§443γράψαντας, αὐτοὺς ἀνομίαν ὀφλισκάνειν;
How is it just, after writing laws, that you yourselves incur the charge of lawlessness?
§444εἰ δʼ — οὐ γὰρ ἔσται, τῷ λόγῳ δὲ χρήσομαι — §445δίκας βιαίων δώσετʼ ἀνθρώποις γάμων, §446σὺ καὶ Ποσειδῶν Ζεύς θʼ ὃς οὐρανοῦ κρατεῖ, §447ναοὺς τίνοντες ἀδικίας κενώσετε.
But if — for it will not happen, but I shall use it as an argument — you will pay the penalty to mortals for your violent marriages, you and Poseidon and Zeus who rules heaven, you will empty your temples by paying the penalties.
For pursuing pleasures before foresight, you act unjustly.
οὐκέτʼ ἀνθρώπους κακῶς §450λέγειν δίκαιον, εἰ τὰ τῶν θεῶν καλὰ §451μιμούμεθʼ, ἀλλὰ τοὺς διδάσκοντας τάδε.
No longer is it just to speak ill of men, if we imitate the fine deeds of the gods, but rather of those who teach such things.
§452σὲ τὰν ὠδίνων λοχιᾶν §453ἀνειλείθυιαν, ἐμὰν §454Ἀθάναν, ἱκετεύω, §455Προμηθεῖ Τιτᾶνι λοχευ- §456θεῖσαν κατʼ ἀκροτάτας §457κορυφᾶς Διός, ὦ μάκαιρα Νίκα, §458μόλε Πύθιον οἶκον, §459Ὀλύμπου χρυσέων θαλάμων §460πταμένα πρὸς ἀγυιάς, §461Φοιβήιος ἔνθα γᾶς §462μεσσόμφαλος ἑστία §463παρὰ χορευομένῳ τρίποδι §464μαντεύματα κραίνει,
You who in birth-pangs did not need Eileithyia, my Athena, I supplicate you, who were delivered by Prometheus the Titan from the highest summit of Zeus, O blessed Victory, come to the Pythian house, flying from the golden chambers of Olympus to the streets (of Delphi), where the hearth of the earth, belonging to Phoebus, at the center of the world byside the dancing tripod, brings prophecies to fulfillment.
You and the child born of Leto, two goddesses, two maidens, the revered sisters of Phoebus.
§468ἱκετεύσατε δʼ, ὦ κόραι, §469τὸ παλαιὸν Ἐρεχθέως §470γένος εὐτεκνίας χρονίου καθαροῖς §471μαντεύμασι κῦρσαι.
Supplicate, O maidens, that the ancient house of Erechtheus may obtain long-delayed offspring by pure oracles.
§472ὑπερβαλλούσας γὰρ ἔχει §473θνατοῖς εὐδαιμονίας §474ἀκίνητον ἀφορμάν, §475τέκνων οἷς ἂν καρποτρόφοι §476λάμπωσιν ἐν θαλάμοις §477πατρίοισι νεάνιδες ἧβαι, §478διαδέκτορα πλοῦτον §479ὡς ἕξοντες ἐκ πατέρων §480ἑτέροις ἐπὶ τέκνοις.
For it holds for mortals an immovable source of exceeding happiness, for those for whom fruit-nourishing young generations shine in the paternal chambers, as they will hold the wealth handed down from fathers to other children in turn.
§481ἀλκά τε γὰρ ἐν κακοῖς §482σύν τʼ εὐτυχίαις φίλον, §483δορί τε γᾷ πατρίᾳ φέρει §484σωτήριον ἀλκάν.
For it is a defense in troubles and a joy in good fortunes, and in war it brings to the fatherland a saving strength.
For me, indeed, before wealth and royal chambers, may there be the caring rearing of dear children.
§488τὸν ἄπαιδα δʼ ἀποστυγῶ §489βίον, ᾧ τε δοκεῖ ψέγω· §490μετὰ δὲ κτεάνων μετρίων βιοτᾶς §491εὔπαιδος ἐχοίμαν.
And the childless life I detest, and him who approves of it I censure; but with moderate possessions may I hold a life blessed with children.
§492ὦ Πανὸς θακήματα καὶ §493παραυλίζουσα πέτρα §494μυχώδεσι Μακραῖς, §495ἵνα χοροὺς στείβουσι ποδοῖν §496Ἀγλαύρου κόραι τρίγονοι §497στάδια χλοερὰ πρὸ Παλλάδος §498ναῶν, συρίγγων §499ὑπʼ αἰόλας ἰαχᾶς §500ὕμνων, ὅτʼ ἀναλίοις §501συρίζεις, ὦ Πάν, §502τοῖς σοῖσιν ἐν ἄντροις,
O seats of Pan and the neighboring rock by the cavernous Macrai, where the three daughters of Agraulus tread in the dance with their feet on the green grass before the temples of Pallas, under the shifting sound of pipes of hymns, when you play the pipe, O Pan, in your sunless caves, in your caves.
§503ἵνα τεκοῦσά τις Φοίβῳ §504παρθένος, ὦ μελέα, βρέφος, §504aπτανοῖς ἐξόρισεν θοίναν §505θηρσί τε φοινίαν δαῖτα, πικρῶν γάμων §506ὕβριν· οὔτʼ ἐπὶ κερκίσιν οὔτε λόγοις §507φάτιν ἄιον εὐτυχίας μετέχειν §508θεόθεν τέκνα θνατοῖς.
