Arrival of Chrysothemis and the Sisters' Dispute — Sophocles, Electra, lines 303–377, Greek & English

303

ἐγὼ δʼ Ὀρέστην τῶνδε προσμένουσʼ ἀεὶ

And I, wretched, waiting always for Orestes to come

παυστῆρʼ ἐφήξειν ἡ τάλαινʼ ἀπόλλυμαι.

as a deliverer from these things, am perishing.

305

μέλλων γὰρ ἀεὶ δρᾶν¹ τι τὰς οὔσας τέ μου

For always delaying to do something, he has destroyed both my present hopes

καὶ τὰς ἀπούσας ἐλπίδας διέφθορεν.

and those that are yet to come.

ἐν οὖν τοιούτοις οὔτε σωφρονεῖν, φίλαι,

Therefore, in such circumstances, my friends, it is possible neither to be moderate

οὔτʼ εὐσεβεῖν πάρεστιν· ἀλλʼ ἔν τοι κακοῖς

nor to be pious; but in evils there is indeed

πολλή ʼστʼ ἀνάγκη κἀπιτηδεύειν κακά.

a great necessity to practice evils.

310

φέρʼ εἰπέ, πότερον ὄντος Αἰγίσθου πέλας

(Chorus:) Come, tell me, do you say these things to us

λέγεις τάδʼ ἡμῖν ἢ βεβῶτος ἐκ δόμων;

while Aegisthus is near, or has he gone away from the house?

ἦ κάρτα· μὴ δόκει μʼ ἄν, εἴπερ ἦν πέλας,

(Electra:) Indeed; do not think that I would have come out of doors

θυραῖον οἰχνεῖν·² νῦν δʼ ἀγροῖσι τυγχάνει.

if he were near; but now he happens to be in the fields.

ἦ κἂν ἐγὼ θαρσοῦσα μᾶλλον ἐς λόγους

(Chorus:) Then could I too, with greater confidence,

315

τοὺς σοὺς ἱκοίμην, εἴπερ ὧδε ταῦτʼ ἔχει;

enter into conversation with you, if indeed this is so?

ὡς νῦν ἀπόντος ἱστόρει· τί σοι φίλον;

(Electra:) Ask, as he is now absent; what is your pleasure?

καὶ δή σʼ ἐρωτῶ· τοῦ κασιγνήτου τί φής,

(Chorus:) Indeed I ask you: what do you say of your brother?

ἥξοντος ἢ μέλλοντος; εἰδέναι θέλω.

Is he coming, or is he delaying? I wish to know.

φησίν γε· φάσκων δʼ οὐδὲν ὧν λέγει ποεῖ.

(Electra:) He says so; but he does nothing of what he says.

320

φιλεῖ γὰρ ὀκνεῖν πρᾶγμʼ ἀνὴρ πράσσων μέγα.

(Chorus:) For a man doing a great deed is accustomed to hesitate.

καὶ μὴν ἔγωγʼ ἔσωσʼ ἐκεῖνον οὐκ ὄκνῳ.

(Electra:) And yet I saved him not with hesitation.

θάρσει· πέφυκεν ἐσθλός, ὥστʼ ἀρκεῖν φίλοις.

(Chorus:) Take heart; he is noble by nature, so as to suffice for his friends.

πέποιθʼ, ἐπεί τἂν οὐ μακρὰν ἔζων ἐγώ.

(Electra:) I believe it, since otherwise I would not have lived long.

μὴ νῦν ἔτʼ εἴπῃς μηδέν· ὡς δόμων ὁρῶ

(Chorus:) Do not say anything more now; for I see

325

τὴν σὴν ὅμαιμον ἐκ πατρὸς ταὐτοῦ φύσιν,

your sister born of the same father

Χρυσόθεμιν, ἔκ τε μητρός, ἐντάφια χεροῖν

and mother, Chrysothemis, coming from the house, bearing

φέρουσαν, οἷα τοῖς κάτω νομίζεται.

in her hands funeral offerings such as are customary for those below.

τίνʼ αὖ σὺ τήνδε πρὸς θυρῶνος ἐξόδοις

(Chrysothemis:) What speech is this, sister, that you have come to utter

ἐλθοῦσα φωνεῖς, ὦ κασιγνήτη, φάτιν,

again at the exits of the doorway,

330

κοὐδʼ ἐν χρόνῳ μακρῷ διδαχθῆναι θέλεις

and do you not wish even after a long time

θυμῷ ματαίῳ μὴ χαρίζεσθαι κενά;

to learn not to indulge a vain anger in vain?

