§893τότ’, ἀλλ’ ἄμεινον νῦν βεβούλευμαι τάδε·
then; but now I have planned these things better.
§894ὦ τέκνα τέκνα, δεῦτε, λείπετε στέγας, §895ἐξέλθετ’, ἀσπάσασθε καὶ προσείπατε §896πατέρα μεθ’ ἡμῶν, καὶ διαλλάχθηθ’ ἅμα §897τῆς πρόσθεν ἔχθρας ἐς φίλους μητρὸς μέτα· §898σπονδαὶ γὰρ ἡμῖν καὶ μεθέστηκεν χόλος.
Oh children, children, come here, leave the house, come out, greet and address your father with us, and be reconciled at the same time from your former hostility toward loved ones, together with your mother; for there is a truce for us, and our anger has departed.
§899λάβεσθε χειρὸς δεξιᾶς·
Take hold of his right hand.
οἴμοι, κακῶν §900ὡς ἐννοοῦμαι δή τι τῶν κεκρυμμένων.
Alas, how I think of something indeed of the hidden evils.
Will you, oh children, living thus also for a long time, stretch out your dear arms?
τάλαιν’ ἐγώ, §903ὡς ἀρτίδακρύς εἰμι καὶ φόβου πλέα.
Wretched that I am, how ready to weep I am, and full of fear.
And ending the quarrel with your father at last, I have filled this tender face of mine with tears.
And from my eyes too a fresh tear has started; and may the evil not advance further than the present.
§908αἰνῶ, γύναι, τάδ’, οὐδ’ ἐκεῖνα μέμφομαι· §909εἰκὸς γὰρ ὀργὰς θῆλυ ποιεῖσθαι γένος §910γάμου παρεμπολῶντος ἀλλοίου πόσει.
I praise these things, woman, nor do I blame those other things; for it is natural for the female sex to feel anger when a husband smuggles in another marriage.
§911ἀλλ’ ἐς τὸ λῷον σὸν μεθέστηκεν κέαρ, §912ἔγνως δὲ τὴν νικῶσαν, ἀλλὰ τῷ χρόνῳ, §913βουλήν· γυναικὸς ἔργα ταῦτα σώφρονος.
But your heart has changed to what is better, and you have recognized the winning plan, though in time; this is the work of a sensible woman.
§914ὑμῖν δέ, παῖδες, οὐκ ἀφροντίστως πατὴρ §915πολλὴν ἔθηκε σὺν θεοῖς σωτηρίαν· §916οἶμαι γὰρ ὑμᾶς τῆσδε γῆς Κορινθίας §917τὰ πρῶτ’ ἔσεσθαι σὺν κασιγνήτοις ἔτι.
And for you, children, your father not without thought, has established great safety, with the help of the gods; for I think that you will yet be in the future, with your brothers, the very first in this Corinthian land.
§918ἀλλ’ αὐξάνεσθε· τἄλλα δ’ ἐξεργάζεται §919πατήρ τε καὶ θεῶν ὅστις ἐστὶν εὐμενής· §920ἴδοιμι δ’ ὑμᾶς εὐτραφεῖς ἥβης τέλος §921μολόντας, ἐχθρῶν τῶν ἐμῶν ὑπερτέρους.
But grow strong; and the rest is being worked out by your father and whichever of the gods is well-disposed; and may I see you well-reared arriving at the completion of youth, superior to my enemies.
You there, why do you wet your eyes with fresh tears, turning your pale cheek away?
§924κοὐκ ἀσμένη τόνδ’ ἐξ ἐμοῦ δέχῃ λόγον;
And do you not receive this word from me gladly?
§925οὐδέν.
It is nothing.
τέκνων τῶνδ’ ἐννοουμένη πέρι.
I was thinking about these children.
§926θάρσει νυν· εὖ γὰρ τῶνδ’ ἐγὼ θήσω πέρι.
Be of good courage then; for I will settle their affairs well.
I will do so; I will certainly not distrust your words; but a woman is a female thing and born to tears.
§929τί δῆτα λίαν τοῖσδ’ ἐπιστένεις τέκνοις;
Why then, indeed, do you groan so excessively over these children?
I gave birth to them; and when you prayed that the children should live, pity entered me as to whether this would come to pass.
But as for the reasons for which you have come to my words, some have been spoken, and others I will mention.
