Electra's Despair and Chrysothemis's Joyful News — Sophocles, Electra, lines 804–909, Greek & English

804

ἆρʼ ὑμὶν ὡς ἀλγοῦσα¹ κὠδυνωμένη

Do you think that wretched woman, as though in pain and suffering,

805

δεινῶς δακρῦσαι κἀπικωκῦσαι δοκεῖτὸν υἱὸν ἡ δύστηνος ὧδʼ ὀλωλότα;

dreadfully wept and wailed over her son who died in this way?

ἀλλʼ ἐγγελῶσα φροῦδος· ὦ τάλαινʼ ἐγώ.

No, she has gone laughing; oh, wretched me!

Ὀρέστα φίλταθʼ, ὥς μʼ ἀπώλεσας θανών.

Dearest Orestes, how you have destroyed me by dying.

ἀποσπάσας γὰρ τῆς ἐμῆς οἴχει φρενὸςαἵ μοι μόναι παρῆσαν ἐλπίδων ἔτι,

For by departing you have torn away from my mind the only hopes that still remained to me,

σὲ πατρὸς ἥξειν ζῶντα τιμωρόν ποτεκἀμοῦ ταλαίνης. νῦν δὲ ποῖ με χρὴ μολεῖν;

that you would one day come alive as an avenger of our father and of wretched me. But now, where must I go?

μόνη γάρ εἰμι, σοῦ τʼ ἀπεστερημένηκαὶ πατρός. ἤδη δεῖ με δουλεύειν πάλιν

For I am alone, deprived of both you and my father. Now I must once more serve as a slave

815

ἐν τοῖσιν ἐχθίστοισιν ἀνθρώπων ἐμοὶφονεῦσι πατρός. ἆρά μοι καλῶς ἔχει;

among those who are most hateful to me, the murderers of my father. Is this well for me?

ἀλλʼ οὔ τι μὴν ἔγωγε τοῦ λοιποῦ χρόνουξύνοικος, εἴσειμʼ, ἀλλὰ τῇδε πρὸς πύλῃ

But indeed, for the remaining time I will not go within to dwell with them, but casting myself down here at this gate,

παρεῖσʼ ἐμαυτὴν ἄφιλος αὐανῶ βίον.²

friendless, I will wither away my life.

820

πρὸς ταῦτα καινέτω τις, εἰ βαρύνεται,τῶν ἔνδον ὄντων· ὡς χάρις μέν, ἢν κτάνῃ,

Therefore let anyone of those within kill me, if he is vexed; for it is a favor if he kills,

λύπη δʼ, ἐὰν ζῶ· τοῦ βίου δʼ οὐδεὶς πόθος.

but a grief if I live; and I have no desire for life.

ποῦ ποτε κεραυνοὶ Διὸς ἢ ποῦ φαέθων

Where ever are the thunderbolts of Zeus, or where is the shining

825

Ἅλιος, εἰ ταῦτʼ ἐφορῶντες κρύπτουσιν ἕκηλοι;

Sun, if, looking upon these things, they keep them hidden, untroubled?

ἒ ἔ, αἰαῖ.

Ah, ah! Alas!

ὦ παῖ, τί δακρύεις;

My child, why do you weep?

φεῦ.

Alas!

830

μηδὲν μέγʼ ἀΰσῃς.

Do not utter anything too great.

ἀπολεῖς.

You will destroy me.

πῶς;

How?

εἰ τῶν φανερῶς οἰχομένων

If you suggest hope for those who have clearly gone

εἰς Ἀΐδαν ἐλπίδʼ ὑποίσεις, κατʼ ἐμοῦ τακομέναςμᾶλλον ἐπεμβάσει.

to Hades, you will trample even more upon me, who am wasting away.

οἶδα γὰρ ἄνακτʼ Ἀμφιάρεων³ χρυσοδέτοις

For I know that king Amphiaraus was hidden by a woman’s gold-fastened

ἕρκεσι κρυφθέντα γυναικῶν· καὶ νῦν ὑπὸ γαίας

snares; and now beneath the earth...

840

ἒ ἔ, ἰώ.

Ah, ah! Oh!

πάμψυχος ἀνάσσει.

he rules with full life.

φεῦ.

Alas!

φεῦ δῆτʼ· ὀλοὰ γὰρ

Alas indeed; for he was subdued

ἐδάμη.

by a destructive woman.

845

ναί.

