Herald

I forbid you to act thus in violation of the city.

Antigone

I forbid you to make useless proclamations to me.

Herald

And yet a citizenry that has escaped evil can be harsh.

1050

Antigone

Let it be harsh! This man will not be unburied.

Herald

What! Will you honor with burial a man whom the city detests?

Antigone

For a long time now the gods have ceased to hold him in honor.

Herald

No, he was honored until he put this land in jeopardy.

Antigone

He suffered evil and gave evil in return.

1055

Herald

But this act was against all the citizens, not only one man.

Antigone

Discord is the last of the gods to close an argument. I will bury him. Put an end to your big talk.

Herald

Well then, follow your own rash plan, but I forbid it. Exit.

Antigone

Having suffered injuriously he repaid with injury.

Herald

Aye, but this deed of his fell on all instead of one.

Antigone

Contention is the last of the gods to finish a dispute,

and I will bury him; make no more words.

Herald

Well, take thine own way—yet I forbid thee.

Exit Herald.

Chorus

Alas! alas! O ye fatal Furies, proudly triumphant, and destructive to this race, ye that have ruined the family of Œdipus from its root. What will become of me? What shall I do? What can I devise? How shall I have the heart neither to bewail thee nor to escort thee to the tomb? But I dread and shrink from the terror of the citizens. Thou, at all events, shalt in sooth have many mourners; but he, wretched one, departs unsigned for, having the solitary-wailing dirge of his sister. Who will agree to this?

Semi-Chorus

Let the state do or not do aught to those who bewail Polynices. We, on this side will go and join to escort his funeral procession; for both this sorrow is common to the race, and the state at different times sanctions different maxims of justice.

Semi-Chorus

But we will go with this corpse, as both the city and justice join to sanction. For next to the Immortals and the might of Jove, this man prevented the city of the Cadmaeans from being destroyed, and thoroughly overwhelmed by the surge of foreign enemies.

ANTIGONE

Je t'engage, moi, à ne pas m'adresser de sommations vaines.

LE HÉRAUT

Un peuple est cruel, qui vient d'échapper au désastre.

ANTIGONE

Cruel à ta guise ! celui-ci ne restera pas sans tombeau.

LE HÉRAUT

Feras-tu l'honneur d'une tombe à celui que son pays abhorre ?

ANTIGONE

Sa part d'honneur, les dieux déjà ne la lui ont-ils donc pas faite ?

LE HÉRAUT

Oui, du jour qu'il a mis sa cité en péril.

ANTIGONE

A des affronts il répondait par des affronts.

LE HÉRAUT

En se vengeant sur tous de la faute d'un
seul !

ANTIGONE

La dispute est la dernière des déesses à clore son propos. C'est moi qui l'ensevelirai : épargne-toi de longs discours.

LE HÉRAUT

Suis seule tes desseins : moi, je te l'interdis.

LE CORYPHÉE

Hélas ! hélas ! altières destructrices des races, Kères Érinyes, vous qui avez ainsi anéanti jusque
dans ses racines la race d'Œdipe, que vais-je devenir ? Que dois-je faire ? A quoi me résoudre ? Saurai-je renoncer à te pleurer, à t'escorter jusqu'au tombeau ? Mais j'ai peur aussi et je veux détourner la terreur que
m'inspire la cité. Pourtant, tu aurais, toi, d'innombrables pleureuses, tandis que celui-ci irait, infortuné, sans lamentation, suivi du seul thrène d'une sœur éplorée : qui le pourrait croire ?

LE CHEF DU PREMIER DEMI-CHŒUR

Que la ville frappe ou non ceux qui pleurent Polynice, Nous irons, nous ; à ses funérailles nous serons et ferons cortège. Il s'agit d'un deuil commun à la race tout entière,
et ce que l'État recommande comme le droit, tantôt c'est ceci et tantôt cela !

LE CHEF DU SECOND DEMI-CHŒUR

Nous, nous suivrons celui-là, comme l'État et le Droit à la fois nous le recommandent. Après les Bienheureux et la force de Zeus, c'est à lui que la ville des Cadméens doit de n'avoir point été sous le flot
étranger renversée et submergée sans merci.

