nor would Charon, the ferryman of souls at the oar, have held me back, until I had restored your life to the light.
But at least expect me there, when I die, and prepare a home, to dwell together with me.
§365ἐν ταῖσιν αὐταῖς γάρ μ’ ἐπισκήψω κέδροις §366σοὶ τούσδε θεῖναι πλευρά τ’ ἐκτεῖναι πέλας §367πλευροῖσι τοῖς σοῖς· μηδὲ γὰρ θανών ποτε §368σοῦ χωρὶς εἴην τῆς μόνης πιστῆς ἐμοί.
For I shall command these children to place me in the same cedar coffin with you, and to stretch out my side close to your side; for even in death may I never be apart from you, who alone are faithful to me.
(Chorus) And indeed I shall bear with you this grievous mourning for her, as a friend for a friend; for she is worthy.
§371ὦ παῖδες, αὐτοὶ δὴ τάδ’ εἰσηκούσατε §372πατρὸς λέγοντος μὴ γαμεῖν ἄλλην ποτὲ §373γυναῖκ’ ἐφ’ ὑμῖν μηδ’ ἀτιμάσειν ἐμέ.
(Alcestis) O children, you yourselves have heard these things from your father, saying that he will never marry another woman over you nor dishonor me.
§374καὶ νῦν γέ φημι, καὶ τελευτήσω τάδε.
(Admetus) And now indeed I say it, and I shall fulfill these things.
§375ἐπὶ τοῖσδε παῖδας χειρὸς ἐξ ἐμῆς δέχου.
(Alcestis) On these terms receive the children from my hand.
§376δέχομαι, φίλον γε δῶρον ἐκ φίλης χερός.
(Admetus) I receive them, a dear gift indeed from a dear hand.
§377σὺ νῦν γενοῦ τοῖσδ’ ἀντ’ ἐμοῦ μήτηρ τέκνοις.
(Alcestis) Now indeed become a mother to these children in my stead.
§378πολλή μ’ ἀνάγκη, σοῦ γ’ ἀπεστερημένοις.
(Admetus) There is great necessity, since they are deprived of you.
§379ὦ τέκνʼ, ὅτε ζῆν χρῆν μʼ, ἀπέρχομαι κάτω.
(Alcestis) O children, when I ought to be living, I go below.
§380οἴμοι, τί δράσω δῆτα σοῦ μονούμενος;
(Admetus) Ah me, what indeed shall I do, left solitary of you?
§381χρόνος μαλάξει σʼ· οὐδέν ἐσθ’ ὁ κατθανών.
(Alcestis) Time will soften you; he who has died is nothing.
§382ἄγου με σὺν σοί, πρὸς θεῶν, ἄγου κάτω.
(Admetus) Lead me with you, by the gods, lead me below.
§383ἀρκοῦμεν ἡμεῖς οἱ προθνῄσκοντες σέθεν.
(Alcestis) We are sufficient, we who die before you.
§384ὦ δαῖμον, οἵας συζύγου μ’ ἀποστερεῖς.
(Admetus) O fate, of what a spouse you deprive me.
§385καὶ μὴν σκοτεινὸν ὄμμα μου βαρύνεται.
(Alcestis) And indeed my darkened eye grows heavy.
§386ἀπωλόμην ἄρ’, εἴ με δὴ λείψεις, γύναι.
(Admetus) I am ruined then, if indeed you will leave me, wife.
§387ὡς οὐκέτ’ οὖσαν οὐδὲν ἂν λέγοις ἐμέ.
(Alcestis) You might speak of me as one who is no more.
§388ὄρθου πρόσωπον, μὴ λίπῃς παῖδας σέθεν.
(Admetus) Raise your face, do not leave your children.
§389οὐ δῆθ’ ἑκοῦσά γʼ, ἀλλὰ χαίρετʼ, ὦ τέκνα.
(Alcestis) Not indeed willingly, but farewell, o children.
§390βλέψον πρὸς αὐτοὺς βλέψον.
(Admetus) Look at them, look.
§390bοὐδέν εἰμ’ ἔτι.
(Alcestis) I am nothing anymore.
§391τί δρᾷς;
(Admetus) What are you doing?
προλείπεις;
Are you leaving us?
§391bχαῖρʼ.
(Alcestis) Farewell.
§391cἀπωλόμην τάλας.
(Admetus) I am ruined, wretched one.
§392βέβηκεν, οὐκέτ’ ἔστιν Ἀδμήτου γυνή.
(Chorus) She is gone, the wife of Admetus is no more.
§393ἰώ μοι τύχας.
(Eumelus) Alas for my fortunes.
My mother indeed has gone below, she is no more, o father, beneath the sun.
Leaving my life, she has made me a wretched orphan.
§398ἴδε γὰρ ἴδε βλέφαρον καὶ παρατόνους χέρας.
