§1083γυναικὸς ἐσθλῆς ἤμπλακες· τίς ἀντερεῖ;
Heracles: You have lost a noble wife; who will deny it?
§1084ὥστ’ ἄνδρα τόνδε μηκέθ’ ἥδεσθαι βίῳ.
Admetus: So that this man no longer takes pleasure in life.
§1085χρόνος μαλάξει, νῦν δ’ ἔθ’ ἡβάσκει κακόν.
Heracles: Time will soften it, but now the evil is still young.
§1086χρόνον λέγοις ἄν, εἰ χρόνος τὸ κατθανεῖν.
Admetus: You might speak of "time", if "time" is to die.
§1087γυνή σε παύσει καὶ νέου γάμου πόθοι.
Heracles: A woman will make you cease, and the desire for a new marriage.
§1088σίγησον·
Admetus: Be silent!
οἷον εἶπας.
What a thing you have said!
οὐκ ἂν ᾠόμην.
I would never have thought it.
§1089τί δʼ;
Heracles: Why?
οὐ γαμεῖς γάρ, ἀλλὰ χηρεύσῃ λέχος;
For will you not marry, but keep your bed widowed?
§1090οὐκ ἔστιν ἥτις τῷδε συγκλιθήσεται.
Admetus: There is no woman who shall lie down with this man.
§1091μῶν τὴν θανοῦσαν ὠφελεῖν τι προσδοκᾷς;
Heracles: Do you expect to benefit the dead woman in some way?
§1092κείνην ὅπουπερ ἔστι τιμᾶσθαι χρεών.
Admetus: She must be honored wherever she is.
§1093αἰνῶ μὲν αἰνῶ· μωρίαν δ’ ὀφλισκάνεις.
Heracles: I praise it, yes, I praise it; but you incur the charge of folly.
§1094ὡς μήποτ’ ἄνδρα τόνδε νυμφίον καλῶν.
Admetus: Call me then a bridegroom, knowing that you will never call this man so again.
§1095ἐπῄνεσ’ ἀλόχῳ πιστὸς οὕνεκ’ εἶ φίλος.
Heracles: I praise you because you are a faithful friend to your wife.
§1096θάνοιμ’ ἐκείνην καίπερ οὐκ οὖσαν προδούς.
Admetus: May I die if I betray her, even though she is no more!
§1097δέχου νυν εἴσω τήνδε γενναίων δόμων.
Heracles: Receive her then inside your noble house.
§1098μή, πρός σε τοῦ σπείραντος ἄντομαι Διός.
Admetus: Do not, I implore you by Zeus who begot you!
§1099καὶ μὴν ἁμαρτήσῃ γε μὴ δράσας τάδε.
Heracles: And yet, you will surely make a mistake if you do not do this.
§1100καὶ δρῶν γε λύπῃ καρδίαν δηχθήσομαι.
Admetus: And if I do it, my heart will be bitten with grief.
§1101πιθοῦ· τάχ’ ἂν γὰρ ἐς δέον πέσοι χάρις.
Heracles: Obey; for perhaps the favor may turn out to be what is necessary.
§1102φεῦ.
Admetus: Alas!
§1102aεἴθ’ ἐξ ἀγῶνος τήνδε μὴ ῎λαβές ποτε.
Would that you had never won her from the contest!
§1103νικῶντι μέντοι καὶ σὺ συννικᾷς ἐμοί.
Heracles: Yet when I conquer, you also conquer with me.
§1104καλῶς ἔλεξας· ἡ γυνὴ δ’ ἀπελθέτω.
Admetus: You have spoken well; but let the woman depart.
§1105ἄπεισιν, εἰ χρή· πρῶτα δ’ εἰ χρεὼν ἄθρει.
Heracles: She will depart, if she must; but first consider whether it is necessary.
§1106χρή, σοῦ γε μὴ μέλλοντος ὀργαίνειν ἐμοί.
Admetus: It is necessary, provided you are not going to be angry with me.
§1107εἰδώς τι κἀγὼ τήνδ’ ἔχω προθυμίαν.
Heracles: Knowing something myself, I too have this eagerness.
§1108νίκα νυν.
Admetus: Conquer then!
οὐ μὴν ἁνδάνοντά μοι ποιεῖς.
Yet you do not do what is pleasing to me.
§1109ἀλλ’ ἔσθ’ ὅθ’ ἡμᾶς αἰνέσεις· πιθοῦ μόνον.
Heracles: But there will be a time when you will praise me; only obey.
§1110κομίζετʼ, εἰ χρὴ τήνδε δέξασθαι δόμοις.
Admetus: Take her in, if this woman must be received into the house.
§1111οὐκ ἂν μεθείην τὴν γυναῖκα προσπόλοις.
Heracles: I would not surrender the woman to servants.
§1112σὺ δ’ αὐτὸς αὐτὴν εἴσαγʼ, εἰ βούλῃ, δόμους.
You yourself lead her in, if you wish, into the house.
§1113ἐς σὰς μὲν οὖν ἔγωγε θήσομαι χέρας.
Admetus: Rather, I at least will place her into your hands.
§1114οὐκ ἂν θίγοιμι· δῶμα δ’ εἰσελθεῖν πάρα.
Admetus: I would not touch her; but she is free to enter the house.
§1115τῇ σῇ πέποιθα χειρὶ δεξιᾷ μόνῃ.
Heracles: I trust in your right hand alone.
§1116ἄναξ, βιάζῃ μ’ οὐ θέλοντα δρᾶν τάδε.
Admetus: Lord, you force me to do this against my will.
