Electra's Curse on the Murderers and Woes in the Palace — Sophocles, Electra, lines 203–302, Greek & English

203

ὦ νύξ, ὦ δείπνων ἀρρήτων

O night! O horrible weight of unspoken

ἔκπαγλʼ ἄχθη,

banquets,

205

τοὺς¹ ἐμὸς ἴδε πατὴρ

which my father saw as

θανάτους αἰκεῖς διδύμαιν χειροῖν,

piteous deaths by two hands,

αἳ τὸν ἐμὸν εἷλον βίον πρόδοτον, αἵ μʼ ἀπώλεσαν·

which betrayed and took my life, and destroyed me!

οἷς θεὸς ὁ μέγας Ὀλύμπιος

May the great Olympian god grant them

210

ποίνιμα πάθεα παθεῖν πόροι,

to suffer retributive sufferings,

μηδέ ποτʼ ἀγλαΐας ἀποναίατο

and may they never enjoy splendor

τοιάδʼ ἀνύσαντες ἔργα.

having accomplished such deeds.

φράζου μὴ πόρσω φωνεῖν.

Take care not to speak further.

οὐ γνώμαν ἴσχεις ἐξ οἵων

Do you not understand from what a state

215

τὰ παρόντʼ οἰκείας εἰς ἄτας

you are thus piteously falling into

ἐμπίπτεις οὕτως αἰκῶς;

your own ruin?

πολὺ γάρ τι κακῶν ὑπερεκτήσω,

For you have acquired far too much of evils,

σᾷ δυσθύμῳ τίκτουσʼ ἀεὶ

always engendering wars with your

ψυχᾷ πολέμους· τὰ δὲ τοῖς δυνατοῖς

sorrowful soul; and to clash with the powerful

220

οὐκ ἐριστὰ πλάθειν.²

is not to be striven for.

δεινοῖς ἠναγκάσθην, δεινοῖς·

By terrible things I was forced, by terrible things!

ἔξοιδʼ, οὐ λάθει μʼ ὀργά.

I know it, my anger does not escape me.

ἀλλʼ ἐν γὰρ δεινοῖς οὐ σχήσω

But indeed in terrible circumstances I will not restrain

ταύτας ἄτας,

these ruins,

225

ὄφρα με βίος ἔχῃ.

as long as life holds me.

τίνι γάρ ποτʼ ἄν, ὦ φιλία γενέθλα,

For from whom, O dear offspring,

πρόσφορον ἀκούσαιμʼ ἔπος, τίνι φρονοῦντι καίρια;

could I hear a fitting word, from what right-thinking person?

ἄνετέ μʼ ἄνετε, παράγοροι·

Let me be, let me be, consolers!

τάδε γὰρ ἄλυτα κεκλήσεται,

For these things shall be called endless,

230

οὐδέ ποτʼ ἐκ καμάτων ἀποπαύσομαι

nor will I ever cease from my labors,

ἀνάριθμος ὧδε θρήνων.

thus countless in laments.

ἀλλʼ οὖν εὐνοίᾳ γʼ αὐδῶ,

Yet indeed I speak in goodwill,

μάτηρ ὡσεί τις πιστά,

like some faithful mother,

235

μὴ τίκτειν σʼ ἄταν ἄταις.

so that you do not breed ruin upon ruin.

καὶ τί μέτρον κακότατος ἔφυ; φέρε,

And what limit is there to misery? Tell me,

πῶς ἐπὶ τοῖς φθιμένοις ἀμελεῖν καλόν;

how is it noble to neglect the dead?

ἐν τίνι τοῦτʼ ἔβλαστʼ ἀνθρώπων;

In whom of men did this spring up?

μήτʼ εἴην³ ἔντιμος τούτοις

May I neither be honored by them,

240

μήτʼ, εἴ τῳ πρόσκειμαι χρηστῷ,

nor, if I am joined to any good thing,

ξυνναίοιμʼ εὔκηλος, γονέων

may I dwell in quiet, restraining the wings

ἐκτίμους ἴσχουσα πτέρυγας

of sharp-toned laments

ὀξυτόνων γόων.

for my parents.

