Plotting the Revenge and the Tutor's Rebuke — Sophocles, Electra, lines 1251–1339, Greek & English

1251

ἔξοιδα, παῖ, ταῦτʼ· ἀλλʼ ὅταν παρουσίαφράζῃ, τότʼ ἔργων τῶνδε μεμνῆσθαι χρεών.

Orestes: I know this, child; but when the opportunity directs, then is the time to remember these deeds.

ὁ πᾶς ἐμοί,

Electra: All time, for me,

ὁ πᾶς ἂν πρέποι παρὼν ἐννέπειν

all present time would be fitting to speak

1255

τάδε δίκᾳ χρόνος·

these things with justice;

μόλις γὰρ ἔσχον νῦν ἐλεύθερον στόμα.

for only now have I obtained a free mouth.

ξύμφημι κἀγώ· τοιγαροῦν σῴζου τόδε.

Orestes: I agree too; therefore preserve this.

τί δρῶσα;

Electra: By doing what?

οὗ μή ʼστι καιρὸς μὴ μακρὰν βούλου λέγειν.

Orestes: Where it is not the right moment, do not wish to speak at length.

1260

τίς οὖν ἂν ἀξίαν γε σοῦ πεφηνότος

Electra: Who indeed, when you have appeared,

μεταβάλοιτʼ ἂν ὧδε σιγὰν λόγων;¹

would thus exchange silence for words,

ἐπεί σε νῦν ἀφράστως

since I have now seen you beyond description

ἀέλπτως τʼ ἐσεῖδον.

and beyond hope?

τότʼ εἶδες, εὖτε θεοί μʼ ἐπώτρυναν μολεῖν

Orestes: You saw me then, when the gods urged me to come.

ἔφρασας ὑπερτέραν

Electra: You have spoken of a favor

τᾶς πάρος ἔτι χάριτος, εἴ σε θεὸς ἐπόρισεν

still greater than the former one, if a god has brought you

ἁμέτερα πρὸς μέλαθρα· δαιμόνιον

to our halls; I count this itself

1270

αὐτὸ τίθημʼ ἐγώ.

as divine.

τὰ μέν σʼ ὀκνῶ χαίρουσαν εἰργαθεῖν, τὰ δὲ

Orestes: On the one hand I shrink from restraining you in your joy, but on the other

δέδοικα λίαν ἡδονῇ νικωμένην.

I fear you, being too much overcome by pleasure.

ἰὼ χρόνῳ μακρῷ φιλτάταν ὁδὸν

Electra: O you who after a long time have deigned to appear to me

ἐπαξιώσας ὧδέ μοι φανῆναι,

on this dearest journey,

1275

μή τί με, πολύπονον ὧδʼ ἰδὼν

do not, seeing me thus full of sorrow...

τί μὴ ποήσω;

Orestes: What should I not do?

μή μʼ ἀποστερήσῃς

Electra: Do not deprive me of letting go of

τῶν σῶν προσώπων ἁδονὰν μεθέσθαι.²

the pleasure of your countenance.

ἦ κάρτα κἂν ἄλλοισι θυμοίμην ἰδών.

Orestes: Indeed, I should be very angry if I saw anyone else trying to do so.

1280

ξυναινεῖς;

Electra: Do you agree?

τί μὴν οὔ;

Orestes: Why indeed not?

ὦ φίλαι, ἔκλυον ἃν ἐγὼ οὐδʼ ἂν ἤλπισʼ αὐδάν,

Electra: O friends, I heard a voice which I would never have hoped for;

οὐδʼ ἂν ἔσχον ὁρμὰν

nor, when hearing it, could I,

ἄναυδον οὐδὲ σὺν βοᾷ κλύουσα,

wretched, have restrained my impulse in speechless silence, nor even with a cry.

1285

τάλαινα. νῦν δʼ ἔχω σε· προυφάνης δὲ

But now I have you; and you have appeared,

φιλτάταν ἔχων πρόσοψιν,

having that dearest countenance,

ἇς ἐγὼ οὐδʼ ἂν ἐν κακοῖς λαθοίμαν.

which I would never forget even in misfortunes.

