§267ὅστις μὲν οὖν ἐς μίαν ἀποβλέπων τύχην §268πρὸς θεῶν κακοῦται, βαρὺ μέν, οἰστέον δʼ ὅμως· §269ἡμεῖς δὲ πολλαῖς συμφοραῖς ἐγκείμεθα.
Whosoever therefore, looking to a single fortune, is afflicted by the gods, it is heavy indeed, but must be borne nonetheless; but we are beset by many misfortunes.
§270πρῶτον μὲν οὐκ οὖσʼ ἄδικος, εἰμὶ δυσκλεής· §271καὶ τοῦτο μεῖζον τῆς ἀληθείας κακόν, §272ὅστις τὰ μὴ προσόντα κέκτηται κακά.
First, though I am not unjust, I am in ill repute; and this is an evil greater than the truth, when one possesses evils that do not belong to them.
§273ἔπειτα πατρίδος θεοί μʼ ἀφιδρύσαντο γῆς §274ἐς βάρβαρʼ ἤθη, καὶ φίλων τητωμένη §275δούλη καθέστηκʼ οὖσʼ ἐλευθέρων ἄπο· §276τὰ βαρβάρων γὰρ δοῦλα πάντα πλὴν ἑνός.
Next, the gods removed me from my native land to barbarian customs, and deprived of my friends, I have become a slave, though born of free parents; for among barbarians all are slaves except one.
§277ἄγκυρα δʼ ἥ μου τὰς τύχας ὤχει μόνη, §278πόσιν ποθʼ ἥξειν καί μʼ ἀπαλλάξειν κακῶν — §279οὗτος τέθνηκεν, οὗτος οὐκέτʼ ἔστι δή.
And the only anchor that held my fortunes, that my husband would one day come and deliver me from evils— he is dead, he is no longer indeed.
My mother is dead, and I am her murderer, unjustly indeed, but that injustice is mine.
And that which was the glory of my house and of myself, my husbandless daughter grows gray in virginity.
And the two called sons of Zeus, the Dioscuri, are no more.
ἀλλὰ πάντʼ ἔχουσα δυστυχῆ §286τοῖς πράγμασιν τέθνηκα, τοῖς δʼ ἔργοισιν οὔ.
But while having all things unfortunate, I am dead in my circumstances, but in my deeds I am not.
§287τὸ δʼ ἔσχατον τοῦτʼ, εἰ μόλοιμεν ἐς πάτραν, §288κλῄθροις ἂν εἰργοίμεσθα — τὴν ὑπʼ Ἰλίῳ §289δοκοῦντες Ἑλένην Μενέλεώ μʼ ἐλθεῖν μέτα.
And this last thing, if we should return to our country, we would be barred by bolts—since they think that I, Helen, came with Menelaus from under Ilium.
For if my husband were alive, we would have been recognized on our arrival, by tokens which were manifest to us alone.
§292νῦν δʼ οὔτε τοῦτʼ ἔστʼ οὔτε μὴ σωθῇ ποτε.
But now neither is this possible, nor can he ever be saved.
§293τί δῆτʼ ἔτι ζῶ;
Why then do I still live?
τίνʼ ὑπολείπομαι τύχην;
What fortune have I left?
§294γάμους ἑλομένη τῶν κακῶν ὑπαλλαγάς, §295μετʼ ἀνδρὸς οἰκεῖν βαρβάρου πρὸς πλουσίαν §296τράπεζαν ἵζουσʼ;
Should I choose marriage as an exchange for my evils, to live with a barbarian husband, sitting at a wealthy table?
ἀλλʼ ὅταν πόσις πικρὸς §297ξυνῇ γυναικί, καὶ τὸ σῶμʼ ἐστιν πικρόν.
But when a disagreeable husband lives with a woman, even her very body is disagreeable.
§298θανεῖν κράτιστον· πῶς θάνοιμʼ ἂν οὐ καλῶς;
To die is best; how could I die not beautifully?
§303ἐς γὰρ τοσοῦτον ἤλθομεν βάθος κακῶν· §304αἱ μὲν γὰρ ἄλλαι διὰ τὸ κάλλος εὐτυχεῖς §305γυναῖκες, ἡμᾶς δʼ αὐτὸ τοῦτʼ ἀπώλεσεν.
For to such a depth of evils have we come; for other women are fortunate because of their beauty, but us this very thing has destroyed.
Helen, do not believe that the stranger who came, whoever he may be, has spoken all things true.
§308καὶ μὴν σαφῶς γʼ ἔλεξʼ ὀλωλέναι πόσιν.