ANTIGONE.

I charge thee waste not words on me in vain.

1180

HERALD.

Rage soon inflames a people freed from danger.

ANTIGONE.

Inflame them thou, he shall not lie unburied.

HERALD.

Wilt thou thus grace the object of their hate?

ANTIGONE.

Long have they strove to load him with dishonour.

HERALD.

Not till he shook this land with hostile arms.

1185

ANTIGONE.

Great were his wrongs, and greatly he reveng'd them.

HERALD.

Injur'd by one, his vengeance burst on all.

ANTIGONE.

Discord, the meanest of the Gods, will do

What she resolves; spare then thy tedious speech,

And be assur'd that I will bury him.

1190

HERALD.

Self-will'd, and unadvis'd! I must declare this.

1st SEMICHORUS.

With what a ruthless and destructive rage

The Furies hurl their vengeful shafts around,

And desolate the house of Oedipus!

What then remains for me? and how resolve?

1195

Can I forbear to mourn thee, to attend thee

To the sad tomb? Yet duty to the state,

And reverence to its mandates, awes my soul.

Thou u

shalt have many to lament thy fall:

Whilſt he x

, unwept, unpitied, unattended,

1200

Save by a sister's solitary sorrows,

Sinks to the shades. Approve you this resolve?

2d SEMICHORUS.

To those, that wail the fate of Polynices,

Let the state act its pleasure. We will go,

Attend his funeral rites, and aid his sister

1205

To place him in the earth. Such sorrows move

The common feelings of humanity;

And, where the deed is just, the state approves it.

1st SEMICHORUS.

And we with him, as justice and the state

Concur to call us. Next th' immortal Gods,

1210

And Jove's high pow'r, this valiant youth came forth

The guardian of his country, and repell'd

Th' assault of foreign foes, whose raging force

Rush'd like a torrent threat'ning to o'erwhelm us.

ANTIGONE

Nulla dire oltre il bando: io te lo impongo.

ARALDO

Aspro è, dai guai scampato appena, il popolo.

ANTIGONE

Aspro sia pur: ma questi avrà sepolcro.

1155

ARALDO

L'odio di Tebe onorerai di tomba?

ANTIGONE

Men lui che l'altro i Numi non pregiarono.

ARALDO

No, sin che a rischio non gittò la patria.

ANTIGONE

Torti soffrí, coi torti si difese.

ARALDO

Ma contro tutti, e non contro uno, mosse.

1160

ANTIGONE

Contesa, ultima Dea, l'anime acceca.

ARALDO

Pensa ciò che tu vuoi. L'opra io ti vieto.

CORO

Ahimè, ahi!, struggitrici funeste

delle genti, fatidiche Erinni,

che d'Edipo cosí, fin dal ceppo

1165

distruggete la schiatta!

Che cosa

debbo fare? Che oprare o pensare ?

Potrà reggermi il cuore a non piangerti,

a non esserti guida alla tomba?

1170

Pur m'assale sgomento, e m'astengo

per timore dei miei cittadini.

Si volge al cadavere d'Eteocle.

Almen tu molti avrai che ti piangano!

Ma quel misero, privo d'esequie,

solo avrà d'una suora le lagrime.

1175

Oh!, chi mai può chinarsi a tali ordini ?

SEMICORO A

Compia Tebe o non compia il suo bando

contro chi piangerà Polinice,

noi verrem tue compagne, e sepolcro

gli daremo con te. Questo lutto

1180

anche a noi grava il cuore; e potrebbe

tramutare il giudizio di Tebe.

SEMICORO B

avviandosi dietro il corpo d'Eteocle

Noi con questo ne andremo, sí come

la città, la giustizia ci esortano.

Ché costui, dopo i Superi e Giove,

1185

fece salva la rocca di Cadmo,

sicché capovolta

non fosse ella, non fosse sommersa

dal maroso di genti straniere.

Con lenti passi gli attori lasciano la scena e i coreuti l'orchestra.

Anti.

Tibi dico, ne mihi ſuperuacanea prædices.

965

Cad.

Rudis eſt populus, effugiens mala.

