§94ὀρθῶς γε· τίς δ’ οὐ σεμνὸς ἀχθεινὸς βροτῶν;
Quite right; for who among mortals that is haughty is not vexatious?
§95ἐν δ’ εὐπροσηγόροισιν ἔστι τις χάρις;
And in those who are easy of address, is there some charm?
§96πλείστη γε, καὶ κέρδος γε σὺν μόχθῳ βραχεῖ.
A very great deal, and a gain too with little effort.
§97ἦ κἀν θεοῖσι ταὐτὸν ἐλπίζεις τόδε;
Do you expect this same thing to hold also among the gods?
§98εἴπερ γε θνητοὶ θεῶν νόμοισι χρώμεθα.
Yes, if indeed we mortals live by the laws of the gods.
How is it then that you are haughty, by not addressing a deity— Which one?
εὐλαβοῦ δὲ μή τί σου σφαλῇ στόμα.
Take care lest your mouth make some slip.
§101τήνδ’, ἣ πύλαισι σαῖς ἐφέστηκεν Κύπρις.
This one, Cypris, who stands at your gates.
§102πρόσωθεν αὐτὴν ἁγνὸς ὢν ἀσπάζομαι.
From afar I greet her, being pure.
§103σεμνός γε μέντοι κἀπίσημος ἐν βροτοῖς.
And yet she is revered indeed, and illustrious among mortals.
§104ἄλλοισιν ἄλλος θεῶν τε κἀνθρώπων μέλει.
Different people care for different ones among gods and men.
§105εὐδαιμονοίης νοῦν ἔχων ὅσον σε δεῖ.
May you be happy, having as much sense as you need.
§106οὐδείς μ’ ἀρέσκει νυκτὶ θαυμαστὸς θεῶν.
No god who is worshipped by night pleases me.
§107τιμαῖσιν, ὦ παῖ, δαιμόνων χρῆσθαι χρεών.
We must pay regard to the honors of the gods, my child.
§108χωρεῖτ’, ὀπαδοί, καὶ παρελθόντες δόμους §109σίτων μέλεσθε· τερπνὸν ἐκ κυναγίας §110τράπεζα πλήρης· καὶ καταψήχειν χρεὼν §111ἵππους, ὅπως ἂν ἅρμασιν ζεύξας ὕπο §112βορᾶς κορεσθεὶς γυμνάσω τὰ πρόσφορα.
Go, attendants, and entering the house take care of food; pleasant after hunting is a full table; and we must rub down the horses, so that, having yoked them to the chariot and sated with food, I may exercise them in a fitting manner.
§113τὴν σὴν δὲ Κύπριν πόλλ’ ἐγὼ χαίρειν λέγω.
But to your Cypris, I bid a long farewell.
§114ἡμεῖς δέ — τοὺς νέους γὰρ οὐ μιμητέον, §115φρονοῦντας οὕτως — ὡς πρέπει δούλοις λέγειν, §116προσευξόμεσθα τοῖσι σοῖς ἀγάλμασιν, §117δέσποινα Κύπρι.
But we—for we must not imitate the young, thinking in this way—speaking as is fitting for slaves, we will pray before your statues, Lady Cypris.
χρὴ δὲ συγγνώμην ἔχειν, §118εἴ τίς σ’ ὑφ’ ἥβης σπλάγχνον ἔντονον φέρων §119μάταια βάζει· μὴ δόκει τούτων κλύειν· §120σοφωτέρους γὰρ χρὴ βροτῶν εἶναι θεούς.
And you ought to show forgiveness, if someone, by reason of youth, carrying a proud heart, speaks foolish words; do not seem to hear them; for gods ought to be wiser than mortals.
§121Ὠκεανοῦ τις ὕδωρ στάζουσα πέτρα λέγεται, §122βαπτὰν κάλπισι ῥυτὰν πα- §123γὰν προιεῖσα κρημνῶν· §125ὅθι μοί τις ἦν φίλα §126πορφύρεα φάρεα §127ποταμίᾳ δρόσῳ §128τέγγουσα, θερ- §128aμᾶς δ’ ἐπὶ νῶτα πέτρας εὐ- §129αλίου κατέβαλλ’· ὅθεν §130μοι πρώτα φάτις ἦλθε δεσποίνας· §131τειρομέναν νοσερᾷ κοίτᾳ δέμας ἐντὸς ἔχειν §132οἴκων, λεπτὰ δὲ φάρη ξάν- §133θαν κεφαλὰν σκιάζειν· §135τριτάταν δέ νιν κλύω §136τάνδ’ ἀβρωσίᾳ §137στόματος ἁμέραν §138Δάματρος ἀ- §138aκτᾶς δέμας ἁγνὸν ἴσχειν, κρυ- §139πτῷ πένθει θανάτου θέλου- §140σαν κέλσαι ποτὶ τέρμα δύστανον.