τὰ μὲν περισσεύοντα τῶν λόγων ἄφες,

Orestes: Dismiss superfluous words,

καὶ μήτε μήτηρ ὡς κακὴ δίδασκέ με,

and neither teach me how my mother is evil,

1290

μήθʼ ὡς πατρῴαν κτῆσιν Αἴγισθος δόμων

nor how Aegisthus drains, pours out,

ἀντλεῖ, τὰ δʼ ἐκχεῖ, τὰ δὲ διασπείρει μάτην·

and vainly scatters the ancestral wealth of our house;

χρόνου³ γὰρ ἄν σοι καιρὸν ἐξείργοι λόγος.

for speech would shut you out from the opportune time.

ἃ δʼ ἁρμόσει μοι τῷ παρόντι νῦν χρόνῳ

But point out what will suit me for the present moment,

σήμαινʼ, ὅπου φανέντες ἢ κεκρυμμένοι

where, by showing ourselves or remaining hidden,

1295

γελῶντας ἐχθροὺς παύσομεν τῇ νῦν ὁδῷ.

we shall make our laughing enemies cease by this present journey.

οὕτω δʼ ὅπως μήτηρ σε μὴ ʼπιγνώσεται

And see to it that our mother does not recognize you by your radiant face

φαιδρῷ προσώπῳ νῷν ἐπελθόντοιν δόμους·

when the two of us have entered the house;

ἀλλʼ ὡς ἐπʼ ἄτῃ τῇ μάτην λελεγμένῃ

but lament as if for the calamity falsely reported;

στέναζʼ· ὅταν γὰρ εὐτυχήσωμεν, τότε

for when we are successful, then

1300

χαίρειν παρέσται καὶ γελᾶν ἐλευθέρως.

it will be permitted to rejoice and laugh freely.

ἀλλʼ ὦ κασίγνηθʼ, ὧδʼ ὅπως καὶ σοὶ φίλον

Electra: But, brother, in this way, just as it is pleasing to you,

καὶ τοὐμὸν ἔσται τῇδʼ· ἐπεὶ τὰς ἡδονὰς

so also my part shall be; since I have obtained my pleasures

πρὸς σοῦ λαβοῦσα κοὐκ ἐμὰς ἐκτησάμην,

from you, and have not acquired them as my own,

κοὐδʼ ἄν σε λυπήσασα δεξαίμην βραχὺ

nor would I, by causing you even a little pain, consent

1305

αὐτὴ μέγʼ εὑρεῖν κέρδος· οὐ γὰρ ἂν καλῶς

to find a great gain for myself; for thus I should not be serving well

ὑπηρετοίην τῷ παρόντι δαίμονι.

the present divinity.

ἀλλʼ οἶσθα μὲν τἀνθένδε, πῶς γὰρ οὔ; κλύων

But you know the state of things here, for how could you not? Hearing

ὁθούνεκʼ Αἴγισθος μὲν οὐ κατὰ στέγας,

that Aegisthus indeed is not within the house,

μήτηρ δʼ ἐν οἴκοις· ἣν σὺ μὴ δείσῃς ποθʼ ὡς

but our mother is at home; whom you need never fear that

1310

γέλωτι τοὐμὸν φαιδρὸν ὄψεται κάρα.

she will see my face radiant with laughter.

μῖσός τε γὰρ παλαιὸν ἐντέτηκέ μοι,

For an old hatred has melted into me,

κἀπεί σʼ ἐσεῖδον, οὔ ποτʼ ἐκλήξω χαρᾷ

and since I have seen you, I shall never cease from shedding

δακρυρροοῦσα· πῶς γὰρ ἂν λήξαιμʼ ἐγώ,

tears of joy; for how could I cease,

ἥτις μιᾷ σε τῇδʼ ὁδῷ θανόντα τε

who in this single journey have seen you both dead

1315

καὶ ζῶντʼ ἐσεῖδον; εἴργασαι δέ μʼ ἄσκοπα·

and alive? You have wrought in me things beyond measure;

ὥστʼ εἰ πατήρ μοι ζῶν ἵκοιτο, μηκέτʼ ἂν

so that if my father should come to me alive, I should no longer

τέρας νομίζειν αὐτό, πιστεύειν δʼ ὁρᾶν.

think it a marvel, but believe that I was seeing him.

