§1221λαβών, ἐν ὕλῃ κείμενον δυσευρέτῳ.
having taken it, lying in the hard-to-find forest.
§1222ἤκουσα γάρ του θυγατέρων τολμήματα, §1223ἤδη κατʼ ἄστυ τειχέων ἔσω βεβὼς §1224σὺν τῷ γέροντι Τειρεσίᾳ Βακχῶν πάρα·
For I heard of the bold deeds of my daughters from someone, when I had already gone inside the walls of the city with the old man Tiresias, from the Bacchants.
And turning back again to the mountain, I am bringing back my son who was killed by the Maenads.
§1227καὶ τὴν μὲν Ἀκτέωνʼ Ἀρισταίῳ ποτὲ §1228τεκοῦσαν εἶδον Αὐτονόην Ἰνώ θʼ ἅμα §1229ἔτʼ ἀμφὶ δρυμοὺς οἰστροπλῆγας ἀθλίας, §1230τὴν δʼ εἶπέ τίς μοι δεῦρο βακχείῳ ποδὶ §1231στείχειν Ἀγαύην, οὐδʼ ἄκραντʼ ἠκούσαμεν· §1232λεύσσω γὰρ αὐτήν, ὄψιν οὐκ εὐδαίμονα.
And indeed I saw Autonoe, who once bore Actaeon to Aristaeus, and Ino together, still around the oak-woods, wretched and stung by madness; and someone told me that Agave was coming hither with Bacchic step, and we did not hear this in vain; for I see her, a sight not happy.
§1233πάτερ, μέγιστον κομπάσαι πάρεστί σοι, §1234πάντων ἀρίστας θυγατέρας σπεῖραι μακρῷ §1235θνητῶν· ἁπάσας εἶπον, ἐξόχως δʼ ἐμέ, §1236ἣ τὰς παρʼ ἱστοῖς ἐκλιποῦσα κερκίδας §1237ἐς μείζονʼ ἥκω, θῆρας ἀγρεύειν χεροῖν.
Father, it is permitted for you to boast of the greatest thing, that you have begotten by far the best daughters of all mortals; I say all, but especially me, who, having left the shuttles by the looms, have come to greater things, to hunt wild beasts with my hands.
§1238φέρω δʼ ἐν ὠλέναισιν, ὡς ὁρᾷς, τάδε §1239λαβοῦσα τἀριστεῖα, σοῖσι πρὸς δόμοις §1240ὡς ἀγκρεμασθῇ· σὺ δέ, πάτερ, δέξαι χεροῖν·
And I carry in my arms, as you see, these prizes of valor which I took, so that they may be hung up against your house; and you, father, receive them in your hands.
§1241γαυρούμενος δὲ τοῖς ἐμοῖς ἀγρεύμασιν §1242κάλει φίλους ἐς δαῖτα· μακάριος γὰρ εἶ, §1243μακάριος, ἡμῶν τοιάδʼ ἐξειργασμένων.
And exulting in my prey, call your friends to a feast; for you are blessed, blessed, since we have accomplished such things.
O grief not to be measured nor possible to look upon, of those who have accomplished murder with wretched hands!
Having struck down a beautiful victim for the gods, do you invite these Thebans and me to a feast?
§1248οἴμοι κακῶν μὲν πρῶτα σῶν, ἔπειτʼ ἐμῶν· §1249ὡς ὁ θεὸς ἡμᾶς ἐνδίκως μέν, ἀλλʼ ἄγαν, §1250Βρόμιος ἄναξ ἀπώλεσʼ οἰκεῖος γεγώς.
Alas, first indeed for your misfortunes, and then for mine; how justly, but too severely, has the lord Bromius destroyed us, though he is of our own family!
How crabbed old age is by nature to men, and sullen in look!
εἴθε παῖς ἐμὸς §1253εὔθηρος εἴη, μητρὸς εἰκασθεὶς τρόποις, §1254ὅτʼ ἐν νεανίαισι Θηβαίοις ἅμα §1255θηρῶν ὀριγνῷτʼ· ἀλλὰ θεομαχεῖν μόνον §1256οἷός τʼ ἐκεῖνος.
Would that my son were a successful hunter, likenessed to his mother's character, when with the Theban youths he might strive after wild beasts; but only to fight with gods is he able.
νουθετητέος, πάτερ, §1257σοὐστίν.
He must be admonished, father, by you.
τίς αὐτὸν δεῦρʼ ἂν ὄψιν εἰς ἐμὴν §1258καλέσειεν, ὡς ἴδῃ με τὴν εὐδαίμονα;
Who would call him hither to my sight, so that he may see me, the blessed one?
§1259φεῦ φεῦ·
Alas, alas!
φρονήσασαι μὲν οἷʼ ἐδράσατε §1260ἀλγήσετʼ ἄλγος δεινόν· εἰ δὲ διὰ τέλους §1261ἐν τῷδʼ ἀεὶ μενεῖτʼ ἐν ᾧ καθέστατε, §1262οὐκ εὐτυχοῦσαι δόξετʼ οὐχὶ δυστυχεῖν.
If you realize what you have done, you will suffer a terrible pain; but if you remain to the end forever in this state in which you are placed, though not being fortunate, you will not seem to be unfortunate.
§1263τί δʼ οὐ καλῶς τῶνδʼ ἢ τί λυπηρῶς ἔχει;
But what of these things is not well, or what is painful?
§1264πρῶτον μὲν ἐς τόνδʼ αἰθέρʼ ὄμμα σὸν μέθες.
First indeed cast your eye to this ether.
