Say what you wish and stop; for in my sickness I understand nothing of the riddles you have been spinning for so long.
I have come to speak of my mother, in what state she now is, and how she erred without intending to.
O utter villain, have you actually mentioned again the mother who killed your father, for me to hear?
§1126ἔχει γὰρ οὕτως ὥστε μὴ σιγᾶν πρέπειν.
Yes, for her state is such that it is not fitting to keep silent.
§1127οὐ δῆτα τοῖς γε πρόσθεν ἡμαρτημένοις.
Not indeed in view of her past errors.
§1128ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ μὲν δὴ τοῖς γʼ ἐφʼ ἡμέραν ἐρεῖς.
But you will not say so even of her deeds today.
§1129λέγʼ, εὐλαβοῦ δὲ μὴ φανῇς κακὸς γεγώς.
Speak, but take care lest you show yourself to have been born base.
§1130λέγω· τέθνηκεν ἀρτίως νεοσφαγής.
I speak: she is dead, just now freshly slain.
§1131πρὸς τοῦ;
By whom?
τέρας τοι διὰ κακῶν ἐθέσπισας.
You have prophesied a marvel indeed through evils.
§1132αὐτὴ πρὸς αὑτῆς, οὐδενὸς πρὸς ἐκτόπου.
By her own hand, not by anyone from without.
§1133οἴμοι·
Alas!
πρὶν ὡς χρῆν σφʼ ἐξ ἐμῆς θανεῖν χερός;
Before she could die by my hand, as she ought to have?
§1134κἂν σοῦ στραφείη θυμός, εἰ τὸ πᾶν μάθοις.
Even your anger would turn, if you should learn the whole story.
§1135δεινοῦ λόγου κατῆρξας· εἰπὲ δʼ ᾗ νοεῖς.
You have begun a terrible tale; speak what you mean.
§1136ἅπαν τὸ χρῆμʼ, ἥμαρτε χρηστὰ μωμένη.
The whole matter is that she erred while intending what is good.
§1137χρήστʼ, ὦ κάκιστε, πατέρα σὸν κτείνασα δρᾷ;
Did she do good, O villain, by killing your father?
Thinking to apply a love-charm for you, she missed her mark when she saw the marriage within the house.
§1140καὶ τίς τοσοῦτος φαρμακεὺς Τραχινίων;
And who among the Trachinians is so great a drug-dealer?
Nessus the Centaur of old persuaded her to inflame your desire with such a love-filter.
§1143ἰοὺ ἰοὺ δύστηνος, οἴχομαι τάλας·
Alas, alas, wretched me, I am undone!
§1144ὄλωλʼ ὄλωλα, φέγγος οὐκέτʼ ἔστι μοι.
I am destroyed, destroyed, there is no longer light for me.
§1145οἴμοι, φρονῶ δὴ ξυμφορᾶς ἵνʼ ἕσταμεν.
Ah, I see indeed where we stand in our disaster.
§1146ἴθʼ, ὦ τέκνον, πατὴρ γὰρ οὐκέτʼ ἔστι σοι· §1147κάλει τὸ πᾶν μοι σπέρμα σῶν ὁμαιμόνων, §1148κάλει δὲ τὴν τάλαιναν Ἀλκμήνην, Διὸς §1149μάτην ἄκοιτιν, ὡς τελευταίαν ἐμοῦ §1150φήμην πύθησθε θεσφάτων ὅσʼ οἶδʼ ἐγώ.
Go, my child, for you no longer have a father; call all the seed of your siblings, and call the wretched Alcmene, in vain the wife of Zeus, so that you may hear the final oracle of my fate, as much as I know.
But your mother is not here, for she happens to have her dwelling at coastal Tiryns.
And of your children, she keeps some with her and rears them herself, while others, you may learn, dwell in the city of Thebes.
But we who are present, if there is anything that must be done, father, will hear and serve you.
You then listen to the task; and you have reached the point where you must show what kind of man you are, being called my son.
§1159ἐμοὶ γὰρ ἦν πρόφαντον ἐκ πατρὸς πάλαι, §1160τῶν ἐμπνεόντων μηδενὸς θανεῖν ὕπο, §1161ἀλλʼ ὅστις Ἅιδου φθίμενος οἰκήτωρ πέλοι.
For it was foretold to me by my father of old, that I should die by no one among the living, but by one who, having perished, was a dweller of Hades.
