Chorus Leader: In such matters, foresight is an ally both to the speaker and to the listener.
§992καὶ πρίν γε φωνεῖν, ὦ γυναῖκες, εἰ φρενῶν §993ἐτύγχανʼ αὕτη μὴ κακῶν, ἐσῴζετʼ ἂν §994τὴν εὐλάβειαν, ὥσπερ οὐχὶ σῴζεται.
Chrysothemis: And indeed, before speaking, women, if she had happened to possess a sound mind, not a bad one, she would have preserved her caution, just as she does not preserve it now.
For to what indeed looking do you arm yourself with such boldness and call on me to serve you?
§997οὐκ εἰσορᾷς;
Do you not see?
γυνὴ μὲν οὐδʼ ἀνὴρ ἔφυς, §998σθένεις δʼ ἔλασσον τῶν ἐναντίων χερί.
You were born a woman, not a man, and you have less strength in your hand than your opponents.
And fortune favors them day by day, but for us it flows away and comes to nothing.
Who then, plotting to slay such a man, will escape without suffering from ruin?
See to it lest, faring already badly, we gain greater evils, if someone shall hear these words.
For it releases us from nothing and profits us nothing to die infamously, even if we obtain good fame.
For to die is not the most hateful thing, but when to die one wishes, and then cannot even obtain this.
§1009ἀλλʼ ἀντιάζω, πρὶν πανωλέθρους τὸ πᾶν §1010ἡμᾶς τʼ ὀλέσθαι κἀξερημῶσαι γένος, §1011κατάσχες ὀργήν.
But I beseech you, before we utterly perish in ruin and lay waste our race, restrain your anger.
καὶ τὰ μὲν λελεγμένα §1012ἄρρητʼ ἐγώ σοι κἀτελῆ φυλάξομαι, §1013αὐτὴ δὲ νοῦν σχὲς ἀλλὰ τῷ χρόνῳ ποτέ, §1014σθένουσα μηδὲν τοῖς κρατοῦσιν εἰκαθεῖν.
And what has been said, as unspoken and unaccomplished, I will guard for you, and do you at least in time yield your mind, since you have no strength, to submit to those who rule.
Obey; for there is no gain for humans better to obtain than foresight and a wise mind.
Electra: You have said nothing unexpected; I knew well that you would reject my proposal.
But this deed must be done by my own hand and alone; for we will certainly not leave it unaccomplished.
§1021φεῦ·
Chrysothemis: Alas!
Would that you had been of such a mind when our father was dying; for you would have accomplished everything.
§1023ἀλλʼ ἦ φύσιν γε, τὸν δὲ νοῦν ἥσσων τότε.
Electra: But my nature indeed was such, though my mind was weaker then.
§1024ἄσκει τοιαύτη νοῦν διʼ αἰῶνος μένειν.
Chrysothemis: Practice keeping such a mind through all your life.
§1025ὡς οὐχὶ συνδράσουσα νουθετεῖς τάδε.
Electra: You advise these things as one who will not join in the deed.
§1026εἰκὸς γὰρ ἐγχειροῦντα καὶ πράσσειν κακῶς.
Chrysothemis: For it is likely that one who attempts also fares badly.
§1027ζηλῶ σε τοῦ νοῦ, τῆς δὲ δειλίας στυγῶ.
Electra: I envy you for your mind, but I hate you for your cowardice.
§1028ἀνέξομαι κλύουσα χὤταν εὖ λέγῃς.
Chrysothemis: I shall endure listening to you even when you speak well of me.
§1029ἀλλʼ οὔ ποτʼ ἐξ ἐμοῦ γε μὴ πάθῃς τόδε.
Electra: But you will certainly never suffer this from me.
§1030μακρὸς τὸ κρῖναι ταῦτα χὠ λοιπὸς χρόνος.
Chrysothemis: The remaining time is long indeed to judge this.
§1031ἄπελθε· σοὶ γὰρ ὠφέλησις οὐκ ἔνι.
Electra: Depart; for there is no help in you.
§1032ἔνεστιν· ἀλλὰ σοὶ μάθησις οὐ πάρα.
Chrysothemis: There is; but there is no learning in you.
§1033ἐλθοῦσα μητρὶ ταῦτα πάντʼ ἔξειπε σῇ.
Go and tell all this to your mother.
§1034οὐδʼ αὖ τοσοῦτον ἔχθος ἐχθαίρω σʼ ἐγώ.
Nor indeed do I hate you with such a hatred.
§1035ἀλλʼ οὖν ἐπίστω γʼ οἷ μʼ ἀτιμίας ἄγεις.
But understand at least to what dishonor you are leading me.
