§671δίδαξον, εἰ διδακτόν, ἐξ ὅτου φοβεῖ.
Chorus: Explain, if it can be taught, what you are afraid of.
Deianeira: Such a thing has happened, women, that if I tell it, you will learn of an unexpected marvel.
§674ᾧ γὰρ τὸν ἐνδυτῆρα πέπλον ἀρτίως §675ἔχριον, ἀργὴς οἰὸς εὐέρου πόκος, §676τοῦτʼ ἠφάνισται διάβορον πρὸς οὐδενὸς §677τῶν ἔνδον, ἀλλʼ ἐδεστὸν ἐξ αὑτοῦ φθίνει, §678καὶ ψῇ κατʼ ἄκρας σπιλάδος· ὡς δʼ εἰδῇς ἅπαν, §679ᾗ τοῦτʼ ἐπράχθη, μείζονʼ ἐκτενῶ λόγον.
For that with which I was just now anointing the robe to be worn, a bright fleece of a well-wooled sheep, this has disappeared, devoured by nothing of those within the house, but consumed by itself it wastes away, and crumbles away on the surface of the stone; and that you may know the whole, how this was done, I will extend a longer account.
§680ἐγὼ γὰρ ὧν ὁ θήρ με Κένταυρος, πονῶν §681πλευρὰν πικρᾷ γλωχῖνι, προυδιδάξατο §682παρῆκα θεσμῶν οὐδέν, ἀλλʼ ἐσῳζόμην §683χαλκῆς ὅπως δύσνιπτον ἐκ δέλτου γραφήν.
For of the things which the beast, the Centaur, when suffering in his side from the bitter arrow-point, instructed me beforehand, I omitted nothing of his rules, but preserved them like a writing hard to wash out from a bronze tablet.
§684καί μοι τάδʼ ἦν πρόρρητα καὶ τοιαῦτʼ ἔδρων· §685τὸ φάρμακον τοῦτʼ ἄπυρον ἀκτῖνός τʼ ἀεὶ §686θερμῆς ἄθικτον ἐν μυχοῖς σῴζειν ἐμέ, §687ἕως νιν ἀρτίχριστον ἁρμόσαιμί που.
And these things were prescribed to me, and thus I did: that I should keep this drug always untouched by fire and warm sunbeam, in the innermost recesses, until I should apply it, newly smeared, somewhere.
§688κἄδρων τοιαῦτα.
And I did so.
νῦν δʼ, ὅτʼ ἦν ἐργαστέον, §689ἔχρισα μὲν κατʼ οἶκον ἐν δόμοις κρυφῇ §690μαλλῷ, σπάσασα κτησίου βοτοῦ λάχνην, §691κἄθηκα συμπτύξασʼ ἀλαμπὲς ἡλίου §692κοίλῳ ζυγάστρῳ δῶρον, ὥσπερ εἴδετε.
But now, when it was to be used, I anointed it in secret inside the house with a tuft of wool, having plucked some fleece from a sheep of our flock, and having folded the gift, I placed it out of the sun's light in a hollow chest, just as you saw.
But going back inside, I behold a spectacle unspeakable, incomprehensible for a human to understand.
§695τὸ γὰρ κάταγμα τυγχάνω ῥίψασά πως §696τῆς οἰός, ᾧ προύχριον, ἐς μέσην φλόγα, §697ἀκτῖνʼ ἐς ἡλιῶτιν· ὡς δʼ ἐθάλπετο, §698ῥεῖ πᾶν ἄδηλον καὶ κατέψηκται χθονί, §699μορφῇ μάλιστʼ εἰκαστὸν ὥστε πρίονος §700ἐκβρώματʼ ἂν βλέψειας ἐν τομῇ ξύλου.
For I happened somehow to throw the plucked wool of the sheep, with which I was anointing, into the midst of the light, into the sunbeam; and as it grew warm, it melts all away, unseen, and crumbles on the ground, in form most like to the sawdust which you might see in the cutting of wood by a saw.
§701τοιόνδε κεῖται προπετές· ἐκ δὲ γῆς, ὅθεν §702προύκειτʼ, ἀναζέουσι θρομβώδεις ἀφροί, §703γλαυκῆς ὀπώρας ὥστε πίονος ποτοῦ §704χυθέντος εἰς γῆν Βακχίας ἀπʼ ἀμπέλου.
