If only you had seen the child stretching out his hands to me, seeking the breast, or to fall into my embrace.
§963ἐνταῦθʼ, ἵνʼ οὐκ ὢν ἄδικʼ ἔπασχεν ἐξ ἐμοῦ.
There, where, though he was not to blame, he suffered unjustly from me.
§964σοὶ δʼ ἐς τί δόξʼ ἐσῆλθεν ἐκβαλεῖν τέκνον;
But why did the thought enter your mind to abandon the child?
§965ὡς τὸν θεὸν σῴζοντα τόν γʼ αὑτοῦ γόνον.
Thinking that the god would save his own offspring.
§966οἴμοι, δόμων σῶν ὄλβος ὡς χειμάζεται.
Alas, how the prosperity of your house is storm-tossed!
§967τί κρᾶτα κρύψας, ὦ γέρον, δακρυρροεῖς;
Why do you weep, old man, veiling your head?
§968σὲ καὶ πατέρα σὸν δυστυχοῦντας εἰσορῶ.
Because I see you and your father suffering misfortune.
§969τὰ θνητὰ τοιαῦτʼ· οὐδὲν ἐν ταὐτῷ μένει.
Mortal affairs are such; nothing remains in the same state.
§970μή νυν ἔτʼ οἴκτων, θύγατερ, ἀντεχώμεθα.
Let us then, daughter, cling no longer to lamentations.
§971τί γάρ με χρὴ δρᾶν;
For what must I do?
ἀπορία τὸ δυστυχεῖν.
To be unfortunate is to be helpless.
§972τὸν πρῶτον ἀδικήσαντά σʼ ἀποτίνου θεόν.
Take vengeance on the god who first wronged you.
§973καὶ πῶς τὰ κρείσσω θνητὸς οὖσʼ ὑπερδράμω;
And how can I, being mortal, overcome those who are stronger?
§974πίμπρη τὰ σεμνὰ Λοξίου χρηστήρια.
Set fire to the holy oracle of Loxias.
§975δέδοικα· καὶ νῦν πημάτων ἄδην ἔχω.
I am afraid; and even now I have my fill of sufferings.
§976τὰ δυνατά νυν τόλμησον, ἄνδρα σὸν κτανεῖν.
Then dare what is possible: kill your husband.
§977αἰδούμεθʼ εὐνὰς τὰς τόθʼ ἡνίκʼ ἐσθλὸς ἦν.
I respect the marriage of that time when he was good.
§978νῦν δʼ ἀλλὰ παῖδα τὸν ἐπὶ σοὶ πεφηνότα.
At least, then, kill the boy who has appeared to your detriment.
§979πῶς;
How?
εἰ γὰρ εἴη δυνατόν·
If only it were possible!
ὡς θέλοιμί γʼ ἄν.
For I certainly would wish it.
§980ξιφηφόρους σοὺς ὁπλίσασʼ ὀπάονας.
By arming your sword-bearing attendants.
§981στείχοιμʼ ἄν· ἀλλὰ ποῦ γενήσεται τόδε;
I would go; but where shall this take place?
§982ἱεραῖσιν ἐν σκηναῖσιν, οὗ θοινᾷ φίλους.
In the sacred tents, where he is feasting his friends.
§983ἐπίσημον ὁ φόνος, καὶ τὸ δοῦλον ἀσθενές.
The murder would be too conspicuous, and the slave class is weak.
§984ὤμοι, κακίζῃ·
Alas, you are playing the coward!
φέρε, σὺ νῦν βούλευέ τι.
Come, you now plan something.
§985καὶ μὴν ἔχω γε δόλια καὶ δραστήρια.
And yet, indeed I have a scheme both treacherous and effective.
§986ἀμφοῖν ἂν εἴην τοῖνδʼ ὑπηρέτης ἐγώ.
I would be a servant to both of these.
§987ἄκουε τοίνυν· οἶσθα γηγενῆ μάχην;
Listen then: do you know of the earth-born battle?
§988οἶδʼ, ἣν Φλέγρᾳ Γίγαντες ἔστησαν θεοῖς.
I know it, which the Giants waged against the gods at Phlegra.
§989ἐνταῦθα Γοργόνʼ ἔτεκε Γῆ, δεινὸν τέρας.
There Earth gave birth to the Gorgon, a terrible monster.
§990ἦ παισὶν αὑτῆς σύμμαχον, θεῶν πόνον;
As an ally to her children, to be a trouble to the gods?
§991ναί· καί νιν ἔκτεινʼ ἡ Διὸς Παλλὰς θεά.
Yes; and Pallas, the divine daughter of Zeus, slew it.
§994ἆρʼ οὗτός ἐσθʼ ὁ μῦθος ὃν κλύω πάλαι;
Is this the story that I have long heard?
§995ταύτης Ἀθάναν δέρος ἐπὶ στέρνοις ἔχειν.
That Athena wears the skin of this monster on her breast.
§996ἣν αἰγίδʼ ὀνομάζουσι, Παλλάδος στολήν;
Which they call the aegis, the garment of Pallas?
§997τόδʼ ἔσχεν ὄνομα θεῶν ὅτʼ ᾖξεν ἐς δόρυ.
It received this name when she rushed into the battle of the gods.
