§517οὐ γάρ τι δοῦλος, ἀλλʼ ἀδελφὸς ὤλετο.
For it was no slave, but a brother who perished.
§518πορθῶν δὲ τήνδε γῆν· ὁ δʼ ἀντιστὰς ὕπερ.
But ravaging this land; while the other stood in its defense.
§519ὁμῶς ὅ γʼ Ἅιδης τοὺς νόμους τούτους ποθεῖ.
Nevertheless, Hades desires these rites.
§520ἀλλʼ οὐχ ὁ χρηστὸς τῷ κακῷ λαχεῖν ἴσος.
But the good man is not equal to the bad in obtaining them.
§521τίς οἶδεν εἰ κάτωθεν εὐαγῆ τάδε;
Who knows if these things are blameless below?
§522οὔτοι ποθʼ οὑχθρός, οὐδʼ ὅταν θάνῃ, φίλος.
An enemy is never a friend, not even when he dies.
§523οὔτοι συνέχθειν, ἀλλὰ συμφιλεῖν ἔφυν.
It is not my nature to join in hating, but to join in loving.
Go down then, and if you must love, love those there; but while I live, no woman shall rule me.
§526καὶ μὴν πρὸ πυλῶν ἥδʼ Ἰσμήνη, §527φιλάδελφα κάτω δάκρυʼ εἰβομένη· §528νεφέλη δʼ ὀφρύων ὕπερ αἱματόεν §529ῥέθος αἰσχύνει, §530τέγγουσʼ εὐῶπα παρειάν.
And look, here is Ismene before the gates, shedding sisterly tears; and a cloud over her brow darkens her flushed face, wetting her lovely cheek.
§531σὺ δʼ, ἣ κατʼ οἴκους ὡς ἔχιδνʼ ὑφειμένη §532λήθουσά μʼ ἐξέπινες, οὐδʼ ἐμάνθανον §533τρέφων δύʼ ἄτα κἀπαναστάσεις θρόνων,
And you, who like a viper glided in my house secretly sucking my life-blood, and I did not realize I was nurturing two plagues and subverters of my throne.
Come, tell me, do you also claim to have shared in this burial, or will you swear you knew nothing of it?
I have done the deed, if she consents, and I share the blame and bear it with her.
But justice will not permit you this, since you did not wish it, nor did I share it with you.
But in your troubles I am not ashamed to make myself a companion in your suffering.
Whose deed it is, Hades and those below are witnesses; but I do not love a friend who loves only in words.
Do not, sister, dishonor me by refusing to let me die with you and consecrate the dead.
Do not die with me, nor make your own what you did not touch.
ἀρκέσω θνῄσκουσʼ ἐγώ.
My death will be enough.
§548καὶ τίς βίος μοι σοῦ λελειμμένῃ φίλος;
And what life can be dear to me, left without you?
§549Κρέοντʼ ἐρώτα· τοῦδε γὰρ σὺ κηδεμών.
Ask Creon; for he is the one you cared for.
§550τί ταῦτʼ ἀνιᾷς μʼ, οὐδὲν ὠφελουμένη;
Why do you pain me thus, when it profits you nothing?
§551ἀλγοῦσα μὲν δῆτʼ εἰ γελῶ γʼ ἐν σοὶ γελῶ.
Indeed, if I mock you, it is with pain that I do so.
§552τί δῆτʼ ἂν ἀλλὰ νῦν σʼ ἔτʼ ὠφελοῖμʼ ἐγώ;
How then can I still help you, even now?
§553σῶσον σεαυτήν· οὐ φθονῶ σʼ ὑπεκφυγεῖν.
Save yourself; I do not grudge your escape.
§554οἴμοι τάλαινα, κἀμπλάκω τοῦ σοῦ μόρου;
Ah, wretched me! Am I to be cut off from your fate?
§555σὺ μὲν γὰρ εἵλου ζῆν, ἐγὼ δὲ κατθανεῖν.
For you chose to live, and I to die.