Such does it lie fallen; and from the ground where it was lying, clotted foams bubble up, as when the rich drink of the blue-green autumn fruit is poured upon the earth from the vine of Bacchus.
So that I, wretched one, know not where to turn my thoughts; and I see that I have wrought a dreadful deed.
For why on earth, in return for what, would the dying beast show goodwill to me, on whose account he was dying?
§709οὐκ ἔστιν, ἀλλὰ τὸν βαλόντʼ ἀποφθίσαι §710χρῄζων ἔθελγέ μʼ· ὧν ἐγὼ μεθύστερον, §711ὅτʼ οὐκέτʼ ἀρκεῖ, τὴν μάθησιν ἄρνυμαι.
It cannot be; but wishing to destroy him who shot him, he beguiled me; of which things I, too late, when it no longer avails, obtain the understanding.
§712μόνη γὰρ αὐτόν, εἴ τι μὴ ψευσθήσομαι §713γνώμης, ἐγὼ δύστηνος ἐξαποφθερῶ· §714τὸν γὰρ βαλόντʼ ἄτρακτον οἶδα καὶ θεὸν §715Χείρωνα πημήναντα, χὦνπερ ἂν θίγῃ, §716φθείρει τὰ πάντα κνώδαλʼ· ἐκ δὲ τοῦδʼ ὅδε §717σφαγῶν διελθὼν ἰὸς αἵματος μέλας §718πῶς οὐκ ὀλεῖ καὶ τόνδε;
For I alone, unless I am deceived in my judgment, wretched that I am, shall utterly destroy him; for I know that the arrow which shot him hurt even the divine Cheiron, and whatever it touches, it destroys all beasts; and from this wound this black venom of blood having passed, how shall it not destroy him too?
δόξῃ γοῦν ἐμῇ.
In my opinion at least, it will.
§719καίτοι δέδοκται, κεῖνος εἰ σφαλήσεται, §720ταύτῃ σὺν ὁρμῇ κἀμὲ συνθανεῖν ἅμα· §721ζῆν γὰρ κακῶς κλύουσαν οὐκ ἀνασχετόν, §722ἥτις προτιμᾷ μὴ κακὴ πεφυκέναι.
And yet I am resolved, if he falls, by that same impulse I also will die with him; for to live hearing oneself ill spoken of is not to be borne, for one who prefers not to be base in her nature.
Chorus: To fear dreadful deeds is necessary, but one should not judge hope before the outcome.
Deianeira: In bad plans there is not even a hope which can afford any confidence.
Chorus: But towards those who trip not of their own free will, anger is mild, which you ought to obtain.
Deianeira: Such things would be said not by one who shares in the evil, but by one for whom there is no burden at home.
§731σιγᾶν ἂν ἁρμόζοι σε τὸν πλείω λόγον, §732εἰ μή τι λέξεις παιδὶ τῷ σαυτῆς· ἐπεὶ §733πάρεστι, μαστὴρ πατρὸς ὃς πρὶν ᾤχετο.
Chorus: It would be fitting for you to silence further speech, unless you will say something to your own son; for he is present, who went before to seek his father.
§734ὦ μῆτερ, ὡς ἂν ἐκ τριῶν σʼ ἓν εἱλόμην, §735ἢ μηκέτʼ εἶναι ζῶσαν, ἢ σεσωσμένην §736ἄλλου κεκλῆσθαι μητέρʼ, ἢ λῴους φρένας §737τῶν νῦν παρουσῶν τῶνδʼ ἀμείψασθαί ποθεν.
Hyllus: O mother, how I would have chosen one of three things for you: either that you were no longer living, or that having been saved you were called the mother of another, or that you had somehow changed your present heart for a better one!
§738τί δʼ ἐστίν, ὦ παῖ, πρός γʼ ἐμοῦ στυγούμενον;
Deianeira: What is it, my child, that is hated on my part?
Hyllus: Know that you have killed your husband, and I mean my father, on this very day.
§741οἴμοι, τινʼ ἐξήνεγκας, ὦ τέκνον, λόγον;
Deianeira: Alas, what a word have you uttered, my child!
Hyllus: One which cannot fail to be fulfilled; for who could make undone that which has been made manifest?
§744πῶς εἶπας, ὦ παῖ;
Deianeira: How did you say this, my child?
τοῦ παρʼ ἀνθρώπων μαθὼν §745ἄζηλον οὕτως ἔργον εἰργάσθαι με φής;
From whom among men did you learn that you say I have wrought so unenviable a deed?