Murray (1902) · Coleridge (1891)

1 Ἀπ.Ὦ δώματ’ Ἀδμήτειʼ, ἐν οἷς ἔτλην ἐγὼ

θῆσσαν τράπεζαν αἰνέσαι θεός περ ὤν.

Ζεὺς γὰρ κατακτὰς παῖδα τὸν ἐμὸν αἴτιος

Ἀσκληπιόν, στέρνοισιν ἐμβαλὼν φλόγα·

5 οὗ δὴ χολωθεὶς τέκτονας Δίου πυρὸς

κτείνω Κύκλωπας· καί με θητεύειν πατὴρ

θνητῷ παρ’ ἀνδρὶ τῶνδ’ ἄποιν’ ἠνάγκασεν.

ἐλθὼν δὲ γαῖαν τήνδ’ ἐβουφόρβουν ξένῳ,

καὶ τόνδ’ ἔσῳζον οἶκον ἐς τόδ’ ἡμέρας.

10 ὁσίου γὰρ ἀνδρὸς ὅσιος ὢν ἐτύγχανον

παιδὸς Φέρητος, ὃν θανεῖν ἐρρυσάμην,

Μοίρας δολώσας· ᾔνεσαν δέ μοι θεαὶ

Ἄδμητον ᾅδην τὸν παραυτίκ’ ἐκφυγεῖν,

ἄλλον διαλλάξαντα τοῖς κάτω νεκρόν.

15 πάντας δ’ ἐλέγξας καὶ διεξελθὼν φίλους,

πατέρα γεραιάν θ’ ἥ σφ’ ἔτικτε μητέρα,

οὐχ ηὗρε πλὴν γυναικὸς ὅστις ἤθελε

θανὼν πρὸ κείνου μηκέτ’ εἰσορᾶν φάος·

ἣ νῦν κατ’ οἴκους ἐν χεροῖν βαστάζεται

20 ψυχορραγοῦσα· τῇδε γάρ σφ’ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ

θανεῖν πέπρωται καὶ μεταστῆναι βίου.

ἐγὼ δέ, μὴ μίασμά μ’ ἐν δόμοις κίχῃ,

λείπω μελάθρων τῶνδε φιλτάτην στέγην.

ἤδη δὲ τόνδε Θάνατον εἰσορῶ πέλας,

25 ἱερῆ θανόντων, ὅς νιν εἰς Ἅιδου δόμους

μέλλει κατάξειν· συμμέτρως δ’ ἀφίκετο,

φρουρῶν τόδ’ ἦμαρ ᾧ θανεῖν αὐτὴν χρεών.

ApolloHalls of Admetus, wherein I steeled my heart to be content with a servant’s board, god though I was. Zeus was to blame; he slew my son Asclepius, piercing his bosom with a thunderbolt; whereat I was enraged and smote his Cyclopes, forgers of the heavenly fire; so my sire in recompense for this forced me to become a slave in a mortal’s home. Then came I to this land and kept a stranger’s flocks, and to this day have been the saviour of this house. For in Pheres’ son I found a man as holy as myself, and him I saved from death by cheating Destiny, for they promised me, those goddesses of fate, that Admetus should escape the impending doom, if he found a substitute for the powers below. So he went through all his list of friends, made trial of each, his father and the aged mother that bare him, but none he found save his wife alone that was willing to die for him and forego the light of life; she now within the house is upheld in his arms, gasping out her life; for to-day is she doomed to die and pass from life to death. But I, for fear pollution overtake me in the house, am leaving the shelter of this roof I love so well, for already I see Death hard by, the priest of souls departed, who is on his way to lead her to the halls of Hades; true to time he comes, watching this day that calls her to her doom.

Θά.ἆ ἆ·

τί σὺ πρὸς μελάθροις; τί σὺ τῇδε πολεῖς,

30 Φοῖβʼ; ἀδικεῖς αὖ τιμὰς ἐνέρων

ἀφοριζόμενος καὶ καταπαύων;

οὐκ ἤρκεσέ σοι μόρον Ἀδμήτου

διακωλῦσαι, Μοίρας δολίῳ

σφήλαντι τέχνῃ; νῦν δ’ ἐπὶ τῇδ’ αὖ

35 χέρα τοξήρη φρουρεῖς ὁπλίσας,

ἣ τόδ’ ὑπέστη πόσιν ἐκλύσασ’

αὐτὴ προθανεῖν Πελίου παῖς.