§556ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐπʼ ἀρρήτοις γε τοῖς ἐμοῖς λόγοις.
But not without my words having been spoken.
§557καλῶς σὺ μὲν τοῖς, τοῖς δʼ ἐγὼ ʼδόκουν φρονεῖν.
You seemed to judge well to those, and I to these.
§558καὶ μὴν ἴση νῷν ἐστιν ἡ ʼξαμαρτία.
And yet the error is equal for both of us.
Be of good cheer; you live, but my soul has long since died, so as to serve the dead.
I say that of these two girls, one has just now shown herself foolish, while the other has been so since she was born.
For never, O king, does the mind remain, even that which was born with them, for those who fare ill, but it departs.
§565σοὶ γοῦν, ὅθʼ εἵλου σὺν κακοῖς πράσσειν κακά.
At any rate, it did in your case, when you chose to do evil with the evil.
§566τί γὰρ μόνῃ μοι τῆσδʼ ἄτερ βιώσιμον;
For what life is possible for me alone, without her?
§567ἀλλʼ ἥδε μέντοι μὴ λέγʼ· οὐ γὰρ ἔστʼ ἔτι.
But do not speak of 'her'; for she is no more.
§568ἀλλὰ κτενεῖς νυμφεῖα τοῦ σαυτοῦ τέκνου;
But will you kill the bride of your own child?
§569ἀρώσιμοι γὰρ χἀτέρων εἰσὶν γύαι.
For there are other fields for him to plow.
§570οὐχ ὥς γʼ ἐκείνῳ τῇδέ τʼ ἦν ἡρμοσμένα.
Not as they were fitted, he and she.
§571κακὰς ἐγὼ γυναῖκας υἱέσι στυγῶ.
I hate bad women for my sons.
§572ὦ φίλταθʼ Αἷμον, ὥς σʼ ἀτιμάζει πατήρ.
O dearest Haemon, how your father dishonors you!
§573ἄγαν γε λυπεῖς καὶ σὺ καὶ τὸ σὸν λέχος.
You vex me too much, both you and your marriage.
§574ἦ γὰρ στερήσεις τῆσδε τὸν σαυτοῦ γόνον;
Will you indeed deprive your own offspring of her?
§575Ἅιδης ὁ παύσων τούσδε τοὺς γάμους ἔφυ.
Hades is the one who will put an end to this marriage.
§576δεδογμένʼ, ὡς ἔοικε, τήνδε κατθανεῖν.
It is decided, as it seems, that she must die.
§577καὶ σοί γε κἀμοί.
Yes, by you and by me.
μὴ τριβὰς ἔτʼ, ἀλλά νιν §578κομίζετʼ εἴσω, δμῶες· ἐκ δὲ τοῦδε χρὴ §579γυναῖκας εἶναι τάσδε μηδʼ ἀνειμένας.
Delay no longer, but lead them inside, servants; from now on they must be kept as women and not left at large.
For even the bold flee, when they see Hades already close to their life.
§583εὐδαίμονες οἷσι κακῶν ἄγευστος αἰών.
Fortunate are those whose life has no taste of evil.
§584οἷς γὰρ ἂν σεισθῇ θεόθεν δόμος, ἄτας §585οὐδὲν ἐλλείπει γενεᾶς ἐπὶ πλῆθος ἕρπον· §586ὅμοιον ὥστε ποντίαις οἶδμα δυσπνόοις ὅταν §587Θρῄσσαισιν ἔρεβος ὕφαλον ἐπιδράμῃ πνοαῖς, §590κυλίνδει βυσσόθεν κελαινὰν θῖνα καὶ §591δυσάνεμοι, στόνῳ βρέμουσι δʼ ἀντιπλῆγες ἀκταί.
For those whose house is shaken by a god, no ruin is wanting, creeping upon the multitude of their race; just as when a swell on the sea, driven by stormy Thracian blasts, runs over the dark depth under the sea, rolling up the black sand from the deep, and the wind-swept, buffet-beaten shores groan with a deep roar.