Anti.

Rudis sit populus, tamen inhumanus iſte nă erit.

Cad.

Sed quem urbs odio profequitur, hunc tu honorabis sepulchro?

Anti.

Iam nondum de eo à dijs ſtatutum eſt.

Cad.

Non prius qm hunc regionem in periculi conijcere.

970

Anti.

Malo affectus, malum rependit.

Cad.

Sed in omnibus pro uno hoc opus fuit.

Anti.

Contentio perficit sermonem, ultima deorua.

Ego hunc ſepeliam, ne diu concionare.

Cad.

Sed eiufdem confilij ſis, aduerfor uerò ego.

975

Sem.

Heu heu ô iactabundi & audaces

Caduceatores furie, que Oedipi

Genus perdidijti funditus fic.

Quid patiar quid patrabo, quid uerò molior?

Quomodo quomodo audebo te non flere?

980

Ne forte te admittam in fepulchro,

Sed timeo & uereor terrorem ciuium.

Tu muUas lugentes

Aſſequeris, ille uerò miſer illuctuofus

Solam lamentationem fororis habens

985

Venit, aliquis igitur hec perfuafit.

Afficiat aut non afficiat malis ciuitas

Flentes Polynicem:

Nos uerò imus, unà ſepeliemus ipſum,

Hæ verò deductrices.nam confanguinitati

990

Communis eſt dolor,

urbs aliter

Aliud laudabit, hec iuſta funt.

Nos uerò cum hoc, quemadmodum

Et iuſtitia probat.

995

Ad deos enim louis robur

Hic clamauit, ne euerteretur urbs Thebanorum:

Neq; impetu extraneorum uirorum

Diſsoluerentur optima quæq;.

HERALD

I warn thee not to disobey the State.

ANTIGONE

I warn thee publish no vain words to me.

HERALD

Bitter a people just escaped from harm.

ANTIGONE

Embitter them; unearthed he shall not lie.

HERALD

Whom the State loathes wilt honour with a tomb?

ANTIGONE

Ay, for the gods have not dishonoured him. *

HERALD

Not till he peril brought upon this land.

ANTIGONE

The wrong he bore he would with wrongs requite.

HERALD

Ay, but 'gainst all he wrought instead of one.

ANTIGONE

Last of the gods is Strife to close dispute.

Yet him I will inter, spare then thy words.

HERALD

But know thou headstrong art, and I forbid.

CHORUS

Woe! Woe!

Dire mischiefs, vaunting loud,

House-ruiners, ye Furies dread,

Who from its roots have quenched in doom

The race of Edipus;-alas!

What must I do? What sorrows bear?

What plan devise? How may I dare

Neither for thee the tear to shed

Nor to escort thee to the tomb?

But from the terrors of the crowd

Trembling, I shrink. Thou wilt obtain

[Addressing the corpse of ETEOCLES.]

Many to weep thy death,—but he

Forlorn, unwept, will pass,

Mourn'd by a sister's lonely-wailing strain.

Who may to this agree?

SEMI-CHORUS I

Let the city strike with doom,

Or not, who Polyneikes mourn;

We will go and to the tomb

Him escort,-a train forlorn;

For this woe is common dower,

And the claims of right

In our townsmen's sight

Vary with the hour.

SEMI-CHORUS II

But this other follow we,

As the city doth approve

And Justice; for in sooth 'twas he,

After those who reign above,

And might of Zeus,—Cadmeia's realm

Who in chief did save

From the alien wave

Which threatened to o'erwhelm.

Antigone

I charge thee, use no useless heralding!

Herald

Stern is a people newly 'scaped from death.

Antigone

Whet thou their sternness! burial he shall have.

Herald

How? grace of burial, to the city's foe?

Antigone

God hath not judged him separate in guilt.

1085

Herald

True—till he put this land in jeopardy.

Antigone

His rights usurped, he answered wrong with wrong.

Herald

Nay—but for one man's sin he smote the State.

Antigone

Contention doth out-talk all other gods!

Prate thou no more—I will to bury him.

1090

Herald

Will, an thou wilt! but I forbid the deed.

[ Exit the Herald.

