But as for evil daring, may I neither know it nor learn it, and those who dare such things I hate.
§584φίλτροις δʼ ἐάν πως τήνδʼ ὑπερβαλώμεθα §585τὴν παῖδα καὶ θέλκτροισι τοῖς ἐφʼ Ἡρακλεῖ, §586μεμηχάνηται τοὔργον, εἴ τι μὴ δοκῶ §587πράσσειν μάταιον· εἰ δὲ μή, πεπαύσομαι.
Yet, if by love charms we can somehow surpass this girl, and by soothing spells applied to Heracles, the deed is planned—unless I seem to be acting in vain; but if so, I shall stop.
Chorus: But if there is any reliance in what is being done, you seem to us not to have planned badly.
Deianeira: The reliance is of this kind: while there is a prospect in thought, I have not yet had any acquaintance with it by trial.
Chorus: But you must know by doing; for even if you seem to have knowledge, you cannot have a secure judgment without trial.
Deianeira: But we shall know at once, for I see this man already at the door; and he will soon depart in haste.
Only let me be well concealed by you; for in darkness, even if you do shameful things, you will never fall into disgrace.
§598τί χρὴ ποεῖν;
Lichas: What must I do?
σήμαινε, τέκνον Οἰνέως, §599ὡς ἐσμὲν ἤδη τῷ μακρῷ χρόνῳ βραδεῖς.
Give me your orders, daughter of Oeneus, since we are already late because of our long delay.
§600ἀλλʼ αὐτὰ δή σοι ταῦτα καὶ πράσσω, Λίχα, §601ἕως σὺ ταῖς ἔσωθεν ἠγορῶ ξέναις, §602ὅπως φέρῃς μοι τόνδε ταναϋφῆ πέπλον, §603δώρημʼ ἐκείνῳ τἀνδρὶ τῆς ἐμῆς χερός.
Deianeira: But indeed, Lichas, I am preparing these very things for you, while you were talking with the captive women inside, so that you may carry this finely woven robe for me, as a gift from my own hand to that husband.
§604διδοὺς δὲ τόνδε φράζʼ ὅπως μηδεὶς βροτῶν §605κείνου πάροιθεν ἀμφιδύσεται χροΐ, §606μηδʼ ὄψεταί νιν μήτε φέγγος ἡλίου §607μήθʼ ἕρκος ἱερὸν μήτʼ ἐφέστιον σέλας, §608πρὶν κεῖνος αὐτὸν φανερὸς ἐμφανῶς σταθεὶς §609δείξῃ θεοῖσιν ἡμέρᾳ ταυροσφάγῳ.
And when you give it, charge him that no other mortal shall put it on his skin before him, and that neither the light of the sun shall see it, nor the sacred temple enclosure, nor the light of the hearth fire, until he, standing visible and conspicuous before all, shall display it to the gods on a day of bull-slaying.
§610οὕτω γὰρ ηὔγμην, εἴ ποτʼ αὐτὸν ἐς δόμους §611ἴδοιμι σωθέντʼ ἢ κλύοιμι πανδίκως, §612στελεῖν χιτῶνι τῷδε καὶ φανεῖν θεοῖς §613θυτῆρα καινῷ καινὸν ἐν πεπλώματι.
For thus I vowed, if ever I should see him return home safe or hear of it for certain, that I would clothe him in this robe and show him to the gods as a new sacrificer in a new vestment.
And you shall carry this token, which he will easily recognize from this impression of my seal ring.
§616ἀλλʼ ἕρπε, καὶ φύλασσε πρῶτα μὲν νόμον, §617τὸ μὴ ʼπιθυμεῖν πομπὸς ὢν περισσὰ δρᾶν· §618ἔπειθʼ ὅπως ἂν ἡ χάρις κείνου τέ σοι §619κἀμοῦ ξυνελθοῦσʼ ἐξ ἁπλῆς διπλῆ φανῇ.
But go, and first of all keep the rule of not desiring, as a messenger, to do more than your duty; and next, see that his gratitude to you and mine may join together to appear double instead of single.
