§565τάλαινʼ ἐκείνη χὡ κτανὼν αὐτὴν πατήρ.
[Iphigenia]: Wretched was she, and the father who killed her.
§566κακῆς γυναικὸς χάριν ἄχαριν ἀπώλετο.
[Orestes]: For the sake of an evil woman, a thankless favor, she perished.
§567ὁ τοῦ θανόντος δʼ ἔστι παῖς Ἄργει πατρός;
[Iphigenia]: But is there a son of the dead father in Argos?
§568ἔστʼ, ἄθλιός γε, κοὐδαμοῦ καὶ πανταχοῦ.
[Orestes]: He is, wretched indeed, both nowhere and everywhere.
§569ψευδεῖς ὄνειροι, χαίρετʼ· οὐδὲν ἦτʼ ἄρα.
[Iphigenia]: False dreams, farewell; you were nothing after all.
[Orestes]: Not even the gods who are called wise are any more truthful than winged dreams.
There is much confusion in divine and human affairs.
ἓν δὲ λυπεῖται μόνον, §574ὃς οὐκ ἄφρων ὢν μάντεων πεισθεὶς λόγοις §575ὄλωλεν — ὡς ὄλωλε τοῖσιν εἰδόσιν.
But only one thing is painful: when someone, not being foolish, trusting the words of prophets, has perished — as he has indeed perished in the eyes of those who know.
§576φεῦ φεῦ·
[Chorus]: Alas, alas!
τί δʼ ἡμεῖς οἵ τʼ ἐμοὶ γεννήτορες;
And what of us and our parents?
§577ἆρʼ εἰσίν;
Do they exist?
ἆρʼ οὐκ εἰσί;
Do they not?
τίς φράσειεν ἄν;
Who can tell us?
[Iphigenia]: Listen, for we have come to a certain proposal, which brings benefit to you, strangers, and at the same time to my purpose.
And the best outcome is achieved in this way, if the same matter is pleasing to all.
§582θέλοις ἄν, εἰ σῴσαιμί σʼ, ἀγγεῖλαί τί μοι §583πρὸς Ἄργος ἐλθὼν τοῖς ἐμοῖς ἐκεῖ φίλοις, §584δέλτον τʼ ἐνεγκεῖν, ἥν τις οἰκτίρας ἐμὲ §585ἔγραψεν αἰχμάλωτος, οὐχὶ τὴν ἐμὴν §586φονέα νομίζων χεῖρα, τοῦ νόμου δʼ ὕπο §587θνῄσκειν τὰ τῆς θεοῦ, τάδε δίκαιʼ ἡγουμένης;
Would you be willing, if I should save you, to convey a message for me, going to Argos, to my friends there, and to carry a tablet which a certain captive wrote, pitying me, not thinking my hand to be his slayer, but that he dies under the law of the goddess, since she considers these things just?
§588οὐδένα γὰρ εἶχον ὅστις ἀγγείλαι μολὼν §589ἐς Ἄργος αὖθις, τάς τʼ ἐμὰς ἐπιστολὰς §590πέμψειε σωθεὶς τῶν ἐμῶν φίλων τινί.
For I had no one who, returning to Argos, could report and, being saved, could send my letter to some one of my friends.
§591σὺ δʼ — εἶ γάρ, ὡς ἔοικας, οὔτε δυσμενὴς §592καὶ τὰς Μυκήνας οἶσθα χοὓς κἀγὼ θέλω — §593σώθητι, καὶ σὺ μισθὸν οὐκ αἰσχρὸν λαβών, §594κούφων ἕκατι γραμμάτων σωτηρίαν.
But you — since you seem to be not ill-disposed, and you know Mycenae and those whom I wish to reach — be saved, receiving a reward that is not shameful: your safety in exchange for a few written words.
But let this man, since the city compels these things, become a sacrifice to the goddess, separated from you.
§597καλῶς ἔλεξας τἄλλα πλὴν ἕν, ὦ ξένη·
[Orestes]: You have spoken well in all else but one thing, stranger.
§598τὸ γὰρ σφαγῆναι τόνδε μοι βάρος μέγα.
For this man to be slaughtered is a heavy burden to me.
For I am the one who pilots this voyage of disasters, and he sails with me for the sake of my labors.
It is therefore not just that I should gain favor at the cost of his destruction, and myself escape evils.