§1036ἀτιμίας μὲν οὔ, προμηθίας δὲ σοῦ.
Not dishonor indeed, but foresight for you.
§1037τῷ σῷ δικαίῳ δῆτʼ ἐπισπέσθαι με δεῖ;
Must I then follow your idea of justice?
§1038ὅταν γὰρ εὖ φρονῇς, τόθʼ ἡγήσει σὺ νῷν.
For when you are wise, then you will lead us both.
§1039ἦ δεινὸν εὖ λέγουσαν ἐξαμαρτάνειν.
It is indeed a terrible thing to speak well and yet to err.
§1040εἴρηκας ὀρθῶς ᾧ σὺ πρόσκεισαι κακῷ.
You have rightly spoken of the evil to which you are bound.
§1041τί δʼ;
What?
οὐ δοκῶ σοι ταῦτα σὺν δίκῃ λέγειν;
Do I not seem to you to speak with justice?
§1042ἀλλʼ ἔστιν ἔνθα χἠ δίκη βλάβην φέρει.
But there is a time when even justice brings harm.
§1043τούτοις ἐγὼ ζῆν τοῖς νόμοις οὐ βούλομαι.
I do not wish to live by such laws.
§1044ἀλλʼ εἰ ποήσεις ταῦτʼ, ἐπαινέσεις ἐμέ.
But if you do these things, you will praise me.
§1045καὶ μὴν ποήσω γʼ οὐδὲν ἐκπλαγεῖσά σε.
And indeed I will do them, not at all terrified by you.
§1046καὶ τοῦτʼ ἀληθές, οὐδὲ βουλεύσει πάλιν;
Is this also true, and you will not deliberate again?
§1047βουλῆς γὰρ οὐδέν ἐστιν ἔχθιον κακῆς.
For nothing is more hateful than bad deliberation.
§1048φρονεῖν ἔοικας οὐδὲν ὧν ἐγὼ λέγω.
You seem to understand nothing of what I say.
§1049πάλαι δέδοκται ταῦτα κοὐ νεωστί μοι.
This has been resolved by me long ago, and not recently.
I shall go then; for neither do you dare to praise my words, nor do I your ways.
§1052ἀλλʼ εἴσιθʼ. οὔ σοι μὴ μεθέψομαί ποτε, §1053οὐδʼ ἢν σφόδρʼ ἱμείρουσα τυγχάνῃς· ἐπεὶ §1054πολλῆς ἀνοίας καὶ τὸ θηρᾶσθαι κενά.
Go inside then; I will never follow you, not even if you happen to desire it extremely; since it is a great folly to hunt for empty things.
But if you happen to think yourself wise in some way, think so.
ὅταν γὰρ ἐν κακοῖς §1057ἤδη βεβήκῃς, τἄμʼ ἐπαινέσεις ἔπη.
For when you are already established in evils, then you will praise my words.
§1060τί τοὺς ἄνωθεν φρονιμωτάτους οἰωνοὺς ἐσορώμενοι τροφᾶς §1061κηδομένους ἀφʼ ὧν τε βλάστωσιν ἀφʼ ὧν τʼ ὄνασιν εὕρ- §1062ωσι, τάδʼ οὐκ ἐπʼ ἴσας τελοῦμεν;
Chorus: Why, seeing the most wise birds above, caring for the nourishment of those from whom they were born and from whom they found benefit, do we not fulfill these things on equal terms?
But, by the lightning of Zeus, and by heavenly Themis, not for long are they free from pain.
§1066ὦ χθονία βροτοῖσι φάμα, κατά μοι βόασον οἰκτρὰν §1067ὄπα τοῖς ἔνερθʼ Ἀτρείδαις, ἀχόρευτα φέρουσʼ §1068ὀνείδη· §1070ὅτι σφὶν ἤδη τὰ μὲν ἐκ δόμων νοσεῖ δή, τὰ δὲ πρὸς τέκνων διπλῆ §1071φύλοπις οὐκέτʼ ἐξισοῦται φιλοτασίῳ διαί- §1072τᾳ· πρόδοτος δὲ μόνα σαλεύει §1075Ἠλέκτρα, τὸν ἀεὶ πατρὸς §1076δειλαία στενάχουσʼ, ὅπως §1077ἁ πάνδυρτος ἀηδών,
O earthly Rumor for mortals, cry down for me a pitiful voice to the Atreidae below, bringing to them danceless reproaches; that their house indeed already sickens, and between the children a double strife no longer makes equal their friendly life; and Electra, betrayed, alone is tossed in tempest, wretchedly mourning for her father always, like the all-lamenting nightingale,