§934ἐπεὶ τυράννοις γῆς μ’ ἀποστεῖλαι δοκεῖ— §935κἀμοὶ τάδ’ ἐστὶ λῷστα, γιγνώσκω καλῶς, §936μήτ’ ἐμποδὼν σοὶ μήτε κοιράνοις χθονὸς §937ναίειν· δοκῶ γὰρ δυσμενὴς εἶναι δόμοις— §938ἡμεῖς μὲν ἐκ γῆς τῆσδ’ ἀπαίρομεν φυγῇ, §939παῖδες δ’ ὅπως ἂν ἐκτραφῶσι σῇ χερί, §940αἰτοῦ Κρέοντα τήνδε μὴ φεύγειν χθόνα.
Since it has seemed best to the rulers of the land to send me away— and this is best for me, I know well, not to dwell as an obstacle to you or to the rulers of the land; for I seem to be hostile to the house— we indeed are departing from this land in exile, but in order that the children may be reared by your hand, beg Creon that they do not flee this land.
§941οὐκ οἶδ’ ἂν εἰ πείσαιμι, πειρᾶσθαι δὲ χρή.
I do not know if I could persuade him, but I must try.
But you at least bid your wife to beg her father that the children do not flee this land.
§944μάλιστα, καὶ πείσειν γε δοξάζω σφ’ ἐγώ.
By all means, and indeed I expect to persuade her.
§945εἴπερ γυναικῶν ἐστι τῶν ἄλλων μία.
If indeed she is one of other women.
§946συλλήψομαι δὲ τοῦδέ σοι κἀγὼ πόνου· §947πέμψω γὰρ αὐτῇ δῶρ’ ἃ καλλιστεύεται §948τῶν νῦν ἐν ἀνθρώποισιν, οἶδ’ ἐγώ, πολύ, §949λεπτόν τε πέπλον καὶ πλόκον χρυσήλατον §950παῖδας φέροντας.
And I too will take a share in this labor for you; for I will send her gifts which are by far the most beautiful of those now among men, I know well, by far, both a fine robe and a woven-gold crown, for the children to carry.
ἀλλ’ ὅσον τάχος χρεὼν §951κόσμον κομίζειν δεῦρο προσπόλων τινά.
But as quickly as possible it is necessary for one of the servants to bring the adornment here.
§952εὐδαιμονήσει δ’ οὐχ ἕν, ἀλλὰ μυρία, §953ἀνδρός τ’ ἀρίστου σοῦ τυχοῦσ’ ὁμευνέτου §954κεκτημένη τε κόσμον ὅν ποθ’ Ἥλιος §955πατρὸς πατὴρ δίδωσιν ἐκγόνοισιν οἷς.
And she will be happy not in one thing, but in countless ways, having obtained you, the best of men, as a husband, and possessing an adornment which once Helios, my father's father, gave to his descendants.
§956λάζυσθε φερνὰς τάσδε, παῖδες, ἐς χέρας §957καὶ τῇ τυράννῳ μακαρίᾳ νύμφῃ δότε §958φέροντες· οὔτοι δῶρα μεμπτὰ δέξεται.
Take these bridal gifts, children, into your hands, and carry and give them to the blessed royal bride; surely she will receive gifts that are not to be despised.
§959τί δ’, ὦ ματαία, τῶνδε σὰς κενοῖς χέρας;
Why, oh foolish woman, do you empty your hands of these things?
Do you think the royal house is in want of robes, or do you think it lacks gold?
σῷζε, μὴ δίδου τάδε.
Keep them, do not give them away.
For if indeed the woman holds us in any esteem, she will prefer me to riches, I know well.
Do not speak thus to me; they say that gifts persuade even gods; and gold is stronger than ten thousand words for mortals.
§966κείνης ὁ δαίμων, κεῖνα νῦν αὔξει θεός, §967νέα τυραννεῖ· τῶν δ’ ἐμῶν παίδων φυγὰς §968ψυχῆς ἂν ἀλλαξαίμεθ’, οὐ χρυσοῦ μόνον.
Hers is the fortune, that is what the god now increases, she is young and rules; but to save my children from exile, I would exchange my life, not only gold.
§969ἀλλ’, ὦ τέκν’, εἰσελθόντε πλουσίους δόμους §970πατρὸς νέαν γυναῖκα, δεσπότιν δ’ ἐμήν, §971ἱκετεύετ’, ἐξαιτεῖσθε μὴ φυγεῖν χθόνα, §972κόσμον διδόντες—τοῦδε γὰρ μάλιστα δεῖ— §973ἐς χεῖρ’ ἐκείνης δῶρα δέξασθαι τάδε.
But, oh children, entering the wealthy house, entreat your father's new wife, and my mistress, and beg her that you may not flee this land, giving her the adornment—for this is especially necessary— that she receive these gifts in her own hand.
§974ἴθ’ ὡς τάχιστα· μητρὶ δ’ ὧν ἐρᾷ τυχεῖν
Go as quickly as possible; and for your mother, to obtain what she longs for...