The Urn of Orestes and Electra's Lament — Sophocles, Electra, lines 1078–1166, Greek & English

1078

οὔτε τι τοῦ θανεῖν προμηθὴς τό τε μὴ βλέπειν ἑτοίμα,

Not at all caring for death, and ready not to look upon the light,

1080

διδύμαν ἑλοῦσʼ Ἐρινύν·¹ τίς ἂν εὔπατρις ὧδε βλάστοι;

having chosen to slay the double Fury. Who of noble birth could be born so?

οὐδεὶς τῶν ἀγαθῶν γὰρ

For no one of the noble

ζῶν κακῶς εὔκλειαν αἰσχῦναι θέλει

wishes to disgrace their good fame by living miserably

νώνυμος, ὦ παῖ παῖ.

and nameless, O child, child.

1085

ὡς καὶ σὺ πάγκλαυτον αἰῶνα κοινὸν εἵλου,

So also you chose a shared, all-lamented life,

τὸ μὴ καλὸν καθοπλίσασα, δύο φέρειν ἐν ἑνὶ λόγῳ,²

arming yourself against what is ignoble, so as to bear two names in one report,

σοφά τʼ ἀρίστα τε παῖς κεκλῆσθαι.

to be called a wise and most excellent daughter.

1090

ζῴης μοι καθύπερθεν

May you live, I pray, high above

χειρὶ καὶ πλούτῳ τεῶν ἐχθρῶν ὅσον

your enemies in hand and wealth, by as much as

νῦν ὑπόχειρ ναίεις·

you now dwell under their hands.

ἐπεί σʼ ἐφηύρηκα μοίρᾳ μὲν οὐκ ἐν ἐσθλᾷ

For I have found you walking indeed in no good fortune,

1095

βεβῶσαν, ἃ δὲ μέγιστʼ ἔβλαστε νόμιμα, τῶνδε φερομένανἄριστα τᾷ Ζηνὸς εὐσεβείᾳ.

but winning the highest prize of the laws that grew greatest, through your piety toward Zeus.

ἆρʼ, ὦ γυναῖκες, ὀρθά τʼ εἰσηκούσαμεν

Orestes: O women, did we hear correctly,

ὀρθῶς θʼ ὁδοιποροῦμεν ἔνθα χρῄζομεν;

and are we journeying rightly to where we desire?

1100

τί δʼ ἐξερευνᾷς καὶ τί βουληθεὶς πάρει;

Chorus: What are you searching for, and with what desire are you here?

Αἴγισθον ἔνθʼ ᾤκηκεν ἱστορῶ πάλαι.

Orestes: I have long been asking where Aegisthus dwells.

ἀλλʼ εὖ θʼ ἱκάνεις χὠ φράσας ἀζήμιος.

Chorus: Well, you have arrived safely, and the guide is free of blame.

τίς οὖν ἂν ὑμῶν τοῖς ἔσω φράσειεν ἂν

Orestes: Who then among you would tell those inside

ἡμῶν ποθεινὴν κοινόπουν παρουσίαν;

of our longed-for, companionable arrival?

1105

ἥδʼ, εἰ τὸν ἄγχιστόν γε κηρύσσειν χρεών.

Chorus: This one (pointing to Electra), if indeed the nearest kin should make the announcement.

ἴθʼ, ὦ γύναι, δήλωσον εἰσελθοῦσʼ ὅτι

Orestes: Go, lady, and entering show that

Φωκῆς ματεύουσʼ ἄνδρες Αἴγισθόν τινες,

certain Phocian men are seeking Aegisthus.

οἴμοι τάλαινʼ, οὐ δή ποθʼ ἧς ἠκούσαμεν

Electra: Alas, wretched me! You are surely not bringing

φήμης φέροντες ἐμφανῆ τεκμήρια;

manifest tokens of the rumor we heard?

1110

οὐκ οἶδα τὴν σὴν κληδόνʼ· ἀλλά μοι γέρων

Orestes: I do not know your rumor; but the old Strophius

ἐφεῖτʼ Ὀρέστου Στρόφιος ἀγγεῖλαι πέρι.

commanded me to bring news concerning Orestes.

τί δʼ ἔστιν, ὦ ξένʼ; ὥς μʼ ὑπέρχεται φόβος.

Electra: What is it, stranger? How fear creeps over me.

