Sophocles Oedipus at Colonus 162

Lewis Campbell (Translator)

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ISM
It wounds mine ear
420
To hear it spoken, but the news I bring
420
Is to that stern effect.
420

Oedipus at Colonus. Sophocles. Lewis Campbell (Translator). London, New York and Toronto. 1906.

Current edition Experimental

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) (English) (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (2)
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 162 focus
μετάσταθʼ, ἀπόβαθι. πολ-
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 117-253b focus
Translations (4)
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 149 focus
Ah; ah! Mit des Aug's blindem Stern
Kamest du wohl in die Welt, und lebst ein banges,
Langes Leben, vermuth' ich recht?
Drum füg', ach! folge mir
Dem Fluch nicht neuen Fluch!
150
Du dringst ein,
Dringst ein; doch in des stillen Hains
Grünumlaubte Gefilde hier
Tritt nicht, wo sich dem Wasserkrug
Strömend lieblichen Honiges
155
Süßer Erguß gesellt:
Hüte dich, schwergeprüfter Fremdling!
Flieh, entweiche von hinnen! Weit
Trennt von mir dich des Pfades Naum:
Hörst du, jammerbeladner Flüchtling?
160
Von geweihter Stätte
Fort hebe dich, willst du mir sagen ein Wort;
Wo Jeder es darf,
Sprich's aus; jezt wehre der Zunge!
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 162 focus
Theseus
Scene YIII.
O son of Laius ! long ere- this the tal«
Of thy disastrous fate, by many a tongue
Related, I had heard : thy eyes torn forth
By thy own desperate hand : and now I see
It was too true. Thy garb and dreadful aspect
Speak who thou art. Unhappy Qildipus,
I come to ask, in pity to thy woes.
555
What 's thy request to Athens or to me —
Thine, or this hapless virgin on thy steps
Attendant. Speak ; for large must be the boon
1 would refuse thee. I have known too well,
Myself a wretched wanderer, the woes
Of cruel exile, not to pity thine :
560
Of toils and dangers in a foreign land
560
Much have I suffered ; therefore not to me
Shall the poor stranger ever sue in vain
For aid and safety. Mortals as we are,
Uncertain ever is to-morrow's fate,
Alike unknown to Theseus and to thee.
Q^Idi. Theseus, thy words declare thy noble nature,
565
And leave me little to reply. Thou knowst
My story — who and whence I am ; no more
Remains, but that I tell thee my request,
And we have done.
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 162 focus
Chorus
Thrice on it with both hands place olive boughs
Thrice three; then breathe thy supplicating pray'rs.
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 118-250 focus

Commentary

Commentary (R. C. Jebb) (OCR draft) (Commentary (R. C. Jebb))

mvp-comment-312-1 φέρω δ’ ὅμως 1

Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) focus

419-420. mvp-comment-227-1 It may seem unreasonable in Oedipus to expect his sons to disregard the interest and the law of Thebes. But he is absorbed in his own destiny, and is full of indignation at the thought of being taken to the borders of his country without being restored to it. This he thinks that his sons ought to have interfered to prevent. He regards the oracle as expressing the intention of Phoebus to glorify him at the expense of his countrymen if they persist in rejecting him. See Introduction, p. 281, note 2.

420. mvp-comment-228-1 φέρω δ᾽ ὅμως But still, such are the news I bring. Cp. Aesch. Pers. 248, φέρει σαφές τι πρᾶγος κλύειν : Ag. 639, ὅταν . . πήματ᾿ ἄγγελος.. φέρῃ. 421 ff. The correspondence of clauses is not perfect, a new train of thought being introduced with δέ in 422. The broken thread is resumed in 425-426. Oedipus is saying, Let their quarrel go on to the end, and may the end be the worst for both. His passion interrupts him with the further thought, Let me only have the ending of it, and then-. For the expression, cp. Pind. Nem. 10. 29, 30, πᾶν δὲ τέλος ἐν τὶν ἔργων.