§1350οὐδʼ ἀνδρὸς ἂν δύναιθʼ ὑποστῆναι βέλος.
could not even withstand the weapon of a man.
I will endure life; and I will go to your city, yours, and I am grateful for your countless gifts.
§1353ἀτὰρ πόνων δὴ μυρίων ἐγευσάμην· §1354ὧν οὔτʼ ἀπεῖπον οὐδένʼ οὔτʼ ἀπʼ ὀμμάτων §1355ἔσταξα πηγάς, οὐδʼ ἂν ᾠόμην ποτὲ §1356ἐς τοῦθʼ ἱκέσθαι, δάκρυʼ ἀπʼ ὀμμάτων βαλεῖν·
Yet indeed I have tasted countless labors; of which I neither refused any nor from my eyes did I shed springs [of tears], nor did I ever think that I would come to this, to cast tears from my eyes.
§1357νῦν δʼ, ὡς ἔοικε, τῇ τύχῃ δουλευτέον.
But now, as it seems, I must be a slave to fortune.
Well then: old man, you see my exile, and you see that I am the murderer of my own children.
§1360δὸς τούσδε τύμβῳ καὶ περίστειλον νεκροὺς §1361δακρύοισι τιμῶν — ἐμὲ γὰρ οὐκ ἐᾷ νόμος — §1362πρὸς στέρνʼ ἐρείσας μητρὶ δούς τʼ ἐς ἀγκάλας, §1363κοινωνίαν δύστηνον, ἣν ἐγὼ τάλας §1364διώλεσʼ ἄκων.
Give these dead to the tomb and shroud them, honoring them with tears—for the law does not permit me— pressing them to their mother's breast and placing them in her arms, a wretched fellowship, which I, miserable man, destroyed against my will.
γῇ δʼ ἐπὴν κρύψῃς νεκρούς, §1365οἴκει πόλιν τήνδʼ, ἀθλίως μέν, ἀλλʼ ὅμως §1366ψυχὴν βιάζου τἀμὰ συμφέρειν κακά.
And when you have hidden the dead in the earth, dwell in this city, wretchedly indeed, but nevertheless force your soul to bear my evils along with me.
§1367ὦ τέκνʼ, ὁ φύσας καὶ τεκὼν ὑμᾶς πατὴρ §1368ἀπώλεσʼ, οὐδʼ ὤνασθε τῶν ἐμῶν καλῶν, §1369ἁγὼ παρεσκεύαζον ἐκμοχθῶν βίᾳ §1370εὔκλειαν ὑμῖν, πατρὸς ἀπόλαυσιν καλήν.
O children, the father who begot and generated you destroyed you, and you did not benefit from my blessings, which I prepared for you by laboring with might, glory for you, a noble enjoyment from your father.
§1371σέ τʼ οὐχ ὁμοίως, ὦ τάλαινʼ, ἀπώλεσα §1372ὥσπερ σὺ τἀμὰ λέκτρʼ ἔσῳζες ἀσφαλῶς, §1373μακρὰς διαντλοῦσʼ ἐν δόμοις οἰκουρίας.
And you, wretched wife, I destroyed not in the same way, as you safely preserved my bed, enduring the long, weary watch over the house.
§1374οἴμοι δάμαρτος καὶ τέκνων, οἴμοι δʼ ἐμοῦ, §1375ὡς ἀθλίως πέπραγα κἀποζεύγνυμαι §1376τέκνων γυναικός τʼ· ὦ λυγραὶ φιλημάτων §1377τέρψεις, λυγραὶ δὲ τῶνδʼ ὅπλων κοινωνίαι.
Alas for my wife and children, and alas for me, how wretchedly I have fared and how I am separated from my children and wife; O grievous pleasures of kisses, and grievous partnerships with these weapons.
§1378ἀμηχανῶ γὰρ πότερʼ ἔχω τάδʼ ἢ μεθῶ, §1379ἃ πλευρὰ τἀμὰ προσπίτνοντʼ ἐρεῖ τάδε· §1380Ἡμῖν τέκνʼ εἷλες καὶ δάμαρθʼ· ἡμᾶς ἔχεις §1381παιδοκτόνους σούς. εἶτʼ ἐγὼ τάδʼ ὠλέναις §1382οἴσω;
For I am at a loss whether I should hold these or let them go, which, falling against my sides, will say these things: "By us you slew your children and wife; you hold us, your child-slayers." Shall I then carry these in my arms?
τί φάσκων;
What shall I say?
ἀλλὰ γυμνωθεὶς ὅπλων, §1383ξὺν οἷς τὰ κάλλιστʼ ἐξέπραξʼ ἐν Ἑλλάδι, §1384ἐχθροῖς ἐμαυτὸν ὑποβαλὼν αἰσχρῶς θάνω;
But stripped of my weapons, with which I accomplished the most beautiful deeds in Greece, by exposing myself to my enemies shall I die shamefully?
§1385οὐ λειπτέον τάδʼ, ἀθλίως δὲ σῳστέον.
These must not be left behind, but must be preserved, even if wretchedly.
§1386ἕν μοί τι, Θησεῦ, σύγκαμʼ· ἀθλίου κυνὸς §1387κόμιστρʼ ἐς Ἄργος συγκατάστησον μολών, §1388λύπῃ τι παίδων μὴ πάθω μονούμενος.
In one thing, Theseus, help me: come along to help me establish the bringing-rewards into Argos, having gone with me, lest, being left alone, I suffer something from grief for my children.
