Aeschylus Persians 167

Anna Swanwick (Translator)

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XERXES
Our host lamenting rend thy tresses too. *

Persians. Aeschylus. Anna Swanwick (Translator). London. 1886.

Sponsored by University of Leipzig.

Funding provided by European Social Fund Saxony.

Current edition Experimental

The Persians (OCR draft) (English) (The Persians. Anna Swanwick, 1886.)

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (7)
Πέρσαι First1KGreek (Aeschyli Tragoediae. Sidgwick, Arthur, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1902.) — 159-255 focus
Πέρσαι Perseus (Aeschylus, Volume 1. Smyth, Herbert Weir, editor. London; New York: William Heinemann; G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1922.) — 159-255 focus
Πέρσαι (OCR draft) Experimental (Πέρσαι. Guilielmus Dindorfius, 1882.) — 159 focus
Πέρσαι (OCR draft) Experimental (Πέρσαι. Gottfried Hermann, 1852.) — 159 focus
ταῦτα δὴ λιποῦσ᾽ ἱκάνω χρυσεοστόλμους δόμους,
καὶ τὸ Δαρείου τε κἀμὸν κοινὸν εὐναστήριον.
καί με καρδίαν ἀμύσσει φροντίς· ἐς δ᾽ ὑμᾶς ἐρῶ
160
μῦθον, οὐδαμῶς ἐμαυτῆς οὖσ᾽ ἀδείμαντος, φίλοι,
μὴ μέγας πλοῦτος κονίσας οἶδας ἀντρέψῃ ποδι
ὄλβον, ὃν Δαρεῖος ἦρεν οὐκ ἄνευ θεῶν τινός.
ταῦτά μοι διπλῆ μέριμνα φραστός ἐστιν ἐν φρεσίν,
μήτε χρημάτων ἀνάνδρων πλῆθος ἐν τιμῇ σέβειν,
165
μήτ' ἀχρημάτοισι λάμπειν φῶς ὅσον σθένος πάρα.
ἔστι γὰρ πλοῦτός γ' ἀμεμφής, ἀμφὶ δ᾽ ὀφθαλμοῖς φόβος.
ὄμμα γὰρ δόμων νομίζω δεσπότου παρουσίαν.
πρὸς τάδ᾽ ὡς οὕτως ἐχόντων τῶνδε, σύμβουλοι λόγου
τοῦδέ μοι γένεσθε, Πέρσαι, γηραλέα πιστώματα.
170
πάντα γὰρ τὰ κέδν᾽ ἐν ὑμῖν ἐστί μοι βουλεύματα.
ΠΕΡΣΑΙ (OCR draft) Experimental (ΠΕΡΣΑΙ. Paul Mazon, 1920-1925.) — 159 focus
Πέρσαι (OCR draft) Experimental (Πέρσαι. N. Wecklein, 1885.) — 159 focus
ταῦτα δὴ λιποῦσ᾽ ἱκάνω χρυσεοστόλμους δόμους
καὶ τὸ Δαρείου τε καμὸν κοινὸν εὐνατήριον.
καί με καρδίαν ἀμύσσει φροντίς· ἐς δ᾽ ὑμᾶς ἐρῶ
μῦθον οὐδαμῶς ἐμαυτῆς οὖσ᾽ ἀδείμαντος, φίλοι·
165
μὴ μέγας πλοῦτος κονίσας οὖδας ἀντρέψῃ ποδὶ
ὄλβον, ὃν Δαρεῖος ἦρεν οὐκ ἄνευ θεῶν τινος.
ταῦτά μοι διπλῆ μέριμν᾽ ἄφραστός ἐστιν ἐν φρεσί,
μήτε χρημάτων ἀνάνδρων πλῆθος ἐν τιμῇ σέβειν
Aeschyli Persae (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschyli Persae. Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff, 1914.) — 159 focus
Translations (8)
Persians Perseus (Aeschylus, Volume 1. Smyth, Herbert Weir, translator. London; New York: William Heinemann; G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1922. (Modernized by Perseus.)) — 159-255 focus
The Persians. (OCR draft) Experimental (The Persians.. Theodore Alois Buckley, 1849.) — 159 focus
For this reason, in truth, am I come, having left my gold-garnished mansion, the common bridal-dwelling both of Darius and of myself. And anxiety is tearing me at heart: and I will make a disclosure to you, my friends, being of myself by no means free from apprehension, lest mighty wealth, having made great speed, should, with his foot, overturn the wealth which Darius reared, not without the aid of some god. These things are to my soul a two-fold unutterable care, not to honor with reverence a multitude of riches unprotected by men, and that the light shines not on those who are destitute of wealth, however great the strength which they may possess. For our wealth at all events is beyond the reach of censure, but touching our eye 1
is my terrors. For I deem the presence of the master the eye of an household. Whereupon, since these things stand thus, lend me your counsel in this matter, ye aged trusty servants of the Persians. For all my good measures depend on you.
LES PERSES (OCR draft) Experimental (LES PERSES. Paul Mazon, 1920-1925.) — 159 focus
C'est bien pourquoi j'ai quitté le palais
tendu d'or et la chambre où longtemps j'ai dormi avec Darios : moi aussi, je sens le souci déchirer mon cœur, et c'est à vous que je veux tout dire, amis, à cette heure où je ne suis plus sans crainte pour moi-même. J'ai peur que, devenue trop grande, notre richesse ne renverse du pied et ne transforme en poudre sur le sol l'édifice de bonheur qu'un dieu sans doute aida Darios à élever. Aussi une
angoisse indicible arrête ma pensée sur un double péril : des trésors, sans homme pour les défendre, n'obtiennent de la foule hommage ni respect, tout comme un homme sans trésors ne peut briller de l'éclat que mériterait sa force. Or, si notre richesse est intacte, en revanche, je crains pour nos yeux ; car, l'œil d'une maison, c'est, pour moi, la présence du maître. De cela, d'abord, persuadez-vous
bien, puis conseillez-moi sur les faits que voici, Perses, vieux et fidèles soutiens : c'est de vous que j'attends tous conseils utiles.
The Persians (OCR draft) Experimental (The Persians. Robert Potter, 1779.) — 159 focus
And therefore am I come, leaving my houſe
175
That ſhines with gorgeous ornaments and gold,
Where in paſt days Darius held with me
His royal reſidence.
With anxious care
My heart is tortur'd: I will tell you, friends,
180
