§766τί σοι λέγοιμʼ ἂν τὰς ἐν Αἰγαίῳ φθορὰς §767τὰ Ναυπλίου τʼ Εὐβοικὰ πυρπολήματα §768Κρήτην τε Λιβύης θʼ ἃς ἐπεστράφην πόλεις, §769σκοπιάς τε Περσέως;
Why should I tell you of the destructions in the Aegean, and the Euboean beacon-fires of Nauplius, and Crete, and the cities of Libya which I visited, and the watchtowers of Perseus?
οὐ γὰρ ἐμπλήσαιμί σʼ ἂν §770μύθων, λέγων τʼ ἄν σοι κάκʼ ἀλγοίην ἔτι, §771πάσχων τʼ ἔκαμνον· δὶς δὲ λυπηθεῖμεν ἄν.
For I could not fill you with stories, and in telling you of my evils I would suffer still, and I was weary with suffering; and we would be grieved twice over.
§772κάλλιον εἶπας ἤ σʼ ἀνηρόμην ἐγώ.
You have spoken better than I asked.
But omit all else and tell me one thing: for how long a time did you waste away on the sea's back in your marine wandering?
Being in ships, in addition to those ten years in Troy, I went through seven completed cycles of years.
§777φεῦ φεῦ·
Alas, alas!
μακρόν γʼ ἔλεξας, ὦ τάλας, χρόνον §778σωθεὶς δʼ ἐκεῖθεν ἐνθάδʼ ἦλθες ἐς σφαγάς.
You speak of a long time indeed, unhappy man; yet saved from there, you have come here to slaughter.
§779πῶς φῄς;
How do you say?
τί λέξεις;
What will you say?
ὥς μʼ ἀπώλεσας, γύναι.
How you destroy me, woman!
§780φεῦγʼ ὡς τάχιστα τῆσδʼ ἀπαλλαχθεὶς χθονός.
Flee as quickly as possible, departing from this land.
§781θανῇ πρὸς ἀνδρὸς οὗ τάδʼ ἐστὶ δώματα.
You will die by the hand of the man whose house this is.
§782τί χρῆμα δράσας ἄξιον τῆς συμφορᾶς;
Having done what deed worthy of such a misfortune?
§783ἥκεις ἄελπτος ἐμποδὼν ἐμοῖς γάμοις.
You have come unexpectedly, an obstacle to my marriage.
§784ἦ γὰρ γαμεῖν τις τἄμʼ ἐβουλήθη λέχη;
What, did someone wish to marry my wife?
§785ὕβριν θʼ ὑβρίζειν εἰς ἔμʼ, ἣν ἔτλην ἐγώ.
And to commit insolence against me, which I have endured.
§786ἰδίᾳ σθένων τις ἢ τυραννεύων χθονός;
Some powerful private citizen, or the ruler of the land?
§787ὃς γῆς ἀνάσσει τῆσδε Πρωτέως γόνος.
The son of Proteus, who rules over this land.
§788τόδʼ ἔστʼ ἐκεῖνʼ αἴνιγμʼ ὃ προσπόλου κλύω.
This is that very riddle which I heard from the servant.
§789ποίοις ἐπιστὰς βαρβάροις πυλώμασιν;
At what kind of barbarian gates did you stand?
§790τοῖσδʼ, ἔνθεν ὥσπερ πτωχὸς ἐξηλαυνόμην.
At these, from which I was driven away like a beggar.
§791οὔ που προσῄτεις βίοτον;
Surely you were not begging for livelihood?
ὦ τάλαινʼ ἐγώ.
O wretched me!
§792τοὔργον μὲν ἦν τοῦτʼ, ὄνομα δʼ οὐκ εἶχεν τόδε.
The deed indeed was this, but it did not have this name.
§793πάντʼ οἶσθʼ ἄρʼ, ὡς ἔοικας, ἀμφʼ ἐμῶν γάμων.
Then you know all, as it seems, about my marriage.
§794οἶδʼ· εἰ δὲ λέκτρα διέφυγες τάδʼ οὐκ ἔχω.
I know; but whether you escaped this bed, I do not know.
§795ἄθικτον εὐνὴν ἴσθι σοι σεσῳσμένην.
Know that your bed has been saved for you untouched.
§796τίς τοῦδε πειθώ;
What is the proof of this?
φίλα γάρ, εἰ σαφῆ λέγεις.
For it is welcome, if you speak the truth.
§797ὁρᾷς τάφου τοῦδʼ ἀθλίους ἕδρας ἐμάς;
Do you see these wretched seats of mine at the tomb?
§798ὁρῶ ταλαίνας στιβάδας, ὧν τί σοὶ μέτα;
I see a wretched bed of straw; what does it have to do with you?
§799ἐνταῦθα λέκτρων ἱκετεύομεν φυγάς.
Here we supplicate, as fugitives from marriage.
§800βωμοῦ σπανίζουσʼ ἢ νόμοισι βαρβάροις;
In lack of an altar, or because of barbarian customs?
§801ἐρρύεθʼ ἡμᾶς τοῦτʼ ἴσον ναοῖς θεῶν.
This protected us equally to the temples of the gods.
§802οὐδʼ ἄρα πρὸς οἴκους ναυστολεῖν σʼ ἔξεστί μοι;
Is it then not possible for me to sail with you toward home?