καίτοι τοσοῦτόν γʼ οἶδα κἀμαυτήν, ὅτι

And yet I know at least this much of myself, that

ἀλγῶ ʼπὶ τοῖς παροῦσιν· ὥστʼ ἄν, εἰ σθένος

I grieve at the present state of things; so that, if I should receive

λάβοιμι, δηλώσαιμʼ ἂν³ οἷʼ αὐτοῖς φρονῶ.

strength, I would show what I feel towards them.

335

νῦν δʼ ἐν κακοῖς μοι πλεῖν ὑφειμένῃ δοκεῖ,

But now, in evils, it seems best to me to sail with furled sails,

καὶ μὴ δοκεῖν μὲν δρᾶν τι, πημαίνειν δὲ μή·

and neither to seem to act nor to do harm;

τοιαῦτα δʼ ἄλλα καὶ σὲ βούλομαι ποεῖν.

and I wish you to do other such things too.

καίτοι τὸ μὲν δίκαιον οὐχ ᾗ ʼγὼ λέγω,

And yet justice is not in the way I say,

ἀλλʼ ᾗ σὺ κρίνεις· εἰ δʼ ἐλευθέραν με δεῖ

but in the way you judge; but if I must

340

ζῆν, τῶν κρατούντων ἐστὶ πάντʼ ἀκουστέα.

live free, all things must be heard from the rulers.

δεινόν γέ σʼ οὖσαν πατρὸς οὗ σὺ παῖς ἔφυς,

(Electra:) It is indeed terrible that you, being the child of the father whose child you are,

κείνου λελῆσθαι, τῆς δὲ τικτούσης μέλειν.

have forgotten him, but care for the mother who bore you.

ἅπαντα γάρ σοι τἀμὰ νουθετήματα

For all your admonitions to me

κείνης διδακτά, κοὐδὲν ἐκ σαυτῆς λέγεις.

are taught by her, and you say nothing of yourself.

345

ἔπειθʼ ἑλοῦ γε θάτερʼ, ἢ φρονεῖν κακῶς

Then choose indeed one of the two: either to be foolish,

ἢ τῶν φίλων φρονοῦσα⁴ μὴ μνήμην ἔχειν·

or being wise, to have no memory of your friends.

ἥτις λέγεις μὲν ἀρτίως ὡς, εἰ λάβοις

You who say just now that, if you should receive

σθένος, τὸ τούτων μῖσος ἐκδείξειας ἄν,

strength, you would show your hatred of them,

ἐμοῦ δὲ πατρὶ πάντα τιμωρουμένης

yet when I am taking all vengeance for my father,

350

οὔτε ξυνέρδεις τήν τε δρῶσαν ἐκτρέπεις.

you neither help and you turn away from the one who acts.

οὐ ταῦτα πρὸς κακοῖσι δειλίαν ἔχει;

Does this not hold cowardice in addition to evils?

ἐπεὶ δίδαξον, ἢ μάθʼ ἐξ ἐμοῦ, τί μοι

For teach me, or learn from me, what

κέρδος γένοιτʼ ἂν τῶνδε ληξάσῃ γόων.

benefit there would be for me if I ceased from these laments.

οὐ ζῶ; κακῶς μέν, οἶδʼ, ἐπαρκούντως δʼ ἐμοί.

Do I not live? Miserably indeed, I know, but sufficiently for me.

355

λυπῶ δὲ τούτους, ὥστε τῷ τεθνηκότι

And I cause pain to them, so as to

τιμὰς προσάπτειν, εἴ τις ἔστʼ ἐκεῖ χάρις.

attach honors to the dead, if there is any joy there.

σὺ δʼ ἡμὶν ἡ μισοῦσα μισεῖς μὲν λόγῳ,

But you, who claim to hate them, hate in word,

ἔργῳ δὲ τοῖς φονεῦσι τοῦ πατρὸς ξύνει.

but in deed you live with the murderers of your father.

ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν οὐκ ἄν ποτʼ, οὐδʼ εἴ μοι τὰ σὰ

Therefore I indeed would never yield to them,

360

μέλλοι τις οἴσειν δῶρʼ, ἐφʼ οἷσι νῦν χλιδᾷς,

not even if someone were to bring me your gifts,

τούτοις ὑπεικάθοιμι· σοὶ δὲ πλουσία

in which you now delight; let a rich

τράπεζα κείσθω καὶ περιρρείτω βίος.

table be set for you, and let life overflow.