φέροντες αὐτοῦ σμικρὰ λείψανʼ ἐν βραχεῖ

Orestes: Bringing his small remains in a tiny

τεύχει θανόντος, ὡς ὁρᾷς, κομίζομεν.

vessel, as you see, we carry him dead.

1115

οἲ ʼγὼ τάλαινα, τοῦτʼ ἐκεῖνʼ³ ἤδη σαφὲς

Electra: Oh, wretched me, I see this now, that clear

πρόχειρον ἄχθος, ὡς ἔοικε, δέρκομαι.

handy burden, as it seems.

εἴπερ τι κλαίεις τῶν Ὀρεστείων κακῶν,

Orestes: If you weep at all for the misfortunes of Orestes,

τόδʼ ἄγγος ἴσθι σῶμα τοὐκείνου στέγον.

know that this urn contains his body.

ὦ ξεῖνε, δός νυν, πρὸς θεῶν, εἴπερ τόδε

Electra: O stranger, give it now, by the gods, if indeed this

1120

κέκευθεν αὐτὸν τεῦχος, εἰς χεῖρας λαβεῖν,

urn hides him, to take into my hands,

ὅπως ἐμαυτὴν καὶ γένος τὸ πᾶν ὁμοῦ

so that I may weep for myself and all our race together

ξὺν τῇδε κλαύσω κἀποδύρωμαι σποδῷ.

and lament with this dust.

δόθʼ, ἥτις ἐστί, προσφέροντες· οὐ γὰρ ὡς

Orestes: Bring it forward and give it, whoever she is; for not as one

ἐν δυσμενείᾳ γʼ οὖσʼ ἐπαιτεῖται τάδε,

in enmity does she ask for this,

1125

ἀλλʼ ἢ φίλων τις ἢ πρὸς αἵματος φύσιν.

but either as some friend or one born of his blood.

ὦ φιλτάτου μνημεῖον ἀνθρώπων ἐμοὶ

Electra: O memorial of the soul of the dearest of men to me,

ψυχῆς Ὀρέστου λοιπόν, ὥς σʼ ἀπʼ ἐλπίδων

left of Orestes, how far from the hopes

οὐχ ὧνπερ ἐξέπεμπον εἰσεδεξάμην.

with which I sent you forth have I received you back!

νῦν μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲν ὄντα βαστάζω χεροῖν,

For now I carry you in my hands as nothing,

1130

δόμων δέ σʼ, ὦ παῖ, λαμπρὸν ἐξέπεμψʼ ἐγώ.

but from the house, O child, I sent you forth glorious.

ὡς ὤφελον⁴ πάροιθεν ἐκλιπεῖν βίον,

Would that I had left life before,

πρὶν ἐς ξένην σε γαῖαν ἐκπέμψαι χεροῖν

before I sent you to a foreign land, having stolen you

κλέψασα ταῖνδε κἀνασώσασθαι φόνου,

with these hands and rescued you from death,

ὅπως θανὼν ἔκεισο τῇ τόθʼ ἡμέρᾳ,

so that you might have lain dead on that day,

1135

τύμβου πατρῴου κοινὸν εἰληχὼς μέρος.

having obtained a shared portion in your father’s tomb.

νῦν δʼ ἐκτὸς οἴκων κἀπὶ γῆς ἄλλης φυγὰς

But now, outside the house and a fugitive in another land,

κακῶς ἀπώλου, σῆς κασιγνήτης δίχα,

miserably you perished, far from your sister.

κοὔτʼ ἐν φίλαισι χερσὶν ἡ τάλαινʼ ἐγὼ

Nor with loving hands did wretched I

λουτροῖς σʼ ἐκόσμησʼ οὔτε παμφλέκτου πυρὸς

wash and adorn you, nor from the all-burning fire

1140

ἀνειλόμην, ὡς εἰκός, ἄθλιον βάρος,

did I lift, as was fitting, your sad burden,

ἀλλʼ ἐν ξέναισι χερσὶ κηδευθεὶς τάλας

but cared for by foreign hands, wretched one,

σμικρὸς προσήκεις ὄγκος ἐν σμικρῷ κύτει.

you have come back, a small weight in a small vessel.

