HERACLES:...wild olive, to cast my body upon it, and taking the light of a pine torch to burn it.
Let no tear of lamentation enter, but without groans and without tears, if indeed you are this man's son, do it.
εἰ δὲ μή, μενῶ σʼ ἐγὼ §1202καὶ νέρθεν ὢν ἀραῖος εἰσαεὶ βαρύς.
Otherwise, I will await you even from below, as an heavy curse forever.
§1203οἴμοι, πάτερ, τί δʼ εἶπας;
HYLLUS: Alas, father, what have you said!
οἷά μʼ εἴργασαι.
What a thing you have done to me!
§1204ὁποῖα δραστέʼ ἐστίν·
HERACLES: What must be done.
εἰ δὲ μή, πατρὸς §1205ἄλλου γενοῦ του μηδʼ ἐμὸς κληθῇς ἔτι.
Otherwise, become the son of another, and be called mine no longer.
HYLLUS: Alas once more, to what do you call me, father, to become your murderer and your blood-guilty killer!
HERACLES: Not so, indeed; but the healer of my present evils and the only physician of my sufferings.
§1210καὶ πῶς ὑπαίθων σῶμʼ ἂν ἰῴμην τὸ σόν;
HYLLUS: And how, by setting fire to your body, could I heal you?
§1211ἀλλʼ εἰ φοβεῖ πρὸς τοῦτο, τἄλλα γʼ ἔργασαι.
HERACLES: Well, if you fear to do this, do the rest at least.
§1212φορᾶς γέ τοι φθόνησις οὐ γενήσεται.
HYLLUS: As for carrying you, at least, there will be no grudge.
§1213ἦ καὶ πυρᾶς πλήρωμα τῆς εἰρημένης;
HYLLUS: And also the piling up of the pyre mentioned?
§1214ὅσον γʼ ἂν αὐτὸς μὴ ποτιψαύων χεροῖν·
HERACLES: As much as you yourself do not touch it with your hands.
§1215τὰ δʼ ἄλλα πράξω κοὐ καμεῖ τοὐμὸν μέρος.
HYLLUS: I will do the rest, and you shall not find me wanting.
§1216ἀλλʼ ἀρκέσει καὶ ταῦτα·
HERACLES: That indeed will suffice.
πρόσνειμαι δέ μοι §1217χάριν βραχεῖαν πρὸς μακροῖς ἄλλοις διδούς.
But grant me besides a small favor, adding to the other great ones.
§1218εἰ καὶ μακρὰ κάρτʼ ἐστίν, ἐργασθήσεται.
HYLLUS: Even if it is very great, it shall be done.
§1219τὴν Εὐρυτείαν οἶσθα δῆτα παρθένον;
HERACLES: Do you know then the daughter of Eurytus?
§1220Ἰόλην ἔλεξας, ὥς γʼ ἐπεικάζειν ἐμέ.
HYLLUS: You mean Iole, as I guess.
§1221ἔγνως.
HERACLES: You know her.
τοσοῦτον δή σʼ ἐπισκήπτω, τέκνον· §1222ταύτην ἐμοῦ θανόντος, εἴπερ εὐσεβεῖν §1223βούλει, πατρῴων ὁρκίων μεμνημένος, §1224προσθοῦ δάμαρτα, μηδʼ ἀπιστήσῃς πατρί·
This indeed is what I charge you, child: when I am dead, if indeed you wish to be pious, remembering your father's oaths, take her as your wife, and do not disobey your father.
§1225μηδʼ ἄλλος ἀνδρῶν τοῖς ἐμοῖς πλευροῖς ὁμοῦ §1226κλιθεῖσαν αὐτὴν ἀντὶ σοῦ λάβῃ ποτέ, §1227ἀλλʼ αὐτός, ὦ παῖ, τοῦτο κήδευσον λέχος.
Let no other man instead of you ever take her who has lain by my side; but do you yourself, my son, care for this marriage.
§1228πείθου·
Obey.
τὸ γάρ τοι μεγάλα πιστεύσαντʼ ἐμοὶ §1229σμικροῖς ἀπιστεῖν τὴν πάρος συγχεῖ χάριν.
For to trust me in great things, but to distrust in small, ruins the previous favor.
§1230οἴμοι·
HYLLUS: Alas!
τὸ μὲν νοσοῦντι θυμοῦσθαι κακόν, §1231τὸ δʼ ὧδʼ ὁρᾶν φρονοῦντα τίς ποτʼ ἂν φέροι;
To be angry with one who is sick is bad, but to see someone minded like this, who could bear it?
§1232ὡς ἐργασείων οὐδὲν ὧν λέγω θροεῖς.
HERACLES: You speak as one who intends to do none of what I say.
§1233τίς γάρ ποθʼ, ἥ μοι μητρὶ μὲν θανεῖν μόνη §1234μεταίτιος σοί τʼ αὖθις ὡς ἔχεις ἔχειν, §1235τίς ταῦτʼ ἄν, ὅστις μὴ ʼξ ἀλαστόρων νοσοῖ, §1236ἕλοιτο;
HYLLUS: For who indeed—she who alone is co-responsible for my mother's death and for your being in this state again— who would choose this, unless he were sick from avenging spirits?
κρεῖσσον κἀμέ γʼ, ὦ πάτερ, θανεῖν §1237ἢ τοῖσιν ἐχθίστοισι συνναίειν ὁμοῦ.
