§86λέγʼ ἐς τὸ κοινόν, μὴ θανεῖν ἕτοιμον ᾖ.
Speak for our common interest, unless death is ready.
O daughter, by no means is it easy to advise on such matters lightly, even after earnest effort, without toil.
§87χρόνον δὲ μηκύνωμεν ὄντες ἀσθενεῖς.
But should we, being weak, prolong the time?
§90λύπης τι προσδεῖς ἢ φιλεῖς οὕτω φάος;
Do you need some more pain, or do you love the light of life so much?
§91καὶ τῷδε χαίρω καὶ φιλῶ τὰς ἐλπίδας.
I both rejoice in this and love hopes.
§92κἀγώ· δοκεῖν δὲ τἀδόκητʼ οὐ χρή, γέρον.
I too; but we must not expect the unexpected, old man.
§93ἐν ταῖς ἀναβολαῖς τῶν κακῶν ἔνεστʼ ἄκη.
In the postponements of evils there is a cure.
§94ὁ δʼ ἐν μέσῳ με λυπρὸς ὢν δάκνει χρόνος.
But the intervening time, being painful, gnaws at me.
§95ἔτʼ ἂν γένοιτʼ, ὦ θύγατερ, οὔριος δρόμος §96ἐκ τῶν παρόντων τῶνδʼ ἐμοὶ καὶ σοὶ κακῶν, §97ἔλθοι τʼ ἔτʼ ἂν παῖς οὑμός, εὐνήτωρ δὲ σός.
There might still be, my daughter, a favorable course out of these present evils for me and you, and my son, your husband, might still return.
§98ἀλλʼ ἡσύχαζε καὶ δακρυρρόους τέκνων §99πηγὰς ἀφαίρει καὶ παρευκήλει λόγοις, §100κλέπτουσα μύθοις ἀθλίους κλοπὰς ὅμως.
But keep quiet, and dry the tear-flowing fountains of your children, and soothe them with words, deceiving them with stories, a wretched but necessary deception.
§101κάμνουσι γάρ τοι καὶ βροτῶν αἱ συμφοραί, §102καὶ πνεύματʼ ἀνέμων οὐκ ἀεὶ ῥώμην ἔχει· §103οἵ τʼ εὐτυχοῦντες διὰ τέλους οὐκ εὐτυχεῖς.
For indeed, the misfortunes of mortals also grow weary, and the blasts of wind do not always keep their strength; and those who are fortunate are not fortunate to the end.
§104ἐξίσταται γὰρ πάντʼ ἀπʼ ἀλλήλων δίχα.
For all things depart and separate from one another.
But he is the best man who always trusts in hopes; to despair is the mark of a base man.
§107—ὑπώροφα μέλαθρα καὶ §108γεραιὰ δέμνιʼ, ἀμφὶ βάκτροις §109ἔρεισμα θέμενος, ἐστάλην §110ἰηλέμων γόων ἀοι- §110aδὸς ὥστε πολιὸς ὄρνις, §111ἔπεα μόνον καὶ δόκη- §112μα νυκτερωπὸν ἐννύχων ὀνείρων, §113τρομερὰ μέν, ἀλλʼ ὅμως πρόθυμʼ.
Under-roofed halls and old bed, leaning upon staffs as a support, I have come, a singer of mournful wails, like a gray bird, mere words and a night-like semblance of nightly dreams, trembling indeed, but eager nonetheless.
§114ὦ τέκεα, τέκεα πατρὸς ἀπάτορʼ, §115ὦ γεραιὲ σύ τε τάλαινα μᾶ- §116τερ, ἃ τὸν Ἀίδα δόμοις §117πόσιν ἀναστενάζεις.
O children, children fatherless of your father, O old man, and you, wretched mother, who in the halls of Hades sigh for your husband.
§119—μὴ προκάμητε πόδα βαρύ τε §120κῶλον ὥστε πρὸς πετραῖον §121λέπας ζυγηφόρον πῶλον §122ἀνέντες ὡς βάρος φέρον §122aτροχηλάτοιο πώλου.
Do not grow weary in your foot and heavy limb, like a yoke-bearing filly to a rocky hill, struggling, bearing the weight of a wheeled carriage.
§123λαβοῦ χερῶν καὶ πέπλων, §124ὅτου λέλοιπε ποδὸς ἀμαυρὸν ἴχνος· §125γέρων γέροντα παρακόμιζʼ, §127ᾧ ξύνοπλα δόρατα νέα νέῳ §126τὸ πάρος ἐν ἡλίκων πόνοις §128ξυνῆν ποτʼ, εὐκλεεστάτας
Take hold of hands and robes, whoever's weak footstep fails; let old man guide old man, with whom once when young, in the labors of our youth, comrade spears were joined, in most glorious battles.
§130—ἴδετε, πατέρος ὡς γορ- §131γῶπες αἵδε προσφερεῖς §132ὀμμάτων αὐγαί, §133τὸ δὲ κακοτυχὲς οὐ λέλοιπεν ἐκ τέκνων §134οὐδʼ ἀποίχεται χάρις.
