And I, wretched, waiting always for Orestes to come as a deliverer from these things, am perishing.
For always delaying to do something, he has destroyed both my present hopes and those that are yet to come.
§307ἐν οὖν τοιούτοις οὔτε σωφρονεῖν, φίλαι, §308οὔτʼ εὐσεβεῖν πάρεστιν· ἀλλʼ ἔν τοι κακοῖς §309πολλή ʼστʼ ἀνάγκη κἀπιτηδεύειν κακά.
Therefore, in such circumstances, my friends, it is possible neither to be moderate nor to be pious; but in evils there is indeed a great necessity to practice evils.
(Chorus:) Come, tell me, do you say these things to us while Aegisthus is near, or has he gone away from the house?
(Electra:) Indeed; do not think that I would have come out of doors if he were near; but now he happens to be in the fields.
(Chorus:) Then could I too, with greater confidence, enter into conversation with you, if indeed this is so?
§316ὡς νῦν ἀπόντος ἱστόρει· τί σοι φίλον;
(Electra:) Ask, as he is now absent; what is your pleasure?
§317καὶ δή σʼ ἐρωτῶ· τοῦ κασιγνήτου τί φής,
(Chorus:) Indeed I ask you: what do you say of your brother?
§318ἥξοντος ἢ μέλλοντος;
Is he coming, or is he delaying?
εἰδέναι θέλω.
I wish to know.
§319φησίν γε· φάσκων δʼ οὐδὲν ὧν λέγει ποεῖ.
(Electra:) He says so; but he does nothing of what he says.
§320φιλεῖ γὰρ ὀκνεῖν πρᾶγμʼ ἀνὴρ πράσσων μέγα.
(Chorus:) For a man doing a great deed is accustomed to hesitate.
§321καὶ μὴν ἔγωγʼ ἔσωσʼ ἐκεῖνον οὐκ ὄκνῳ.
(Electra:) And yet I saved him not with hesitation.
§322θάρσει· πέφυκεν ἐσθλός, ὥστʼ ἀρκεῖν φίλοις.
(Chorus:) Take heart; he is noble by nature, so as to suffice for his friends.
§323πέποιθʼ, ἐπεί τἂν οὐ μακρὰν ἔζων ἐγώ.
(Electra:) I believe it, since otherwise I would not have lived long.
§324μὴ νῦν ἔτʼ εἴπῃς μηδέν· ὡς δόμων ὁρῶ §325τὴν σὴν ὅμαιμον ἐκ πατρὸς ταὐτοῦ φύσιν, §326Χρυσόθεμιν, ἔκ τε μητρός, ἐντάφια χεροῖν §327φέρουσαν, οἷα τοῖς κάτω νομίζεται.
(Chorus:) Do not say anything more now; for I see your sister born of the same father and mother, Chrysothemis, coming from the house, bearing in her hands funeral offerings such as are customary for those below.
§328τίνʼ αὖ σὺ τήνδε πρὸς θυρῶνος ἐξόδοις §329ἐλθοῦσα φωνεῖς, ὦ κασιγνήτη, φάτιν, §330κοὐδʼ ἐν χρόνῳ μακρῷ διδαχθῆναι θέλεις §331θυμῷ ματαίῳ μὴ χαρίζεσθαι κενά;
(Chrysothemis:) What speech is this, sister, that you have come to utter again at the exits of the doorway, and do you not wish even after a long time to learn not to indulge a vain anger in vain?
§332καίτοι τοσοῦτόν γʼ οἶδα κἀμαυτήν, ὅτι §333ἀλγῶ ʼπὶ τοῖς παροῦσιν· ὥστʼ ἄν, εἰ σθένος §334λάβοιμι, δηλώσαιμʼ ἂν οἷʼ αὐτοῖς φρονῶ.
And yet I know at least this much of myself, that I grieve at the present state of things; so that, if I should receive strength, I would show what I feel towards them.
§335νῦν δʼ ἐν κακοῖς μοι πλεῖν ὑφειμένῃ δοκεῖ, §336καὶ μὴ δοκεῖν μὲν δρᾶν τι, πημαίνειν δὲ μή· §337τοιαῦτα δʼ ἄλλα καὶ σὲ βούλομαι ποεῖν.
But now, in evils, it seems best to me to sail with furled sails, and neither to seem to act nor to do harm; and I wish you to do other such things too.