It is better for me too, father, to die than to dwell with my worst enemies.
§1238ἁνὴρ ὅδʼ, ὡς ἔοικεν, οὐ νεμεῖν ἐμοὶ §1239φθίνοντι μοῖραν· ἀλλά τοι θεῶν ἀρὰ §1240μενεῖ σʼ ἀπιστήσαντα τοῖς ἐμοῖς λόγοις.
HERACLES: This man, it seems, will not grant me my portion in dying; but indeed the curse of the gods will await you if you disobey my words.
§1241ὤμοι, τάχʼ, ὡς ἔοικας, ὡς νοσεῖς φράσεις.
HYLLUS: Alas, soon, it seems, you will show how sick you are.
§1242σὺ γάρ μʼ ἀπʼ εὐνασθέντος ἐκκινεῖς κακοῦ.
HERACLES: Yes, for you rouse me from the evil that was laid to sleep.
§1243δείλαιος, ὡς ἐς πολλὰ τἀπορεῖν ἔχω.
HYLLUS: Wretched me, how in many things I am at a loss!
§1244οὐ γὰρ δικαιοῖς τοῦ φυτεύσαντος κλύειν.
HERACLES: Yes, for you do not think it right to obey him who begot you.
§1245ἀλλʼ ἐκδιδαχθῶ δῆτα δυσσεβεῖν, πάτερ;
HYLLUS: But shall I indeed be taught to act impiously, father?
§1246οὐ δυσσέβεια, τοὐμὸν εἰ τέρψεις κέαρ.
HERACLES: It is not impiety, if you please my heart.
§1247πράσσειν ἄνωγας οὖν με πανδίκως τάδε;
HYLLUS: Do you command me then to do this in all justice?
§1248ἔγωγε· τούτων μάρτυρας καλῶ θεούς.
HERACLES: I do; I call the gods as witnesses of this.
§1249τοιγὰρ ποήσω κοὐκ ἀπώσομαι, τὸ σὸν §1250θεοῖσι δεικνὺς ἔργον· οὐ γὰρ ἄν ποτε §1251κακὸς φανείην σοί γε πιστεύσας, πάτερ.
HYLLUS: Therefore I will do it and not reject it, showing your deed to the gods; for I shall never appear base by obeying you.
§1252καλῶς τελευτᾷς, κἀπὶ τοῖσδε τὴν χάριν §1253ταχεῖαν, ὦ παῖ, πρόσθες, ὡς πρὶν ἐμπεσεῖν §1254σπαραγμὸν ἤ τινʼ οἶστρον, ἐς πυράν με θῇς.
HERACLES: You end well, and to this add the favor quickly, my son, so that before any spasm or frenzy falls upon me, you place me on the pyre.
§1255ἄγʼ ἐγκονεῖτʼ, αἴρεσθε·
Come, make haste, lift me!
παῦλά τοι κακῶν §1256αὕτη, τελευτὴ τοῦδε τἀνδρὸς ὑστάτη.
This is the respite from evils, this is the final end of this man.
HYLLUS: But nothing prevents this from being fulfilled for you, since you command and compel us, father.
§1259ἄγε νυν, πρὶν τήνδʼ ἀνακινῆσαι §1260νόσον, ὦ ψυχὴ σκληρά, χάλυβος §1261λιθοκόλλητον στόμιον παρέχουσʼ, §1262ἀνάπαυε βοήν, ὡς ἐπίχαρτον §1263τελέουσʼ ἀεκούσιον ἔργον.
HERACLES: Come now, before you rouse this disease, O stubborn soul, presenting a stone-set bit of steel, stop my crying, since you are finishing an unwelcome task as a joyful one.
§1264αἴρετʼ, ὀπαδοί, μεγάλην μὲν ἐμοὶ §1265τούτων θέμενοι συγγνωμοσύνην, §1266μεγάλην δὲ θεῶν ἀγνωμοσύνην §1267εἰδότες ἔργων τῶν πρασσομένων, §1268οἳ φύσαντες καὶ κλῃζόμενοι §1269πατέρες τοιαῦτʼ ἐφορῶσι πάθη.
HYLLUS: Lift him, attendants, granting me great forgiveness for these things, but knowing the great unreasonableness of the gods in the deeds being done— they who begot us and are called fathers, yet look upon such sufferings.
§1270τὰ μὲν οὖν μέλλοντʼ οὐδεὶς ἐφορᾷ, §1271τὰ δὲ νῦν ἑστῶτʼ οἰκτρὰ μὲν ἡμῖν, §1272αἰσχρὰ δʼ ἐκείνοις, §1273χαλεπώτατα δʼ οὖν ἀνδρῶν πάντων §1274τῷ τήνδʼ ἄτην ὑπέχοντι.
The future indeed no one foresees, but the present is piteous for us, and shameful for them, and hardest of all men for him who endures this ruin.
§1275λείπου μηδὲ σύ, παρθένʼ, ἀπʼ οἴκων, §1276μεγάλους μὲν ἰδοῦσα νέους θανάτους, §1277πολλὰ δὲ πήματα καὶ καινοπαθῆ, §1278κοὐδὲν τούτων ὅ τι μὴ Ζεύς.
Do not you, maiden, be left behind at home, having seen great, new deaths, and many sufferings and strange afflictions; and none of these things is not Zeus.