(you ought) to have had another father beget you, or under other ruling gods, if you will not accept these laws.
How many indeed, do you think, who are fully in their right minds, see their marriage beds suffering but pretend not to see?
And how many fathers help their erring children carry through their love affairs?
ἐν σοφοῖσι γὰρ §466τάδ’ ἐστὶ θνητῶν, λανθάνειν τὰ μὴ καλά.
For among the wise of mortals, this is the rule: to keep shameful things hidden.
§467οὐδ’ ἐκπονεῖν τοι χρὴ βίον λίαν βροτούς· §468οὐδὲ στέγην γὰρ ἧς κατηρεφεῖς δόμοι §469καλῶς ἀκριβώσειαν·
Mortals should not work out their lives too precisely; for not even the roof with which a house is covered could they finish with perfect accuracy.
ἐς δὲ τὴν τύχην §470πεσοῦσ’ ὅσην σὺ πῶς ἂν ἐκνεῦσαι δοκεῖς;
Having fallen into such great fortune as yours, how do you think you could swim out of it?
But if you have more good points than bad ones, being human, you would fare very well indeed.
§473ἀλλ’, ὦ φίλη παῖ, λῆγε μὲν κακῶν φρενῶν, §474λῆξον δ’ ὑβρίζουσ’· οὐ γὰρ ἄλλο πλὴν ὕβρις §475τάδ’ ἐστί, κρείσσω δαιμόνων εἶναι θέλειν·
But, O dear child, cease from your bad thoughts, and cease behaving insolently; for this is nothing other than insolence, to wish to be stronger than the gods.
§476τόλμα δ’ ἐρῶσα· θεὸς ἐβουλήθη τάδε.
Have the courage to love; a god has willed this.
§477νοσοῦσα δ’ εὖ πως τὴν νόσον καταστρέφου.
Since you are sick, subdue your sickness in some good way.
There are incantations and soothing words; some remedy for this sickness will appear.
Surely men would be slow to discover them, if we women do not find the means.
[Chorus Leader] Phaedra, she speaks more usefully for your present misfortune, but I praise you.
Yet this praise is harder to accept than her words and more painful for you to hear.
[Phaedra] This is what destroys well-governed cities of mortals and homes — words that are too beautiful.
For one should not say what is pleasant to the ears, but that by which one will become well-reputed.
§490τί σεμνομυθεῖς;
[Nurse] Why do you speak so solemnly?
οὐ λόγων εὐσχημόνων §491δεῖ σ’, ἀλλὰ τἀνδρός.
You do not need fine-sounding words, but the man.
— ὡς τάχος διοιστέον, §492τὸν εὐθὺν ἐξειπόντας ἀμφὶ σοῦ λόγον.
We must find out as quickly as possible, by speaking the straight truth about you.
§493εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἦν σοι μὴ’πὶ συμφοραῖς βίος §494τοιαῖσδε, σώφρων δ’ οὖσ’ ἐτύγχανες γυνή, §495οὐκ ἄν ποτ’ εὐνῆς οὕνεχ’ ἡδονῆς τε σῆς §496προσῆγον ἄν σε δεῦρο· νῦν δ’ ἀγὼν μέγας §497σῶσαι βίον σόν, κοὐκ ἐπίφθονον τόδε.
For if your life were not in such misfortunes, and you happened to be a self-controlled woman, I would never for the sake of your bed and pleasure have led you to this point; but now it is a great struggle to save your life, and this is not a matter for reproach.
§498ὦ δεινὰ λέξασ’, οὐχὶ συγκλῄσεις στόμα
[Phaedra] Oh, you have said terrible things!
§499καὶ μὴ μεθήσεις αὖθις αἰσχίστους λόγους;
Will you not close your mouth and not let loose those most shameful words again?
§500αἴσχρ’, ἀλλ’ ἀμείνω τῶν καλῶν τάδ’ ἐστί σοι.
[Nurse] They are shameful, but these are better for you than your noble words.
And the deed is better, if indeed it will save you, than the name in which you will die, boasting.
[Phaedra] And by the gods — for you speak well, but shamefully — do not go any further than this.
ὡς ὑπείργασμαι μὲν εὖ §505ψυχὴν ἔρωτι, τᾀσχρὰ δ’ ἢν λέγῃς καλῶς, §506ἐς τοῦθ’ ὃ φεύγω νῦν ἀναλωθήσομαι.