οἴμοι τάλαινα τῆς ἐμῆς πάλαι τροφῆς

Alas, wretched me for my old, useless

ἀνωφελήτου, τὴν ἐγὼ θάμʼ ἀμφὶ σοὶ

nurturing, which I often for you

1145

πόνῳ γλυκεῖ παρέσχον· οὔτε γάρ ποτε

rendered with sweet labor! For never

μητρὸς σύ γʼ ἦσθα μᾶλλον ἢ κἀμοῦ φίλος,

were you dearer to your mother than to me,

οὔθʼ οἱ κατʼ οἶκον ἦσαν, ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ τροφός,

nor were those in the house your nurses, but I was,

ἐγὼ δʼ ἀδελφὴ σοὶ προσηυδώμην ἀεί.

and I was always called “sister” by you.

νῦν δʼ ἐκλέλοιπε ταῦτʼ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ μιᾷ

But now these things have failed in a single day

1150

θανόντι σὺν σοί· πάντα γὰρ συναρπάσας

with you dead; for snatching everything away

θύελλʼ ὅπως βέβηκας. οἴχεται πατήρ·

like a whirlwind, you are gone. Our father is gone;

τέθνηκʼ ἐγὼ σοί· φροῦδος αὐτὸς εἶ θανών·

I am dead to you; you yourself are vanished in death;

γελῶσι δʼ ἐχθροί· μαίνεται δʼ ὑφʼ ἡδονῆς

our enemies laugh; and mad with pleasure is

μήτηρ ἀμήτωρ, ἧς ἐμοὶ σὺ πολλάκις

our mother who is no mother, about whom you often

1155

φήμας λάθρᾳ προύπεμπες ὡς φανούμενος

sent word to me secretly that you would appear yourself

τιμωρὸς αὐτός. ἀλλὰ ταῦθʼ ὁ δυστυχὴς

as an avenger. But this the unhappy

δαίμων ὁ σός τε κἀμὸς ἐξαφείλετο,

daimon, yours and mine, has snatched away,

ὅς σʼ ὧδέ μοι προύπεμψεν ἀντὶ φιλτάτης

who sent you back to me thus, instead of your dearest

μορφῆς σποδόν τε καὶ σκιὰν ἀνωφελῆ.

form, as dust and a useless shadow.

1160

οἴμοι μοι.

Alas, alas.

ὦ δέμας οἰκτρόν. φεῦ φεῦ.

O pitiful body. Alas, alas.

ὦ δεινοτάτας, οἴμοι μοι,

O sent upon most terrible,

πεμφθεὶς κελεύθους, φίλταθʼ, ὥς μʼ ἀπώλεσας·

alas, journeys, dearest one, how you have destroyed me!

ἀπώλεσας δῆτʼ, ὦ κασίγνητον κάρα.

You have destroyed me indeed, O brotherly head.

1165

τοιγὰρ σὺ δέξαι μʼ ἐς τὸ σὸν τόδε στέγος,

Therefore, do you receive me into this your shelter,

τὴν μηδὲν εἰς τὸ μηδέν,⁵ ὡς σὺν σοὶ κάτω

me who am nothing to you who are nothing, so that with you below

Syntax notes5 items

1080διδύμαν ἑλοῦσʼ Ἐρινύν
The participle ἑλοῦσα (aorist active of αἱρέω) can mean either 'having captured/slain' or 'having chosen'. In this context, it refers to Electra's resolve to destroy or confront the 'double Fury' (representing Clytemnestra and Aegisthus).
1086δύο φέρειν ἐν ἑνὶ λόγῳ
The infinitive φέρειν functions as an infinitive of purpose or result, explaining the goal of bearing two titles ('wise' and 'excellent') in a single reputation (λόγῳ).
1115τοῦτʼ ἐκεῖνʼ
A colloquial demonstrative idiom (literally 'this is that') used to express dramatic recognition or confirmation of a feared expectation: 'this is that very thing' or 'here it is indeed'.
1131ὡς ὤφελον
The form ὤφελον (aorist of ὀφείλω, here introduced by ὡς) functions with the infinitive (ἐκλιπεῖν) to express an unattainable wish in the past: 'would that I had [left life]'.
1166τὴν μηδὲν εἰς τὸ μηδέν
A highly poignant contrast between τὴν μηδέν (the feminine accusative describing Electra as 'one who is nothing') and τὸ μηδέν (the neuter accusative describing the deceased Orestes as 'that which is nothing'), signifying her tragic self-identification with the dead.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0011.tlg005.humanitext-grc2:1078-1166