Yes.

οἶδʼ οἶδʼ· ἐφάνη γὰρ μελέτωρἀμφὶ τὸν ἐν πένθει· ἐμοὶ δʼ οὔτις ἔτʼ ἔσθʼ· ὃς γὰρ ἔτʼ ἦν,

I know, I know; for an avenger appeared for him who was in grief. But for me there is no longer anyone; for he who still remained has been

φροῦδος ἀναρπασθείς.

snatched away and is gone.

δειλαία δειλαίων κυρεῖς.

Wretched one, you find yourself in the most wretched state.

850

κἀγὼ τοῦδʼ ἴστωρ, ὑπερίστωρ,

And I am witness of this, all too well a witness,

πανσύρτῳ παμμήνῳ πολλῶν

in a life of many terrible and hateful things swept along

δεινῶν στυγνῶν τʼ αἰῶνι.

through all the months.

εἴδομεν ἁθρήνεις.

We saw what you were lamenting.

855

μή μέ νυν μηκέτιπαραγάγῃς, ἵνʼ οὐ

Therefore do not mislead me any longer, where there is no...

τί φής;

What do you say?

πάρεισιν ἐλπίδων ἔτι κοινοτόκων⁴εὐπατριδᾶν ἀρωγαί.

any longer present the help of hopes from noble brothers born of the same parents.

860

πᾶσι θνατοῖς ἔφυ μόρος.

For all mortals, death is the natural lot.

ἦ καὶ χαλάργοις ἐν ἁμίλλαις

Is it so also in swift-hooved contests,

οὕτως, ὡς κείνῳ δυστάνῳ,

as it was for that wretched one,

τμητοῖς ὁλκοῖς ἐγκῦρσαι;

to meet with cut leather reins?

ἄσκοπος ἁ λώβα.

The outrage was beyond foresight.

865

πῶς γὰρ οὔκ; εἰ ξένος

How indeed could it not be? If, a stranger

ἄτερ ἐμᾶν χερῶν

far from my hands,

παπαῖ.

Alas!

κέκευθεν, οὔτε του τάφου ἀντιάσας

he has been hidden, having met with neither a tomb

870

οὔτε γόων παρʼ ἡμῶν.

nor wailings from us.

ὑφʼ ἡδονῆς τοι, φιλτάτη, διώκομαιτὸ κόσμιον μεθεῖσα σὺν τάχει μολεῖν·

By joy, dearest, I am driven to cast aside propriety and come with speed;

φέρω γὰρ ἡδονάς τε κἀνάπαυλαν ὧνπάροιθεν εἶχες καὶ κατέστενες κακῶν

for I bring joy and a respite from the evils which you previously had and over which you lamented.

875

πόθεν δʼ ἂν εὕροις τῶν ἐμῶν σὺ πημάτωνἄρηξιν, οἷς ἴασιν οὐκ ἔνεστʼ ἰδεῖν;

And from where could you find a remedy for my sufferings, for which no cure can be seen?

πάρεστʼ Ὀρέστης ἡμίν, ἴσθι τοῦτʼ ἐμοῦ

Orestes is here with us, know this from hearing it from me,

κλύουσʼ, ἐναργῶς, ὥσπερ εἰσορᾷς ἐμέ.

as clearly as you see me now.

ἀλλʼ ἦ μέμηνας, ὦ τάλαινα, κἀπὶ τοῖςσαυτῆς κακοῖσι κἀπὶ τοῖς ἐμοῖς γελᾷς;

Are you mad, wretched girl, and do you laugh both at your own evils and at mine?

μὰ τὴν πατρῴαν ἑστίαν, ἀλλʼ οὐχ ὕβρειλέγω τάδʼ, ἀλλʼ ἐκεῖνον ὡς παρόντα νῷν.

By our father’s hearth, I do not say these things in mockery, but that he is truly present with us.

οἴμοι τάλαινα· καὶ τίνος βροτῶν λόγοντόνδʼ εἰσακούσασʼ ὧδε πιστεύεις ἄγαν;

Alas, wretched me; and having heard this story from what mortal do you believe it so excessively?

885

ἐγὼ μὲν ἐξ ἐμοῦ τε κοὐκ ἄλλης, σαφῆσημεῖʼ ἰδοῦσα, τῷδε πιστεύω λόγῳ.

I believe this story by myself and from no other, because I saw clear signs.

