Sophocles Oedipus at Colonus 897cont2

Thomas Francklin (Translator)

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[to Theseus]. O king ! this stranger merits thy
regard ;

Oedipus at Colonus. Sophocles. Thomas Francklin (Translator). London. 1758–1759.

Current edition Experimental

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) (English) (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (2)
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 897 focus
οὔκουν τις ὡς τάχιστα προσπόλων μολὼν
πρὸς τούσδε βωμοὺς πάντʼ ἀναγκάσει λεὼν
ἄνιππον ἱππότην τε θυμάτων ἄπο
σπεύδειν ἀπὸ ῥυτῆρος, ἔνθα δίστομοι
900
μάλιστα συμβάλλουσιν ἐμπόρων ὁδοί,
ὡς μὴ παρέλθωσʼ αἱ κόραι, γέλως δʼ ἐγὼ
ξένῳ γένωμαι τῷδε, χειρωθεὶς βίᾳ.
ἴθʼ, ὡς ἄνωγα, σὺν τάχει. τοῦτον δʼ ἐγώ,
εἰ μὲν διʼ ὀργῆς ἧκον, ἧς ὅδʼ ἄξιος,
905
ἄτρωτον οὐ μεθῆκʼ ἂν ἐξ ἐμῆς χερός·
νῦν δʼ * οὕσπερ αὐτὸς τοὺς νόμους εἰσῆλθʼ ἔχων,
τούτοισι κοὐκ ἄλλοισιν ἁρμοσθήσεται.
οὐ γάρ ποτʼ ἔξει τῆσδε τῆς χώρας, πρὶν ἂν
κείνας ἐναργεῖς δεῦρό μοι στήσῃς ἄγων·
910
ἐπεὶ δέδρακας οὔτʼ ἐμοῦ καταξίως
οὔθʼ ὧν πέφυκας αὐτὸς οὔτε σῆς χθονός,
ὅστις δίκαιʼ ἀσκοῦσαν εἰσελθὼν πόλιν
κἄνευ νόμου κραίνουσαν οὐδέν, εἶτʼ ἀφεὶς
τὰ τῆσδε τῆς γῆς κύριʼ, ὧδʼ ἐπεισπεσὼν
915
ἄγεις θʼ ἃ χρῄζεις καὶ παρίστασαι βίᾳ·
καί μοι πόλιν κένανδρον ἢ δούλην τινὰ
ἔδοξας εἶναι, κἄμʼ ἴσον τῷ μηδενί.
καίτοι σε Θῆβαί γʼ οὐκ ἐπαίδευσαν κακόν·
οὐ γὰρ φιλοῦσιν ἄνδρας ἐκδίκους τρέφειν,
920
οὐδʼ ἄν σʼ ἐπαινέσειαν, εἰ πυθοίατο
συλῶντα τἀμὰ καὶ τὰ τῶν θεῶν, βίᾳ
ἄγοντα φωτῶν ἀθλίων ἱκτήρια.
οὔκουν ἐγωγʼ ἂν σῆς ἐπεμβαίνων χθονός,
οὐδʼ εἰ τὰ πάντων εἶχον ἐνδικώτατα,
925
ἄνευ γε τοῦ κραίνοντος, ὅστις ἦν, χθονὸς
οὔθʼ εἶλκον οὔτʼ ἂν ἦγον, ἀλλʼ ἠπιστάμην
ξένον παρʼ ἀστοῖς ὡς διαιτᾶσθαι χρεών.
σὺ δʼ ἀξίαν οὐκ οὖσαν αἰσχύνεις πόλιν
τὴν αὐτὸς αὑτοῦ, καί σʼ ὁ πληθύων χρόνος
930
γέρονθʼ ὁμοῦ τίθησι καὶ τοῦ νοῦ κενόν.
εἶπον μὲν οὖν καὶ πρόσθεν, ἐννέπω δὲ νῦν,
τὰς παῖδας ὡς τάχιστα δεῦρʼ ἄγειν τινά,
εἰ μὴ μέτοικος τῆσδε τῆς χώρας θέλεις
εἶναι βίᾳ τε κοὐχ ἑκών· καὶ ταῦτά σοι
935
τῷ νῷ θʼ ὁμοίως κἀπὸ τῆς γλώσσης λέγω.
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 1044-1097 focus
Translations (4)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 897 focus
Then one of you run to the altar-foot
Hard by, and haste the people from the rite,
Horsemen and footmen at the height of speed
To race unto the parting of the roads
Where travellers from both gorges wont to meet.
900
Lest there the maidens pass beyond our reach
And I be worsted by this stranger’s might
And let him laugh at me. Be swift! Away!
—For him, were I as wroth as he deserves,
He should not go unpunished from my hand.
905
But now he shall be ruled by the same law
He thought to enforce. Thou goest not from this ground
Till thou hast set these maids in presence here;
Since by thine act thou hast disgraced both me
And thine own lineage and thy native land,
910
Who with unlicensed inroad hast assailed
An ancient city, that hath still observed
Justice and equity, and apart from law
Ratifies nothing; and, being here, hast cast
Authority to the winds, and made thine own
915
Whate’er thou wouldst, bearing it off perforce,—
Deeming of me forsooth as nothing worth,
And of my city as one enslaved to foes
Or void of manhood. Not of Thebe’s will
Come such wild courses. It is not her way
920
To foster men in sin, nor would she praise
Thy doing, if she knew that thou hast robbed
Me and the gods, dragging poor suppliant wights
From their last refuge at thy will—I would not,
Had I perchance set foot within thy land,
925
Even were my cause most righteous, have presumed,
Without consent of him who bore chief sway,
To seize on any man, but would have known
How men should act who tread on foreign soil.
Thou bring’st disgrace on thine own mother state
930
All undeservedly, and the lapse of years
Hath left thee aged, but not wise—Again
I bid those maids now to be brought with speed,
Unless thou would’st be made a sojourner
In Athens by compulsion. This I speak
935
Not with my lips alone, but from my will.
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 897 focus
Auf denn, so schnell als möglich geh' ein Diener mir
Zurück zum Altar, alles Volk zu nöthigen,
895
Mit lassem Zügel hoch zu Pferd und ohne Roß
Vom Opfer hin zu eilen, wo die Mündungen
Der beiden Wege sich in Eins zusammenzieh'n,