§1117τόλμα προτεῖναι χεῖρα καὶ θιγεῖν ξένης.
Heracles: Dare to stretch forth your hand and touch the stranger.
§1118καὶ δὴ προτείνω, Γοργόν’ ὡς καρατομῶν.
Admetus: Indeed I stretch it forth, as if cutting off the Gorgon's head.
§1119ἔχεις;
Heracles: Do you have her?
§1119bἔχω;
Admetus: Do I have her?
ναί.
Yes.
Heracles: Keep her safe then, and you will say one day that the son of Zeus is a noble guest.
Look at her, if she seems to resemble your wife in any way; and, being fortunate, cease from your grief.
§1123ὦ θεοί, τί λέξω—θαῦμ’ ἀνέλπιστον τόδε—
Admetus: O gods, what shall I say? This is an unhoped-for wonder!
§1124γυναῖκα λεύσσων τήνδʼ; —ἐμὴν ἐτητύμως;
Am I truly beholding my wife?
§1125ἢ κέρτομός με θεοῦ τις ἐκπλήσσει χαρά;
Or does some mocking joy from a god strike me with bewilderment?
§1126οὐκ ἔστιν, ἀλλὰ τήνδ’ ὁρᾷς δάμαρτα σήν.
Heracles: No, but you see here your own wife.
§1127ὅρα γε μή τι φάσμα νερτέρων τόδ’ ᾖ.
Admetus: See to it that this is not some phantom of the dead.
§1128οὐ ψυχαγωγὸν τόνδ’ ἐποιήσω ξένον.
Heracles: You did not make a necromancer of this guest.
§1129ἀλλ’ ἣν ἔθαπτον εἰσορῶ δάμαρτ’ ἐμήν;
Admetus: But do I behold my wife whom I was burying?
§1130σάφ’ ἴσθʼ. ἀπιστεῖν δ’ οὔ σε θαυμάζω τύχην.
Heracles: Know it for certain; and I do not wonder that you distrust your fortune.
§1131θίγω, προσείπω ζῶσαν ὡς δάμαρτ’ ἐμήν;
Admetus: May I touch her, may I address her as my living wife?
§1132πρόσειπʼ. ἔχεις γὰρ πᾶν ὅσονπερ ἤθελες.
Heracles: Address her; for you have all that you wished for.
§1133ὦ φιλτάτης γυναικὸς ὄμμα καὶ δέμας,
Admetus: O eye and body of my dearest wife!
§1134ἔχω σ’ ἀέλπτως, οὔποτ’ ὄψεσθαι δοκῶν.
I hold you beyond hope, when I thought I would never see you again.
§1135ἔχεις· φθόνος δὲ μὴ γένοιτό τις θεῶν.
Heracles: You have her; and may no envy of the gods arise.
Admetus: O noble child of greatest Zeus, may you be happy, and may the father who begot you keep you safe!
§1138σῴζοι· σὺ γὰρ δὴ τἄμ’ ἀνώρθωσας μόνος.
For you alone have restored my fortunes.
§1139πῶς τήνδ’ ἔπεμψας νέρθεν ἐς φάος τόδε;
How did you send her from below into this light?
§1140μάχην συνάψας δαιμόνων τῷ κυρίῳ.
Heracles: By joining battle with the lord of the spirits.
§1141ποῦ τόνδε Θανάτῳ φῂς ἀγῶνα συμβαλεῖν;
Admetus: Where do you say you fought this contest with Death?
§1142τύμβον παρ’ αὐτὸν ἐκ λόχου μάρψας χεροῖν.
Heracles: By the tomb itself, grabbing him with my hands from ambush.
§1143τί γάρ ποθ’ ἥδ’ ἄναυδος ἕστηκεν γυνή;
Admetus: But why on earth does this woman stand speechless?
§1144οὔπω θέμις σοι τῆσδε προσφωνημάτων §1145κλύειν, πρὶν ἂν θεοῖσι τοῖσι νερτέροις §1146ἀφαγνίσηται καὶ τρίτον μόλῃ φάος.
Heracles: It is not yet permitted for you to hear her voice, until she is purified to the gods below and the third light comes.
But lead her inside; and being righteous in the future, Admetus, show piety toward guests.
And farewell; I will go and perform the labor set before me for the ruling son of Sthenelus.
§1151μεῖνον παρ’ ἡμῖν καὶ ξυνέστιος γενοῦ.
Admetus: Stay with us and share our hearth.
§1152αὖθις τόδ’ ἔσται, νῦν δ’ ἐπείγεσθαί με δεῖ.
Heracles: That shall be another time, but now I must hasten.
§1153ἀλλ’ εὐτυχοίης, νόστιμον δ’ ἔλθοις δόμον.
Admetus: Well, may you prosper, and may you return safely to your home.
§1154ἀστοῖς δὲ πάσῃ τ’ ἐννέπω τετραρχίᾳ, §1155χοροὺς ἐπ’ ἐσθλαῖς συμφοραῖσιν ἱστάναι §1156βωμούς τε κνισᾶν βουθύτοισι προστροπαῖς.
And to the citizens and all the tetrarchy I command to set up dances for these good fortunes, and to make the altars steam with ox-sacrificing prayers.
For now we have changed our way of life to a better one than before; for I will not deny that I am fortunate.
Chorus: Many are the forms of the divine, and many things the gods accomplish unexpectedly.
What was expected was not fulfilled, and for the unexpected a god found a way.
§1163τοιόνδ’ ἀπέβη τόδε πρᾶγμα.
Such was the outcome of this matter.