§338καίτοι τὸ μὲν δίκαιον οὐχ ᾗ ʼγὼ λέγω, §339ἀλλʼ ᾗ σὺ κρίνεις· εἰ δʼ ἐλευθέραν με δεῖ §340ζῆν, τῶν κρατούντων ἐστὶ πάντʼ ἀκουστέα.
And yet justice is not in the way I say, but in the way you judge; but if I must live free, all things must be heard from the rulers.
(Electra:) It is indeed terrible that you, being the child of the father whose child you are, have forgotten him, but care for the mother who bore you.
For all your admonitions to me are taught by her, and you say nothing of yourself.
Then choose indeed one of the two: either to be foolish, or being wise, to have no memory of your friends.
§347ἥτις λέγεις μὲν ἀρτίως ὡς, εἰ λάβοις §348σθένος, τὸ τούτων μῖσος ἐκδείξειας ἄν, §349ἐμοῦ δὲ πατρὶ πάντα τιμωρουμένης §350οὔτε ξυνέρδεις τήν τε δρῶσαν ἐκτρέπεις.
You who say just now that, if you should receive strength, you would show your hatred of them, yet when I am taking all vengeance for my father, you neither help and you turn away from the one who acts.
§351οὐ ταῦτα πρὸς κακοῖσι δειλίαν ἔχει;
Does this not hold cowardice in addition to evils?
For teach me, or learn from me, what benefit there would be for me if I ceased from these laments.
§354οὐ ζῶ;
Do I not live?
κακῶς μέν, οἶδʼ, ἐπαρκούντως δʼ ἐμοί.
Miserably indeed, I know, but sufficiently for me.
And I cause pain to them, so as to attach honors to the dead, if there is any joy there.
But you, who say you hate us, hate in word, but in deed you live with the murderers of your father.
§359ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν οὐκ ἄν ποτʼ, οὐδʼ εἴ μοι τὰ σὰ §360μέλλοι τις οἴσειν δῶρʼ, ἐφʼ οἷσι νῦν χλιδᾷς, §361τούτοις ὑπεικάθοιμι· σοὶ δὲ πλουσία §362τράπεζα κείσθω καὶ περιρρείτω βίος.
Therefore I indeed would never yield to them, not even if someone were to bring me your gifts, in which you now delight; let a rich table be set for you, and let life overflow.
§363ἐμοὶ γὰρ ἔστω τοὐμὲ μὴ λυπεῖν μόνον §364βόσκημα· τῆς σῆς δʼ οὐκ ἐρῶ τιμῆς τυχεῖν, §365οὐδʼ ἂν σύ, σώφρων γʼ οὖσα.
For let my only food be not to pain myself; and I do not desire to obtain your honor, nor would you, if you were wise.
νῦν δʼ ἐξὸν πατρὸς §366πάντων ἀρίστου παῖδα κεκλῆσθαι, καλοῦ §367τῆς μητρός· οὕτω γὰρ φανεῖ πλείστοις κακή, §368θανόντα πατέρα καὶ φίλους προδοῦσα σούς.
But now, when it is possible to be called the child of the best of fathers, be called your mother's; for thus you will appear wicked to most, having betrayed your dead father and your friends.
§369μηδὲν πρὸς ὀργήν, πρὸς θεῶν· ὡς τοῖς λόγοις §370ἔνεστιν ἀμφοῖν κέρδος, εἰ σὺ μὲν μάθοις §371τοῖς τῆσδε χρῆσθαι, τοῖς δὲ σοῖς αὕτη πάλιν.
(Chorus:) By the gods, do not speak in anger; since in the words of both there is profit, if you indeed should learn to use hers, and she in turn to use yours.
§372ἐγὼ μέν, ὦ γυναῖκες, ἠθάς εἰμί πως §373τῶν τῆσδε μύθων· οὐδʼ ἂν ἐμνήσθην ποτέ, §374εἰ μὴ κακὸν μέγιστον εἰς αὐτὴν ἰὸν §375ἤκουσʼ, ὃ ταύτην τῶν μακρῶν σχήσει γόων.
(Chrysothemis:) Indeed, women, I am somewhat accustomed to her words; nor would I ever have mentioned this, if I had not heard of a very great evil coming upon her, which will stop her from these long laments.