§804ἆρʼ ὑμὶν ὡς ἀλγοῦσα κὠδυνωμένη §805δεινῶς δακρῦσαι κἀπικωκῦσαι δοκεῖ §806τὸν υἱὸν ἡ δύστηνος ὧδʼ ὀλωλότα;
Do you think that wretched woman, as though in pain and suffering, dreadfully wept and wailed over her son who died in this way?
§807ἀλλʼ ἐγγελῶσα φροῦδος· ὦ τάλαινʼ ἐγώ.
No, she has gone laughing; oh, wretched me!
§808Ὀρέστα φίλταθʼ, ὥς μʼ ἀπώλεσας θανών.
Dearest Orestes, how you have destroyed me by dying.
§809ἀποσπάσας γὰρ τῆς ἐμῆς οἴχει φρενὸς §810αἵ μοι μόναι παρῆσαν ἐλπίδων ἔτι, §811σὲ πατρὸς ἥξειν ζῶντα τιμωρόν ποτε §812κἀμοῦ ταλαίνης.
For by departing you have torn away from my mind the only hopes that still remained to me, that you would one day come alive as an avenger of our father and of wretched me.
νῦν δὲ ποῖ με χρὴ μολεῖν;
But now, where must I go?
For I am alone, deprived of both you and my father.
Now I must once more serve as a slave among those who are most hateful to me, the murderers of my father.
ἆρά μοι καλῶς ἔχει;
Is this well for me?
§817ἀλλʼ οὔ τι μὴν ἔγωγε τοῦ λοιποῦ χρόνου §818ξύνοικος, εἴσειμʼ, ἀλλὰ τῇδε πρὸς πύλῃ §819παρεῖσʼ ἐμαυτὴν ἄφιλος αὐανῶ βίον.
But indeed, for the remaining time I will not go within to dwell with them, but casting myself down here at this gate, friendless, I will wither away my life.
§820πρὸς ταῦτα καινέτω τις, εἰ βαρύνεται, §821τῶν ἔνδον ὄντων· ὡς χάρις μέν, ἢν κτάνῃ, §822λύπη δʼ, ἐὰν ζῶ· τοῦ βίου δʼ οὐδεὶς πόθος.
Therefore let anyone of those within kill me, if he is vexed; for it is a favor if he kills, but a grief if I live; and I have no desire for life.
Where ever are the thunderbolts of Zeus, or where is the shining Sun, if, looking upon these things, they keep them hidden, untroubled?
§826ἒ ἔ, αἰαῖ.
Ah, ah! Alas!
§827ὦ παῖ, τί δακρύεις;
My child, why do you weep?
§828φεῦ.
Alas!
§830μηδὲν μέγʼ ἀΰσῃς.
Do not utter anything too great.
§831ἀπολεῖς.
You will destroy me.
§832πῶς;
How?
§833εἰ τῶν φανερῶς οἰχομένων §834εἰς Ἀΐδαν ἐλπίδʼ ὑποίσεις, κατʼ ἐμοῦ τακομένας §835μᾶλλον ἐπεμβάσει.
If you suggest hope for those who have clearly gone to Hades, you will trample even more upon me, who am wasting away.
For I know that king Amphiaraus was hidden by a woman's gold-fastened snares; and now beneath the earth...
§840ἒ ἔ, ἰώ.
Ah, ah! Oh!
§841πάμψυχος ἀνάσσει.
he rules with full life.
§842φεῦ.
Alas!
§845ναί.
Yes.
I know, I know; for an avenger appeared for him who was in grief.
ἐμοὶ δʼ οὔτις ἔτʼ ἔσθʼ· ὃς γὰρ ἔτʼ ἦν, §848φροῦδος ἀναρπασθείς.
But for me there is no longer anyone; for he who still remained has been snatched away and is gone.
§849δειλαία δειλαίων κυρεῖς.
Wretched one, you find yourself in the most wretched state.
And I am witness of this, all too well a witness, in a life of many terrible and hateful things swept along through all the months.
