Mixing Argive and Cadmean weapons, they will give bitter laments to the Theban land.
And you, O wretched city, will be razed to the ground with them, unless someone obeys my words.
§886ἐκεῖνο μὲν γὰρ πρῶτον ἦν, τῶν Οἰδίπου §887μηδένα πολίτην μηδʼ ἄνακτʼ εἶναι χθονός, §888ὡς δαιμονῶντας κἀνατρέψοντας πόλιν.
For that indeed was the first thing: that none of Oedipus' children should be a citizen or a ruler of this land, as they are possessed by demons and will overturn the city.
But since the evil has become stronger than the good, there is one other means of salvation.
§891ἀλλʼ — οὐ γὰρ εἰπεῖν οὔτʼ ἐμοὶ τόδʼ ἀσφαλὲς §892πικρόν τε τοῖσι τὴν τύχην κεκτημένοις §893πόλει παρασχεῖν φάρμακον σωτηρίας — §894ἄπειμι.
But—for it is neither safe for me to speak this, nor is it anything but bitter for those who possess this fortune, to provide the city with a medicine of salvation— I will depart.
χαίρεθʼ· εἷς γὰρ ὢν πολλῶν μέτα §895τὸ μέλλον, εἰ χρή, πείσομαι· τί γὰρ πάθω;
Farewell; for being one among many, I will suffer what is to come, if I must; for what can I do?
§896ἐπίσχες αὐτοῦ, πρέσβυ.
Creon: Stay here, old man.
§896bμὴ ʼπιλαμβάνου.
Teiresias: Do not hold me.
§897μεῖνον, τί φεύγεις;
Creon: Remain, why do you flee?
§897bἡ τύχη σʼ, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐγώ.
Teiresias: Your fortune flees, not I.
§898φράσον πολίταις καὶ πόλει σωτηρίαν.
Creon: Tell the citizens and the city of their salvation.
§899βούλῃ σὺ μέντοι κοὐχὶ βουλήσῃ τάχα.
Teiresias: You wish it indeed now, but you will not wish it soon.
§900καὶ πῶς πατρῴαν γαῖαν οὐ σῷσαι θέλω;
Creon: And how should I not wish to save my fatherland?
§901θέλεις ἀκοῦσαι δῆτα καὶ σπουδὴν ἔχεις;
Teiresias: Do you indeed wish to hear, and have you earnestness?
§902ἐς γὰρ τί μᾶλλον δεῖ προθυμίαν ἔχειν;
Creon: For in what else is it more necessary to have eagerness?
§903κλύοις ἂν ἤδη τῶν ἐμῶν θεσπισμάτων.
Teiresias: You may hear my oracles now.
But first I wish to learn this clearly, where is Menoeceus, who brought me here?
§906ὅδʼ οὐ μακρὰν ἄπεστι, πλησίον δὲ σοῦ.
Creon: He is not far away, but near you.
§907ἀπελθέτω νυν θεσφάτων ἐμῶν ἑκάς.
Teiresias: Let him go far away from my oracles now.
§908ἐμὸς πεφυκὼς παῖς ἃ δεῖ σιγήσεται.
Creon: Being my son, he will keep silent about what is necessary.
§909βούλῃ παρόντος δῆτά σοι τούτου φράσω;
Teiresias: Do you wish then that I speak to you in his presence?
§910κλύων γὰρ ἂν τέρποιτο τῆς σωτηρίας.
Creon: Yes, for by hearing it he would rejoice in the salvation.
§911ἄκουε δή νυν θεσφάτων ἐμῶν ὁδόν· §913σφάξαι Μενοικέα τόνδε δεῖ σʼ ὑπὲρ πάτρας, §914σὸν παῖδʼ, ἐπειδὴ τὴν τύχην αὐτὸς καλεῖς.
Teiresias: Hear then now the course of my oracles: You must slaughter this Menoeceus for the sake of the fatherland, your son, since you yourself call upon fortune.
§915τί φῄς;
Creon: What do you say?
τίνʼ εἶπας τόνδε μῦθον, ὦ γέρον;
What is this word you have spoken, old man?
§916ἅπερ πέφυκε, ταῦτα κἀνάγκη σὲ δρᾶν.
Teiresias: What is destined, this indeed you must do.
§917ὦ πολλὰ λέξας ἐν βραχεῖ χρόνῳ κακά.
Creon: O you who have spoken many evils in a short time!
§918σοί γʼ, ἀλλὰ πατρίδι μεγάλα καὶ σωτήρια.
Teiresias: To you indeed, but to the fatherland great and saving things.
§919οὐκ ἔκλυον, οὐκ ἤκουσα· χαιρέτω πόλις.
Creon: I did not hear, I did not listen; let the city perish.
§920ἁνὴρ ὅδʼ οὐκέθʼ αὑτός· ἐκνεύει πάλιν.
Teiresias: This man is no longer himself; he shrinks back.
§921χαίρων ἴθʼ· οὐ γὰρ σῶν με δεῖ μαντευμάτων.
Creon: Go in peace; for I have no need of your prophesying.
