having been taught too late regarding the things at home, that she had done these deeds unwillingly at the instigation of the beast.
§936κἀνταῦθʼ ὁ παῖς δύστηνος οὔτʼ ὀδυρμάτων §937ἐλείπετʼ οὐδέν, ἀμφί νιν γοώμενος, §938οὔτʼ ἀμφιπίπτων στόμασιν, ἀλλὰ πλευρόθεν §939πλευρὰν παρεὶς ἔκειτο πόλλʼ ἀναστένων, §940ὥς νιν ματαίως αἰτίᾳ βάλοι κακῇ, §941κλαίων ὁθούνεκʼ ἐκ δυοῖν ἔσοιθʼ ἅμα, §942πατρός τʼ ἐκείνης τʼ, ὠρφανισμένος βίον.
And thereupon the wretched boy spared no lamentations, wailing over her, nor falling upon her lips, but lying side by side, pressing his flank to her flank, groaning deeply, that he had struck her in vain with an evil accusation, weeping because he would be orphaned of life by both at once, his father and her.
§943τοιαῦτα τἀνθάδʼ ἐστίν· ὥστʼ εἴ τις δύο §944ἢ καί τι πλείους ἡμέρας λογίζεται, §945μάταιός ἐστιν· οὐ γὰρ ἔσθʼ ἥ γʼ αὔριον, §946πρὶν εὖ πάθῃ τις τὴν παροῦσαν ἡμέραν.
Such is the state of things here; so that if anyone counts on two or even more days, he is foolish; for there is no tomorrow until one has successfully passed the present day.
Which should I lament first, which suffering is more extreme, is hard for wretched me to judge.
§950τάδε μὲν ἔχομεν ὁρᾶν δόμοις, §951τάδε δὲ μένομεν ἐπʼ ἐλπίσιν· §952κοινὰ δʼ ἔχειν τε καὶ μέλλειν.
One ruin we can see in the house, the other we await in expectation; and it is all one, to suffer now or to look forward to suffering.
§953εἴθʼ ἀνεμόεσσά τις §955γένοιτʼ ἔπουρος ἑστιῶτις αὔρα, §956ἥτις μʼ ἀποικίσειεν ἐκ τόπων, ὅπως §957τὸν Δῖον ἄλκιμον γόνον §960μὴ ταρβαλέα θάνοιμι §961μοῦνον εἰσιδοῦσʼ ἄφαρ· §962ἐπεὶ ἐν δυσαπαλλάκτοις ὀδύναις §963χωρεῖν πρὸ δόμων λέγουσιν §964ἄσπετόν τι θαῦμα.
Would that some windy, favorable breeze might blow from our hearth, to carry me away from this place, so that I might not die of terror at the mere sudden sight of the brave son of Zeus; since they say he is approaching before the house in inescapable agonies, a wondrous sight beyond words.
Ah, indeed near at hand, and not far off, did I raise my lament beforehand, like a shrill nightingale.
§967ξένων γὰρ ἐξόμιλος ἥδε τις βάσις.
For here comes a strange procession of foreigners.
§968πᾷ δʼ αὖ φορεῖ νιν;
And how are they carrying him?
As if caring for a friend, they move with a heavy, silent step.
§970αἰαῖ, ὅδʼ ἀναύδατος φέρεται.
Alas, he is carried in speechless.
What should we judge him to be—dead, or holding onto sleep?
Woe is me for you, father, woe is me for you in your misery!
§974τί πάθω;
What will become of me?
τί δὲ μήσομαι;
What shall I devise?
οἴμοι.
Alas!
§975σίγα, τέκνον, μὴ κινήσῃς
Be silent, my child!
§976ἀγρίαν ὀδύνην πατρὸς ὠμόφρονος·
Do not arouse the wild agony of your fierce-tempered father.
§977ζῇ γὰρ προπετής· ἀλλʼ ἴσχε δακὼν στόμα σόν.
For he lives, though prostrate; but hold your mouth, biting your lip.
§978πῶς φής, γέρον;
How do you say, old man?
ἦ ζῇ;
Is he indeed alive?
§979οὐ μὴ ʼξεγερεῖς τὸν ὕπνῳ κάτοχον §979aκἀκκινήσεις κἀναστήσεις §980φοιτάδα δεινὴν νόσον, ὦ τέκνον.
You must not wake him who is held by sleep, nor rouse and stir up the terrible, recurring plague, my child.