For I have already prepared my soul well for love, and if you speak of shameful things beautifully, I shall be consumed into the very thing I am now fleeing.
[Nurse] If indeed you think so, you ought not to have done wrong; but if you have, then obey me; for this is the second-best favor.
§509ἔστιν κατ’ οἴκους φίλτρα μοι θελκτήρια §510ἔρωτος, ἦλθε δ’ ἄρτι μοι γνώμης ἔσω, §511ἅ σ’ οὔτ’ ἐπ’ αἰσχροῖς οὔτ’ ἐπὶ βλάβῃ φρενῶν §512παύσει νόσου τῆσδ’, ἢν σὺ μὴ γένῃ κακή.
I have in the house soothing love-charms — it just now came into my mind — which, neither to your shame nor to the damage of your mind, will rid you of this sickness, if only you do not turn out a coward.
§513δεῖ δ’ ἐξ ἐκείνου δή τι τοῦ ποθουμένου §514σημεῖον, ἢ λόγον τιν’ ἢ πέπλων ἄπο §515λαβεῖν, συνάψαι τ’ ἐκ δυοῖν μίαν χάριν.
But we must obtain some token from that longed-for person, either some words or a piece of his clothing, and join from the two a single joy.
§516πότερα δὲ χριστὸν ἢ ποτὸν τὸ φάρμακον;
[Phaedra] Is the remedy an ointment or a potion?
§517οὐκ οἶδ’·
[Nurse] I do not know.
ὀνάσθαι, μὴ μαθεῖν βούλου, τέκνον.
Wish to be helped, not to learn, child.
§518δέδοιχ’ ὅπως μοι μὴ λίαν φανῇς σοφή.
[Phaedra] I am afraid that you will appear too clever to me.
§519πάντ’ ἂν φοβηθεῖσ’ ἴσθι·
[Nurse] Know that you would fear everything.
δειμαίνεις δὲ τί;
But what are you dreading?
§520μή μοί τι Θησέως τῶνδε μηνύσῃς τόκῳ.
[Phaedra] Do not reveal any of this to Theseus' son.
§521ἔασον, ὦ παῖ· ταῦτ’ ἐγὼ θήσω καλῶς.
[Nurse] Let it be, child; I will arrange this well.
Only may you, O sea mistress Cypris, be my helper.
τἄλλα δ’ οἷ’ ἐγὼ φρονῶ §524τοῖς ἔνδον ἡμῖν ἀρκέσει λέξαι φίλοις.
And other things which I intend, it will be enough to speak to our friends inside.
§525Ἔρως Ἔρως, ὃ κατ’ ὀμμάτων §526στάζεις πόθον, εἰσάγων γλυκεῖαν §527ψυχᾷ χάριν οὓς ἐπιστρατεύσῃ, §528μή μοί ποτε σὺν κακῷ φανείης §529μηδ’ ἄρρυθμος ἔλθοις.
[Chorus] Eros, Eros, you who drip desire upon the eyes, bringing sweet grace to the souls of those whom you campaign against, may you never appear to me with evil, nor come out of measure.
§530οὔτε γὰρ πυρὸς οὔτ’ ἄστρων ὑπέρτερον βέλος, §531οἷον τὸ τᾶς Ἀφροδίτας §532ἵησιν ἐκ χερῶν §533Ἔρως, ὁ Διὸς παῖς.
For neither the arrow of fire nor of the stars is stronger, than that which Aphrodite's hand shoots through Eros, the child of Zeus.
§535ἄλλως ἄλλως παρά τ’ Ἀλφεῷ §536Φοίβου τ’ ἐπὶ Πυθίοις τεράμνοις §537βούταν φόνον Ἑλλὰς αἶ’ ἀέξει· §538Ἔρωτα δέ, τὸν τύραννον ἀνδρῶν, §539τὸν τᾶς Ἀφροδίτας §540φιλτάτων θαλάμων κλῃδοῦχον, οὐ σεβίζομεν,
In vain, in vain, by the Alpheus and at the Pythian temple of Phoebus, does the land of Greece multiply the slaughter of cattle; but Eros, the tyrant of men, the keeper of the keys to the dearest bridal chambers of Aphrodite, we do not worship.