Jebb (1889) · Jebb (1883)

1 Οι.ΤΕΚΝΟΝ τυφλοῦ γέροντος Ἀντιγόνη, τίνας

χώρους ἀφίγμεθ’ ἢ τίνων ἀνδρῶν πόλιν ;

τίς τὸν πλανήτην Οἰδίπουν καθ’ ἡμέραν

τὴν νῦν σπανιστοῖς δέξεται δωρήμασιν ;

5 σμικρὸν μὲν ἐξαιτοῦντα, τοῦ σμικροῦ δ’ ἔτι

μεῖον φέροντα, καὶ τόδ’ ἐξαρκοῦν ἐμοί·

στέργειν γὰρ αἱ πάθαι με χὠ χρόνος ξυνὼν

μακρὸς διδάσκει καὶ τὸ γενναῖον τρίτον.

ἀλλ’, ὦ τέκνον, θάκησιν εἴ τινα βλέπεις

10 ἢ πρὸς βεβήλοις ἢ πρὸς ἄλσεσιν θεῶν,

στῆσόν με κἀξίδρυσον, ὡς πυθώμεθα

ὅπου ποτ’ ἐσμέν· μανθάνειν γὰρ ἥκομεν

ξένοι πρὸς ἀστῶν, ἂν δ’ ἀκούσωμεν τελεῖν.

OedipusChild of a blind old man, Antigone, to what region have we come, or to what city of men? Who will entertain the wandering Oedipus today with scanty gifts? Little do I crave, and obtain still less than that little, and with that I am content. For patience is the lesson of suffering, and of the long years upon me, and lastly of a noble mind. My child, if you see any resting-place, either on profane ground or by groves of the gods, stop me and set me down, so that we may inquire where we are. We have come to learn as foreigners from the townsmen, and to bring to completion whatever we hear.

Αν.πάτερ ταλαίπωρ’ Οἰδίπους, πύργοι μὲν οἳ

15 πόλιν στέγουσιν, ὡς ἀπ’ ὀμμάτων, πρόσω·

χῶρος δ’ ὅδ’ ἱρός, ὡς σάφ’ εἰκάσαι, βρύων

δάφνης, ἐλαίας, ἀμπέλου· πυκνόπτεροι δ’

εἴσω κατ’ αὐτὸν εὐστομοῦσ’ ἀηδόνες·

οὗ κῶλα κάμψον τοῦδ’ ἐπ’ ἀξέστου πέτρου·

20 μακρὰν γὰρ ὡς γέροντι προὐστάλης ὁδόν.

AntigoneFather, toil-worn Oedipus, the towers that ring the city, to judge by sight, are far off; and this place is sacred, to judge from its appearance: laurel, olive, and vine grow thick-set; and a feathered crowd of nightingales makes music within. So sit here on this unshaped stone; you have travelled a long way for an old man.

Οι.κάθιζέ νύν με καὶ φύλασσε τὸν τυφλόν.

OedipusSeat me, then, and watch over the blind.

Αν.χρόνου μὲν οὕνεκ’ οὐ μαθεῖν με δεῖ τόδε.

AntigoneIf time can teach, I need not learn that.

Οι.ἔχεις διδάξαι δή μ’ ὅποι καθέσταμεν;

OedipusCan you tell me, now, where we have arrived?

Αν.τὰς γοῦν Ἀθήνας οἶδα, τὸν δὲ χῶρον οὔ.

AntigoneAthens I know, but not this place.

25 Οι.πᾶς γάρ τις ηὔδα τοῦτό γ’ ἡμῖν ἐμπόρων.

OedipusYes, so much every traveller told us.

Αν.ἀλλ’ ὅστις ὁ τόπος ἦ μάθω μολοῦσά ποι;

AntigoneWell, shall I go and learn what the spot is called?

Οι.ναί, τέκνον, εἴπερ ἐστί γ’ ἐξοικήσιμος.

OedipusYes, child, if indeed it is inhabited.

Αν.ἀλλ’ ἐστὶ μὴν οἰκητός· οἴομαι δὲ δεῖν

οὐδέν· πέλας γὰρ ἄνδρα τόνδε νῷν ὁρῶ.

AntigoneIt surely is inhabited. But I think there is no need—I see a man nearby.

30 Οι.ἦ δεῦρο προσστείχοντα κἀξορμώμενον ;

OedipusSetting off and coming toward us?

Αν.καὶ δὴ μὲν οὖν παρόντα· χὥ τι σοι λέγειν

εὔκαιρόν ἐστιν, ἔννεφ’, ὡς ἀνὴρ ὅδε.

AntigoneHe is at our side already. Speak whatever seems timely to you, for the man is here.