Chorus

Exulting Fates, who waste the line

And whelm the house of Oedipus!

Fiends, who have slain, in wrath condign,

The father and the children thus!

1095

What now befits it that I do,

What meditate, what undergo?

Can I the funeral rite refrain,

Nor weep for Polynices slain?

But yet, with fear I shrink and thrill,

1100

Presageful of the city's will!

Thou, O Eteocles, shalt have

Full rites, and mourners at thy grave,

But he, thy brother slain, shall he,

With none to weep or cry Alas,

1105

To unbefriended burial pass?

Only one sister o'er his bier,

To raise the cry and pour the tear—

Who can obey such stern decree?

Semi-Chorus

Let those who hold our city's sway

1110

Wreak, or forbear to wreak, their will

On those who cry, Ah, well-a-day!

Lamenting Polynices still!

We will go forth and, side by side

With her, due burial will provide!

1115

Royal he was; to him be paid

Our grief, wherever he be laid!

The crowd may sway, and change, and still

Take its caprice for Justice' will!

But we this dead Eteocles,

1120

As Justice wills and Right decrees,

Will bear unto his grave!

For—under those enthroned on high

And Zeus' eternal royalty—

He unto us salvation gave!

1125

He saved us from a foreign yoke,—

A wild assault of outland folk,

A savage, alien wave!

[ Exeunt.

Antigone.

Ich will dir rathen, melde nichts Unnüzes mir!

Der Herold.

Streng pflegt ein Volk zu richten, das der Noth entrann.

Antigone.

Streng nenn' es; aber ohne Grab bleibt dieser nicht!

990

Der Herold.

Ihn, den das Volk haft, ehrtest du durch Grabesweih'n?

Antigone.

Noch fanden ihn die Götter stets der Ehre werth.

Der Herold.

Gewiß, bevor er dieses Land in Noth gestürzt.

Antigone.

Mit Leide nur vergalt er, was ihm Leid geschah.

Der Herold.

Doch statt des Einen büßte hier das ganze Volk.

995

Antigone.

Zulegt von allen Göttern hat Eris das Wort.

Ich werde den bestatten: sprich nicht weiter mehr!

Der Herold.

So thu's mit eignem Willen: ich verbiete dir's!

(Der Herold entfernt sich.)

Der Chor.

Weh, weh!

Stolztrohende, stammaustilgende Schaar,

Fluchgöttinnen ihr, die des Oedipus Haus

1000

Ihr also vertilgt sammt Wurzel und Stamm!

Was ergreift, was beginnt, was ersinnt mein Herz?

(zu der Leiche des Polyneikes gewendet)

Wie ertrüg' ich es wohl, nicht zu weinen um dich,

Dich nicht an die Gruft zu geleiten?

Doch es faßt mich die Angst, und ich schrecke zurück

1005

Vor dem Dräuen des Volks.

(zu Eteokles)

Dir, Herr, folgt wohl zahlreiches Geleit Von Trauernden.

(zu Polyneikes)

Er geht klanglos dahin,

Der Arme, beweint von den Schwestern allein:

Wer fügte sich solchem Gebote?

1010

(Der Chor, in zwei Halbchöre getheilt, setzt sich in Bewegung. Der erste folgt mit Antigone dem Leichnam des Polyneikes, während der zweite mit Ismene die Leiche des Eteokles begleitet.)

Erster Halbchor.

So bestrafe die Stadt, so bestrafe sie nicht,

Die dich, Polyneikes, beweinen:

Wir gehen mit dir, und bestatten dich mit,

Und folgen zum Grab! Denn alles Geschlecht

Der Kadmeier berührt dies Jammergeschick,

1015

Und das Volk, es erkennt

Nun dies, nun das für gerecht an.

Zweiter Halbchor.

Wir gehen mit ihm, wie die Stadt es gebot,

Und das heilige Recht es bestimmte.

Nächst Zeus' Allmacht und der Ewigen Hut

1020

Hat Er ja die Stadt der Kadmeier bewahrt,

Daß nicht sie zerstört

Von der Fremdlinge wildanstürmender Flut

In den Abgrund schwand des Verderbens.