This Centaur beast, then, just as the divine oracle foretold, slew me, living, though he was dead.
§1164φανῶ δʼ ἐγὼ τούτοισι συμβαίνοντʼ ἴσα §1165μαντεῖα καινά, τοῖς πάλαι ξυνήγορα, §1166ἃ τῶν ὀρείων καὶ χαμαικοιτῶν ἐγὼ §1167Σελλῶν ἐσελθὼν ἄλσος εἰσεγραψάμην §1168πρὸς τῆς πατρῴας καὶ πολυγλώσσου δρυός, §1169ἥ μοι χρόνῳ τῷ ζῶντι καὶ παρόντι νῦν §1170ἔφασκε μόχθων τῶν ἐφεστώτων ἐμοὶ §1171λύσιν τελεῖσθαι· κἀδόκουν πράξειν καλῶς.
And I will show new prophecies agreeing with these, supporting the old ones, which I wrote down upon entering the grove of the mountain-dwelling, ground-sleeping Selli, from my father's many-tongued oak, which told me that at this very time now living and present, the release from the labors imposed upon me would be accomplished; and I thought I should fare well.
But this was after all nothing other than my death; for to the dead no further labor comes.
§1174ταῦτʼ οὖν ἐπειδὴ λαμπρὰ συμβαίνει, τέκνον, §1175δεῖ σʼ αὖ γενέσθαι τῷδε τἀνδρὶ σύμμαχον §1176καὶ μὴ ʼπιμεῖναι τοὐμὸν ὀξῦναι στόμα, §1177ἀλλʼ αὐτὸν εἰκαθόντα συμπράσσειν, νόμον §1178κάλλιστον ἐξευρόντα, πειθαρχεῖν πατρί.
Since then these things are turning out clearly, child, you must in turn become an ally to this man, and not wait to sharpen my tongue, but yield of your own accord and assist me, finding that the fairest law is to obey your father.
Father, I am afraid as I enter into such a dispute, but I will obey in what seems good to you.
§1181ἔμβαλλε χεῖρα δεξιὰν πρώτιστά μοι·
First of all, place your right hand in mine.
§1182ὡς πρὸς τί πίστιν τήνδʼ ἄγαν ἐπιστρέφεις;
To what end do you direct this pledge so earnestly?
§1183οὐ θᾶσσον οἴσεις μηδʼ ἀπιστήσεις ἐμοί;
Will you not bring it quickly, and not disobey me?
§1184ἰδοὺ προτείνω, κοὐδὲν ἀντειρήσεται.
Behold, I stretch it out, and nothing will be said against you.
§1185ὄμνυ Διός νυν τοῦ με φύσαντος κάρα,
Swear now by the head of Zeus who begot me.
§1186ἦ μὴν τί δράσειν;
Verily to do what?
καὶ τόδʼ ἐξειρήσεται;
Will this also be told?
§1187ἦ μὴν ἐμοὶ τὸ λεχθὲν ἔργον ἐκτελεῖν.
Verily to accomplish for me the deed that is spoken.
§1188ὄμνυμʼ ἔγωγε, Ζῆνʼ ἔχων ἐπώμοτον.
I swear, taking Zeus as witness to my oath.
§1189εἰ δʼ ἐκτὸς ἔλθοις, πημονὰς εὔχου λαβεῖν.
And if you should go outside of your oath, pray that you receive sufferings.
§1190οὐ μὴ λάβω· δράσω γάρ· εὔχομαι δʼ ὅμως·
I shall not receive them, for I will do it; yet I pray so nevertheless.
§1191οἶσθʼ οὖν τὸν Οἴτης Ζηνὸς ὕψιστον πάγον;
Do you know then the highest peak of Zeus on Oeta?
§1192οἶδʼ, ὡς θυτήρ γε πολλὰ δὴ σταθεὶς ἄνω.
I know it, having often stood as a sacrificer on its heights.
§1193ἐνταῦθά νυν χρὴ τοὐμὸν ἐξάραντά σε §1194σῶμʼ αὐτόχειρα καὶ ξὺν οἷς χρῄζεις φίλων. §1195πολλὴν μὲν ὕλην τῆς βαθυρρίζου δρυὸς §1196κείραντα, πολλὸν δʼ ἄρσενʼ ἐκτεμόνθʼ ὁμοῦ
There then you must carry my body with your own hands, and with whichever of your friends you wish, having cut down many a trunk of deep-rooted oak, and having cut down together many a male wild-olive...