And yet he said clearly indeed that my husband has perished.
§309πόλλʼ ἂν γένοιτο καὶ διὰ ψευδῶν ἔπη.
Many words can arise even through falsehoods.
§310καὶ τἄμπαλίν γε τῶνδʼ ἀληθείᾳ σαφῆ.
And the reverse of these indeed is clear in truth.
§311ἐς ξυμφορὰν γὰρ ἀντὶ τἀγαθοῦ φέρῃ.
For you are carried into misfortune instead of good.
§312φόβος γὰρ ἐς τὸ δεῖμα περιβαλών μʼ ἄγει.
For fear surrounds and leads me into dread.
§313πῶς δʼ εὐμενείας τοισίδʼ ἐν δόμοις ἔχεις;
And how do you stand in favor in these halls?
§314πάντες φίλοι μοι πλὴν ὁ θηρεύων γάμους.
All are friendly to me except the one who hunts after marriage.
§315οἶσθʼ οὖν ὃ δρᾶσον;
Do you know then what to do?
μνήματος λιποῦσʼ ἕδραν — §316ἐς ποῖον ἕρπεις μῦθον ἢ παραίνεσιν;
Leave the seat of the tomb— Into what kind of speech or advice are you stealing?
§317ἐλθοῦσʼ ἐς οἴκους, ἣ τὰ πάντʼ ἐπίσταται, §318τῆς ποντίας Νηρῇδος ἐκγόνου κόρης, §319πυθοῦ πόσιν σὸν Θεονόης, εἴτʼ ἔστʼ ἔτι §320εἴτʼ ἐκλέλοιπε φέγγος· ἐκμαθοῦσα δʼ εὖ §321πρὸς τὰς τύχας τὸ χάρμα τοὺς γόους τʼ ἔχε.
Go into the house, to her who knows all things, the daughter born of the sea-Nereid, inquire of Theonoe concerning your husband, whether he still exists or whether he has left the light; and having learned well, according to your fortunes have either joy or lamentations.
Before knowing anything rightly, what more would there be for you in grieving?
ἀλλʼ ἐμοὶ πιθοῦ· §324τάφον λιποῦσα τόνδε σύμμειξον κόρῃ· §325ὅθενπερ εἴσῃ πάντα τἀληθῆ μαθεῖν §326ἔχουσʼ ἐν οἴκοις τοῖσδε, τί βλέπεις πρόσω;
But believe me; leaving this tomb, go and meet the maiden; from whom you will know to learn all the truth, since you have her in these halls, why do you look further?
§327θέλω δὲ κἀγὼ σοὶ συνεισελθεῖν δόμους §328καὶ συμπυθέσθαι παρθένου θεσπίσματα· §329γυναῖκα γὰρ δὴ συμπονεῖν γυναικὶ χρή.
And I too wish to enter the house with you and together inquire of the maiden's prophecies; for indeed it behooves a woman to labor together with a woman.
§330φίλαι, λόγους ἐδεξάμαν· §331βᾶτε βᾶτε δʼ ἐς δόμους, §332ἀγῶνας ἐντὸς οἴκων §333ὡς πύθησθε τοὺς ἐμούς.
Friends, I accept your words; go, go into the house, so that within the house you may learn of my struggles.
§334θέλουσαν οὐ μόλις καλεῖς.
You call upon one who is not unwilling.
§335ἰὼ μέλεος ἁμέρα.
Alas, wretched day.
What kind of, oh wretched me, what kind of tearful word shall I hear?
Do not, as a prophet of griefs, anticipate laments, my friend.
§340τί μοι πόσις μέλεος ἔτλα;
What did my wretched husband endure?
§341πότερα δέρκεται φάος §342τέθριππά θʼ ἁλίου κέλευθά τʼ ἀστέρων, §344ἢ ʼν νέκυσι κατὰ χθονὸς §345τὰν χρόνιον ἔχει τύχαν;
Does he behold the light and the four-horse chariot of the sun and the paths of the stars, or among the dead beneath the earth does he have his long-lasting lot?
Place the future, whatever will happen, on the better side.
§348σὲ γὰρ ἐκάλεσα, σὲ δὲ κατόμοσα, §349τὸν ὑδρόεντι δόνακι χλωρὸν §350Εὐρώταν, θανόντος §351εἰ βάξις ἔτυμος ἀνδρὸς §352ἅδε μοι — τί τάδʼ ἀσύνετα; — §353φόνιον αἰώρημα
For I have called upon you, and sworn by you, Eurotas, green with watery reeds, if the report of my husband's death is true to me— why these incoherent things? — a murderous hanging