Where a certain maiden, having given birth to a child for Phoebus, O wretched one, exposed the infant as a prey for winged birds and a bloody feast for beasts, the outrage of a bitter marriage; neither in loom-songs nor in stories have I heard the report that children born from gods to mortals share in good fortune.
§510πρόσπολοι γυναῖκες, αἳ τῶνδʼ ἀμφὶ κρηπῖδας δόμων §511θυοδόκων φρούρημʼ ἔχουσαι δεσπότιν φυλάσσετε, §512ἐκλέλοιπʼ ἤδη τὸν ἱερὸν τρίποδα καὶ χρηστήριον §513Ξοῦθος, ἢ μίμνει κατʼ οἶκον ἱστορῶν ἀπαιδίαν;
Chorus of Women: Servant women, who keep guard around the foundations of these temples that receive incense, and watch over your mistress, has Xuthus already left the sacred tripod and the oracle, or does he remain inside inquiring about childlessness?
§514ἐν δόμοις ἔστʼ, ὦ ξένʼ· οὔπω δῶμʼ ὑπερβαίνει τόδε.
Servants: He is in the house, O stranger; he does not yet cross this threshold.
But as if he is at the exit, we hear the sound of these gates, and now it is possible to see our master coming out.
§517ὦ τέκνον, χαῖρʼ· ἡ γὰρ ἀρχὴ τοῦ λόγου πρέπουσά μοι.
Xuthus: O my child, rejoice; for the beginning of my speech is fitting for me.
§518χαίρομεν· σὺ δʼ εὖ φρόνει γε, καὶ δύʼ ὄντʼ εὖ πράξομεν.
Ion: I rejoice; but do you be of sound mind, and both of us will fare well.
§519δὸς χερὸς φίλημά μοι σῆς σώματός τʼ ἀμφιπτυχάς.
Xuthus: Give me a kiss of your hand and the embrace of your body.
§520εὖ φρονεῖς μέν;
Ion: Are you indeed of sound mind?
ἤ σʼ ἔμηνε θεοῦ τις, ὦ ξένε, βλάβη;
Or has some harm from a god driven you mad, O stranger?
§521σωφρονῶ· τὰ φίλταθʼ εὑρὼν οὐ φυγεῖν ἐφίεμαι.
Xuthus: I am sane; having found my dearest, I do not wish to flee.
§522παῦε, μὴ ψαύσας τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ στέμματα ῥήξῃς χερί.
Ion: Stop, lest by touching the garlands of the god you tear them with your hand.
§523ἅψομαι· κοὐ ῥυσιάζω, τἀμὰ δʼ εὑρίσκω φίλα.
Xuthus: I shall touch you; and I am not committing robbery, but finding my own dear one.
§524οὐκ ἀπαλλάξῃ, πρὶν εἴσω τόξα πλευμόνων λαβεῖν;
Ion: Will you not depart before receiving an arrow inside your lungs?
§525ὡς τί δὴ φεύγεις με;
Xuthus: Why indeed do you flee me?
σαυτοῦ γνωρίσας τὰ φίλτατα — §526οὐ φιλῶ φρενοῦν ἀμούσους καὶ μεμηνότας ξένους.
Having recognized your own dearest — Ion: I do not like to admonish unrefined and mad strangers.
§527κτεῖνε καὶ πίμπρη· πατρὸς γάρ, ἢν κτάνῃς, ἔσῃ φονεύς.
Xuthus: Kill me and burn me; for if you kill me, you will be the murderer of your father.
§528ποῦ δέ μοι πατὴρ σύ;
Ion: How indeed are you my father?
ταῦτʼ οὖν οὐ γέλως κλύειν ἐμοῦ;
Is this not a joke for me to hear?
§529οὔ· τρέχων ὁ μῦθος ἄν σοι τἀμὰ σημήνειεν ἄν.
Xuthus: No; the running story would show you my situation.
§530καὶ τί μοι λέξεις;
Ion: And what will you tell me?
§530bπατὴρ σός εἰμι καὶ σὺ παῖς ἐμός.
Xuthus: I am your father and you are my child.
§531τίς λέγει τάδε;
Ion: Who says these things?
§531bὅς σʼ ἔθρεψεν ὄντα Λοξίας ἐμόν.
Xuthus: Loxias, who brought you up, says you are mine.
§532μαρτυρεῖς σαυτῷ.
Ion: You bear witness to yourself.
§532bτὰ τοῦ θεοῦ γʼ ἐκμαθὼν χρηστήρια.
Xuthus: Having learned well the oracles of the god.
§533ἐσφάλης αἴνιγμʼ ἀκούσας.
Ion: You were deceived, having heard a riddle.
§533bοὐκ ἄρʼ ὄρθʼ ἀκούομεν.
Xuthus: Then we do not hear correctly.
§534ὁ δὲ λόγος τίς ἐστι Φοίβου;
Ion: And what is the speech of Phoebus?
Xuthus: That the one who met me — Ion: What kind of meeting?
Xuthus: As I was coming out of these temples of the god — Ion: To meet with what fortune?
§536bπαῖδʼ ἐμὸν πεφυκέναι.
Xuthus: That he is my child.
§537σὸν γεγῶτʼ, ἢ δῶρον ἄλλως;
Ion: Born from you, or otherwise a gift?
§537bδῶρον, ὄντα δʼ ἐξ ἐμοῦ.
Xuthus: A gift, but being of my own blood.
§538πρῶτα δῆτʼ ἐμοὶ ξυνάπτεις πόδα σόν;
Ion: Did you indeed first join your foot with mine?