My thoughts, not otherwiſe devoid of fear,
Leſt mighty wealth with haughty foot o'erturn
And trample in the duſt that happineſs,
Which, not unbleſs'd by Heav'n, Darius rais'd.
For this with double force unquiet thoughts
185
Paſt utterance fill my ſoul; that neither wealth
With all its golden ſtores, where men are wanting,
Claims reverence;
nor the light, that beams from
pow'r,
190
Shines on the man, whom wealth diſdains to grace.
The golden ſtores of wealth indeed are ours;
But for the light, ſuch in the houſe I deem
The preſence of its lord, there I have fears.
Eschilo, I Persiani: traduzione italiana di Ettore Romagnoli (OCR draft) Experimental (Eschilo, I Persiani: traduzione italiana di Ettore Romagnoli. Ettore Romagnoli, 1922.) — 159 focus
Perciò venni, pel timore ch'or si mostri a noi contrario,
165
e lasciai la reggia e il talamo dove io già vissi con Dario.
Un pensiero il cuor mi lacera. Un terrore in cor s'aduna
ch'io v'espongo, amici.
Io temo che l'eccesso di fortuna
non abbatta e fra la polvere la potenza non calpesti
170
che innalzò Dario, non senza il volere dei Celesti.
Questo duplice pensiero di continuo mi travaglia.
Mai la gloria per l'uom povero al valor suo non s'agguaglia;
ma niun pregio ha l'opulenza, quando sia d'uomini scema.
Ora intatta è la ricchezza; ma per l'occhio il cuor mi trema:
175
occhio io dico della casa la presenza del Signore.
Poi che a ciò dunque gli eventi giunti son, nel mio timore
siate a me, fidi vegliardi Persïani, or consiglieri:
e i consigli vostri in tutto sian per me giusti e sinceri.
Aeschylus, Persae: versio Latina Ioannis Sanravii (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylus, Persae: versio Latina Ioannis Sanravii. Ioannes Sanravius, 1555.) — 159 focus
Propter hæc uenio, poftquam reliqui
Auro ornatas domos, Darij
Meum commune cubiculum.
Meum compungit cura cor,
125
Vobis uerò uerba faciam
Non intrepida mei ipfius
Amici, ne magnæ diuitiæ illinientes pauimentums
Euertant pede fælicitatem, quam habuit Darius
Non sine aliquo deorum.
130
Propter hæc duplex est mihi in mente cura ineffabilis,
Neq; pecuniarum uiris carentium multitudinem honore profequi:
Neq; uiris pecunia carentibus fplendere lumen, qua
tauis adfit fortitudo licet.
Sunt autem diuitiæ irreprehenfibiles, circa oculos
135
metus.
Oculŭ enim domus arbitror, domini præfentia eße.
Ad bec cum ſe ita habeant, conſultores huus rei
Eftote mihi Perfe, tanquam fideles ſenes:
Omnia enim bona in uobis funt mihi cofilia.
140
English (E. D. A. Morshead, 1908) (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylus, Persians — Morshead translation. Wikisource transcription; speech corresp and card milestones aligned to Smyth perseus-grc2.) — 159 focus
Therefore come I forth to you, from chambers decked and golden,
Where long ago Darius laid his head, with me beside,
145
And my heart is torn with anguish, and with terror am I holden,
And I plead unto your friendship and I bid you to my side.
Darius, in the old time, by aid of some Immortal,
Raised up the stately fabric, our wealth of long-ago:
But I tremble lest it totter down, and ruin porch and portal,
150
And the whirling dust of downfall rise above its overthrow!
Therefore a dread unspeakable within me never slumbers,
Saying, Honour not the gauds of wealth if men have ceased to grow,
Nor deem that men, apart from wealth, can find their strength in numbers—
We shudder for our light and king, though we have gold enow!
155
No light there is, in any house, save presence of the master—
So runs the saw, ye aged men! and truth it says indeed—
On you I call, the wise and true, to ward us from disaster,
For all my hope is fixed on you, to prop us in our need!
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1854; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylos. Deutsch in den Versmaßen der Urschrift. Stuttgart: Hoffmann, 1854. Native Donner line citations, Smyth card correspondence, selected textual readings and metrical facsimiles. Remaining OCR differences and unattributed reading notes are documented in the linked review inventory.) — 159 focus
Eben darum eilt' ich hieher aus des Hauses goldnem Thor,
145
Aus dem Schlafgemache, das ich mit Dareios einst getheilt.
Meine Brust durchbohrt die Sorge; laut vor euch verkündet hier
Sei das Wort, o Freunde, furchtlos bin ich keineswegs um mich,
Daß (o Leid!) der große Reichthum raschen Fußes mir das Glück
Stürzt in Staub, das einst Dareios aufgebaut mit Götterhuld.
150
Darum steht der Doppelspruch mir als bewährt im Herzen fest: 1
Weder ehrt Jemand des Reichthums Fülle, die kein Mann vertritt,
Noch umstrahlt den Mittellosen seines Ruhms verdienter Glanz.
Tadellos glänzt unser Reichthum; um das Auge fürcht' ich nur:
Denn des Hauses Auge, mein' ich, ist die Gegenwart des Herrn.
155
Steht mir denn, nachdem des Himmels hoher Schluß es so gefügt,
Steht mit eurem Rath, o Perser, treue Greisesschaar, mir bei!
Denn für Alles, was mir anliegt, ruht in euch der beste Nath.

