§458χερσὶν στέφωμεν ἢ τανῦν δωρούμεθα.
May we adorn it with richer hands than those with which we now make these gifts.
For I think, yes, I think that he too had some care To send these ill-favored dreams to her.
§461ὅμως δʼ, ἀδελφή, σοί θʼ ὑπούργησον τάδε §462ἐμοί τʼ ἀρωγὰ τῷ τε φιλτάτῳ βροτῶν §463πάντων, ἐν Ἅιδου κειμένῳ κοινῷ πατρί.
Yet, sister, perform this service both for yourself And as a help to me, and to the dearest of all mortals, Our common father who lies in Hades.
The maiden speaks with piety; and you, Dear friend, if you are wise, will do this.
I will do so; for there is no reason for two To dispute about what is right, but rather to hasten the deed.
§468πειρωμένῃ δὲ τῶνδε τῶν ἔργων ἐμοὶ §469σιγὴ παρʼ ὑμῶν, πρὸς θεῶν, ἔστω, φίλαι· §470ὡς εἰ τάδʼ ἡ τεκοῦσα πεύσεται, πικρὰν §471δοκῶ με πεῖραν τήνδε τολμήσειν ἔτι.
But as I attempt these deeds, Let there be silence on your part, by the gods, my friends; For if she who bore me hears of this, I think I shall yet venture on a bitter attempt.
§472εἰ μὴ ʼγὼ παράφρων μάντις ἔφυν καὶ γνώμας §473λειπομένα σοφᾶς, §474εἶσιν ἁ πρόμαντις §475Δίκα δίκαια φερομένα χεροῖν κράτη· §476μέτεισιν, ὦ τέκνον, οὐ μακροῦ χρόνου.
If I am not a foolish prophet and lacking In wise judgment, Justice, the foreteller of the future, will come, Bringing in her hands righteous victory; She will pursue them, my child, before long.
Confidence rises within me, Having just heard the sweet-breathing Dreams.
§482οὐ γάρ ποτʼ ἀμναστεῖ γʼ ὁ φύσας σʼ Ἑλλάνων ἄναξ, §485οὐδʼ ἁ παλαιὰ χαλκόπλακτος ἀμφάκης γένυς, §486ἅ νιν κατέπεφνεν αἰσχίσταις ἐν αἰκίαις.
For the lord of the Hellenes who begot you never forgets, Nor does that ancient double-edged axe clad in bronze, Which slew him with the most shameful outrages.
She of many feet and many hands, Who is hidden in dread ambush, The bronze-shod Erinys, will come.
For there rushed upon them the weddingless, unhallowed rivalries Of blood-stained marriages, which are not lawful.
§495πρὸ τῶνδέ τοί μʼ ἔχει §496μή ποτε μή ποθʼ ἡμῖν §497ἀψεγὲς πελᾶν τέρας §500τοῖς δρῶσι καὶ συνδρῶσιν.
Therefore I am confident That a blameless sign will never, never Draw near to us without bringing punishment To those who did and helped to do the deed.
ἤ τοι μαντεῖαι βροτῶν §501οὐκ εἰσὶν ἐν δεινοῖς ὀνείροις οὐδʼ ἐν θεσφάτοις, §502εἰ μὴ τόδε φάσμα νυκτὸς εὖ κατασχήσει.
Truly, there are no prophecies for mortals in dread dreams or in oracles, If this vision of the night does not find a happy fulfillment.
(same as above) O of old, Pelops' Horse-race of many sorrows, How dismal did you come To this land!
§508εὖτε γὰρ ὁ ποντισθεὶς §509Μυρτίλος ἐκοιμάθη, §510παγχρύσων δίφρων §511δυστάνοις αἰκίαις §512πρόρριζος ἐκριφθείς, §513οὔ τί πω §514ἔλειπεν ἐκ τοῦδʼ οἴκου §515πολύπονος αἰκία.
For ever since Myrtilus, Cast into the sea, was laid to rest, Hurled headlong from the all-golden chariot In wretched outrages, Root and branch, Never yet Has sorrowful outrage Left this house.