§1389ὦ γαῖα Κάδμου πᾶς τε Θηβαῖος λεώς, §1390κείρασθε, συμπενθήσατʼ, ἔλθετʼ ἐς τάφον §1391παίδων· ἅπαντας δʼ ἑνὶ λόγῳ πενθήσετε §1392νεκρούς τε κἀμέ· πάντες ἐξολώλαμεν §1393Ἥρας μιᾷ πληγέντες ἄθλιοι τύχῃ.
O land of Cadmus and all you Theban people, shear your hair, mourn together, go to the tomb of the children; and in one word you will mourn all, both the dead and me; we have all perished utterly, struck down, wretched ones, by the single fortune of Hera.
§1394ἀνίστασʼ, ὦ δύστηνε· δακρύων δʼ ἅλις.
Rise up, wretched man; of tears there is enough.
§1395οὐκ ἂν δυναίμην· ἄρθρα γὰρ πέπηγέ μου.
I could not; for my joints are frozen.
§1396καὶ τοὺς σθένοντας γὰρ καθαιροῦσιν τύχαι.
For fortunes bring down even the strong.
§1397φεῦ·
Alas!
§1397aαὐτοῦ γενοίμην πέτρος ἀμνήμων κακῶν.
Would that I might become here a stone, unmindful of evils.
§1398παῦσαι· δίδου δὲ χεῖρʼ ὑπηρέτῃ φίλῳ.
Cease; and give your hand to a friendly helper.
§1399ἀλλʼ αἷμα μὴ σοῖς ἐξομόρξωμαι πέπλοις.
But lest I wipe off blood onto your robes.
§1400ἔκμασσε, φείδου μηδέν· οὐκ ἀναίνομαι.
Wipe it off, spare nothing; I do not refuse.
§1401παίδων στερηθεὶς παῖδʼ ὅπως ἔχω σʼ ἐμόν.
Having been deprived of my children, so that I may have you as my child.
§1402δίδου δέρῃ σὴν χεῖρʼ, ὁδηγήσω δʼ ἐγώ.
Give your hand to my neck, and I will guide you.
§1403ζεῦγός γε φίλιον· ἅτερος δὲ δυστυχής.
A friendly yoke indeed; but one of us is unfortunate.
§1404ὦ πρέσβυ, τοιόνδʼ ἄνδρα χρὴ κτᾶσθαι φίλον.
O old man, such a man one ought to acquire as a friend.
§1405ἡ γὰρ τεκοῦσα τόνδε πατρὶς εὔτεκνος.
For indeed the fatherland that bore him is blessed with noble children.
§1406Θησεῦ, πάλιν με στρέψον, ὡς ἴδω τέκνα.
Theseus, turn me back, so that I may see my children.
§1407ὡς δὴ τί;
For what purpose?
φίλτρον τοῦτʼ ἔχων ῥᾴων ἔσῃ;
Having this object of love, will you be easier?
§1408ποθῶ· πατρός τε στέρνα προσθέσθαι θέλω.
I long for them; and I wish to press my breast to my father's.
§1409ἰδοὺ τάδʼ, ὦ παῖ· τἀμὰ γὰρ σπεύδεις φίλα.
Behold, this is so, my child; for you hasten after what is dear to me.
§1410οὕτως πόνων σῶν οὐκέτι μνήμην ἔχεις;
Thus, have you no longer any memory of your labors?
§1411ἅπαντʼ ἐλάσσω κεῖνα τῶνδʼ ἔτλην κακά.
All those evils I endured were less than these.
§1412εἴ σʼ ὄψεταί τις θῆλυν ὄντʼ, οὐκ αἰνέσει.
If anyone sees you being womanly, he will not praise you.
§1413ζῶ σοι ταπεινός;
Do I live humbled in your eyes?
ἀλλὰ πρόσθεν οὐ δοκῶ.
But formerly I did not seem so.
§1414ἄγαν γʼ· ὁ κλεινὸς Ἡρακλῆς οὐκ εἶ νοσῶν.
Too much so; you are not the famous Heracles, being in distress.
§1415σὺ ποῖος ἦσθα νέρθεν ἐν κακοῖσιν ὤν;
What kind of man were you when you were below in evils?
§1416ὡς ἐς τὸ λῆμα παντὸς ἦν ἥσσων ἀνήρ.
So that, as to courage, I was weaker than any man.
§1417πῶς οὖν ἔτʼ εἴπης ὅτι συνέσταλμαι κακοῖς;
How then do you still say that I am humbled by evils?
§1418πρόβαινε.
Go forward.
§1418bχαῖρʼ, ὦ πρέσβυ.
Farewell, old man.
§1418cκαὶ σύ μοι, τέκνον.
And you too, my child.
§1419θάφθʼ ὥσπερ εἶπον παῖδας.
Bury the children, just as I said.
§1419bἐμὲ δὲ τίς, τέκνον;
But who [will bury] me, my child?
§1420ἐγώ.
I will.
§1420bπότʼ ἐλθών;
When coming?
§1420cἡνίκʼ ἂν θάψῃς τέκνα.
When you have buried the children.
§1421πῶς;
How?
§1421bεἰς Ἀθήνας πέμψομαι Θηβῶν ἄπο.
I will send for you to Athens from Thebes.
§1422ἀλλʼ ἐσκόμιζε τέκνα δυσκόμιστα γῇ·
But carry inside the children, hard to be carried, into the earth.
And we, having ruined our house with shames, will follow Theseus like towed boats.
And whoever wishes to possess wealth or strength more than good friends, is of bad mind.