But upon wretched me lies an immeasurable burden; my mind is frantic.
Beside what mortals do I lie, worn out by unceasing agonies?
οἴμοι μοι ἐγὼ τλάμων·
Woe is me, wretched that I am!
§987ἡ δʼ αὖ μιαρὰ βρύκει.
And again the abominable plague devours me.
φεῦ.
Alas!
§988ἆρʼ ἐξῄδη σʼ ὅσον ἦν κέρδος §989σιγῇ κεύθειν καὶ μὴ σκεδάσαι §990τῷδʼ ἀπὸ κρατὸς βλεφάρων θʼ ὕπνον;
Did you not know how great a benefit it was to keep silent and not scatter sleep from this man's head and eyelids?
For I do not know how I could bear it, looking upon this evil.
O Cenaean base of altars, what a return for what sacrifices have you wrought upon wretched me!
ὦ Ζεῦ.
O Zeus!
§996οἵαν μʼ ἄρʼ ἔθου λώβαν, οἵαν·
What an outrage you have brought upon me, what an outrage!
§997ἣν μή ποτʼ ἐγὼ προσιδεῖν ὁ τάλας §998ὤφελον ὄσσοις, τόδʼ ἀκήλητον §999μανίας ἄνθος καταδερχθῆναι.
Which I, wretched man, wish I had never looked upon with my eyes, to behold this unappeasable flower of madness!
For what singer, what craftsman of medicine, apart from Zeus, will charm away this ruin?
§1003θαῦμʼ ἂν πόρρωθεν ἰδοίμην.
I would look upon such a wonder from afar.
§1004ἒ ἔ,
Ah, ah!
Leave me, leave me in my ill fortune to sleep my last sleep; leave me to lie down for the last time.
§1007πᾷ πᾷ μου ψαύεις;
Where, where do you touch me?
ποῖ κλίνεις;
Whither do you bend me?
§1008ἀπολεῖς μʼ, ἀπολεῖς.
You will kill me, you will kill me!
§1009ἀνατέτροφας ὅ τι καὶ μύσῃ.
You have overturned whatever rest was closing my eyes.
§1010ἧπταί μου, τοτοτοῖ, ἥδʼ αὖθʼ ἕρπει.
It has seized me, tototoi, here it creeps again!
πόθεν ἔστʼ, ὦ §1011πάντων Ἑλλάνων ἀδικώτατοι ἀνέρες, οὓς δὴ §1012πολλὰ μὲν ἐν πόντῳ κατά τε δρία πάντα καθαίρων §1013ὠλεκόμαν ὁ τάλας, καὶ νῦν ἐπὶ τῷδε νοσοῦντι
From where are you, O most unjust of all Hellenes, for whom I, wretched man, wore myself out by clearing many pests in the sea and through all the forests?
§1014οὐ πῦρ, οὐκ ἔγχος τις ὀνήσιμον οὐκ ἐπιτρέψει;
And now, to me who am thus diseased, will no one turn either fire or a helpful sword?
§1015ἒ ἔ,
Ah, ah!
Will no one come and strike off the head of this loathsome man by force?
φεῦ φεῦ.
Alas, alas!
O son of this man, this task rises greater than my strength; but do you take hold!
σοὶ γὰρ ἑτοίμα §1019ἐς πλέον ἢ διʼ ἐμοῦ σῴζειν.
For you have a hand more ready than mine to save.
§1020ψαύω μὲν ἔγωγε, §1021λαθίπονον δʼ ὀδυνᾶν οὔτʼ ἔνδοθεν οὔτε θύραθεν §1022ἔστι μοι ἐξανύσαι βίοτον· τοιαῦτα νέμει Ζεύς.
I am laying hold, indeed; but to bring about a life that forgets pain, either from within or from without, is not in my power to accomplish; such things does Zeus dispense.
§1024ὦ παῖ, ποῦ ποτʼ εἶ;
O boy, where are you?
τᾷδέ με τᾷδέ με §1025πρόσλαβε κουφίσας.
Here, here, take hold of me and lift me up!
ἒ ἔ, ἰὼ δαῖμον.
Ah, ah! Oh, cruel fate!
It leaps upon me again, it leaps, the wretched, wild, inescapable disease that will utterly destroy us!
§1031ὦ Παλλὰς Παλλάς, τόδε μʼ αὖ λωβᾶται.
O Pallas, Pallas, this plagues me again!
ἰὼ παῖ,
Oh, my son,