§853εἴδομεν ἁθρήνεις.
We saw what you were lamenting.
Therefore do not mislead me any longer, where there is no...
§857τί φής;
What do you say?
any longer present the help of hopes from noble brothers born of the same parents.
§860πᾶσι θνατοῖς ἔφυ μόρος.
For all mortals, death is the natural lot.
Is it so also in swift-hooved contests, as it was for that wretched one, to meet with cut leather reins?
§864ἄσκοπος ἁ λώβα.
The outrage was beyond foresight.
§865πῶς γὰρ οὔκ;
How indeed could it not be?
he has been hidden, having met with neither a tomb nor wailings from us.
§871ὑφʼ ἡδονῆς τοι, φιλτάτη, διώκομαι §872τὸ κόσμιον μεθεῖσα σὺν τάχει μολεῖν· §873φέρω γὰρ ἡδονάς τε κἀνάπαυλαν ὧν §874πάροιθεν εἶχες καὶ κατέστενες κακῶν
By joy, dearest, I am driven to cast aside propriety and come with speed; for I bring joy and a respite from the evils which you previously had and over which you lamented.
And from where could you find a remedy for my sufferings, for which no cure can be seen?
Orestes is here with us, know this from hearing it from me, as clearly as you see me now.
Are you mad, wretched girl, and do you laugh both at your own evils and at mine?
By our father's hearth, I do not say these things in mockery, but that he is truly present with us.
Alas, wretched me; and having heard this story from what mortal do you believe it so excessively?
I believe this story by myself and from no other, because I saw clear signs.
§887τίνʼ, ὦ τάλαινʼ, ἔχουσα πίστιν;
What proof do you have, wretched girl?
ἐς τί μοι §888βλέψασα θάλπει τῷδʼ ἀνηκέστῳ πυρί;
Looking at what do you warm yourself with this incurable fire?
By the gods, then, listen, so that having learned from me you may hereafter call me either wise or foolish.
§891σὺ δʼ οὖν λέγʼ, εἴ σοι τῷ λόγῳ τις ἡδονή.
Speak then, if telling the story brings you some pleasure.
§892καὶ δὴ λέγω σοι πᾶν ὅσον κατειδόμην.
And indeed I will tell you all that I beheld.
§893ἐπεὶ γὰρ ἦλθον πατρὸς ἀρχαῖον τάφον, §894ὁρῶ κολώνης ἐξ ἄκρας νεορρύτους §895πηγὰς γάλακτος καὶ περιστεφῆ κύκλῳ §896πάντων ὅσʼ ἐστὶν ἀνθέων θήκην πατρός.
For when I came to our father's ancient tomb, I saw from the top of the mound newly flowing streams of milk, and our father's grave garlanded all around with every kind of flower.
And seeing this, I was filled with wonder, and I looked around lest some mortal might be drawing near us.
§899ὡς δʼ ἐν γαλήνῃ πάντʼ ἐδερκόμην τόπον, §900τύμβου προσεῖρπον ἆσσον· ἐσχάτης δʼ ὁρῶ §901πυρᾶς νεώρη βόστρυχον τετμημένον·
But when I saw the whole place was in quietness, I crept closer to the tomb; and on the edge of the mound I saw a newly cut lock of hair.
§902κεὐθὺς τάλαινʼ ὡς εἶδον, ἐμπαίει τί μοι §903ψυχῇ σύνηθες ὄμμα, φιλτάτου βροτῶν §904πάντων Ὀρέστου τοῦθʼ ὁρᾶν τεκμήριον· §905καὶ χερσὶ βαστάσασα δυσφημῶ μὲν οὔ, §906χαρᾷ δὲ πίμπλημʼ εὐθὺς ὄμμα δακρύων.
And as soon as I, wretched one, saw it, a familiar image struck upon my soul, that I was beholding this token of Orestes, dearest of all mortals; and taking it in my hands, I uttered no word of ill omen, but immediately filled my eyes with tears of joy.