§1167ναίω τὸ λοιπόν· καὶ γὰρ ἡνίκʼ ἦσθʼ ἄνω, §1168ξὺν σοὶ μετεῖχον τῶν ἴσων, καὶ νῦν ποθῶ §1169τοῦ σοῦ θανοῦσα μὴ ἀπολείπεσθαι τάφου.
Electra: I shall dwell for the future; for indeed when you were above, I shared equal things with you, and now I desire, dying, not to be left behind from your tomb.
§1170τοὺς γὰρ θανόντας οὐχ ὁρῶ λυπουμένους.
For I do not see the dead suffering pain.
Orestes: You were born of a mortal father, Electra, understand, and Orestes was mortal; therefore do not lament too much.
§1173πᾶσιν γὰρ ἡμῖν τοῦτʼ ὀφείλεται παθεῖν.
For to suffer this is a debt owed by us all.
§1174φεῦ φεῦ. τί λέξω;
Orestes: Alas, alas, what shall I say?
ποῖ λόγων ἀμηχανῶν §1175ἔλθω;
Whither of helpless words shall I go?
κρατεῖν γὰρ οὐκέτι γλώσσης σθένω.
For I no longer have strength to control my tongue.
§1176τί δʼ ἔσχες ἄλγος;
Electra: What pain have you conceived?
πρὸς τί τοῦτʼ εἰπὼν κυρεῖς;
At what point of saying this do you happen to be?
§1177ἦ σὸν τὸ κλεινὸν εἶδος Ἠλέκτρας τόδε;
Orestes: Is this indeed that famous form of Electra?
§1178τόδʼ ἔστʼ ἐκεῖνο, καὶ μάλʼ ἀθλίως ἔχον.
Electra: This is it, and indeed in a most miserable state.
§1179οἴμοι ταλαίνης ἆρα τῆσδε συμφορᾶς.
Orestes: Alas, then, for this wretched misfortune.
§1180οὐ δή ποτʼ, ὦ ξένʼ, ἀμφʼ ἐμοὶ στένεις τάδε;
Electra: Surely, stranger, you are not lamenting these things for me?
§1181ὦ σῶμʼ ἀτίμως κἀθέως ἐφθαρμένον.
Orestes: O body dishonorably and godlessly ruined.
§1182οὔτοι ποτʼ ἄλλην ἢ ʼμὲ δυσφημεῖς, ξένε.
Electra: You surely speak ill of no other than me, stranger.
§1183φεῦ τῆς ἀνύμφου δυσμόρου τε σῆς τροφῆς,
Orestes: Alas for your unwedded and ill-fated life!
§1184τί δή ποτʼ, ὦ ξένʼ, ὧδʼ ἐπισκοπῶν στένεις;
Electra: Why indeed, stranger, do you look upon me thus and lament?
§1185ὡς οὐκ ἄρʼ ᾔδη τῶν ἐμῶν οὐδὲν κακῶν.
Orestes: How then I knew nothing of my own misfortunes!
§1186ἐν τῷ διέγνως τοῦτο τῶν εἰρημένων;
Electra: By what of the things said did you discern this?
§1187ὁρῶν σε πολλοῖς ἐμπρέπουσαν ἄλγεσιν.
Orestes: By seeing you pre-eminent in many pains.
§1188καὶ μὴν ὁρᾷς γε παῦρα τῶν ἐμῶν κακῶν.
Electra: And yet you see but few of my misfortunes.
§1189καὶ πῶς γένοιτʼ ἂν τῶνδʼ ἔτʼ ἐχθίω βλέπειν;
Orestes: And how could there be anything more hateful than these to look upon?
Electra: Because I live together with the murderers— Orestes: Of whom?
πόθεν τοῦτʼ ἐξεσήμηνας κακόν;
From where did you signal this evil?
§1192τοῖς πατρός· εἶτα τοῖσδε δουλεύω βίᾳ.
Electra: Of my father; and then I serve them by force.
§1193τίς γάρ σʼ ἀνάγκῃ τῇδε προτρέπει βροτῶν;
Orestes: Who indeed of mortals drives you to this necessity?
§1194μήτηρ καλεῖται, μητρὶ δʼ οὐδὲν ἐξισοῖ.
Electra: She is called my mother, but she has nothing equal to a mother.
§1195τί δρῶσα;
Orestes: By doing what?
πότερα χερσὶν ἢ λύμῃ βίου;
By hands, or by outrage to your life?
§1196καὶ χερσὶ καὶ λύμαισι καὶ πᾶσιν κακοῖς.
Electra: Both by hands, and by outrages, and by all evils.
§1197οὐδʼ οὑπαρήξων οὐδʼ ὁ κωλύσων πάρα;
Orestes: And is there no one to assist, nor anyone to prevent?
§1198οὐ δῆθʼ. ὃς ἦν γάρ μοι σὺ προὔθηκας σποδόν.
Electra: Indeed not; for the one who was mine, you have presented to me as dust.
§1199ὦ δύσποτμʼ, ὡς ὁρῶν σʼ ἐποικτίρω πάλαι.
Orestes: O ill-fated one, how looking upon you I have long pitied you!
§1200μόνος βροτῶν νυν ἴσθʼ ἐποικτίρας ποτέ.
Electra: Know that you are the only one of mortals who has ever pitied me.
§1201μόνος γὰρ ἥκω τοῖς ἴσοις ἀλγῶν κακοῖς.
Orestes: For I am the only one who has come grieving for equal evils.
§1202οὐ δή ποθʼ ἡμῖν ξυγγενὴς ἥκεις ποθέν;
Electra: Surely you have not come as a relative of ours from somewhere?