Commentary

Critical apparatus to The Persians (OCR draft) (Latin and Greek critical apparatus to Gottfried Hermann's 1852 edition of The Persians.) focus

257. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg002-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-203

ὡς πάντα γ' ἔστ' ἐκεῖνα:
ὡς πάντα γ' ἔσται κεῖνα
Vit. Mosc. In Vit. recentior manus
ἀκεῖνα
fecit.
ὡς πάντα γ᾽ ἔσ᾽ ἐκεῖνα
Lips.
ὡς πάντ᾽ ἔστ' ἐκεῖνα
Ald. Rob. In
ὡς
particula errat scholiastes: significat ea hic nam.

Commentary (W. S. Teuffel; revised by N. Wecklein, 1886; German; OCR draft) (Persians, explanatory commentary pp. 43–97. Single-witness OCR; source readings and all reference placements require scan review.) focus

256-289. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg002-teuffel-wecklein1886-com-ger1-37

1
2
Kommos, drei Stro- phenpaare des Chors, unterbrochen je durch zwei Trimeter des Boten.

256-261. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg002-teuffel-wecklein1886-com-ger1-38

3
4
Der Anfang besteht aus lauter (elf) Kürzen, entsprechend dem wimmernden Charakter des Lieds; die zwei ersten Kürzen (in der Gegenstrophe vertreten durch eine Länge) bilden den Auftakt (Anakrusis), die neun andern eine trochäische Tripodie; vgl. Westphal II S. 863. ἄνιος (1055. 1061) 8. ν. α. ἀνιηρός. - νεόκοτος (Sept. 803) s. v. α. νέος. Der zweite Vers ist kretisch-logaödisch, mit einsilbiger Anakrusis. διαίνεσθε (1047. 1064) benetzet euch (mit Thränen). ὡς, ja thut es nur, dennu, s. w. διαπεπρ. 517. καὐτὸς δὲ und auch ich, 153. νόστιμον φάος wie Homer νόστιμον ἦμαρ.