ἐμοὶ γὰρ ἔστω τοὐμὲ μὴ λυπεῖν⁵ μόνον

For let my only food be not to pain

βόσκημα· τῆς σῆς δʼ οὐκ ἐρῶ τιμῆς τυχεῖν,

myself; and I do not desire to obtain your honor,

365

οὐδʼ ἂν σύ, σώφρων γʼ οὖσα. νῦν δʼ ἐξὸν πατρὸς

nor would you, if you were wise. But now, when it is possible

πάντων ἀρίστου παῖδα κεκλῆσθαι,⁶ καλοῦ

to be called the child of the best of fathers, be called

τῆς μητρός· οὕτω γὰρ φανεῖ πλείστοις κακή,

your mother’s; for thus you will appear wicked to most,

θανόντα πατέρα καὶ φίλους προδοῦσα σούς.

having betrayed your dead father and your friends.

μηδὲν πρὸς ὀργήν, πρὸς θεῶν· ὡς τοῖς λόγοις

(Chorus:) By the gods, do not speak in anger; since in the words

370

ἔνεστιν ἀμφοῖν κέρδος, εἰ σὺ μὲν μάθοις

of both there is profit, if you indeed should learn

τοῖς τῆσδε χρῆσθαι, τοῖς δὲ σοῖς αὕτη πάλιν.

to use hers, and she in turn to use yours.

ἐγὼ μέν, ὦ γυναῖκες, ἠθάς εἰμί πως

(Chrysothemis:) Indeed, women, I am somewhat accustomed

τῶν τῆσδε μύθων· οὐδʼ ἂν ἐμνήσθην ποτέ,

to her words; nor would I ever have mentioned this,

εἰ μὴ κακὸν μέγιστον εἰς αὐτὴν ἰὸν

if I had not heard of a very great evil coming

375

ἤκουσʼ, ὃ ταύτην τῶν μακρῶν σχήσει γόων.

upon her, which will stop her from these long laments.

φέρʼ εἰπὲ δὴ τὸ δεινόν· εἰ γὰρ τῶνδέ μοι

(Electra:) Come, tell me indeed this terrible thing; for if you tell me

μεῖζόν τι λέξεις, οὐκ ἂν ἀντείποιμʼ ἔτι.

of anything greater than these, I would no longer speak against you.

Syntax notes6 items

305μέλλων ... δρᾶν
Meaning "delaying to act." Although the verb μέλλω typically denotes intention or being about to do something, here it is used with the infinitive to express hesitation or delay.
312μὴ δόκει μʼ ἄν ... οἰχνεῖν
An accusative with infinitive construction (μʼ οἰχνεῖν) dependent on the prohibitive imperative μὴ δόκει. The particle ἄν qualifies the infinitive οἰχνεῖν to form the apodosis of a past contrary-to-fact condition introduced by εἴπερ ἦν πέλας ("if he had been near").
333ὥστʼ ἄν ... δηλώσαιμʼ ἂν
A clause of potential optative introduced by the conjunction ὥστε. Corresponding to the condition εἰ σθένος λάβοιμι, the particle ἄν is attached to the optative verb δηλώσαιμι, but it is anticipated immediately after ὥστε and then repeated before the verb.
345ἢ φρονεῖν κακῶς ἢ φρονοῦσα
Although the infinitive φρονεῖν and the participle φρονοῦσα are asymmetrical in form, they construct a contrasting meaning: ἢ φρονεῖν κακῶς ("either to be foolish") versus ἢ [φρονεῖν μέν, ἀλλὰ] φρονοῦσα τῶν φίλων μὴ μνήμην ἔχειν ("or, though being wise, to have no memory of your friends").
363τοὐμὲ μὴ λυπεῖν
The articular infinitive (τὸ ἐμὲ μὴ λυπεῖν), literally "not to pain myself," which in this context means "not acting against one's own conscience." It functions as the subject of the imperative ἔστω, while βόσκημα ("sustenance") acts as its predicate.
365ἐξὸν ... κεκλῆσθαι
An accusative absolute of the neuter singular participle of the impersonal verb ἔξεστι. It carries a concessive force, meaning "although it is permitted / possible to be called... (yet you choose otherwise)."

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-grc2:303-377