Chorus: There is said to be a certain rock dripping water from Oceanus, sending forth a flowing spring, in which pitchers may be dipped, from the cliffs; where a certain friend of mine was purple robes in the river dew wetting, and on the warm back of the sunny rock laying them down; from where first came to me the report of my mistress: that worn out on a bed of sickness she keeps her body within the house, and that thin veils shadow her golden head; And I hear that on this third day by fasting of her mouth from Demeter's grain, she keeps her body pure, and by hidden grief wishing to steer for death's miserable goal.
§141— ἦ σὺ γ’ ἔνθεος, ὦ κούρα, §142εἴτ’ ἐκ Πανὸς εἴθ’ Ἑκάτας §143ἢ σεμνῶν Κορυβάντων φοι- §144τᾷς ἢ ματρὸς ὀρείας;
— Are you possessed, o maiden, whether by Pan or by Hecate or from the dread Corybantes you wander, or the mountain Mother?
— Or are you wasted because of sins against Dictynna of many beasts, unholy through unoffered cakes? wasted away?
For she wanders even through the lake and over the dry land across the sea in the wet eddies of the brine.
§151— ἢ πόσιν, τὸν Ἐρεχθειδᾶν §152ἀρχαγόν, τὸν εὐπατρίδαν, §153ποιμαίνει τις ἐν οἴκοις κρυ- §154πτὰ κοίτα λεχέων σῶν;
— Or is someone in the house guiding your husband, the noble leader of the sons of Erechtheus, the well-born leader, in a secret bed away from your marriage couch?
§155— ἢ ναυβάτας τις ἔπλευσεν Κρή- §156τας ἔξορμος ἀνὴρ λιμένα §157τὸν εὐξεινότατον ναύταις, §158φήμαν πέμπων βασιλείᾳ, §159λύπᾳ δ’ ὑπὲρ παθέων §160εὐναία δέδεται ψυχά;
— Or has some sailor sailed from Crete arriving at the harbor most welcoming to sailors, bringing a report to the queen, and because of grief for her sufferings is her soul bound to her bed?
§161— φιλεῖ δὲ τᾷ δυστρόπῳ γυναικῶν §162ἁρμονίᾳ κακὰ δύστανος ἀμηχανία συνοικεῖν, §163ὠδινῶν τε καὶ ἀφροσύνας.
— And with the difficult temperament of women is wont to dwell a miserable, wretched helplessness, both of childbirth pangs and of folly.
τὰν δ’ εὔλοχον οὐρανίαν §167τόξων μεδέουσαν ἀύτευν §168Ἄρτεμιν, καί μοι πολυζήλωτος αἰεὶ §169σὺν θεοῖσι φοιτᾷ.
But I called upon the heavenly goddess of childbirth, ruler of the bow, Artemis; and to my joy, she always comes to me, by the favor of the gods.
— But look, here is the old nurse before the doors, bringing her out of the palace.
My soul yearns to learn what on earth it is, how the pale body of the queen has been wasted.
§176ὦ κακὰ θνητῶν στυγεραί τε νόσοι.
Nurse: O the ills of mortals and hateful sicknesses!
§177τί σ’ ἐγὼ δράσω;
What shall I do for you?
τί δὲ μὴ δράσω;
What shall I not do?
Here is the bright light for you, here is the open air; and now out of the house is the bed of your sick couch.
For to come here was your every word; but soon you will hasten back to your chambers again.
For quickly you are frustrated and rejoice in nothing, neither does the present please you, but what is absent you hold to be dearer.
§186κρεῖσσον δὲ νοσεῖν ἢ θεραπεύειν· §187τὸ μέν ἐστιν ἁπλοῦν, τῷ δὲ συνάπτει §188λύπη τε φρενῶν χερσίν τε πόνος.
It is better to be sick than to nurse the sick; for the one is simple, but with the other is joined both grief of mind and labor of hands.
All the life of humans is painful, and there is no rest from labors.
But whatever other thing is dearer than life, darkness, wrapping it round, hides in clouds.
§194τοῦ δ’ ὅ τι τοῦτο στίλβει κατὰ γῆν §193δυσέρωτες δὴ φαινόμεθ’ ὄντες, §195δι’ ἀπειροσύνην ἄλλου βιότου §196κοὐκ ἀπόδειξιν τῶν ὑπὸ γαίας· §197μύθοις δ’ ἄλλως φερόμεσθα.
And of whatever this is that shines on earth, we are shown indeed to be desperately in love, because of inexperience of another life, and the lack of proof of what is beneath the earth; and we are drifted aimlessly by myths.
§198ἄρατέ μου δέμας, ὀρθοῦτε κάρα·
Phaedra: Lift my body, keep my head upright!