§1ὦ κοινὸν αὐτάδελφον Ἰσμήνης κάρα, §2ἆρʼ οἶσθʼ ὅ τι Ζεὺς τῶν ἀπʼ Οἰδίπου κακῶν §3ὁποῖον οὐχὶ νῷν ἔτι ζώσαιν τελεῖ;
Oh, sisterly head of Ismene, sharing the same blood, Do you know what kind of evil from those of Oedipus Zeus not fulfill for the two of us while we are still living?
§4οὐδὲν γὰρ οὔτʼ ἀλγεινὸν οὔτʼ ἄτης ἄτερ §5οὔτʼ αἰσχρὸν οὔτʼ ἄτιμόν ἐσθʼ, ὁποῖον οὐ §6τῶν σῶν τε κἀμῶν οὐκ ὄπωπʼ ἐγὼ κακῶν.
For there is nothing either painful, or not free from ruin, or shameful, or dishonorable, which I have not seen among your and my evils.
And now what is this proclamation that they say the general has just established for the entire city?
§9ἔχεις τι κεἰσήκουσας;
Do you know anything and have you heard?
ἤ σε λανθάνει §10πρὸς τοὺς φίλους στείχοντα τῶν ἐχθρῶν κακά;
Or does it escape you that the evils of enemies are marching against our friends?
§11ἐμοὶ μὲν οὐδεὶς μῦθος, Ἀντιγόνη, φίλων §12οὔθʼ ἡδὺς οὔτʼ ἀλγεινὸς ἵκετʼ ἐξ ὅτου §13δυοῖν ἀδελφοῖν ἐστερήθημεν δύο, §14μιᾷ θανόντοιν ἡμέρᾳ διπλῇ χερί·
Ismene: To me indeed, Antigone, no word of friends, either sweet or painful, has come since we two were deprived of our two brothers, who died on a single day by a mutual hand.
§15ἐπεὶ δὲ φροῦδός ἐστιν Ἀργείων στρατὸς §16ἐν νυκτὶ τῇ νῦν, οὐδὲν οἶδʼ ὑπέρτερον, §17οὔτʼ εὐτυχοῦσα μᾶλλον οὔτʼ ἀτωμένη.
And since the Argive army has departed during this past night, I know nothing further, being neither more fortunate nor more afflicted.
Antigone: I knew it well, and for this reason I was sending for you outside the courtyard gates, so that you might hear alone.
§20τί δʼ ἔστι;
Ismene: What is it?
δηλοῖς γάρ τι καλχαίνουσʼ ἔπος.
For you show that you are brooding over some word.
Antigone: Has not Creon, of our two brothers, honored one with burial, but holds the other dishonored?
§23Ἐτεοκλέα μέν, ὡς λέγουσι, σὺν δίκης §24χρήσει δικαίᾳ καὶ νόμου κατὰ χθονὸς §25ἔκρυψε τοῖς ἔνερθεν ἔντιμον νεκροῖς· §26τὸν δʼ ἀθλίως θανόντα Πολυνείκους νέκυν §27ἀστοῖσί φασιν ἐκκεκηρῦχθαι τὸ μὴ §28τάφῳ καλύψαι μηδὲ κωκῦσαί τινα, §29ἐᾶν δʼ ἄκλαυτον, ἄταφον, οἰωνοῖς γλυκὺν §30θησαυρὸν εἰσορῶσι πρὸς χάριν βορᾶς.
Eteocles indeed, as they say, with just usage of justice and law, beneath the earth he hid, honored among the dead below; But the wretchedly deceased corpse of Polyneices, they say it has been proclaimed to the citizens that no one shall cover him in a grave nor wail for him, but leave him unwept, unburied, a sweet treasure for birds looking down upon him for the pleasure of feeding.
§31τοιαῦτά φασι τὸν ἀγαθὸν Κρέοντα σοὶ §32κἀμοί, λέγω γὰρ κἀμέ, κηρύξαντʼ ἔχειν, §33καὶ δεῦρο νεῖσθαι ταῦτα τοῖσι μὴ εἰδόσιν §34σαφῆ προκηρύξοντα, καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμʼ ἄγειν §35οὐχ ὡς παρʼ οὐδέν, ἀλλʼ ὃς ἂν τούτων τι δρᾷ, §36φόνον προκεῖσθαι δημόλευστον ἐν πόλει.
Such things they say the good Creon has proclaimed to you and to me—for I say even to me— and that he is coming here to proclaim these things clearly to those who do not know, and to treat the matter not as nothing, but whoever does any of these things, a public stoning to death is proposed for him in the city.
Thus things stand for you, and you will soon show whether you are born noble, or a coward from noble ancestors.
Ismene: What, O wretched sister, if things are in this state, could I, by loosening or binding, add anything more?
