§201νέατον τεκέων σώματα λεύσσω,
For the last time I look upon the bodies of my children, for the last time.
§202νέατον §202aμόχθους ἕξω κρείσσους, §203ἢ λέκτροις πλαθεῖσʼ Ἑλλάνων §204ʽἑ̓́ρροι νὺξ αὕτα καὶ δαίμων. ʼ §205ἢ Πειρήνας ὑδρευσομένα §206πρόσπολος οἰκτρὰ σεμνῶν ὑδάτων.
I shall have greater sufferings, either being brought to the beds of the Greeks— 'may that night and my fortune perish!'— or as a drawer of water from Pirene, a wretched servant of its sacred waters.
Would that we might go to the famous, happy land of Theseus.
§210μὴ γὰρ δὴ δίναν γʼ Εὐρώτα, §211τὰν ἐχθίσταν θεράπναν Ἑλένας, §212ἔνθʼ ἀντάσω Μενέλᾳ δούλα, §213τῷ τᾶς Τροίας πορθητᾷ.
For surely may I not [go] to the eddy of Eurotas, the most hateful home of Helen, where I shall meet Menelaus as a slave, the sacker of Troy.
§214τὰν Πηνειοῦ σεμνὰν χώραν, §215κρηπῖδʼ Οὐλύμπου καλλίσταν, §216ὄλβῳ βρίθειν φάμαν ἤκουσʼ §217εὐθαλεῖ τʼ εὐκαρπείᾳ· §218τάδε δεύτερά μοι μετὰ τὰν ἱερὰν §219Θησέως ζαθέαν ἐλθεῖν χώραν.
The sacred land of Peneus, the fairest pedestal of Olympus, I have heard the rumor that it teems with wealth and flourishing fruitfulness; this is my second choice, after the sacred, divine land of Theseus to go.
§220καὶ τὰν Αἰτναίαν Ἡφαίστου §221Φοινίκας ἀντήρη χώραν, §222Σικελῶν ὀρέων ματέρʼ, ἀκούω §223καρύσσεσθαι στεφάνοις ἀρετᾶς.
And the Etnaean land of Hephaestus, the country opposite to Phoenicia, the mother of Sicilian mountains, I hear is proclaimed with crowns of excellence.
§224τάν τʼ ἀγχιστεύουσαν γᾶν §225Ἰονίῳ ναύται πόντῳ, §226ἃν ὑγραίνει καλλιστεύων §227ὁ ξανθὰν χαίταν πυρσαίνων §228Κρᾶθις ζαθέαις πηγαῖσι τρέφων §229εὔανδρόν τʼ ὀλβίζων γᾶν.
And the land neighboring the Ionian sea for sailors, which, being fairest, waters he who colors blond hair red, Crathis, nourishing with divine springs and blessing the land of brave men.
§230καὶ μὴν Δαναῶν ὅδʼ ἀπὸ στρατιᾶς §231κῆρυξ, νεοχμῶν μύθων ταμίας, §232στείχει ταχύπουν ἴχνος ἐξανύων.
And lo, from the army of the Danaans a herald, the steward of new words, comes, hastening his swift-footed step.
§233τί φέρει;
What does he bring?
τί λέγει;
What does he say?
δοῦλαι γὰρ δὴ §234Δωρίδος ἐσμὲν χθονὸς ἤδη.
For indeed slaves of the Doric land we are already.
§235Ἑκάβη, πυκνὰς γὰρ οἶσθά μʼ ἐς Τροίαν ὁδοὺς §236ἐλθόντα κήρυκʼ ἐξ Ἀχαιικοῦ στρατοῦ, §237ἐγνωσμένος δὲ καὶ πάροιθέ σοι, γύναι, §238Ταλθύβιος ἥκω καινὸν ἀγγελῶν λόγον.
Hecuba, for you know that I have made many journeys to Troy as a herald from the Achaean host, and being known to you also in the past, lady, I, Talthybius, have come announcing new tidings.
Alas, this, this, dear Trojan women, which was our fear of old.
§240ἤδη κεκλήρωσθʼ, εἰ τόδʼ ἦν ὑμῖν φόβος.
Already you have been allotted, if this was your fear.
Alas, to which city of Thessaly, or of Phthia, did you say, or of the Cadmean land?
§243κατʼ ἄνδρʼ ἑκάστη κοὐχ ὁμοῦ λελόγχατε.
Separately each of you, and not together, have been allotted.
§244τίνʼ ἄρα τίς ἔλαχε;
Who then has got whom?
τίνα πότμος εὐτυχὴς §245Ἰλιάδων μένει;
What fortunate fate awaits the daughters of Ilium?
§246οἶδʼ· ἀλλʼ ἕκαστα πυνθάνου, μὴ πάνθʼ ὁμοῦ.
I know; but ask of each, not all at once.
Who then has got my child, tell me, the wretched Cassandra?
§249ἐξαίρετόν νιν ἔλαβεν Ἀγαμέμνων ἄναξ.
Lord Agamemnon took her as a special prize.
