§79βίᾳ πολιτῶν δρᾶν ἔφυν ἀμήχανος.
To act in defiance of the citizens is something I am by nature unable to do.
You may make these excuses; but I will go to heap up a tomb for my dearest brother.
§82οἴμοι ταλαίνης, ὡς ὑπερδέδοικά σου.
Alas, unhappy one, how I fear for you!
§83μὴ ʼμοῦ προτάρβει· τὸν σὸν ἐξόρθου πότμον.
Do not fear for me; guide your own fate aright.
But at least do not reveal this deed beforehand to anyone, but keep it hidden in secret, and I will do the same.
§86οἴμοι, καταύδα·
Oh, speak out!
πολλὸν ἐχθίων ἔσει §87σιγῶσʼ, ἐὰν μὴ πᾶσι κηρύξῃς τάδε.
You will be much more hateful keeping silent, if you do not proclaim these things to everyone.
§88θερμὴν ἐπὶ ψυχροῖσι καρδίαν ἔχεις.
You have a hot heart for cold things.
§89ἀλλʼ οἶδʼ ἀρέσκουσʼ οἷς μάλισθʼ ἁδεῖν με χρή.
But I know I am pleasing those whom I most of all ought to please.
§90εἰ καὶ δυνήσει γʼ· ἀλλʼ ἀμηχάνων ἐρᾷς.
If indeed you will be able to; but you love impossible things.
§91οὐκοῦν, ὅταν δὴ μὴ σθένω, πεπαύσομαι.
Therefore, when my strength indeed fails, I shall stop.
§92ἀρχὴν δὲ θηρᾶν οὐ πρέπει τἀμήχανα.
But it is not fitting to pursue impossible things from the very beginning.
If you say this, you will be hated by me, and you will justly lie as an enemy to the dead.
§95ἀλλʼ ἔα με καὶ τὴν ἐξ ἐμοῦ δυσβουλίαν §96παθεῖν τὸ δεινὸν τοῦτο· πείσομαι γὰρ οὐ §97τοσοῦτον οὐδὲν ὥστε μὴ οὐ καλῶς θανεῖν.
But leave me and my own foolishness to suffer this terrible thing; for I shall suffer nothing so terrible as not to die a beautiful death.
But if it seems good to you, go; yet know this, that you go foolish indeed, but truly dear to those who love you.
§100ἀκτὶς ἀελίου, τὸ κάλλιστον ἑπταπύλῳ φανὲν §101Θήβᾳ τῶν προτέρων φάος, §102ἐφάνθης ποτʼ, ὦ χρυσέας §103ἁμέρας βλέφαρον, §105Διρκαίων ὑπὲρ ῥεέθρων μολοῦσα, §106τὸν λεύκασπιν Ἀργόθεν ἐκβάντα φῶτα πανσαγίᾳ §107φυγάδα πρόδρομον ὀξυτέρῳ κινήσασα χαλινῷ·
Ray of the sun, the most beautiful light that has ever shone upon seven-gated Thebes of all before, you have finally appeared, O eye of golden day, coming over the streams of Dirce, having driven the white-shielded warrior who came from Argos in full armor as a fugitive headlong in flight, with a sharper bit.
§110ὃς ἐφʼ ἡμετέρᾳ γᾷ Πολυνείκους §111ἀρθεὶς νεικέων ἐξ ἀμφιλόγων §112ὀξέα κλάζων §113ἀετὸς εἰς γᾶν ὣς ὑπερέπτα, §114λευκῆς χιόνος πτέρυγι στεγανός, §115πολλῶν μεθʼ ὅπλων §116ξύν θʼ ἱπποκόμοις κορύθεσσιν.
He who against our land, because of the contentious disputes of Polyneices, having been aroused, screaming shrilly, flew over our land like an eagle, covered with a wing of white snow, with many weapons and helmets plumed with horsehair.
§117στὰς δʼ ὑπὲρ μελάθρων φονώσαισιν ἀμφιχανὼν κύκλῳ §118λόγχαις ἑπτάπυλον στόμα §119ἔβα, πρίν ποθʼ ἁμετέρων §120αἱμάτων γένυσιν πλησθῆναί τε καὶ στεφάνωμα πύργων §121πευκάενθʼ Ἥφαιστον ἑλεῖν.
Standing above our halls, gaping all around with blood-thirsty spears around the seven-gated mouth of the city, he went away before his jaws could ever be filled with our blood, and before the crown of towers could be seized by pine-wood fire.
τοῖος ἀμφὶ νῶτʼ ἐτάθη §125πάταγος Ἄρεος, ἀντιπάλῳ δυσχείρωμα δράκοντος.
Such a crash of war was spread around his back, a hard struggle for the opposing dragon to defeat.