§41εἰ ξυμπονήσεις καὶ ξυνεργάσει σκόπει.
Antigone: Consider whether you will share the toil and share the work.
§42ποῖόν τι κινδύνευμα;
Ismene: What kind of venture?
ποῦ γνώμης ποτʼ εἶ;
Where in the world are you in your mind?
§43εἰ τὸν νεκρὸν ξὺν τῇδε κουφιεῖς χερί.
Antigone: Whether you will lift the corpse with this hand of ours.
§44ἦ γὰρ νοεῖς θάπτειν σφʼ, ἀπόρρητον πόλει;
Ismene: Do you really intend to bury him, though it is forbidden to the city?
Antigone: My brother, at least, and yours, even if you do not wish it; for I certainly shall not be caught betraying him.
§47ὦ σχετλία, Κρέοντος ἀντειρηκότος;
Ismene: O daring girl, when Creon has forbidden it?
§48ἀλλʼ οὐδὲν αὐτῷ τῶν ἐμῶν μʼ εἴργειν μέτα.
Antigone: But he has no right to bar me from what is mine.
§49οἴμοι.
Ismene: Alas!
φρόνησον, ὦ κασιγνήτη, πατὴρ §50ὡς νῷν ἀπεχθὴς δυσκλεής τʼ ἀπώλετο, §51πρὸς αὐτοφώρων ἀμπλακημάτων διπλᾶς §52ὄψεις ἀράξας αὐτὸς αὐτουργῷ χερί.
Reflect, sister, how our father perished hated and infamous, for self-detected sins, having struck out his two eyes with his own self-working hand.
§53ἔπειτα μήτηρ καὶ γυνή, διπλοῦν ἔπος, §54πλεκταῖσιν ἀρτάναισι λωβᾶται βίον· §55τρίτον δʼ ἀδελφὼ δύο μίαν καθʼ ἡμέραν §56αὐτοκτονοῦντε τὼ ταλαιπώρω μόρον §57κοινὸν κατειργάσαντʼ ἐπαλλήλοιν χεροῖν.
Then his mother and wife—a double word— ruined her life with twisted nooses; third, two brothers on a single day, killing each other, the wretched ones, brought about a common fate with mutual hands.
§58νῦν δʼ αὖ μόνα δὴ νὼ λελειμμένα σκόπει §59ὅσῳ κάκιστʼ ὀλούμεθʼ, εἰ νόμου βίᾳ §60ψῆφον τυράννων ἢ κράτη παρέξιμεν.
And now indeed, consider how we two left alone shall perish most wretchedly of all, if in violation of the law we transgress the decree or power of tyrants.
§61ἀλλʼ ἐννοεῖν χρὴ τοῦτο μὲν γυναῖχʼ ὅτι §62ἔφυμεν, ὡς πρὸς ἄνδρας οὐ μαχουμένα. §63ἔπειτα δʼ οὕνεκʼ ἀρχόμεσθʼ ἐκ κρεισσόνων, §64καὶ ταῦτʼ ἀκούειν κἄτι τῶνδʼ ἀλγίονα.
But we must keep this in mind, first, that we were born women, not meant to fight against men; and next, that we are ruled by those who are stronger, and must obey both these things and things even more painful than these.
§65ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν αἰτοῦσα τοὺς ὑπὸ χθονὸς §66ξύγγνοιαν ἴσχειν, ὡς βιάζομαι τάδε, §67τοῖς ἐν τέλει βεβῶσι πείσομαι· τὸ γὰρ §68περισσὰ πράσσειν οὐκ ἔχει νοῦν οὐδένα.
I, therefore, asking those beneath the earth to have forgiveness, since I am forced to this, will obey those who are in authority; for to do superfluous things makes no sense at all.
Antigone: I would not command you, nor, even if you still wished to act, would you act with me to my pleasure.
But be such as seems good to you, and I will bury him; it is beautiful for me to die doing this.
§73φίλη μετʼ αὐτοῦ κείσομαι, φίλου μέτα, §74ὅσια πανουργήσασʼ. ἐπεὶ πλείων χρόνος §75ὃν δεῖ μʼ ἀρέσκειν τοῖς κάτω τῶν ἐνθάδε.
As a loved one I shall lie with him, with a loved one, having committed a holy crime; since the time is longer during which I must please those below than those here.
§76ἐκεῖ γὰρ αἰεὶ κείσομαι·
For there I shall always lie.
σοὶ δʼ, εἰ δοκεῖ, §77τὰ τῶν θεῶν ἔντιμʼ ἀτιμάσασʼ ἔχε.
But you, if it seems good to you, hold in dishonor what is honored by the gods.
§78ἐγὼ μὲν οὐκ ἄτιμα ποιοῦμαι, τὸ δὲ
Ismene: I do not hold them in dishonor, but...