245

εἰ γὰρ ὁ μὲν θανὼν γᾶ τε καὶ οὐδὲν ὢν

For if the dead, being earth and nothing,

κείσεται τάλας,

shall lie there wretchedly,

οἱ δὲ μὴ πάλιν

and they in turn

δώσουσʼ ἀντιφόνους δίκας,

do not pay the penalty of death for death,

ἔρροι τʼ ἂν αἰδὼς

then shame would perish,

250

ἁπάντων τʼ εὐσέβεια θνατῶν.

and the piety of all mortals.

ἐγὼ μέν, ὦ παῖ, καὶ τὸ σὸν σπεύδουσʼ ἅμα

O child, I came desiring both your interest

καὶ τοὐμὸν αὐτῆς ἦλθον· εἰ δὲ μὴ καλῶς

and my own at once; but if I do not speak well,

λέγω, σὺ νίκα· σοὶ γὰρ ἑψόμεσθʼ ἅμα.

you win; for we will follow you.

αἰσχύνομαι μέν, ὦ γυναῖκες, εἰ δοκῶ

Indeed, women, I am ashamed if I seem to you

255

πολλοῖσι θρήνοις δυσφορεῖν ὑμῖν ἄγαν.

to grieve too much with my many laments.

ἀλλʼ ἡ βία γὰρ ταῦτʼ ἀναγκάζει με δρᾶν,

But indeed force compels me to do these things,

σύγγνωτε· πῶς γὰρ ἥτις εὐγενὴς γυνή,

forgive me; for how could any noble woman,

πατρῷʼ ὁρῶσα πήματʼ, οὐ δρῴη τάδʼ ἄν;

seeing her father’s sufferings, not do this?

ἁγὼ κατʼ ἦμαρ καὶ κατʼ εὐφρόνην ἀεὶ

Which I see day and night

260

θάλλοντα μᾶλλον ἢ καταφθίνονθʼ ὁρῶ·

blooming more rather than decaying;

ᾗ πρῶτα μὲν τὰ μητρός, ἥ μʼ ἐγείνατο,

to whom first the deeds of my mother, who bore me,

ἔχθιστα συμβέβηκεν· εἶτα δώμασιν

have turned out most hostile; then in my own

ἐν τοῖς ἐμαυτῆς τοῖς φονεῦσι τοῦ πατρὸς

house I live with the murderers of my father,

ξύνειμι, κἀκ τῶνδʼ ἄρχομαι κἀκ τῶνδέ μοι

and by them I am ruled, and from them it is for me

265

λαβεῖν θʼ ὁμοίως καὶ τὸ τητᾶσθαι πέλει.

both to receive and to be deprived.

ἔπειτα ποίας ἡμέρας δοκεῖς μʼ ἄγειν,

Then what kind of days do you think I spend,

ὅταν θρόνοις Αἴγισθον ἐνθακοῦντʼ ἴδω

when I see Aegisthus sitting on the throne

τοῖσιν πατρῴοις, εἰσίδω δʼ ἐσθήματα

of my father, and see him wearing

φοροῦντʼ ἐκείνῳ ταὐτὰ καὶ παρεστίους

the very same clothes, and pouring

270

σπένδοντα λοιβὰς ἔνθʼ ἐκεῖνον ὤλεσεν,

libations at the hearth where he slew him,

ἴδω δὲ τούτων τὴν τελευταίαν ὕβριν,

and when I see the ultimate outrage of these things,

τὸν αὐτοέντην ἡμὶν ἐν κοίτῃ πατρὸς

the murderer in my father’s bed

ξὺν τῇ ταλαίνῃ μητρί, μητέρʼ⁴ εἰ χρεὼν

with my wretched mother, if indeed it is right

ταύτην προσαυδᾶν τῷδε συγκοιμωμένην·

to call this woman “mother” who sleeps with him?

275

ἡ δʼ ὧδε τλήμων ὥστε τῷ μιάστορι

She is so shameless that she cohabits with the defiler,

ξύνεστʼ, ἐρινὺν οὔτινʼ ἐκφοβουμένη·

fearing no Erinys;

ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ ἐγγελῶσα τοῖς ποιουμένοις,

but as if laughing at what was done,

εὑροῦσʼ ἐκείνην ἡμέραν, ἐν ᾗ τότε

having found that day on which she then

πατέρα τὸν ἀμὸν ἐκ δόλου κατέκτανεν,

killed my father by deceit,

280

ταύτῃ χοροὺς ἵστησι καὶ μηλοσφαγεῖ

on this day she sets up dances and slays sheep,

θεοῖσιν ἔμμηνʼ ἱερὰ τοῖς σωτηρίοις.

sacrificing monthly offerings to the savior gods.

