§1304ὑμᾶς τε τόνδε θʼ, ὥστε διολέσαι δόμους §1305κἄμʼ, ὅστις ἄτεκνος ἀρσένων παίδων γεγὼς §1306τῆς σῆς τόδʼ ἔρνος, ὦ τάλαινα, νηδύος §1307αἴσχιστα καὶ κάκιστα κατθανόνθʼ ὁρῶ, §1308ᾧ δῶμʼ ἀνέβλεφʼ—ὃς συνεῖχες, ὦ τέκνον, §1309τοὐμὸν μέλαθρον, παιδὸς ἐξ ἐμῆς γεγώς, §1310πόλει τε τάρβος ἦσθα· τὸν γέροντα δὲ §1311οὐδεὶς ὑβρίζειν ἤθελʼ εἰσορῶν τὸ σὸν §1312κάρα· δίκην γὰρ ἀξίαν ἐλάμβανες.
and you and this man, so as to destroy the house and me, who, being childless of male children, see this shoot of your womb, wretched woman, dying most shamefully and miserably, to whom the house looked up — you who held together, my child, my palace, being born from my daughter, and you were a terror to the city; and the old man no one wished to insult, looking upon your face; for you would take worthy punishment (on them).
§1313νῦν δʼ ἐκ δόμων ἄτιμος ἐκβεβλήσομαι §1314ὁ Κάδμος ὁ μέγας, ὃς τὸ Θηβαίων γένος §1315ἔσπειρα κἀξήμησα κάλλιστον θέρος.
But now I shall be cast out from the house, dishonored, Cadmus the great, who sowed the race of Thebans and reaped a most beautiful harvest.
§1316ὦ φίλτατʼ ἀνδρῶν—καὶ γὰρ οὐκέτʼ ὢν ὅμως §1317τῶν φιλτάτων ἔμοιγʼ ἀριθμήσῃ, τέκνον— §1318οὐκέτι γενείου τοῦδε θιγγάνων χερί, §1319τὸν μητρὸς αὐδῶν πατέρα προσπτύξῃ, τέκνον, §1320λέγων· Τίς ἀδικεῖ, τίς σʼ ἀτιμάζει, γέρον;
O dearest of men — for although you are no more, nevertheless you shall be numbered among the dearest to me, child — no longer touching this chin of mine with your hand, will you embrace the father of your mother, child, saying: 'Who wrongs you, who dishonors you, old man?
§1321τίς σὴν ταράσσει καρδίαν λυπηρὸς ὤν;
Who troubles your heart, being vexatious?
Speak, so that I may punish the one who wrongs you, father.' But now, I am miserable, and you are wretched.
§1324οἰκτρὰ δὲ μήτηρ, τλήμονες δὲ σύγγονοι.
And pitiable is your mother, and wretched your sisters.
And if there is anyone who despises the gods, looking upon the death of this man, let him believe in gods.
Chorus: I grieve for your lot, Cadmus; but your grandson has his just punishment, though painful to you.
§1329ὦ πάτερ, ὁρᾷς γὰρ τἄμʼ ὅσῳ μετεστράφη
Agave: O father, for you see how much my affairs have turned around...
§1330δράκων γενήσῃ μεταβαλών, δάμαρ τε σὴ §1331ἐκθηριωθεῖσʼ ὄφεος ἀλλάξει τύπον, §1332ἣν Ἄρεος ἔσχες Ἁρμονίαν θνητὸς γεγώς.
Dionysus: You shall become a serpent, changing your form, and your wife made wild, shall take in exchange the form of a snake, Harmonia, whom you, being a mortal, had as wife, the daughter of Ares.
And a chariot of heifers, as the oracle of Zeus says, you shall drive with your wife, leading barbarians.
§1335πολλὰς δὲ πέρσεις ἀναρίθμῳ στρατεύματι §1336πόλεις· ὅταν δὲ Λοξίου χρηστήριον §1337διαρπάσωσι, νόστον ἄθλιον πάλιν §1338σχήσουσι· σὲ δʼ Ἄρης Ἁρμονίαν τε ῥύσεται §1339μακάρων τʼ ἐς αἶαν σὸν καθιδρύσει βίον.
And you shall sack many cities with an innumerable army; and when they plunder the oracle of Loxias, they shall have a miserable return back; but Ares will rescue you and Harmonia and will establish your life in the land of the blessed.
§1340ταῦτʼ οὐχὶ θνητοῦ πατρὸς ἐκγεγὼς λέγω §1341Διόνυσος, ἀλλὰ Ζηνός· εἰ δὲ σωφρονεῖν §1342ἔγνωθʼ, ὅτʼ οὐκ ἠθέλετε, τὸν Διὸς γόνον §1343εὐδαιμονεῖτʼ ἂν σύμμαχον κεκτημένοι.
These things I say, not being born of a mortal father, but of Zeus, Dionysus; and if you had known how to be wise when you were not willing, you would have been happy, having acquired the son of Zeus as an ally.
§1344Διόνυσε, λισσόμεσθά σʼ, ἠδικήκαμεν.
Agave / Cadmus: Dionysus, we entreat you, we have sinned.
§1345ὄψʼ ἐμάθεθʼ ἡμᾶς, ὅτε δὲ χρῆν, οὐκ ᾔδετε.