§922ἀπόλωλεν ἡ ἀλήθειʼ, ἐπεὶ σὺ δυστυχεῖς;
Teiresias: Has truth perished because you are unfortunate?
Creon: Oh, by your knees and your aged hair— Teiresias: Why do you fall before me?
δυσφύλακτʼ αἰτῇ κακά.
You ask for evils hard to guard against.
§925σίγα· πόλει δὲ τούσδε μὴ λέξῃς λόγους.
Creon: Be silent; do not speak these words to the city.
§926ἀδικεῖν κελεύεις μʼ· οὐ σιωπήσαιμεν ἄν.
Teiresias: You command me to do injustice; I would not be silent.
§927τί δή με δράσεις;
Creon: What indeed will you do to me?
παῖδά μου κατακτενεῖς;
Will you kill my son?
§928ἄλλοις μελήσει ταῦτʼ, ἐμοὶ δʼ εἰρήσεται.
Teiresias: That will be the care of others, but by me it shall be spoken.
§929ἐκ τοῦ δʼ ἐμοὶ τόδʼ ἦλθε καὶ τέκνῳ κακόν;
Creon: From what source has this evil come upon me and my child?
§930ὀρθῶς μʼ ἐρωτᾷς κεἰς ἀγῶνʼ ἔρχῃ λόγων.
Teiresias: You ask me rightly, and you enter into a contest of words.
§931δεῖ τόνδε θαλάμαις, οὗ δράκων ὁ γηγενὴς §932ἐγένετο Δίρκης ναμάτων ἐπίσκοπος, §933σφαγέντα φόνιον αἷμα γῇ δοῦναι χοὰς §934Κάδμου, παλαιῶν Ἄρεος ἐκ μηνιμάτων, §935ὃς γηγενεῖ δράκοντι τιμωρεῖ φόνον.
It is necessary that this youth, in the chamber where the earth-born dragon was born, the guardian of Dirce's streams, being slaughtered, should give his murderous blood as a libation to the earth of Cadmus, because of the ancient wrath of Ares, who avenges the murder of the earth-born dragon.
§936καὶ ταῦτα δρῶντες σύμμαχον κτήσεσθʼ Ἄρη.
And by doing these things you will gain Ares as an ally.
§937χθὼν δʼ ἀντὶ καρποῦ καρπὸν ἀντί θʼ αἵματος §938αἷμʼ ἢν λάβῃ βρότειον, ἕξετʼ εὐμενῆ §939γῆν, ἥ ποθʼ ἡμῖν χρυσοπήληκα στάχυν §940σπαρτῶν ἀνῆκεν· ἐκ γένους δὲ δεῖ θανεῖν §941τοῦδʼ, ὃς δράκοντος γένυος ἐκπέφυκε παῖς.
And if the earth receives human blood in place of crop, and blood in place of blood, you will have a favorable land, which once sent up for us the golden-helmeted crop of the Sown-men; and someone must die from this race, the child who is descended from the dragon's jaw.
§942σὺ δʼ ἐνθάδʼ ἡμῖν λοιπὸς εἶ σπαρτῶν γένους §943ἀκέραιος, ἔκ τε μητρὸς ἀρσένων τʼ ἄπο, §944οἱ σοί τε παῖδες.
And you are left here for us as the sole survivor of the Sown-men's race, pure both on your mother's side and from males, both you and your children.
Αἵμονος μὲν οὖν γάμοι §945σφαγὰς ἀπείργουσʼ. οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ᾔθεος· §946κεἰ μὴ γὰρ εὐνῆς ἥψατʼ, ἀλλʼ ἔχει λέχος.
Haemon's marriage indeed prevents his slaughter; for he is not an unmarried youth; for even if he has not touched the bed, yet he has a wife.
But this colt, dedicated to this city, by dying would save his fatherland.
§949πικρὸν δʼ Ἀδράστῳ νόστον Ἀργείοισί τε §950θήσει, μέλαιναν κῆρʼ ἐπʼ ὄμμασιν βαλών, §951κλεινάς τε Θήβας.
And he will make a bitter return for Adrastus and the Argives, casting black death over their eyes, and make Thebes glorious.
τοῖνδʼ ἑλοῦ δυοῖν πότμοιν §952τὸν ἕτερον· ἢ γὰρ παῖδα σῷσον ἢ πόλιν.
Choose one of these two fates: either save your child or the city.
You have all that is from me; lead me, child, to the house.
ὅστις δʼ ἐμπύρῳ χρῆται τέχνῃ, §955μάταιος· ἢν μὲν ἐχθρὰ σημήνας τύχῃ, §956πικρὸς καθέστηχʼ οἷς ἂν οἰωνοσκοπῇ· §957ψευδῆ δʼ ὑπʼ οἴκτου τοῖσι χρωμένοις λέγων §958ἀδικεῖ τὰ τῶν θεῶν.
But whoever practices the art of sacrifice by fire is foolish; if indeed he happens to sign hostile things, he becomes bitter to those for whom he observes the birds; but by telling lies out of pity to those who use his art, he does injustice to the gods.
Φοῖβον ἀνθρώποις μόνον
Phoebus alone for men...