ἐγὼ δʼ ὁρῶσʼ ἡ δύσμορος κατὰ στέγας

And I, wretched, seeing this within the house,

κλαίω, τέτηκα, κἀπικωκύω πατρὸς

weep, waste away, and lament my father’s

τὴν δυστάλαιναν δαῖτʼ ἐπωνομασμένην

ill-fated feast, as it is called,

285

αὐτὴ πρὸς αὑτήν. οὐδὲ γὰρ κλαῦσαι πάρα⁵

all by myself. For it is not even permitted to weep

τοσόνδʼ ὅσον μοι θυμὸς ἡδονὴν φέρει.

as much as my heart brings me pleasure.

αὕτη γὰρ ἡ λόγοισι γενναία γυνὴ

For this woman, noble in words,

φωνοῦσα τοιάδʼ ἐξονειδίζει κακά·

crying out such things, reproaches me with evils:

ὦ δύσθεον μίσημα, σοὶ μόνῃ πατὴρ

”O impious hatred, has your father died

290

τέθνηκεν; ἄλλος δʼ οὔτις ἐν πένθει βροτῶν;

for you alone? Is no other mortal in mourning?

κακῶς ὄλοιο, μηδέ σʼ ἐκ γόων ποτὲ

May you perish miserably, and may the gods below never

τῶν νῦν ἀπαλλάξειαν οἱ κάτω θεοί.

free you from your present laments.”

τάδʼ ἐξυβρίζει· πλὴν ὅταν κλύῃ τινὸς

Thus she insults; except when she hears from someone

ἥξοντʼ Ὀρέστην· τηνικαῦτα δʼ ἐμμανὴς

that Orestes is coming; then, driven mad,

295

βοᾷ παραστᾶσʼ· οὐ σύ μοι τῶνδʼ αἰτία;

she stands by me and screams: “Are you not the cause of this?

οὐ σὸν τόδʼ ἐστὶ τοὔργον, ἥτις ἐκ χερῶν

Is this not your deed, you who stole Orestes

κλέψασʼ Ὀρέστην τῶν ἐμῶν ὑπεξέθου;

from my hands and smuggled him away?

ἀλλʼ ἴσθι τοι τίσουσά γʼ ἀξίαν δίκην.

But know indeed that you will pay a worthy penalty!”

τοιαῦθʼ ὑλακτεῖ, σὺν δʼ ἐποτρύνει πέλας

Such things she barks, and urging her on nearby

300

ὁ κλεινὸς αὐτῇ ταὐτὰ νυμφίος παρών,

is her famous bridegroom present with her, doing the same,

ὁ πάντʼ ἄναλκις οὗτος, ἡ πᾶσα βλάβη,

this utter coward, this complete plague,

ὁ σὺν γυναιξὶ τὰς μάχας ποιούμενος.

who fights his battles with women.

Syntax notes5 items

205τοὺς
Relative pronoun, whose antecedent is θανάτους (§206) attracted into the relative clause in the same case (accusative).
220πλάθειν
Infinitive meaning "to approach" or "to clash with", functioning as an epexegetic infinitive modifying the adjective ἐριστά to limit its meaning ("not to be striven with in terms of approaching").
239εἴην
Optative of wish (independent optative), expressing a strong prayer of refusal: "may I not be...". The following ξυνναίοιμʼ (§241) is also an optative of wish, showing Electra's absolute rejection of a life of comfortable compromise.
273μητέρʼ
Predicate accusative with προσαυδᾶν in a double accusative construction ("to call this woman [ταύτην, object] a mother [μητέρʼ, predicate]"). The copula ἐστί is omitted in the conditional clause introduced by εἰ χρεὼν.
285πάρα
Anastrophe of πάρεστι, used impersonally to mean "it is permitted" or "it is possible", taking the infinitive κλαῦσαι as its subject.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)

2026-09-21 AI review — translation 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0011.tlg005.humanitext-grc2:203-302