Daß uns die Jungfrau'n nicht entgeh'n und ich ein Spott
Des fremden Mannes werde, weich' ich der Gewalt.
900
Auf, thut in Eile mein Gebot! Und diesen hier,
(ein Diener geht.)
Gehorcht' ich meinem Zorne, wie er's wohl verdient,
Nicht unverwundet ließ ich ihn aus meiner Hand.
Doch welcher Sazung folgend er hieher gelangt, 1
Nach der, und keiner andern, fall' auch ihm der Spruch!
905
Du sollst aus diesem Lande nicht abzieh'n, bevor
Du mir die Jungfrau'n sichtbar hier vor Augen stellst;
Denn würdig hast du weder dein gehandelt noch
Der Ahnen, deren Sohn du bist, noch deines Volks,
Der du, die Stadt heimsuchend, die dem Rechte dient
910
Und Alles ordnet nach Gesez, in rohem Muth
Einbrachst, verhöhnend, was im Land hier heilig gilt,
Und raubst gewaltsam und entführst, was dir beliebt.
Du wähntest, knechtisch oder leer an Männern sei
Die Stadt des Theseus und ich selbst machtlos und Nichts.
915
Doch nicht zum schlechten Manne zog dich Thebe groß;
Es liebte nie, rechtlose Männer aufzuzieh'n,
Und würde dich nicht loben, wenn es hörte, wie
Du mich beraubst und Götter, und Schuzflehende
Aus ihrer Freistatt mit Gewalt von dannen führst.
920
Ich würde niemals, wenn ich käm' in dein Gebiet,
Dem Landesherrn zum Troze, wer es immer sei,
Und hätt' ich auch das allerbeste Necht dazu,
Gewalt und Raub verüben; nein, ich wüßte wohl,
Wie gegen Bürger sich der Gast benehmen muß.
925
Du schändest, ohne daß sie solche Schmach verdient,
Die eigne Heimat, und der Jahre volles Maß
Stellt dich zugleich als Greisen und als Thoren dar.
Ich sagte vorhin, und ich sag' es wiederum:
Man führe mir die Mädchen unverweilt zurück,
930
Verlangst du nicht Insasse dieses Land's zu sein,
Gezwungen, nicht freiwillig! Und dies sag' ich dir
Mit freiem Munde, wie es mir vom Herzen kommt.
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 897 focus
Of my attendants one with swiftest pace
Hence to the altar, bear this charge to all
Th' assembled people, from the sacred rites
Horsemen and troops of foot to wing their speed,
And seize the strait where the two roads unite,
900
Ere there the virgins pass. I should be held
In scorn if, when my faith is pledged, by force
I were defeated. Go as I command,
And use thy utmost speed. But for this man,.
Were I by anger prompted, as his deeds
905
Deserve, unwounded by my vengeful hand
I should not suffer him go hence. But now,
Since his own laws he brought, to those same laws
His treatment shall accord; for from this land
Thou never shalt depart, till thou hast brought
The virgins back, and placed them in my sight.l
910
For thou hast done what foul dishonour casts
On me, on thy high lineage, and thy land:
A country hast thou enter'd, which reveres
The voice of justice, and ne'er dares a deed
That violates the laws; her sacred rights
915
Hast thou o'erleap'd, and rushing in by force
Bearest hence thy spoil, deeming perchance my realm
Of force devoid, and sunk with servile fear,
And me some spiritless and abject wretch.
Thebes taught thee not this ruffian deed, nor loves
To cherish the unjust; nor would her voice
920
Hail thee with acclamations, if she knew
That thou hast plunder'd me, and seized by force
Unhappy men, the suppliants of the gods.
Thy country had I enter'd, were my claims
Most just, without the sovereign of the land,
925
Whoe'er he were, thence nothing had I drawn
Or forced away; well knowing how behoves
A stranger in a foreign land to frame
His fair demeanour: but thy deeds disgrace
Thy country, not deserving such reproach:
And time in its full course hath made thee old,
930
And void of wisdom. But I tell thee now,
What I before declared, without delay
Send, let the virgins safe be brought again,
Else in this land constrain'd shalt thou abide
Howe'er unwillingly. I tell thee this,
935
And my heart speaks accordant with my tongue.
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 1044-1095 focus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-699-1 ὁρᾷς ἵν’ ἥκεις 1

mvp-comment-699-2 ἀφ’ ὧν 2

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

937-938. mvp-comment-508-1 ὡς .. δίκαιος Since judging by the city from which you spring, you are shown to be just, and are then found to be doing evil. The chorus point the moral of Theseus' speech. Cp. supr. 919, καίτοι σε Θηβαί γ᾽ οὐκ ἐπαίδευσαν κακόν, 912 ff.