For look, look at her eyelid and outstretched hands.
§400ὑπάκουσον ἄκουσον, ὦ μᾶτερ, ἀντιάζω.
Listen, listen, o mother, I implore you.
I, I, o mother, call you, your chick, falling upon your lips.
(Admetus) She who neither hears nor sees; so that both I and you two are struck with a heavy calamity.
(Eumelus) Young as I am, father, I am left by my dear mother, and go solitary; o having suffered indeed terrible things, I...
ὦ πάτερ, §412ἀνόνατ’ ἀνόνατ’ ἐνύμφευσας, οὐδὲ γήρως §413ἔβας τέλος σὺν τᾷδʼ· §414ἔφθιτο γὰρ πάρος· οἰχομένας δὲ σοῦ, §415μᾶτερ, ὄλωλεν οἶκος.
O father, in vain, in vain you married, nor to the end of old age did you come with her; for she perished before; and with you gone, mother, the house is ruined.
§416Ἄδμητʼ, ἀνάγκη τάσδε συμφορὰς φέρειν· §417οὐ γάρ τι πρῶτος οὐδὲ λοίσθιος βροτῶν §418γυναικὸς ἐσθλῆς ἤμπλακες· γίγνωσκε δὲ §419ὡς πᾶσιν ἡμῖν κατθανεῖν ὀφείλεται.
(Chorus Leader) Admetus, it is necessary to bear these calamities; for not first nor last of mortals have you lost a noble wife; and know that to all of us dying is owed.
(Admetus) I know it indeed, and not suddenly did this evil fly upon me; knowing it, I was worn out long ago.
§422ἀλλʼ, ἐκφορὰν γὰρ τοῦδε θήσομαι νεκροῦ, §423πάρεστε καὶ μένοντες ἀντηχήσατε §424παιᾶνα τῷ κάτωθεν ἀσπόνδῳ θεῷ.
But, for I shall perform the burial of this dead one, be present and, remaining, sing in response a paean to the god below who accepts no libation.
§425πᾶσιν δὲ Θεσσαλοῖσιν ὧν ἐγὼ κρατῶ §426πένθους γυναικὸς τῆσδε κοινοῦσθαι λέγω §427κουρᾷ ξυρήκει καὶ μελαμπέπλῳ στολῇ· §428τέθριππά θ’ οἳ ζεύγνυσθε καὶ μονάμπυκας §429πώλους, σιδήρῳ τέμνετ’ αὐχένων φόβην.
And to all Thessalians whom I rule I command to share in the mourning for this woman with shorn hair and black-robed dress; and you who yoke four-horse chariots and single steeds, cut the manes of their necks with iron.
§430αὐλῶν δὲ μὴ κατ’ ἄστυ, μὴ λύρας κτύπος §431ἔστω σελήνας δώδεκ’ ἐκπληρουμένας· §432οὐ γάρ τιν’ ἄλλον φίλτερον θάψω νεκρὸν §433τοῦδ’ οὐδ’ ἀμείνον’ εἰς ἔμʼ· ἀξία δέ μοι §434τιμῆς, ἐπεὶ τέθνηκεν ἀντ’ ἐμοῦ μόνη.
Let there be no sound of flutes in the city, nor of lyre until twelve moons are fulfilled; for I shall bury no other dearer corpse than this, nor better to me; and she is worthy of honor from me, since she alone died in my stead.
(Chorus) O daughter of Pelias, farewelling me in the halls of Hades, may you dwell in the sunless house.
§438ἴστω δ’ Ἀίδας ὁ μελαγχαίτας θεὸς ὅς τ’ ἐπὶ κώπᾳ §440πηδαλίῳ τε γέρων §441νεκροπομπὸς ἵζει, §442πολὺ δὴ πολὺ δὴ γυναῖκ’ ἀρίσταν §443λίμναν Ἀχεροντίαν πορεύ- §444σας ἐλάτᾳ δικώπῳ.
And let Hades, the dark-haired god, know, and the old man at the oar and rudder, the conductor of the dead, that by far, by far the best of women he has ferried across the Acherontian lake with his double-oared pine boat.
§445πολλά σε μουσοπόλοι §446μέλψουσι καθ’ ἑπτάτονόν τ’ ὀρείαν §447χέλυν ἔν τ’ ἀλύροις κλέοντες ὕμνοις, §448Σπάρτᾳ κύκλος ἁνίκα Καρνείου περινίσσεται ὥρας §450μηνός, ἀειρομένας §451παννύχου σελάνας, §452λιπαραῖσί τ’ ἐν ὀλβίαις Ἀθάναις.
Often of you shall the servants of the Muses sing on the seven-stringed mountain tortoise-lyre and in songless hymns praising you, at Sparta when the circle of the Carneian season returns of the month, when the all-night moon is raised high, and in splendid and wealthy Athens.
Such a song you left by dying to the singers of melodies.