See! how like their father's are these fierce-looking flashes of their eyes, misfortune has not left these children, nor has grace departed.
O Greece, what allies, what allies having lost, you will be deprived of these!
But look, for I see Lycus, the ruler of this land, passing near these dwellings.
§140τὸν Ἡράκλειον πατέρα καὶ ξυνάορον, §141εἰ χρή μʼ, ἐρωτῶ· χρὴ δʼ, ἐπεί γε δεσπότης §142ὑμῶν καθέστηχʼ, ἱστορεῖν ἃ βούλομαι.
The father of Heracles and his wife, if I must, I ask; and I must, since as master of you I am established, to inquire what I wish.
§143τίνʼ ἐς χρόνον ζητεῖτε μηκῦναι βίον;
For how long a time do you seek to prolong your life?
§144τίνʼ ἐλπίδʼ ἀλκήν τʼ εἰσορᾶτε μὴ θανεῖν;
What hope and defense do you look to, so as not to die?
Or do you believe that the father of these children, lying in Hades, will return?
ὡς ὑπὲρ τὴν ἀξίαν §147τὸ πένθος αἴρεσθʼ, εἰ θανεῖν ὑμᾶς χρεών,
How beyond what is fitting you raise your grief, if you must die!
§148σὺ μὲν καθʼ Ἑλλάδʼ ἐκβαλὼν κόμπους κενούς, §149ὡς σύγγαμός σοι Ζεὺς τέκνου τε κοινεών, §150σὺ δʼ ὡς ἀρίστου φωτὸς ἐκλήθης δάμαρ.
You, on the one hand, casting empty boasts throughout Greece, that Zeus was your bedfellow and a partner in your child, and you, on the other hand, because you were called the wife of the noblest man.
§151τί δὴ τὸ σεμνὸν σῷ κατείργασται πόσει, §152ὕδραν ἕλειον εἰ διώλεσε κτανὼν §153ἢ τὸν Νέμειον θῆρα;
What solemn deed, pray, was achieved by your husband, if he killed and destroyed the marshy Hydra, or the Nemean beast?
ὃν ἐν βρόχοις ἑλὼν §154βραχίονός φησʼ ἀγχόναισιν ἐξελεῖν.
Which, having caught in nets, he claims to have destroyed by the strangling of his arm.
§155τοῖσδʼ ἐξαγωνίζεσθε;
Do you contend with these deeds?
τῶνδʼ ἄρʼ οὕνεκα §156τοὺς Ἡρακλείους παῖδας οὐ θνῄσκειν χρεών;
Is it for these things, then, that the children of Heracles must not die?
§157ὃς ἔσχε δόξαν οὐδὲν ὢν εὐψυχίας §158θηρῶν ἐν αἰχμῇ, τἄλλα δʼ οὐδὲν ἄλκιμος, §159ὃς οὔποτʼ ἀσπίδʼ ἔσχε πρὸς λαιᾷ χερὶ §160οὐδʼ ἦλθε λόγχης ἐγγύς, ἀλλὰ τόξʼ ἔχων, §161κάκιστον ὅπλον, τῇ φυγῇ πρόχειρος ἦν.
He who won a reputation for courage, though he was nothing, in battle against wild beasts, but in other respects was not brave at all, who never held a shield on his left hand nor came near a spear, but holding a bow, that most cowardly weapon, was always ready for flight.
§162ἀνδρὸς δʼ ἔλεγχος οὐχὶ τόξʼ εὐψυχίας, §163ἀλλʼ ὃς μένων βλέπει τε κἀντιδέρκεται §164δορὸς ταχεῖαν ἄλοκα τάξιν ἐμβεβώς.
A bow is no proof of a man's courage; rather, it is he who, remaining in his place, looks and stares back at the swift furrow of the spear, standing firm in the ranks.
§165ἔχει δὲ τοὐμὸν οὐκ ἀναίδειαν, γέρον, §166ἀλλʼ εὐλάβειαν· οἶδα γὰρ κατακτανὼν §167Κρέοντα πατέρα τῆσδε καὶ θρόνους ἔχων.
My conduct has no shamelessness, old man, but caution; for I know that I have slain Creon, the father of this woman, and hold his throne.
Therefore, if these children grow up, I do not wish to leave them as avengers to exact justice for my deeds.
§170τῷ τοῦ Διὸς μὲν Ζεὺς ἀμυνέτω μέρει §171παιδός· τὸ δʼ εἰς ἔμʼ, Ἡράκλεις, ἐμοὶ μέλει §172λόγοισι τὴν τοῦδʼ ἀμαθίαν ὑπὲρ σέθεν §173δεῖξαι· κακῶς γάρ σʼ οὐκ ἐατέον κλύειν.
Let Zeus indeed defend his own share of his son; but as for my part, Heracles, it is my concern to expose this man's ignorance with words on your behalf; for you must not be permitted to be ill-spoken of.