§1250γνώμης γὰρ οὐκ ἄπειρος, ὥσθʼ ἁμαρτάνειν.
For she is not without understanding, so as to make a mistake.
I do not know; but to me indeed, both excessive silence seems to be a heavy thing, and much vain crying in same way.
§1253ἀλλʼ εἰσόμεσθα, μή τι καὶ κατάσχετον §1254κρυφῇ καλύπτει καρδίᾳ θυμουμένῃ, §1255δόμους παραστείχοντες· εὖ γὰρ οὖν λέγεις.
But we shall know, whether she is covering some suppressed secret in her angry heart, going into the house; for indeed you speak well.
§1256καὶ τῆς ἄγαν γάρ ἐστί που σιγῆς βάρος.
For indeed there is a weight also in excessive silence.
§1257καὶ μὴν ὅδʼ ἄναξ αὐτὸς ἐφήκει §1258μνῆμʼ ἐπίσημον διὰ χειρὸς ἔχων, §1259εἰ θέμις εἰπεῖν, οὐκ ἀλλοτρίαν §1260ἄτην, ἀλλʼ αὐτὸς ἁμαρτών.
And indeed here comes the king himself, holding in his hand a clear monument, if it is permitted to say, not another's ruin, but he himself having erred.
§1261ἰὼ §1261aφρενῶν δυσφρόνων ἁμαρτήματα §1262στερεὰ θανατόεντʼ, §1263ὦ κτανόντας τε καὶ §1264θανόντας βλέποντες ἐμφυλίους.
Alas, errors of a foolish mind, stubborn and deadly, o you who look upon both the killers and the dead, those of the same kin.
§1265ὤμοι ἐμῶν ἄνολβα βουλευμάτων.
Alas for my luckless counsels.
§1266ἰὼ παῖ, νέος νέῳ ξὺν μόρῳ §1267αἰαῖ αἰαῖ, §1268ἔθανες, ἀπελύθης §1269ἐμαῖς οὐδὲ σαῖσι δυσβουλίαις.
O child, young with a young fate, alas, alas, you died, you were set free, by my foolishness, not by yours.
§1270οἴμʼ ὡς ἔοικας ὀψὲ τὴν δίκην ἰδεῖν.
Alas, how you seem to have seen justice too late.
§1271οἴμοι, §1272ἔχω μαθὼν δείλαιος· ἐν δʼ ἐμῷ κάρᾳ §1273θεὸς τότʼ ἄρα τότε μέγα βάρος μʼ ἔχων §1274ἔπαισεν, ἐν δʼ ἔσεισεν ἀγρίαις ὁδοῖς, §1275οἴμοι, λακπάτητον ἀντρέπων χαράν.
Alas, I have it, having learned, wretched me; and upon my head a god then, yes then, holding a great weight, struck me, and shook me into wild ways, alas, overturning my joy to be trodden underfoot.
§1276φεῦ φεῦ, ὦ πόνοι βροτῶν δύσπονοι.
Alas, o hard-to-bear troubles of mortals.
§1278ὦ δέσποθʼ, ὡς ἔχων τε καὶ κεκτημένος, §1279τὰ μὲν πρὸ χειρῶν τάδε φέρων, τὰ δʼ ἐν δόμοις §1280ἔοικας ἥκειν καὶ τάχʼ ὄψεσθαι κακά.
O master, as one both having and possessing, bringing these things before your hands, and others in the house you seem to have come to see, and soon you will see evils.
§1281τί δʼ ἔστιν αὖ κάκιον ἐκ κακῶν ἔτι;
And what is there yet worse from evils?
The woman is dead, the all-mother of this corpse, wretched one, just now by newly-cut blows.
§1284ἰώ.
Alas.
O hard-to-purify harbor of Hades, why indeed, why do you destroy me?
O you who have sent to me evil-tidings of sorrow, what word do you speak?
§1288αἰαῖ, ὀλωλότʼ ἄνδρʼ ἐπεξειργάσω.
Alas, you have finished off a man already destroyed.
