Morios watches over it, and gray-eyed Athena.
705
And there is a thing such as I have not heard of on Asian ground,
nor as ever yet born in the great Dorian isle of Pelops: a plant unconquered, self-renewing, causing terror to destroying enemies.
695
It greatly flourishes in this land—the gray-leafed olive, nurturer of children. Youth cannot harm it by the ravages of his hand, nor can any who lives with old age. For the sleepless eye
700
of Zeus Morios watches over it, and gray-eyed Athena.
705
Chorus
And I have more praise for this city our mother,
the gift of a great divinity, a glory most great: the might of horses, the might of colts, and the might of the sea.
For you, son of Cronus, lord Poseidon, have set her on the throne of this pride,
710
by establishing first in our roads the bit that cures the rage of horses. And the shapely oar, well-fitted for the sea, in flying past the land leaps to follow the hundred-footed Nereids.
715
And I have more praise for this city our mother,
the gift of a great divinity, a glory most great: the might of horses, the might of colts, and the might of the sea.
For you, son of Cronus, lord Poseidon, have set her on the throne of this pride,
710
For you, son of Cronus, lord Poseidon, have set her on the throne of this pride,
by establishing first in our roads the bit that cures the rage of horses. And the shapely oar, well-fitted for the sea, in flying past the land leaps to follow the hundred-footed Nereids.
715
Commentary
Commentary (R. C. Jebb) (OCR draft) (Commentary (R. C. Jebb))
Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) focus
668-669. mvp-comment-365-1 Thou art come, stranger, to the homes of this land famed for steeds, the best homes on earth.
668-669. mvp-comment-365-2 εὐίππου Cp. supra 59, τόνδ' ἱππότην Κολωνόν, and note. The epithet is intended to apply first and specially to Colonus, and then generally to Athens. εὐίππου τᾶσδε χώρας is attributive to τὰ κράτιστα γᾶς ἔπαυλα. Cp. supra 45, ἕδρας γῆς τῆσδ᾽.
668-669. mvp-comment-365-3 γᾶς is partitive genitive with κράτιστα. Cf. infra 739, εἰς πλεῖστον πόλεως.
668-669. mvp-comment-365-4 ἔπαυλα Here generally dwellings, homes, with some association from the care of horses, which was an occupation of the Coloniatae. Cf. Aesch. Pers. 870, Θρηκίων ἐπαύλων.