ὅτʼ οὖν τοιαύτην ἡμὶν ἐξήκεις ὁδόν,

Since then you have come to us on such a journey,

ἄρχʼ αὐτὸς ὥς σοι θυμός· ὡς ἐγὼ μόνη

lead yourself as is your desire; since I, if left alone,

1320

οὐκ ἂν δυοῖν ἥμαρτον·⁴ ἢ γὰρ ἂν καλῶς

would not have failed of one of two things—for either I would have saved myself well,

ἔσωσʼ ἐμαυτὴν ἢ καλῶς ἀπωλόμην.

or I would have perished well.

σιγᾶν ἐπῄνεσʼ ὡς ἐπʼ ἐξόδῳ κλύω τῶν ἔνδοθεν χωροῦντος.

Orestes: Silence! I recommend, since I hear someone of those inside coming out.

εἴσιτʼ, ὦ ξένοι,

Electra: Enter, strangers,

ἄλλως τε καὶ φέροντες οἷʼ ἂν οὔτε τις

especially as you bring such things as no one

1325

δόμων ἀπώσαιτʼ οὔτʼ ἂν ἡσθείη λαβών.

of the house would reject, nor yet would rejoice to receive.

ὦ πλεῖστα μῶροι καὶ φρενῶν τητώμενοι,

Paidagogos: O utterly foolish and bereft of sense,

πότερα παρʼ οὐδὲν τοῦ βίου κήδεσθʼ ἔτι

do you no longer care for your life at all,

ἢ νοῦς ἔνεστιν οὔτις ὑμὶν ἐγγενής,

or is there no innate understanding in you,

ὅτʼ οὐ παρʼ αὐτοῖς, ἀλλʼ ἐν αὐτοῖσιν κακοῖς

that you do not realize you are, not near, but in the very midst

1330

τοῖσιν μεγίστοις ὄντες οὐ γιγνώσκετε;

of the greatest evils?

ἀλλʼ εἰ σταθμοῖσι τοῖσδε μὴ ʼκύρουν ἐγὼ

But if I had not happened to be keeping watch at these portals

πάλαι φυλάσσων, ἦν ἂν ὑμὶν ἐν δόμοις

long since, your plans would have been in the house

τὰ δρώμενʼ ὑμῶν πρόσθεν ἢ τὰ σώματα·

before your bodies;

νῦν δʼ εὐλάβειαν τῶνδε προυθέμην ἐγώ.

but as it is, I have taken precaution against this.

1335

καὶ νῦν ἀπαλλαχθέντε τῶν μακρῶν λόγων

And now, freed from long speeches

καὶ τῆς ἀπλήστου τῆσδε σὺν χαρᾷ βοῆς

and this insatiable shouting with joy,

εἴσω παρέλθεθʼ, ὡς τὸ μὲν μέλλειν κακὸν

go inside; since delay is evil

ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις ἔστʼ, ἀπηλλάχθαι δʼ ἀκμή.

in such circumstances, and to have finished is the critical point.

πῶς οὖν ἔχει τἀντεῦθεν εἰσιόντι μοι;

Orestes: How then do things stand inside for me as I enter?

Syntax notes4 items

1261λόγων
A genitive of exchange (or genitive of price) governed by the verb μεταβάλοιτο (to exchange). It means to exchange σιγή (silence) for λόγοι (words).
1278μεθέσθαι
The middle aorist infinitive of μεθίημι. Here it functions as a consecutive infinitive (expressing result), forming the meaning "to be deprived of it, so as to be forced to let it go."
1292χρόνου
A genitive of separation governed by the verb ἐξείργοι (to shut out, exclude). It is interpreted as "exclude you from the opportune moment (καιρός) of time."
1320ἥμαρτον
An aorist indicative accompanied by the particle ἄν, forming a counterfactual apodosis in past time. It expresses a strong conviction: "I would not have failed (if left alone)."

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22) · Revision history (2, latest 2026-09-21)

2026-09-21 AI review — translation 2

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0011.tlg005.humanitext-grc2:1251-1339