§516ἀνειμένη μέν, ὡς ἔοικας, αὖ στρέφει· §517οὐ γὰρ πάρεστʼ Αἴγισθος, ὅς σʼ ἐπεῖχʼ ἀεὶ §518μή τοι θυραίαν γʼ οὖσαν αἰσχύνειν φίλους·
You are roaming about at large again, so it seems; For Aegisthus is not here, who always kept you From going outside to disgrace your family.
§519νῦν δʼ ὡς ἄπεστʼ ἐκεῖνος, οὐδὲν ἐντρέπει §520ἐμοῦ γε· καίτοι πολλὰ πρὸς πολλούς με δὴ §521ἐξεῖπας ὡς θρασεῖα καὶ πέρα δίκης §522ἄρχω, καθυβρίζουσα καὶ σὲ καὶ τὰ σά·
But now that he is away, you pay no heed To me; though indeed you have often said to many That I rule with insolence, acting beyond justice, And insulting you and yours.
But I have no insolence, but I speak ill Of you because I am often spoken ill of by you.
For your father, and nothing else, is always your pretext— That he died by my hand.
ἐξ ἐμοῦ· καλῶς §527ἔξοιδα· τῶνδʼ ἄρνησις οὐκ ἔνεστί μοι·
By my hand; I know it well, And there is no denial of this in me.
For Justice seized him, not I alone; And you ought to have helped her, if you happened to have wisdom.
§530ἐπεὶ πατὴρ σὸς οὗτος, ὃν θρηνεῖς ἀεί, §531τὴν σὴν ὅμαιμον μοῦνος Ἑλλήνων ἔτλη §532θῦσαι θεοῖσιν, οὐκ ἴσον καμὼν ἐμοὶ §533λύπης, ὅς ἔσπειρʼ, ὥσπερ ἡ τίκτουσʼ ἐγώ.
Since this father of yours, whom you always lament, Alone of the Hellenes had the heart to sacrifice your sister To the gods, though he did not suffer an equal pain of grief As I, who bore her, while he only begat her.
Well then, teach me for whose sake He sacrificed her; will you say it was for the sake of the Argives?
§536ἀλλʼ οὐ μετῆν αὐτοῖσι τήν γʼ ἐμὴν κτανεῖν.
But they had no right to kill what was mine.
But if indeed he killed my child for the sake of his brother Menelaus, Was he not bound to pay me the penalty for this?
§539πότερον ἐκείνῳ παῖδες οὐκ ἦσαν διπλοῖ, §540οὓς τῆσδε μᾶλλον εἰκὸς ἦν θνῄσκειν, πατρὸς §541καὶ μητρὸς ὄντας, ἧς ὁ πλοῦς ὅδʼ ἦν χάριν;
Had Menelaus no two children, Who more than this girl ought to have died, Being born of the father and mother for whose sake this voyage was made?
Or had Hades some greater desire to feast Upon my children than upon hers?
Or had that ruinous father lost all affection For the children born of me, while he had it for those of Menelaus?
§546οὐ ταῦτʼ ἀβούλου καὶ κακοῦ γνώμην πατρός;
Was this not the act of a father foolish and evil in judgment?
I think so, even if I speak apart from your judgment; And she who died would say so, if she could find a voice.
§549ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν οὐκ εἰμὶ τοῖς πεπραγμένοις §550δύσθυμος· εἰ δὲ σοὶ δοκῶ φρονεῖν κακῶς, §551γνώμην δικαίαν σχοῦσα τοὺς πέλας ψέγε.
Therefore, indeed, I am not downcast Because of what has been done; and if I seem to you to judge badly, First hold a righteous judgment yourself, and then blame your neighbors.
§552ἐρεῖς μὲν οὐχὶ νῦν γέ μʼ ὡς ἄρξασά τι §553λυπηρὸν εἶτα σοῦ τάδʼ ἐξήκουσʼ ὕπο· §554ἀλλʼ ἢν ἐφῇς μοι, τοῦ τεθνηκότος θʼ ὕπερ §555λέξαιμʼ ἂν ὀρθῶς τῆς κασιγνήτης θʼ ὁμοῦ.
You will not say this time that I began some painful word And then heard this from you; But if you permit me, I would speak truly on behalf of the dead man And my sister alike.