Οι.ὦ ξεῖν’, ἀκούων τῆσδε τῆς ὑπέρ τ’ ἐμοῦ

αὑτῆς θ’ ὁρώσης οὕνεχ’ ἡμῖν αἴσιος

35 σκοπὸς προσήκεις ὧν ἀδηλοῦμεν φράσαι—

OedipusStranger, hearing from this maiden, who has sight both for herself and for me, that you have arrived as a scout of good fortune for the solving of our doubts—

Enter a stranger, a man of Colonus.

Ξε.πρίν νυν τὰ πλείον’ ἱστορεῖν, ἐκ τῆσδ’ ἕδρας

ἔξελθ’· ἔχεις γὰρ χῶρον οὐχ ἁγνὸν πατεῖν.

StrangerNow, before you question me at length, leave this seat. You occupy ground which is unholy to tread upon.

Οι.τίς δ’ ἔσθ’ ὁ χῶρος; τοῦ θεῶν νομίζεται ;

OedipusAnd what is this ground? To which of the gods is it sacred?

Ξε.ἄθικτος οὐδ’ οἰκητός· αἱ γὰρ ἔμφοβοι

40 θεαί σφ’ ἔχουσι, Γῆς τε καὶ Σκότου κόραι.

StrangerGround inviolable, on which no one may dwell. The dread goddesses hold it, the daughters of Earth and Darkness.

Οι.τίνων τὸ σεμνὸν ὄνομ’ ἂν εὐξαίμην κλύων;

OedipusWho are they? Whose awful name might I hear and invoke in prayer?

Ξε.τὰς πάνθ’ ὁρώσας Εὐμενίδας ὅ γ’ ἐνθάδ’ ἂν

εἴποι λεώς νιν· ἄλλα δ’ ἀλλαχοῦ καλά.

StrangerThe all-seeing Eumenides the people here would call them: but other names please elsewhere.

Οι.ἀλλ’ ἵλεω μὲν τὸν ἱκέτην δεξαίατο·

45 ὡς οὐχ ἕδρας γῆς τῆσδ’ ἂν ἐξέλθοιμ’ ἔτι.

OedipusThen graciously may they receive their suppliant! Nevermore will I depart from my seat in this land.

Ξε.τί δ’ ἐστὶ τοῦτο;

StrangerWhat does this mean?

OedipusThe watchword of my fate.

Ξε.ἀλλ’ οὐδ’ ἐμοί τοι τοὐξανιστάναι πόλεως

δίχ’ ἐστὶ θάρσος, πρίν γ’ ἂν ἐνδείξω τί δρῶ.

StrangerI dare not remove you without warrant from the city, until I report what I am doing.

Οι.πρός νυν θεῶν, ὦ ξεῖνε, μή μ’ ἀτιμάσῃς,

50 τοιόνδ’ ἀλήτην, ὧν σε προστρέπω φράσαι.

OedipusNow by the gods, stranger, do not deny me, hapless wanderer as you see, the honor of the knowledge for which I beg you.

Ξε.σήμαινε, κοὐκ ἄτιμος ἔκ γ’ ἐμοῦ φανεῖ.

StrangerTell me, and you will not be without honor from me.

Οι.τίς ἔσθ’ ὁ χῶρος δῆτ’ ἐν ᾧ βεβήκαμεν ;

OedipusWhat, then, is the place that we have entered?

Ξε.ὅσ’ οἶδα κἀγὼ πάντ’ ἐπιστήσει κλύων.

χῶρος μὲν ἱρὸς πᾶς ὅδ’ ἔστ’· ἔχει δέ νιν

55 σεμνὸς Ποσειδῶν· ἐν δ’ ὁ πυρφόρος θεὸς

Τιτὰν Προμηθεύς· ὃν δ’ ἐπιστείβεις τόπον

χθονὸς καλεῖται τῆσδε χαλκόπους ὁδός,

ἔρεισμ’ Ἀθηνῶν· οἱ δὲ πλησίοι γύαι

τόνδ’ ἱππότην Κολωνὸν εὔχονται σφίσιν

60 ἀρχηγὸν εἶναι, καὶ φέρουσι τοὔνομα

τὸ τοῦδε κοινὸν πάντες ὠνομασμένοι.

τοιαῦτά σοι ταῦτ’ ἐστίν, ὦ ξέν’, οὐ λόγοις

τιμώμεν’, ἀλλὰ τῇ ξυνουσίᾳ πλέον.

StrangerAll that I myself know, you will hear and learn. This whole place is sacred; august Poseidon holds it, and in it lives the fire-bearing god, the Titan Prometheus. But as for the spot on which you tread, it is called the bronze threshold of this land, the support of Athens. And the neighboring fields claim Colonus, the horse-rider, for their ancient ruler; and all the people bear his name in common as their own. Such, you see, stranger, are these haunts. They receive their honor not through story, but rather through our living with them.

Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus — Greek text with English translation