Jocasta: But, O Zeus who dwellest in the shining folds of heaven, save us, and grant reconciliation to my children.
For you ought not, if you are by nature wise, to allow the same mortal to be forever unhappy.
§88ὦ κλεινὸν οἴκοις Ἀντιγόνη θάλος πατρί, §89ἐπεί σε μήτηρ παρθενῶνας ἐκλιπεῖν §90μεθῆκε μελάθρων ἐς διῆρες ἔσχατον §91στράτευμʼ ἰδεῖν Ἀργεῖον ἱκεσίαισι σαῖς, §92ἐπίσχες, ὡς ἂν προυξερευνήσω στίβον, §93μή τις πολιτῶν ἐν τρίβῳ φαντάζεται, §94κἀμοὶ μὲν ἔλθῃ φαῦλος ὡς δούλῳ ψόγος, §95σοὶ δʼ ὡς ἀνάσσῃ· πάντα δʼ ἐξειδὼς φράσω §96ἅ τʼ εἶδον εἰσήκουσά τʼ Ἀργείων πάρα, §97σπονδὰς ὅτʼ ἦλθον σῷ κασιγνήτῳ φέρων §98ἐνθένδʼ ἐκεῖσε, δεῦρό τʼ αὖ κείνων πάρα.
Servant: O Antigone, renowned sprout of your father's house, since your mother allowed you to leave your maiden chambers and go to the very top floor of the house to view the Argive army at your request, stay, so that I may first search out the path, lest some citizen appear on the way, and mean reproach come to me as a slave, and to you as a princess; and knowing all, I shall tell you everything that I saw and heard from the Argives, when I went carrying the truce to your brother from here to there, and back here again from them.
But no citizen is drawing near to this house; ascend the ancient cedar ladder with your foot.
Look at the plains, and by the streams of Ismenus, and the water of Dirce, how great an army of enemies there is.
Antigone: Reach out, reach out your aged hand to the young one from the ladder, raising the steps of my foot.
§106ἰδοὺ ξύναψον, παρθένʼ· ἐς καιρὸν δʼ ἔβης·
Servant: Here, join hands, maiden; you have come at the right time.
For the Pelasgian army happens to be moving, and they are separating their companies from one another.
Antigone: O lady daughter of Leto, Hecate, all the plain flashes with bronze.
For Polyneices did not come to this land in a small way, roaring with many horses and countless weapons.
§114ἆρα πύλαι κλῄθροις — χαλκόδετʼ ἆρʼ ἔμβολα
Are the gates closed with bolts?
Are the bronze-bound bars fitted to the stone walls of Amphion's architecture?
§117θάρσει· τά γʼ ἔνδον ἀσφαλῶς ἔχει πόλις.
Servant: Take heart; the city holds things secure within.
§118ἀλλʼ εἰσόρα τὸν πρῶτον, εἰ βούλῃ μαθεῖν.
But look at the first one, if you wish to learn.
§119τίς οὗτος ὁ λευκολόφας, §120πρόπαρ ὃς ἁγεῖται στρατοῦ πάγχαλκον ἀσπίδʼ §122ἀμφὶ βραχίονι κουφίζων;
Antigone: Who is this with the white crest, who leads the army in front, carrying an all-bronze shield lightly upon his arm?
§123λοχαγός, ὦ δέσποινα.
Servant: A captain, O mistress.
§123bτίς, πόθεν γεγώς;
Antigone: Who, and born from where?
§124αὔδασον, ὦ γεραιέ, τίς ὀνομάζεται;
Tell me, old man, what is he named?
Servant: This man is said to be Mycenaean by race, and he dwells near the waters of Lerna, Lord Hippomedon.
§127ἒ ἒ ὡς γαῦρος, ὡς φοβερὸς εἰσιδεῖν, §128γίγαντι γηγενέτᾳ προσόμοιος §129ἀστερωπὸς ἐν γραφαῖσιν, οὐχὶ πρόσφορος §130ἁμερίῳ γέννᾳ.
Antigone: Ah, ah, how proud, how terrible to look upon, like a earth-born giant, starry-eyed in paintings, not suited to the mortal race of humans.