§1289τί φής, παῖ;
What do you say, child?
What new thing do you tell me, alas, alas, that a woman's death, a slaughter upon destruction, lies around me?
§1293ὁρᾶν πάρεστιν· οὐ γὰρ ἐν μυχοῖς ἔτι.
It is permitted to see; for she is no longer in the inner chambers.
Alas, I see this other second evil, wretched me.
§1296τίς ἄρα, τίς με πότμος ἔτι περιμένει;
What fate, indeed what fate still awaits me?
I have just now my child in my arms, wretched me, and opposite I look upon her corpse.
§1300φεῦ φεῦ μᾶτερ ἀθλία, φεῦ τέκνον.
Alas, alas, wretched mother, alas, child.
§1301ἡ δʼ ὀξυθήκτῳ βωμία περὶ ξίφει §1302λύει κελαινὰ βλέφαρα, κωκύσασα μὲν §1303τοῦ πρὶν θανόντος Μεγαρέως κλεινὸν λάχος, §1304αὖθις δὲ τοῦδε, λοίσθιον δὲ σοὶ κακὰς §1305πράξεις ἐφυμνήσασα τῷ παιδοκτόνῳ.
And she, at the altar, with a sharp-edged sword, closes her dark eyes, having lamented on one hand the famous fate of Megareus who died before, and on the other hand of this one, and lastly having invoked evil fortunes upon you, the child-slayer.
τί μʼ οὐκ ἀνταίαν §1308ἔπαισέν τις ἀμφιθήκτῳ ξίφει;
Why did someone not strike me in front with a double-edged sword?
Wretched me, alas, and with wretched misery I am mingled.
As indeed having the blame of both these and those deaths you were charged by her who has died.
§1314ποίῳ δὲ κἀπελύσατʼ ἐν φοναῖς τρόπῳ;
And in what way did she release herself in slaughter?
Having struck herself under the liver with her own hand, when she perceived this sharply-wailed suffering of her son.
Alas, these things will never fit upon another of mortals from my blame.
For I, I killed you, o miserable one, I, I say the truth.
O attendants, lead me as quickly as possible, lead me out of the way, me who am no more than nothing.
You advise gain, if there is any gain in evils; for the evils before our feet are best when shortest.
§1328ἴτω ἴτω, §1329φανήτω μόρων ὁ κάλλιστʼ ἔχων §1330ἐμοὶ τερμίαν ἄγων ἁμέραν §1331ὕπατος· ἴτω ἴτω, §1332ὅπως μηκέτʼ ἆμαρ ἄλλʼ εἰσίδω.
Let it come, let it come, let the finest of fates appear, bringing my last day for me, the supreme one; let it come, let it come, so that I may no longer look upon another day.
These things are in the future; we must do something of the things set before us.
μέλει γὰρ τῶνδʼ ὅτοισι χρὴ μέλειν.
For those things concern those whom they ought to concern.
§1336ἀλλʼ ὧν ἐρῶ, τοιαῦτα συγκατηυξάμην.
But what I desire, I joined in praying for such things.
Do not pray for anything now; since from the destined misfortune there is no escape for mortals.
§1339ἄγοιτʼ ἂν μάταιον ἄνδρʼ ἐκποδών, §1340ὅς, ὦ παῖ, σέ τʼ οὐχ ἑκὼν κάκτανον §1341σέ τʼ αὖ τάνδʼ, ὤμοι μέλεος, οὐδʼ ἔχω §1342ὅπᾳ πρὸς πότερα κλιθῶ· πάντα γὰρ §1345λέχρια τἀν χεροῖν, τὰ δʼ ἐπὶ κρατί μοι §1346πότμος δυσκόμιστος εἰσήλατο.
Lead away the foolish man out of the way, who, o child, killed you unwillingly, and you also, alas wretched me, nor do I know which way I should look, to which I should lean; for all things are crooked in my hands, and upon my head a hard-to-bear fate has leaped.
Wisdom is by far the first part of happiness; and it is necessary in things regarding the gods to be in no way impious.