§603ἀλλʼ ὣς γενέσθω· τῷδε μὲν δέλτον δίδου· §604πέμψει γὰρ Ἄργος, ὥστε σοι καλῶς ἔχειν· §605ἡμᾶς δʼ ὁ χρῄζων κτεινέτω.
But let it be so: give the tablet to him, for he will send it to Argos, so that it will be well for you; and let him who wishes kill me.
For it is most shameful for one who, casting the affairs of his friends into disasters, has saved himself.
τυγχάνει δʼ ὅδʼ ὢν φίλος, §608ὃν οὐδὲν ἧσσον ἢ ʼμὲ φῶς ὁρᾶν θέλω.
And this man happens to be a friend whom I wish to see the light no less than myself.
§609ὦ λῆμʼ ἄριστον, ὡς ἀπʼ εὐγενοῦς τινος
[Iphigenia]: O noble spirit!
§610ῥίζης πέφυκας τοῖς φίλοις τʼ ὀρθῶς φίλος.
How you have sprung from some well-born root, and are truly a friend to your friends!
May he who is left of my own siblings be such a one.
καὶ γὰρ οὐδʼ ἐγώ, ξένοι, §613ἀνάδελφός εἰμι, πλὴν ὅσʼ οὐχ ὁρῶσά νιν.
For I too, strangers, am not without a brother, except that I do not see him.
§614ἐπεὶ δὲ βούλῃ ταῦτα, τόνδε πέμψομεν §615δέλτον φέροντα, σὺ δὲ θανῇ· πολλὴ δέ τις §616προθυμία σε τοῦδʼ ἔχουσα τυγχάνει.
And since you wish this, we will send this man carrying the tablet, and you shall die; and a certain great desire for this possesses you.
§617θύσει δὲ τίς με καὶ τὰ δεινὰ τλήσεται;
[Orestes]: But who will sacrifice me and dare these terrible deeds?
§618ἐγώ· θεᾶς γὰρ τῆσδε προστροπὴν ἔχω.
[Iphigenia]: I; for I have the charge of this goddess.
§619ἄζηλά γʼ, ὦ νεᾶνι, κοὐκ εὐδαίμονα.
[Orestes]: An unenviable task indeed, young woman, and not a happy one.
§620ἀλλʼ εἰς ἀνάγκην κείμεθʼ, ἣν φυλακτέον.
[Iphigenia]: But we are placed under a necessity which must be observed.
§621αὐτὴ ξίφει θύουσα θῆλυς ἄρσενας;
[Orestes]: You yourself, a woman, sacrificing men with a sword?
§622οὔκ, ἀλλὰ χαίτην ἀμφὶ σὴν χερνίψομαι.
[Iphigenia]: No, but I will sprinkle the lustral water around your hair.
§623ὁ δὲ σφαγεὺς τίς; εἰ τάδʼ ἱστορεῖν με χρή.
[Orestes]: And who is the slayer, if I must ask this?
§624ἔσω δόμων τῶνδʼ εἰσὶν οἷς μέλει τάδε.
[Iphigenia]: Inside this temple are those whose concern this is.
§625τάφος δὲ ποῖος δέξεταί μʼ, ὅταν θάνω;
[Orestes]: And what kind of tomb will receive me when I die?
§626πῦρ ἱερὸν ἔνδον χάσμα τʼ εὐρωπὸν πέτρας.
[Iphigenia]: A sacred fire within, and a wide cleft of rock.
§627φεῦ·
[Orestes]: Alas!
§627aπῶς ἄν μʼ ἀδελφῆς χεὶρ περιστείλειεν ἄν;
Would that a sister's hand might lay me out!
[Iphigenia]: You have uttered a useless prayer, O wretched man, whoever you are; for she dwells far from this barbarian land.
Yet, since you happen to be an Argive, I too will not fail in any favor that is possible.
§632πολύν τε γάρ σοι κόσμον ἐνθήσω τάφῳ, §633ξανθῷ τʼ ἐλαίῳ σῶμα σὸν κατασβέσω, §634καὶ τῆς ὀρείας ἀνθεμόρρυτον γάνος §635ξουθῆς μελίσσης ἐς πυρὰν βαλῶ σέθεν.
For I will place much ornament upon your tomb, and with yellow oil I will quench your body, and the flower-distilled brightness of the mountain bee, the yellow bee, I will cast upon your pyre.
But I will go and bring the tablet from the temple of the goddess; yet do not hold ill-will against me.