§1010ας δολίοισι γάμοις·
...by treacherous marriage.
And at the very last it came upon me and the father of my house with the painful necessities of our home.
§1013καὶ μὴν ὅδε σὸς σύγγονος ἕρπει §1014ψήφῳ θανάτου κατακυρωθείς, §1014aὅ τε πιστότατος πάντων Πυλάδης, §1015ἰσάδελφος ἀνήρ, ἰθύνων §1016νοσερὸν κῶλον, §1017ποδὶ κηδοσύνῳ παράσειρος.
And look, here comes your brother, condemned by the vote of death, and Pylades, the most faithful of all, a man like a brother, guiding his sick limb, at his side with caring step.
§1018οἲ ἐγώ·
Ah me!
πρὸ τύμβου γάρ σʼ ὁρῶσʼ ἀναστένω, §1019ἀδελφέ, καὶ πάροιθε νερτέρου πυρᾶς.
For seeing you before the tomb, I lament, brother, and before the dead man's pyre.
§1020οἲ ἐγὼ μάλʼ αὖθις·
Ah me once more!
ὥς σʼ ἰδοῦσʼ ἐν ὄμμασιν §1021πανυστάτην πρόσοψιν ἐξέστην φρενῶν.
As I see you in my eyes, this last sight of you, I have lost my senses.
Will you not cease from womanly laments and keep silent, and endure what has been ordained?
οἰκτρὰ μὲν τάδʼ, ἀλλʼ ὅμως §1024.
These are indeed pitiable, but nevertheless...
§1025καὶ πῶς σιωπῶ;
And how can I be silent?
φέγγος εἰσορᾶν θεοῦ §1026τόδʼ οὐκέθʼ ἡμῖν τοῖς ταλαιπώροις μέτα.
To look upon this light of the god is no longer permitted for us wretched ones.
Do not kill me; enough by Argeian hands I, the wretched one, have died; let present evils be.
Oh, Orestes, how wretched is your youth and your fate, and your untimely death.
ζῆν ἐχρῆν σʼ, ὅτʼ οὐκέτʼ εἶ.
You ought to live, when you are no longer here.
By the gods, do not cast cowardice upon me, conveying me into tears by the remembrance of evils.
§1033θανούμεθʼ· οὐχ οἷόν τε μὴ στένειν κακά.
We shall die; it is not possible not to groan for evils.
§1034πᾶσιν γὰρ οἰκτρὸν ἡ φίλη ψυχὴ βροτοῖς.
For to all mortals their own dear life is pitiable.
This day is decisive for us; we must either bind hanging nooses or sharpen a sword with the hand.
You then, brother, kill me, lest any of the Argeians kill me, making a mockery of Agamemnon's child.
I have enough with my mother's blood; I will not kill you, but die by your own hand in whatever way you wish.
§1041ἔσται τάδʼ· οὐδὲν σοῦ ξίφους λελείψομαι.
This shall be; I will not be left behind your sword.
§1042ἀλλʼ ἀμφιθεῖναι σῇ δέρῃ θέλω χέρας.
But I wish to throw my hands around your neck.
Enjoy the empty pleasure, if this is pleasant to those who have come near death, to throw their hands around each other.
Oh dearest one, oh you who have the longed-for and sweetest name for your sister, and one single soul!
Truly you will melt me; and I wish to return your embrace with loving hands.
τί γὰρ ἔτʼ αἰδοῦμαι τάλας;
For why should I, wretched one, still feel shame?
Oh breast of my sister, oh my dear embrace, these are instead of children and the bridal bed for us!
§1052φεῦ·
Alas!
How might the same sword, if it is lawful, kill us both, and one tomb, a work of cedar, receive us?
That would be sweetest; but indeed you see how we are destitute of friends, so as to share a grave.
Did he not even speak on your behalf, having no zeal that you should not die, that wicked Menelaus, the betrayer of my father?
He did not even show his eye, but having his hope upon the sceptre, he was cautious not to save his friends.
But come, having done noble deeds, let us die in a manner most worthy of Agamemnon.
§1062κἀγὼ μὲν εὐγένειαν ἀποδείξω πόλει, §1063παίσας πρὸς ἧπαρ φασγάνῳ· σὲ δʼ αὖ χρεὼν §1064ὅμοια πράσσειν τοῖς ἐμοῖς τολμήμασιν.
And I indeed will show my noble birth to the city, striking my liver with a sword; and you in turn must act in a way similar to my daring deeds.
§1065Πυλάδη, σὺ δʼ ἡμῖν τοῦ φόνου γενοῦ βραβεύς, §1066καὶ κατθανόντοιν εὖ περίστειλον δέμας §1067θάψον τε κοινῇ πρὸς πατρὸς τύμβον φέρων.
Pylades, be the arbiter of our death, and when we are dead, wrap our bodies well and bury us together, bearing us to our father's tomb.
§1068καὶ χαῖρʼ· ἐπʼ ἔργον δʼ, ὡς ὁρᾷς, πορεύομαι.
And farewell; for I go to the deed, as you see.
§1069ἐπίσχες.
Hold!
ἓν μὲν πρῶτά σοι μομφὴν ἔχω, §1070εἰ ζῆν με χρῄζειν σοῦ θανόντος ἤλπισας.
First indeed I have a complaint against you, if you expected me to wish to live when you are dead.
§1071τί γὰρ προσήκει κατθανεῖν σʼ ἐμοῦ μέτα;
For why does it belong to me to die with you?
§1072ἤρου;
Do you ask?
τί δὲ ζῆν σῆς ἑταιρίας ἄτερ;
What is life without your friendship?
§1073οὐκ ἔκτανες σὴν μητέρʼ, ὡς ἐγὼ τάλας.
You did not kill your mother, as I, wretched one, did.
§1074σὺν σοί γε κοινῇ·
In common with you indeed!
ταὐτὰ καὶ πάσχειν με δεῖ.
I must suffer the same things too.
§1075ἀπόδος τὸ σῶμα πατρί, μὴ σύνθνῃσκέ μοι.
Restore your body to your father; do not die with me.
For to you indeed there is a city, but to me there is none indeed, and your father's house and a great harbor of wealth.
§1078γάμων δὲ τῆς μὲν δυσπότμου τῆσδʼ ἐσφάλης, §1079ἥν σοι κατηγγύησʼ ἑταιρίαν σέβων· §1080σὺ δʼ ἄλλο λέκτρον παιδοποίησαι λαβών, §1081κῆδος δὲ τοὐμὸν καὶ σὸν οὐκέτʼ ἔστι δή.
And as for marriage, you have lost this ill-fated girl, whom I betrothed to you, respecting our friendship; but do you take another bride and raise children, for my kinship and yours is no longer indeed.
§1082ἀλλʼ, ὦ ποθεινὸν ὄμμʼ ὁμιλίας ἐμῆς, §1083χαῖρʼ· οὐ γὰρ ἡμῖν ἔστι τοῦτο, σοί γε μήν· §1084οἱ γὰρ θανόντες χαρμάτων τητώμεθα.
But, oh longed-for eye of my companionship, farewell; for to us this is not, but to you indeed; for we, the dead, are deprived of joys.
§1085ἦ πολὺ λέλειψαι τῶν ἐμῶν βουλευμάτων.
Indeed you are far left behind by my counsels.
§1086μήθʼ αἷμά μου δέξαιτο κάρπιμον πέδον,
May the fruitful soil not receive my blood,