τίνʼ, ὦ τάλαινʼ, ἔχουσα πίστιν; ἐς τί μοιβλέψασα θάλπει τῷδʼ ἀνηκέστῳ πυρί;

What proof do you have, wretched girl? Looking at what do you warm yourself with this incurable fire?

πρός νυν θεῶν ἄκουσον, ὡς μαθοῦσά μουτὸ λοιπὸν ἢ φρονοῦσαν ἢ μωρὰν λέγῃς.

By the gods, then, listen, so that having learned from me you may hereafter call me either wise or foolish.

σὺ δʼ οὖν λέγʼ, εἴ σοι τῷ λόγῳ τις ἡδονή.

Speak then, if telling the story brings you some pleasure.

καὶ δὴ λέγω σοι πᾶν ὅσον κατειδόμην.

And indeed I will tell you all that I beheld.

ἐπεὶ γὰρ ἦλθον πατρὸς ἀρχαῖον τάφον,

For when I came to our father’s ancient tomb,

ὁρῶ κολώνης ἐξ ἄκρας νεορρύτουςπηγὰς γάλακτος καὶ περιστεφῆ κύκλῳ

I saw from the top of the mound newly flowing streams of milk, and our father’s grave garlanded all around

πάντων ὅσʼ ἐστὶν ἀνθέων θήκην πατρός.

with every kind of flower.

ἰδοῦσα δʼ ἔσχον θαῦμα, καὶ περισκοπῶμή πού τις ἡμῖν ἐγγὺς ἐγχρίμπτῃ βροτῶν.

And seeing this, I was filled with wonder, and I looked around lest some mortal might be drawing near us.

ὡς δʼ ἐν γαλήνῃ πάντʼ ἐδερκόμην τόπον,

But when I saw the whole place was in quietness,

900

τύμβου προσεῖρπον ἆσσον· ἐσχάτης δʼ ὁρῶ

I crept closer to the tomb; and on the edge of the mound I saw

πυρᾶς νεώρη βόστρυχον τετμημένον·

a newly cut lock of hair.

κεὐθὺς τάλαινʼ ὡς εἶδον, ἐμπαίει τί μοιψυχῇ σύνηθες ὄμμα,⁵ φιλτάτου βροτῶν

And as soon as I, wretched one, saw it, a familiar image struck upon my soul,

πάντων Ὀρέστου τοῦθʼ ὁρᾶν τεκμήριον·

that I was beholding this token of Orestes, dearest of all mortals;

905

καὶ χερσὶ βαστάσασα δυσφημῶ μὲν οὔ,

and taking it in my hands, I uttered no word of ill omen,

χαρᾷ δὲ πίμπλημʼ εὐθὺς ὄμμα δακρύων.

but immediately filled my eyes with tears of joy.

καὶ νῦν θʼ ὁμοίως καὶ τότʼ ἐξεπίσταμαι

And both now and then alike I know well

μή του τόδʼ ἀγλάϊσμα πλὴν κείνου μολεῖν·

that this adornment came from no one but him;

τῷ γὰρ προσήκει πλήν γʼ ἐμοῦ καὶ σοῦ τόδε;

for to whom else does this belong, except to me and you?

Syntax notes5 items

804ὡς ἀλγοῦσα
The conjunction ὡς combined with the participle expresses a subjective appearance or pretense ("as though in pain"). It indicates that Electra believes Clytemnestra is not truly grieving, but only pretending to do so.
819αὐανῶ βίον
The future active first-person singular of αὐαίνω ("to dry up, wither"). Here it is used transitively with "life" (βίον) as its object, meaning "I will wither away my life."
836Ἀμφιάρεων
The accusative of Amphiaraus, king and prophet of Argos. Betrayed by his wife Eriphyle, he went to his death in the expedition against Thebes and was swallowed by the earth. He was believed to rule with full life under the earth, mentioned here by the Chorus as a consolation to Electra.
858κοινοτόκων
The genitive of the adjective κοινότοκος ("born of the same parents"). Here it refers to Orestes as a brother sharing the same father and mother, whose "help" (ἀρωγαί) Electra laments is no longer available.
903σύνηθες ὄμμα
The noun ὄμμα ("eye," by extension "sight" or "familiar image") is modified by σύνηθες ("familiar, customary"). It expresses Chrysothemis's intuitive conviction upon seeing the lock of hair at the tomb, recognizing it as a token of Orestes.

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-grc2:804-909