§620ἀλλʼ εἴπερ Ἑρμοῦ τήνδε πομπεύω τέχνην §621βέβαιον, οὔ τι μὴ σφαλῶ γʼ ἐν σοί ποτε, §622τὸ μὴ οὐ τόδʼ ἄγγος ὡς ἔχει δεῖξαι φέρων, §623λόγων τε πίστιν ὧν λέγεις ἐφαρμόσαι.
Lichas: But if indeed I practice this art of Hermes with reliability, I will never fail you in any way, so as not to carry and show this casket just as it is, and to add the proof of the words you speak.
Deianeira: You may depart now; for you know well how things happen to be in the house.
§626ἐπίσταμαί τε καὶ φράσω σεσωσμένα.
Lichas: I know, and I will report that all is safe.
Deianeira: But you know also, having seen the reception of the stranger girl, how warmly I welcomed her.
§629ὥστʼ ἐκπλαγῆναι τοὐμὸν ἡδονῇ κέαρ.
Lichas: So much so that my heart was amazed with joy.
§630τί δῆτʼ ἂν ἄλλο γʼ ἐννέποις;
Deianeira: What else then is there for you to say?
For I fear lest you should speak too soon of the longing on my part, before we know whether we are longed for from there.
§633ὦ ναύλοχα καὶ πετραῖα §634θερμὰ λουτρὰ καὶ πάγους §635Οἴτας παραναιετάοντες, οἵ τε μέσσαν Μηλίδα πὰρ λίμναν §636χρυσαλακάτου τʼ ἀκτὰν κόρας, §637ἔνθʼ Ἑλλάνων ἀγοραὶ §638Πυλάτιδες κλέονται· §640ὁ καλλιβόας τάχʼ ὑμῖν §641αὐλὸς οὐκ ἀναρσίαν §642ἀχῶν καναχὰν ἐπάνεισιν, ἀλλὰ θείας ἀντίλυρον μούσας.
Chorus: O you who dwell by the harbor and the rocky warm springs, and the cliffs of Oeta, and by the middle of the Melian gulf, and the shore of the maiden with the golden spindle, where the Pylian assemblies of the Greeks are called; soon the lovely-sounding flute will return to you, bringing no harsh din of sounds, but a divine melody of the lyre-matching Muse.
For the son of Zeus and Alcmene hastens homeward, carrying the spoils of all his valor.
§647ὃν ἀπόπτολιν εἴχομεν παντᾷ, §648δυοκαιδεκάμηνον ἀμμένουσαι §649χρόνον, πελάγιον, ἴδριες οὐδέν· §650ἁ δέ οἱ φίλα δάμαρ §651τάλαιναν δυστάλαινα καρδίαν §652πάγκλαυτος αἰὲν ὤλλυτο·
Whom we held as completely away from the city, waiting for a twelve-month period, over the sea, knowing nothing; while his dear wife, wretchedly in her wretched heart, was ever pining away in tears.
But now Ares, driven by frenzy, has released her from the day of labor.
§655ἀφίκοιτʼ ἀφίκοιτο· μὴ σταίη
May he come, may he come!
§656πολύκωπον ὄχημα ναὸς αὐτῷ, §657πρὶν τάνδε πρὸς πόλιν ἀνύσειε, §658νασιῶτιν ἑστίαν §659ἀμείψας, ἔνθα κλῄζεται θυτήρ· §660ὅθεν μόλοι πανίμερος, §661τᾶς πειθοῦς παγχρίστῳ §662συγκραθεὶς ἐπὶ προφάσει φάρους.
Let not the many-oared carriage of his ship stand still, until he reaches this city, having left the island altar where he is celebrated as a sacrificer; whence may he come, full of desire, blended with the persuasive ointment on the occasion of the robe.
Deianeira: Women, how I fear lest all that I have just done has been carried too far by me!
§665τί δʼ ἔστι, Δῃάνειρα, τέκνον Οἰνέως;
Chorus: What is it, Deianeira, daughter of Oeneus?
Deianeira: I do not know; but I am disheartened lest I shall soon appear to have wrought a great evil from a fair hope.
§668οὐ δή τι τῶν σῶν Ἡρακλεῖ δωρημάτων;
Chorus: Surely not something concerning your gifts to Heracles?