DeathHa! What dost thou at this house? why is it thou art ranging here, Phoebus? Once again thou wrongest me, circumscribing and limiting the honours of the nether world. Wert thou not content to hinder the death of Admetus, by thy knavish cunning baulking Destiny? but now again hast thou armed thee with thy bow and art keeping guard o’er her, this daughter of Pelias, who undertook, of her free will, to die for her lord and set him free.

Ἀπ.θάρσει· δίκην τοι καὶ λόγους κεδνοὺς ἔχω.

ApolloNever fear; I have, be sure, justice and fair pleas to urge.

Θά.τί δῆτα τόξων ἔργον, εἰ δίκην ἔχεις;

DeathWhat has that bow to do, if thou hast justice on thy side?

40 Ἀπ.σύνηθες αἰεὶ ταῦτα βαστάζειν ἐμοί.

Apollo’Tis my habit ever to carry it.

Θά.καὶ τοῖσδέ γ’ οἴκοις ἐκδίκως προσωφελεῖν.

DeathAy, and to help this house more than is right.

Ἀπ.φίλου γὰρ ἀνδρὸς συμφοραῖς βαρύνομαι.

ApolloThe reason is, I cannot bear a friend’s distress.

Θά.καὶ νοσφιεῖς με τοῦδε δευτέρου νεκροῦ;

DeathWilt rob me of this second corpse likewise?

Ἀπ.ἀλλ’ οὐδ’ ἐκεῖνον πρὸς βίαν σ’ ἀφειλόμην.

ApolloCome! I did not take the other from thee by violence.

45 Θά.πῶς οὖν ὑπὲρ γῆς ἐστι κοὐ κάτω χθονός;

DeathThen how is it he lives above the earth and not beneath?

Ἀπ.δάμαρτ’ ἀμείψας, ἣν σὺ νῦν ἥκεις μέτα.

ApolloHe gave his wife instead, her whom now thou art come to fetch.

Θά.κἀπάξομαί γε νερτέρων ὑπὸ χθόνα.

DeathYea, and I will bear her hence to the nether world.

Ἀπ.λαβὼν ἴθʼ· οὐ γὰρ οἶδ’ ἂν εἰ πείσαιμί σε.

ApolloTake her and go, for I do not suppose I can persuade thee.

Θά.κτείνειν γ’ ὃν ἂν χρῇ; τοῦτο γὰρ τετάγμεθα.

DeathTo slay my rightful victim? Why, that is my appointed task.

50 Ἀπ.οὔκ, ἀλλὰ τοῖς μέλλουσι θάνατον ἐμβαλεῖν.

ApolloNay, but to lay thy deadly hand on those who soon would die.

Θά.ἔχω λόγον δὴ καὶ προθυμίαν σέθεν.

DeathI see thy drift, thy eager plea.

Ἀπ.ἔστ’ οὖν ὅπως Ἄλκηστις ἐς γῆρας μόλοι;

ApolloIs it then possible that Alcestis should attain old age?

Θά.οὐκ ἔστι· τιμαῖς κἀμὲ τέρπεσθαι δόκει.

DeathIt is not possible; I too, methinks, find a pleasure in my rights.

Ἀπ.οὔτοι πλέον γ’ ἂν ἢ μίαν ψυχὴν λάβοις.

ApolloThou canst not anyhow take more than one life.

55 Θά.νέων φθινόντων μεῖζον ἄρνυμαι γέρας.

DeathWhen young lives die I reap a higher honour.

Ἀπ.κἂν γραῦς ὄληται, πλουσίως ταφήσεται.

ApolloShould she die old, a sumptuous funeral will she have.

Θά.πρὸς τῶν ἐχόντων, Φοῖβε, τὸν νόμον τίθης.

DeathPhoebus, the law thou layest down is all in favour of the rich.

Ἀπ.πῶς εἶπας; ἀλλ’ ἦ καὶ σοφὸς λέληθας ὤν;

ApolloWhat mean’st thou? art so wise, and I never knew it?

Θά.ὠνοῖντ’ ἂν οἷς πάρεστι γηραιοὺς θανεῖν.

DeathThose who have wealth would buy the chance of their dying old.

60 Ἀπ.οὔκουν δοκεῖ σοι τήνδε μοι δοῦναι χάριν;

ApolloIt seems then thou wilt not grant me this favour.

Euripides, Alcestis — Greek text with English translation