ἰώ μοί μοι.
Alas, alas!
§252οὔκ, ἀλλὰ λέκτρων σκότια νυμφευτήρια.
No, but for the secret bridal of his bed.
What, the virgin of Phoesbus, to whom the golden-haired god gave the privilege of an unwedded life?
§255ἔρως ἐτόξευσʼ αὐτὸν ἐνθέου κόρης.
Love shot him for the god-inspired maiden.
Cast away, child, the sacred keys, and from your body the sacred ornaments of the wreaths you wear.
§259οὐ γὰρ μέγʼ αὐτῇ βασιλικῶν λέκτρων τυχεῖν;
For is it not a great thing for her to obtain a royal bed?
§260τί δʼ ὃ νεοχμὸν ἀπʼ ἐμέθεν ἐλάβετε τέκος, ποῦ μοι;
And my child whom you recently took from me, where is she?
§262Πολυξένην ἔλεξας, ἢ τίνʼ ἱστορεῖς;
Is it Polyxena you mean, or whom do you ask about?
§263ταύταν· τῷ πάλος ἔζευξεν;
Her; to whom has the lot joined her?
§264τύμβῳ τέτακται προσπολεῖν Ἀχιλλέως.
She has been appointed to serve the tomb of Achilles.
§265ὤμοι ἐγώ·
Ah me!
τάφῳ πρόσπολον ἐτεκόμαν.
Did I give birth to a servant for a tomb?
But what custom or what decree is this of the Greeks, my friend?
§268εὐδαιμόνιζε παῖδα σήν· ἔχει καλῶς.
Count your daughter happy; she is well.
§269τί τόδʼ ἔλακες;
What is this you say?
ἆρά μοι ἀέλιον λεύσσει;
Does she still look upon the sun for me?
§270ἔχει πότμος νιν, ὥστʼ ἀπηλλάχθαι πόνων.
Fate holds her, so that she is released from troubles.
And what of the wife of bronze-clad Hector, wretched Andromache, what fortune has she?
§273καὶ τήνδʼ Ἀχιλλέως ἔλαβε παῖς ἐξαίρετον.
Her too the son of Achilles took as a special prize.
And to whom am I servant, I who need the hand with three-legged staff for my aged head?
§277Ἰθάκης Ὀδυσσεὺς ἔλαχʼ ἄναξ δούλην σʼ ἔχειν.
Odysseus, lord of Ithaca, has got you by lot to have as his slave.
§278ἒ ἔ.
Alas, alas.
Strike your shorn head, tear with your nails your two cheeks.
§281ἰώ μοί μοι.
Alas, alas!
§282μυσαρῷ δολίῳ λέλογχα φωτὶ δουλεύειν, §283πολεμίῳ δίκας, παρανόμῳ δάκει, §285ὃς πάντα τἀκεῖθεν ἐνθάδε στρέφει, τὰ δʼ §286ἀντίπαλʼ αὖθις ἐκεῖσε διπτύχῳ γλώσσᾳ §287φίλα τὰ πρότερʼ ἄφιλα τιθέμενος πάντων.
I have been allotted to serve a loathsome, deceitful man, an enemy to justice, a lawless beast, who turns all things from there to here, and then the opposite back there again with double tongue, making what was once friendly unfriendly to all.
§288γοᾶσθʼ, ὦ Τρῳάδες, με.
Lament for me, Trojan women.
§289βέβακα δύσποτμος. ἁ
I am ruined, ill-fated.
I, wretched, have fallen to the most unfortunate lot.
You know your own, mistress; but my fortune, which of the Achaeans or who of the Greeks holds it?
§294ἴτʼ, ἐκκομίζειν δεῦρο Κασάνδραν χρεὼν §295ὅσον τάχιστα, δμῶες, ὡς στρατηλάτῃ §296ἐς χεῖρα δούς νιν, εἶτα τὰς εἰληγμένας §297καὶ τοῖσιν ἄλλοις αἰχμαλωτίδων ἄγω.
Go, servants, we must bring out Cassandra here as quickly as possible, so that to the general having given her into his hand, I may then lead the allotted captive women also to the others.
§298ἔα·
Ah!
τί πεύκης ἔνδον αἴθεται σέλας;
What torch's light is burning within?
§299πιμπρᾶσιν — ἢ τί δρῶσι — Τρῳάδες μυχούς, §300ὡς ἐξάγεσθαι τῆσδε μέλλουσαι χθονὸς §301πρὸς Ἄργος, αὑτῶν τʼ ἐκπυροῦσι σώματα §302θανεῖν θέλουσαι;
Are the Trojan women burning the inner chambers, or what are they doing, since they are about to be led away from this land to Argos, and are they setting fire to their own bodies, wishing to die?
κάρτα τοι τοὐλεύθερον §303ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις δυσλόφως φέρει κακά.
Truly, a free spirit bears misfortunes with difficulty in such circumstances.
Open, open, lest what is beneficial to them but hostile to the Achaeans, casts blame upon me.