§131τὸν δʼ ἐξαμείβοντʼ οὐχ ὁρᾷς Δίρκης ὕδωρ;
Servant: Do you not see the one crossing the water of Dirce?
§132ἄλλος ἄλλος ὅδε τευχέων τρόπος.
Antigone: Another, another is this fashion of armor!
§133τίς δʼ ἐστὶν οὗτος;
Who is this?
Servant: He is the son of Oeneus, Tydeus, and he has the Aetolian Ares in his breast.
Antigone: Is this the one, old man, who is married to the sister of Polyneices' bride?
§138ὡς ἀλλόχρως ὅπλοισι, μειξοβάρβαρος.
How different-colored in his armor, half-barbarian!
Servant: For all Aetolians bear shields, my child, and are most accurate javelin-throwers with spears.
§141σὺ δʼ, ὦ γέρον, πῶς αἰσθάνῃ σαφῶς τάδε;
Antigone: And you, old man, how do you perceive these things so clearly?
§142σημεῖʼ ἰδὼν τότʼ ἀσπίδων ἐγνώρισα, §143σπονδὰς ὅτʼ ἦλθον σῷ κασιγνήτῳ φέρων §144ἃ προσδεδορκὼς οἶδα τοὺς ὡπλισμένους.
Servant: I recognized them, having seen the emblems on the shields then, when I went carrying the truce to your brother; having seen them, I know who the armed men are.
§145τίς δʼ οὗτος ἀμφὶ μνῆμα τὸ Ζήθου περᾷ §146καταβόστρυχος, ὄμμασι γοργὸς §147εἰσιδεῖν νεανίας, §148λοχαγός, ὡς ὄχλος νιν ὑστέρῳ ποδὶ §149πάνοπλος ἀμφέπει;
Antigone: Who is this young man passing around the tomb of Zethus, with flowing curls, fierce in his eyes to look upon, a captain, as a fully armed crowd follows closely behind him?
§150ὅδʼ ἐστὶ Παρθενοπαῖος, Ἀταλάντης γόνος.
Servant: This is Parthenopaeus, son of Atalanta.
§151ἀλλά νιν ἁ κατʼ ὄρη μετὰ ματέρος §152Ἄρτεμις ἱεμένα τόξοις δαμάσασʼ ὀλέσειεν, §153ὃς ἐπʼ ἐμὰν πόλιν ἔβα πέρσων.
Antigone: May Artemis, who rushes through the mountains with his mother, subdue and destroy him with her bow, who came against my city to sack it.
§154εἴη τάδʼ, ὦ παῖ.
Servant: May it be so, my child.
σὺν δίκῃ δʼ ἥκουσι γῆν· §155ὃ καὶ δέδοικα μὴ σκοπῶσʼ ὀρθῶς θεοί.
But they have come to this land with justice; which is what I fear, lest the gods look upon it rightly.
Antigone: Where is he who was born of the same mother as I, with a troublesome fate?
§158ὦ φίλτατʼ, εἰπέ, ποῦ ʼστι Πολυνείκης, γέρον.
O dearest old man, tell me, where is Polyneices?
Servant: He stands near the tomb of the seven maidens, daughters of Niobe, close to Adrastus.
§161ὁρᾷς;
Antigone: Do you see him?
Servant: I see indeed, though not clearly, but I see somehow the outline of his form and his chest, which I recognize.
§163ἀνεμώκεος εἴθε δρόμον νεφέλας ποσὶν ἐξανύσαιμι §164διʼ αἰθέρος §165πρὸς ἐμὸν ὁμογενέτορα, περὶ δʼ ὠλένας §166δέρᾳ φιλτάτᾳ βάλοιμʼ ἐν χρόνῳ §167φυγάδα μέλεον.
Antigone: Would that I could accomplish a run through the air with my feet, like a swift-moving cloud, through the sky to my brother, and cast my arms around his dearest neck, after a long time, a wretched exile!
How conspicuous he is in his golden armor, old man, flashing like the eastern rays of the sun!
Servant: He will come to this house, so as to fill you with joy, under a truce.
Antigone: And who is this, old man, who drives a white chariot, standing in it?
Servant: This is the seer Amphiaraus, O mistress; and with him are the victims, the blood-loving streams of the earth.