Smyth (1926) · Smyth (1922)

The tomb of Agamemnon. Enter Orestes and Pylades

1 Ὀρ.<Ἑρμῆ χθόνιε, πατρῷʼ ἐποπτεύων κράτη,>

<σωτὴρ γενοῦ μοι ξύμμαχός τʼ αἰτουμένῳ·>

<ἥκω γὰρ ἐς γῆν τήνδε καὶ κατέρχομαι.>

<τύμβου δʼ ἐπʼ ὄχθῳ τῷδε κηρύσσω πατρὶ>

5 <κλύειν, ἀκοῦσαι … >

5b < … >

< … πλόκαμον Ἰνάχῳ θρεπτήριον.>

<τὸν δεύτερον δὲ τόνδε πενθητήριον>

7b < … >

<οὐ γὰρ παρὼν ᾤμωξα σόν, πάτερ, μόρον>

<οὐδʼ ἐξέτεινα χεῖρʼ ἐπʼ ἐκφορᾷ νεκροῦ.>

9b ⁂ lacuna ⁂

10 τί χρῆμα λεύσσω; τίς ποθʼ ἥδʼ ὁμήγυρις

στείχει γυναικῶν φάρεσιν μελαγχίμοις

πρέπουσα; ποίᾳ ξυμφορᾷ προσεικάσω;

πότερα δόμοισι πῆμα προσκυρεῖ νέον;

ἢ πατρὶ τὠμῷ τάσδʼ ἐπεικάσας τύχω

15 χοὰς φερούσας νερτέροις μειλίγματα;

οὐδέν ποτʼ ἄλλο· καὶ γὰρ Ἠλέκτραν δοκῶ

στείχειν ἀδελφὴν τὴν ἐμὴν πένθει λυγρῷ

πρέπουσαν. ὦ Ζεῦ, δός με τείσασθαι μόρον

πατρός, γενοῦ δὲ σύμμαχος θέλων ἐμοί.

20 Πυλάδη, σταθῶμεν ἐκποδών, ὡς ἂν σαφῶς

μάθω γυναικῶν ἥτις ἥδε προστροπή.

OrestesHermes of the nether world, you who guard the powers that are your father’s, prove yourself my savior and ally, I entreat you, now that I have come to this land and returned from exile. On this mounded grave I cry out to my father to hearken, to hear me Look, I bring a lock to Inachus in requital for his care, and here, a second, in token of my grief. For I was not present, father, to lament your death, nor did I stretch forth my hand to bear your corpse. What is this I see? What is this throng of women that moves in state, marked by their sable cloaks? To what calamity should I set this down? Is it some new sorrow that befalls our house? Or am I right to suppose that for my father’s sake they bear these libations to appease the powers below? It can only be for this cause: for indeed I think my own sister Electra is approaching, distinguished by her bitter grief. Oh grant me, Zeus, to avenge my father’s death, and may you be my willing ally! Pylades, let us stand apart,that I may know clearly what this band of suppliant women intends.Exit Orestes and Pylades. Enter Electra with women carrying libations.

στρ. 1.

Χο.ἰαλτὸς ἐκ δόμων ἔβαν

χοὰς προπομπὸς ὀξύχειρι σὺν κτύπῳ.

πρέπει παρηὶς φοινίοις ἀμυγμοῖς

25 ὄνυχος ἄλοκι νεοτόμῳ·

διʼ αἰῶνος δʼ ἰυγμοῖσι βόσκεται κέαρ.

λινοφθόροι δʼ ὑφασμάτων

λακίδες ἔφλαδον ὑπʼ ἄλγεσιν,

προστέρνῳ στολμῷ

30 πέπλων ἀγελάστοις

ξυμφοραῖς πεπληγμένων.

ChorusSent forth from the palace I have come to convey libations to the sound of sharp blows of my hands. My cheek is marked with bloody gashes where my nails have cut fresh furrows. And yet through all my life my heart is fed with lamentation. Rips are torn by my griefs through the linen web of my garment, torn in the cloth that covers my breast, the cloth of robes struck for the sake of my mirthless misfortunes.

ἀντ. 1.

Χο.τορὸς δὲ Φοῖβος ὀρθόθριξ

δόμων ὀνειρόμαντις, ἐξ ὕπνου κότον

πνέων, ἀωρόνυκτον ἀμβόαμα

35 μυχόθεν ἔλακε περὶ φόβῳ,

γυναικείοισιν ἐν δώμασιν βαρὺς πίτνων.

κριταί <τε> τῶνδʼ ὀνειράτων

θεόθεν ἔλακον ὑπέγγυοι

μέμφεσθαι τοὺς γᾶς

40 νέρθεν περιθύμως

τοῖς κτανοῦσί τʼ ἐγκοτεῖν.

ChorusFor with a hair-raising shriek, Terror, the diviner of dreams for our house, breathing wrath out of sleep, uttered a cry of terror in the dead of night from the heart of the palace, a cry that fell heavily on the women’s quarter. And the readers of these dreams, bound under pledge, cried out from the god that those beneath the earth cast furious reproaches and rage against their murderers.

στρ. 2.

Χο.τοιάνδε χάριν ἀχάριτον ἀπότροπον κακῶν,

ἰὼ γαῖα μαῖα,

45 μωμένα μʼ ἰάλλει

δύσθεος γυνά. φοβοῦμαι

δʼ ἔπος τόδʼ ἐκβαλεῖν.

τί γὰρ λύτρον πεσόντος αἵματος πέδοι;

ἰὼ πάνοιζυς ἑστία,

50 ἰὼ κατασκαφαὶ δόμων.

ἀνήλιοι βροτοστυγεῖς

δνόφοι καλύπτουσι δόμους

δεσποτῶν θανάτοισι.

ChorusIntending to ward off evil with such a graceless grace, O mother Earth, she sends me forth, godless woman that she is. But I am afraid to utter the words she charged me to speak. For what atonement is there for blood fallen to earth? Ah, hearth of utter grief! Ah, house laid low in ruin! Sunless darkness, loathed by men, enshrouds our house due to the death of its master.

ἀντ. 2.

55 Χο.σέβας δʼ ἄμαχον ἀδάματον ἀπόλεμον τὸ πρὶν

διʼ ὤτων φρενός τε

δαμίας περαῖνον

νῦν ἀφίσταται. φοβεῖται

δέ τις. τὸ δʼ εὐτυχεῖν,

60 τόδʼ ἐν βροτοῖς θεός τε καὶ θεοῦ πλέον.

ῥοπὴ δʼ ἐπισκοπεῖ δίκας

ταχεῖα τοὺς μὲν ἐν φάει,

τὰ δʼ ἐν μεταιχμίῳ σκότου

μένει χρονίζοντας ἄχη [βρύει],

65 τοὺς δʼ ἄκραντος ἔχει νύξ.

The awe of majesty once unconquered, unvanquished, irresistible in war, that penetrated the ears and heart of the people, is now cast off. But there is still fear. And prosperity—this, among mortals, is a god and more than a god. But the balance of Justice keeps watch: swiftly it descends on those in the light; sometimes pain waits for those who linger on the frontier of twilight; and others are claimed by strengthless night.

Aeschylus, Libation Bearers — Greek text with English translation