Dionysus: Too late you have learned us, and when you ought to, you did not know.
§1346ἐγνώκαμεν ταῦτʼ· ἀλλʼ ἐπεξέρχῃ λίαν.
Agave / Cadmus: We have recognized these things; but you go too far.
§1347καὶ γὰρ πρὸς ὑμῶν θεὸς γεγὼς ὑβριζόμην.
Dionysus: For indeed I, being a god, was insulted by you.
§1348ὀργὰς πρέπει θεοὺς οὐχ ὁμοιοῦσθαι βροτοῖς.
Agave / Cadmus: It is not fitting for gods to make their angers like those of mortals.
§1349πάλαι τάδε Ζεὺς οὑμὸς ἐπένευσεν πατήρ.
Dionysus: Long ago my father Zeus approved these things.
§1350αἰαῖ, δέδοκται, πρέσβυ, τλήμονες φυγαί.
Agave: Alas, it is decided, old man, on wretched exiles.
§1351τί δῆτα μέλλεθʼ ἅπερ ἀναγκαίως ἔχει;
Dionysus: Why then do you delay what is necessary?
§1352ὦ τέκνον, ὡς ἐς δεινὸν ἤλθομεν κακὸν §1353πάντες, σύ θʼ ἡ τάλαινα σύγγονοί τε σαί, §1354ἐγώ θʼ ὁ τλήμων· βαρβάρους ἀφίξομαι §1355γέρων μέτοικος· ἔτι δέ μοι τὸ θέσφατον §1356ἐς Ἑλλάδʼ ἀγαγεῖν μιγάδα βάρβαρον στρατόν.
Cadmus: O child, into what a terrible misfortune we have come, all of us, both you, wretched one, and your sisters, and wretched me; I shall go to barbarians, an old resident alien; and still it is fated for me to lead a mixed barbarian army into Greece.
§1357καὶ τὴν Ἄρεως παῖδʼ Ἁρμονίαν, δάμαρτʼ ἐμήν, §1358δράκων δρακαίνης φύσιν ἔχουσαν ἀγρίαν §1359ἄξω ʼπὶ βωμοὺς καὶ τάφους Ἑλληνικούς, §1360ἡγούμενος λόγχαισιν·
And the daughter of Ares, Harmonia, my wife, I, a serpent, having the wild nature of a she-serpent, shall lead to the Greek altars and tombs, leading with spears.
And I, wretched one, shall not cease from evils, nor, having sailed down the downward-flowing Acheron, shall I be at peace.
§1363ὦ πάτερ, ἐγὼ δὲ σοῦ στερεῖσα φεύξομαι.
Agave: O father, and I, deprived of you, shall go into exile.
Cadmus: Why do you throw your arms around me, wretched child, like a white-feathered swan protecting a helpless drone?
§1366ποῖ γὰρ τράπωμαι πατρίδος ἐκβεβλημένη;
Agave: For whither shall I turn, cast out from my fatherland?
§1367οὐκ οἶδα, τέκνον· μικρὸς ἐπίκουρος πατήρ.
Cadmus: I do not know, child; your father is a small helper.
§1368χαῖρʼ, ὦ μέλαθρον, χαῖρʼ, ὦ πατρία
Agave: Farewell, O home!
§1369πόλις·
Farewell, O ancestral city!
ἐκλείπω σʼ ἐπὶ δυστυχίᾳ §1370φυγὰς ἐκ θαλάμων.
I leave you in misfortune, an exile from my bridal chambers.
Cadmus: Go now, child, to the... of Aristaeus Agave: I mourn for you, father.
Cadmus: And I for you, child, and I weep for your sisters.
Agave: For terribly this outrage did lord Dionysus bring into your house.
Dionysus: For indeed I suffered terrible things from you, having my name without honor in Thebes.
§1379χαῖρε, πάτερ, μοι.
Agave: Farewell, father, for me.
χαλεπῶς δʼ ἐς τόδʼ ἂν ἥκοις.
With difficulty may you reach this.
Agave: Lead me, O guides, where my sisters I shall take as pitiable companions in exile.
§1383ἔλθοιμι δʼ ὅπου §1384μήτε Κιθαιρὼν ἔμʼ ἴδοι μιαρὸς §1385μήτε Κιθαιρῶνʼ ὄσσοισιν ἐγώ, §1386μήθʼ ὅθι θύρσου μνῆμʼ ἀνάκειται· §1387Βάκχαις δʼ ἄλλαισι μέλοιεν.
And may I go where neither accursed Cithaeron may see me, nor I with my eyes Cithaeron, nor where a monument of the thyrsus is dedicated; and let these be a concern to other Bacchants.
§1388πολλαὶ μορφαὶ τῶν δαιμονίων, §1389πολλὰ δʼ ἀέλπτως κραίνουσι θεοί· §1390καὶ τὰ δοκηθέντʼ οὐκ ἐτελέσθη, §1391τῶν δʼ ἀδοκήτων πόρον ηὗρε θεός.
Chorus: Many are the forms of the divine, and many things the gods accomplish unexpectedly; and what was expected was not fulfilled, but for the unexpected a god found a way.
§1392τοιόνδʼ ἀπέβη τόδε πρᾶγμα.
Such was the outcome of this matter.