§127Ζεὺς γὰρ μεγάλης γλώσσης κόμπους §128ὑπερεχθαίρει, καὶ σφας ἐσιδὼν §129πολλῷ ῥεύματι προσνισσομένους §130χρυσοῦ καναχῆς ὑπεροπλίαις, §131παλτῷ ῥιπτεῖ πυρὶ βαλβίδων §132ἐπʼ ἄκρων ἤδη §133νίκην ὁρμῶντʼ ἀλαλάξαι.
For Zeus exceedingly hates the boasts of a proud tongue, and seeing them rushing on in a great stream, with the haughtiness of clashing gold, with a hurled fire he strikes him who was already rushing on the topmost ramparts to shout victory.
§134ἀντιτύπᾳ δʼ ἐπὶ γᾷ πέσε τανταλωθεὶς §135πυρφόρος, ὃς τότε μαινομένᾳ ξὺν ὁρμᾷ §136βακχεύων ἐπέπνει §137ῥιπαῖς ἐχθίστων ἀνέμων.
(already integrated in the line above) And he fell upon the hard earth, shaken, the fire-bearer, who then with mad impulse, breathing with the blasts of most hostile winds.
But things went otherwise; and to others great Ares, our helper, dealt different fates, striking them down.
§141ἑπτὰ λοχαγοὶ γὰρ ἐφʼ ἑπτὰ πύλαις §142ταχθέντες ἴσοι πρὸς ἴσους ἔλιπον §143Ζηνὶ τροπαίῳ πάγχαλκα τέλη, §144πλὴν τοῖν στυγεροῖν, ὣ πατρὸς ἑνὸς §145μητρός τε μιᾶς φύντε καθʼ αὑτοῖν §146δικρατεῖς λόγχας στήσαντʼ ἔχετον §147κοινοῦ θανάτου μέρος ἄμφω.
(already integrated in the line above) (already integrated in the line above) For seven commanders at seven gates, matched equal against equal, left to Zeus the Turner of Battle their bronze trophies, except for the two wretched ones who, born of one father and of one mother, set their double-conquering spears against each other, and both shared the lot of a common death.
§148ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἁ μεγαλώνυμος ἦλθε Νίκα §149τᾷ πολυαρμάτῳ ἀντιχαρεῖσα Θήβᾳ, §150ἐκ μὲν δὴ πολέμων §151τῶν νῦν θέσθαι λησμοσύναν, §152θεῶν δὲ ναοὺς χοροῖς §153παννυχίοις πάντας ἐπέλθωμεν, ὁ Θήβας δʼ ἐλελίχθων §154Βάκχιος ἄρχοι.
(already integrated in the line above) But since Great-named Victory has come, rejoicing with many-charioted Thebes, let us now find forgetfulness of these recent wars, and let us visit all the temples of the gods with night-long dances, and let Bacchus, who shakes the earth of Thebes, lead us.
§155ἀλλʼ ὅδε γὰρ δὴ βασιλεὺς χώρας, §156Κρέων ὁ Μενοικέως ἄρχων νεοχμὸς §157νεαραῖσι θεῶν ἐπὶ συντυχίαις §158χωρεῖ, τίνα δὴ μῆτιν ἐρέσσων, §160ὅτι σύγκλητον τήνδε γερόντων §161προὔθετο λέσχην, §161bκοινῷ κηρύγματι πέμψας;
But here comes the ruler of our land, Creon, the son of Menoeceus, our new king, in these new events brought by the gods; what counsel does he turn in his mind, that he has proposed this special assembly of elders, (already integrated in the lines around) having sent for us with a general proclamation?
"Gentlemen, the gods have safely righted again the affairs of the city, after shaking them in a great surge.
§164ὑμᾶς δʼ ἐγὼ πομποῖσιν ἐκ πάντων δίχα §165ἔστειλʼ ἱκέσθαι τοῦτο μὲν τὰ Λαΐου §166σέβοντας εἰδὼς εὖ θρόνων ἀεὶ κράτη, §167τοῦτʼ αὖθις, ἡνίκʼ Οἰδίπους ὤρθου πόλιν, §168κἀπεὶ διώλετʼ, ἀμφὶ τοὺς κείνων ἔτι §169παῖδας μένοντας ἐμπέδοις φρονήμασιν.
And I have sent for you, apart from all others, through messengers, to come here, knowing well, on the one hand, that you always revered the power of Laius' throne, and on the other hand, again, when Oedipus was guiding the city, and when he perished, you still remained around their children with steadfast minds.
§170ὅτʼ οὖν ἐκεῖνοι πρὸς διπλῆς μοίρας μίαν §171καθʼ ἡμέραν ὤλοντο παίσαντές τε καὶ §172πληγέντες αὐτόχειρι σὺν μιάσματι, §173ἐγὼ κράτη δὴ πάντα καὶ θρόνους ἔχω §174γένους κατʼ ἀγχιστεῖα τῶν ὀλωλότων.
Since they have now perished by a double fate on a single day, striking and being struck with self-slaying defilement, I indeed hold all the power and the throne by kinship of close relation to the dead.