§998τί δῆτα, θύγατερ, τοῦτο σοῖς ἐχθροῖς βλάβος;
But how, daughter, is this a harm to your enemies?
§999Ἐριχθόνιον οἶσθʼ, ἢ —;
Do you know Erichthonius, or—?
τί δʼ οὐ μέλλεις, γέρον;
But how could you not, old man?
§1000ὃν πρῶτον ὑμῶν πρόγονον ἐξανῆκε γῆ;
Whom the earth brought forth as the first ancestor of your race?
To him, when he was a newborn babe, Pallas gave— What thing?
μέλλον γάρ τι προσφέρεις ἔπος.
For you are bringing forward some suspenseful word.
§1003δισσοὺς σταλαγμοὺς αἵματος Γοργοῦς ἄπο.
Two drops of blood from the Gorgon.
§1004ἰσχὺν ἔχοντας τίνα πρὸς ἀνθρώπου φύσιν;
Possessing what power over the nature of man?
§1005τὸν μὲν θανάσιμον, τὸν δʼ ἀκεσφόρον νόσων.
One is fatal, and the other cures diseases.
§1006ἐν τῷ καθάψασʼ ἀμφὶ παιδὶ σώματος;
In what did she fasten them around the child's body?
§1007χρυσοῖσι δεσμοῖς· ὁ δὲ δίδωσʼ ἐμῷ πατρί.
In golden clasps; and he gave them to my father.
§1008κείνου δὲ κατθανόντος ἐς σὲ ἀφίκετο;
And upon his death, did it come to you?
§1009ναί· κἀπὶ καρπῷ γʼ αὔτʼ ἐγὼ χερὸς φέρω.
Yes; and indeed I wear them on my wrist.
§1010πῶς οὖν κέκρανται δίπτυχον δῶρον θεᾶς;
How then is this twofold gift of the goddess accomplished?
The drop which dripped from the hollow vein during the slaughter— How is one to use this?
δύνασιν ἐκφέρει τίνα;
What power does it display?
§1013νόσους ἀπείργει καὶ τροφὰς ἔχει βίου.
It keeps away diseases and sustains life.
§1014ὁ δεύτερος δʼ ἀριθμὸς ὧν λέγεις τί δρᾷ;
And what does the second of those you speak of do?
§1015κτείνει, δρακόντων ἰὸς ὢν τῶν Γοργόνος.
It kills, being the venom of the Gorgon's snakes.
§1016ἐς ἓν δὲ κραθέντʼ αὐτὸν ἢ χωρὶς φορεῖς;
Do you carry them mixed into one, or separately?
§1017χωρίς· κακῷ γὰρ ἐσθλὸν οὐ συμμείγνυται.
Separately; for good is not to be mixed with evil.
§1018ὦ φιλτάτη παῖ, πάντʼ ἔχεις ὅσων σε δεῖ.
O dearest child, you have everything that you need.
§1019τούτῳ θανεῖται παῖς· σὺ δʼ ὁ κτείνων ἔσῃ.
By this the boy shall die; and you shall be the one to kill him.
§1020ποῦ καὶ τί δράσας;
Where, and by doing what?
σὸν λέγειν, τολμᾶν δʼ ἐμόν.
It is yours to speak, and mine to dare.
§1021ἐν ταῖς Ἀθήναις, δῶμʼ ὅταν τοὐμὸν μόλῃ.
In Athens, when he comes to my house.
§1022οὐκ εὖ τόδʼ εἶπας· καὶ σὺ γὰρ τοὐμὸν ψέγεις.
You have not spoken well; for you too are criticizing my plan.
§1023πῶς;
How?
ἆρʼ ὑπείδου τοῦθʼ ὃ κἄμʼ ἐσέρχεται;
Have you suspected that which also comes into my mind?
§1024σὺ παῖδα δόξεις διολέσαι, κεἰ μὴ κτενεῖς.
You will be thought to have destroyed the boy, even if you do not kill him.
§1025ὀρθῶς· φθονεῖν γάρ φασι μητρυιὰς τέκνοις.
Rightly; for they say stepmothers envy their stepchildren.
§1026αὐτοῦ νυν αὐτὸν κτεῖνʼ, ἵνʼ ἀρνήσῃ φόνους.
Kill him then right here, so that you may deny the murder.
§1027προλάζυμαι γοῦν τῷ χρόνῳ τῆς ἡδονῆς.
At least I anticipate the pleasure in time.
§1028καὶ σόν γε λήσεις πόσιν ἅ σε σπεύδει λαθεῖν.
And you will escape the notice of your husband, who is eager to deceive you.
§1029οἶσθʼ οὖν ὃ δρᾶσον; χειρὸς ἐξ ἐμῆς λαβὼν
Do you know then what to do?
§1030χρύσωμʼ Ἀθάνας τόδε, παλαιὸν ὄργανον, §1031ἐλθὼν ἵνʼ ἡμῖν βουθυτεῖ λάθρα πόσις, §1032δείπνων ὅταν λήγωσι καὶ σπονδὰς θεοῖς §1033μέλλωσι λείβειν, ἐν πέπλοις ἔχων τόδε
Take from my hand this golden vessel of Athena, an ancient instrument, and go to where my husband is secretly sacrificing oxen for us, when they finish the feast and to the gods libations are about to pour, having this in your garments...