§1203ἐγὼ φράσαιμʼ ἄν, εἰ τὸ τῶνδʼ εὔνουν πάρα.
Orestes: I would speak, if the goodwill of these women is present.
§1204ἀλλʼ ἐστὶν εὔνουν, ὥστε πρὸς πιστὰς ἐρεῖς.
Electra: Indeed it is present, so you will speak to faithful ones.
§1205μέθες τόδʼ ἄγγος νῦν, ὅπως τὸ πᾶν μάθῃς.
Orestes: Release this vessel now, so that you may learn the whole.
§1206μὴ δῆτα πρὸς θεῶν τοῦτό μʼ ἐργάσῃ, ξένε.
Electra: Do not indeed, by the gods, do this to me, stranger!
§1207πείθου λέγοντι κοὐχ ἁμαρτήσει ποτέ.
Orestes: Obey me in what I say, and you will never err.
§1208μή, πρὸς γενείου, μὴ ʼξέλῃ τὰ φίλτατα.
Electra: Do not, by your beard, do not take away what is dearest to me!
§1209οὔ φημʼ ἐάσειν.
Orestes: I say I will not permit it.
Electra: O wretched me for you, Orestes, if I am to be deprived of your tomb!
§1211εὔφημα φώνει· πρὸς δίκης γὰρ οὐ στένεις.
Orestes: Speak words of good omen; for you do not lament with justice.
§1212πῶς τὸν θανόντʼ ἀδελφὸν οὐ δίκῃ στένω;
Electra: How do I not lament my dead brother with justice?
§1213οὔ σοι προσήκει τήνδε προσφωνεῖν φάτιν.
Orestes: It does not belong to you to address this speech.
§1214οὕτως ἄτιμός εἰμι τοῦ τεθνηκότος;
Electra: Am I so dishonored by the dead?
§1215ἄτιμος οὐδενὸς σύ· τοῦτο δʼ οὐχὶ σόν.
Orestes: Dishonored by no one are you; but this is not yours.
§1216εἴπερ γʼ Ὀρέστου σῶμα βαστάζω τόδε;
Electra: If indeed I carry this body of Orestes?
§1217ἀλλʼ οὐκ Ὀρέστου, πλὴν λόγῳ γʼ ἠσκημένον.
Orestes: But it is not of Orestes, except as adorned in word.
§1218ποῦ δʼ ἔστʼ ἐκείνου τοῦ ταλαιπώρου τάφος;
Electra: And where is the tomb of that wretched one?
§1219οὐκ ἔστι· τοῦ γὰρ ζῶντος οὐκ ἔστιν τάφος.
Orestes: There is none; for there is no tomb for the living.
§1220πῶς εἶπας, ὦ παῖ;
Electra: How did you say, O youth?
§1220aψεῦδος οὐδὲν ὧν λέγω.
Orestes: There is no lie in what I say.
§1221ἦ ζῇ γὰρ ἁνήρ;
Electra: Is the man indeed alive?
§1221aεἴπερ ἔμψυχός γʼ ἐγώ.
Orestes: Yes, if indeed I am alive.
§1222ἦ γὰρ σὺ κεῖνος;
Electra: Are you indeed he?
Orestes: Having looked upon this signet ring of my father, learn if I speak the truth.
§1224ὦ φίλτατον φῶς.
Electra: O dearest light!
§1224aφίλτατον, συμμαρτυρῶ.
Orestes: Dearest indeed, I bear witness.
§1225ὦ φθέγμʼ, ἀφίκου;
Electra: O voice, have you arrived?
§1225aμηκέτʼ ἄλλοθεν πύθῃ,
Orestes: Learn it no longer from elsewhere.
§1226ἔχω σε χερσίν;
Electra: Do I hold you in my hands?
§1226aὡς τὰ λοίπʼ ἔχοις ἀεί.
Orestes: May you hold me so for the rest of time.
§1227ὦ φίλταται γυναῖκες, ὦ πολίτιδες, §1228ὁρᾶτʼ Ὀρέστην τόνδε, μηχαναῖσι μὲν §1229θανόντα, νῦν δὲ μηχαναῖς σεσωσμένον.
Electra: O dearest women, O citizens, look upon this Orestes, who by devices died, but now by devices is saved.
Chorus: We see him, child, and at this fortune a tear of joy creeps from my eyes.
§1232ἰὼ γοναί, §1233γοναὶ σωμάτων ἐμοὶ φιλτάτων, §1234ἐμόλετʼ ἀρτίως, §1235ἐφηύρετʼ, ἤλθετʼ, εἴδεθʼ οὓς ἐχρῄζετε.
Electra: O offspring, offspring of bodies most dear to me, you have come just now, you have found, you have come, you have seen those whom you desired.
§1236πάρεσμεν· ἀλλὰ σῖγʼ ἔχουσα πρόσμενε.
Orestes: We are present; but keep silent and wait.
§1237τί δʼ ἔστιν;
Electra: What is it?
§1238σιγᾶν ἄμεινον, μή τις ἔνδοθεν κλύῃ.
Orestes: Silence is better, lest someone inside should hear.
§1239ἀλλʼ οὐ μὰ τὴν ἄδμητον αἰὲν Ἄρτεμιν, §1240τόδε μὲν οὔ ποτʼ ἀξιώσω τρέσαι, §1241περισσὸν ἄχθος ἔνδον §1242γυναικῶν ὂν αἰεί.
Electra: But no, by the ever-virgin Artemis, I shall never think this worthy of fear, this useless burden inside, which the women ever are.
Orestes: See indeed, however, that even in women Ares is present; and you know this well, having experienced it, I suppose.