§803ξίφος μένει σε μᾶλλον ἢ τοὐμὸν λέχος.
A sword awaits you rather than my bed.
§804οὕτως ἂν εἴην ἀθλιώτατος βροτῶν.
In this way, I would be the most wretched of mortals.
§805μή νυν καταιδοῦ, φεῦγε δʼ ἐκ τῆσδε χθονός.
Do not be ashamed then, but flee from this land.
§806λιπών σε;
Leaving you?
Τροίαν ἐξέπερσα σὴν χάριν.
I destroyed Troy for your sake.
§807κρεῖσσον γὰρ ἤ σε τἄμʼ ἀποκτεῖναι λέχη.
For it is better than that my bed should kill you.
§808ἄνανδρά γʼ εἶπας Ἰλίου τʼ οὐκ ἄξια.
You speak of unmanly things, unworthy of Ilium.
§809οὐκ ἂν κτάνοις τύραννον, ὃ σπεύδεις ἴσως.
You would not kill the king, which you perhaps are eager to do.
§810οὕτω σιδήρῳ τρωτὸν οὐκ ἔχει δέμας;
Does he have a body so invulnerable to iron?
§811εἴσῃ.
You will know.
τὸ τολμᾶν δʼ ἀδύνατʼ ἀνδρὸς οὐ σοφοῦ.
But to dare impossible things is not the part of a wise man.
§812σιγῇ παράσχω δῆτʼ ἐμὰς δῆσαι χέρας;
Shall I then silently offer my hands to be bound?
§813ἐς ἄπορον ἥκεις· δεῖ δὲ μηχανῆς τινος.
You have come to an impasse; there is need of some device.
§814δρῶντας γὰρ ἢ μὴ δρῶντας ἥδιον θανεῖν.
For it is better to die having acted than not having acted.
§815μίʼ ἔστιν ἐλπίς, ᾗ μόνῃ σωθεῖμεν ἄν.
There is one hope, by which alone we might be saved.
§816ὠνητὸς ἢ τολμητὸς ἢ λόγων ὕπο;
Is it to be bought, or dared, or through words?
§817εἰ μὴ τύραννός σʼ ἐκπύθοιτʼ ἀφιγμένον.
If only the king does not find out that you have arrived.
§818ἐρεῖ δὲ τίς μʼ;
And who will tell of me?
οὐ γνώσεταί γʼ ὅς εἰμʼ ἐγώ.
He will certainly not know who I am.
§819ἔστʼ ἔνδον αὐτῷ ξύμμαχος θεοῖς ἴση.
There is within the house an ally for him, equal to the gods.
§820φήμη τις οἴκων ἐν μυχοῖς ἱδρυμένη;
Some prophetic rumor established in the depths of the house?
§821οὔκ, ἀλλʼ ἀδελφή· Θεονόην καλοῦσί νιν.
No, but his sister; they call her Theonoe.
§822χρηστήριον μὲν τοὔνομʼ· ὅ τι δὲ δρᾷ φράσον.
The name indeed sounds prophetic; tell me what she does.
§823πάντʼ οἶδʼ, ἐρεῖ τε συγγόνῳ παρόντα σε.
She knows all, and will tell her brother that you are present.
§824θνῄσκοιμεν ἄν· λαθεῖν γὰρ οὐχ οἷόν τέ μοι.
Then we must die; for it is not possible for me to lie hid.
Perhaps we might persuade her by supplicating her— To do what deed? Into what hope do you lead me?
§827παρόντα γαίᾳ μὴ φράσαι σε συγγόνῳ.
Not to tell her brother that you are present in the land.
§828πείσαντε δʼ ἐκ γῆς διορίσαιμεν ἂν πόδα;
And having persuaded her, could we step our foot out of the land?
§829κοινῇ γʼ ἐκείνῃ ῥᾳδίως, λάθρᾳ δʼ ἂν οὔ.
Easily indeed with her cooperating, but not in secret from her.
§830σὸν ἔργον, ὡς γυναικὶ πρόσφορον γυνή.
It is your task, since woman is suited to woman.
§831ὡς οὐκ ἄχρωστα γόνατʼ ἐμῶν ἕξει χερῶν.
As surely her knees will not be untouched by my hands.
§832φέρʼ, ἢν δὲ δὴ νῷν μὴ ἀποδέξηται λόγους;
Come, what if indeed she does not accept our words?
§833θανῇ· γαμοῦμαι δʼ ἡ τάλαινʼ ἐγὼ βίᾳ.
You will die; and I, wretched one, will be married by force.
§834προδότις ἂν εἴης· τὴν βίαν σκήψασʼ ἔχεις.
You would be a traitress; you have the excuse of force to plead.
No, I swore a holy oath by your head, What do you say?
θανεῖσθαι;
To die?
κοὔποτʼ ἀλλάξεις λέχη;
And that you will never change beds?
§837ταὐτῷ ξίφει γε· κείσομαι δὲ σοῦ πέλας.
By the same sword indeed; and I will lie near you.
§838ἐπὶ τοῖσδε τοίνυν δεξιᾶς ἐμῆς θίγε.
On these terms then, touch my right hand.
§839ψαύω, θανόντος σοῦ τόδʼ ἐκλείψειν φάος.
I touch it, promising that if you die, I will leave this light.