§1265ἰδού· τί μοι τόνδʼ ἐξυπεῖπας εἰσορᾶν;
Behold; why did you prompt me to look upon this?
§1266ἔθʼ αὑτὸς ἤ σοι μεταβολὰς ἔχειν δοκεῖ;
Is it still the same, or does it seem to you to have changes?
§1267λαμπρότερος ἢ πρὶν καὶ διειπετέστερος.
It is brighter than before and more translucent.
§1268τὸ δὲ πτοηθὲν τόδʼ ἔτι σῇ ψυχῇ πάρα;
And is this flutter of excitement still present in your soul?
I do not understand this word; but I am somehow becoming conscious, having changed from my former state of mind.
§1271κλύοις ἂν οὖν τι κἀποκρίναιʼ ἂν σαφῶς;
Could you then hear something and answer clearly?
§1272ὡς ἐκλέλησμαί γʼ ἃ πάρος εἴπομεν, πάτερ.
How I have forgotten what we said before, father!
§1273ἐς ποῖον ἦλθες οἶκον ὑμεναίων μέτα;
To what house did you come with marriage songs?
§1274Σπαρτῷ μʼ ἔδωκας, ὡς λέγουσʼ, Ἐχίονι.
You gave me, as they say, to Echion, one of the Sown men.
§1275τίς οὖν ἐν οἴκοις παῖς ἐγένετο σῷ πόσει;
Who then was the child born in the house to your husband?
§1276Πενθεύς, ἐμῇ τε καὶ πατρὸς κοινωνίᾳ.
Pentheus, by the union of myself and his father.
§1277τίνος πρόσωπον δῆτʼ ἐν ἀγκάλαις ἔχεις;
Whose face then do you hold in your arms?
§1278λέοντος, ὥς γʼ ἔφασκον αἱ θηρώμεναι.
A lion's, as indeed those who were hunting kept saying.
§1279σκέψαι νυν ὀρθῶς· βραχὺς ὁ μόχθος εἰσιδεῖν.
Look now carefully; the trouble to see is brief.
§1280ἔα, τί λεύσσω;
Ah, what do I behold?
τί φέρομαι τόδʼ ἐν χεροῖν;
What is this I carry in my hands?
§1281ἄθρησον αὐτὸ καὶ σαφέστερον μάθε.
Gaze upon it and learn more clearly.
§1282ὁρῶ μέγιστον ἄλγος ἡ τάλαινʼ ἐγώ.
I see the greatest pain, wretched that I am.
§1283μῶν σοι λέοντι φαίνεται προσεικέναι;
Surely it does not seem to you to resemble a lion?
§1284οὔκ, ἀλλὰ Πενθέως ἡ τάλαινʼ ἔχω κάρα.
No, but I, wretched one, hold the head of Pentheus.
§1285ᾠμωγμένον γε πρόσθεν ἢ σὲ γνωρίσαι.
Lamented indeed, before you recognized him.
§1286τίς ἔκτανέν νιν;
Who killed him?
—πῶς ἐμὰς ἦλθεν χέρας;
How did he come into my hands?
§1287δύστηνʼ ἀλήθειʼ, ὡς ἐν οὐ καιρῷ πάρει.
Wretched truth, how out of season you are present!
§1288λέγʼ, ὡς τὸ μέλλον καρδία πήδημʼ ἔχει.
Speak, for my heart has a throb for what is to come.
§1289σύ νιν κατέκτας καὶ κασίγνηται σέθεν.
You killed him, and your sisters.
§1290ποῦ δʼ ὤλετʼ;
And where did he perish?
ἦ κατʼ οἶκον; ἢ ποίοις τόποις;
Was it at home, or in what places?
§1291οὗπερ πρὶν Ἀκτέωνα διέλαχον κύνες.
Where formerly the dogs tore Actaeon to pieces.
§1292τί δʼ ἐς Κιθαιρῶνʼ ἦλθε δυσδαίμων ὅδε;
And why did this ill-fated man go to Cithaeron?
§1293ἐκερτόμει θεὸν σάς τε βακχείας μολών.
He went to mock the god and your Bacchic revels.
§1294ἡμεῖς δʼ ἐκεῖσε τίνι τρόπῳ κατήραμεν;
And we, in what way did we arrive there?
§1295ἐμάνητε, πᾶσά τʼ ἐξεβακχεύθη πόλις.
You went mad, and the whole city was driven into Bacchic frenzy.
§1296Διόνυσος ἡμᾶς ὤλεσʼ, ἄρτι μανθάνω.
Dionysus destroyed us, now I understand.
§1297ὕβριν γʼ ὑβρισθείς· θεὸν γὰρ οὐχ ἡγεῖσθέ νιν.
Yes, having suffered insolence; for you did not think him a god.
§1298τὸ φίλτατον δὲ σῶμα ποῦ παιδός, πάτερ;
And where is the dearest body of my child, father?
§1299ἐγὼ μόλις τόδʼ ἐξερευνήσας φέρω.
I am bringing it, having searched for it with difficulty.
§1300ἦ πᾶν ἐν ἄρθροις συγκεκλῃμένον καλῶς;
Is it all put together well in its joints?
§1301Πενθεῖ δὲ τί μέρος ἀφροσύνης προσῆκʼ ἐμῆς;
And what part of my madness belonged to Pentheus?
§1302ὑμῖν ἐγένεθʼ ὅμοιος, οὐ σέβων θεόν.
He became like you, not worshiping the god.
§1303τοιγὰρ συνῆψε πάντας ἐς μίαν βλάβην,
Therefore he bound all together into one ruin,