(Neoptolemus) There is no wind contrary to pirates, when it is possible to steal something and snatch it by force.
But if it seems good, let us go, after you have taken from within whatever need and desire of you most possesses.
§647ἀλλʼ ἔστιν ὧν δεῖ, καίπερ οὐ πολλῶν ἄπο.
(Philoctetes) Indeed there are things I need, though not from many.
§648τί τοῦθʼ ὃ μὴ νεώς γε τῆς ἐμῆς ἔπι;
(Neoptolemus) What is this which is not on my ship?
(Philoctetes) I have a certain leaf, with which most of all I always lull to sleep, so as to soothe it completely.
§651ἀλλʼ ἔκφερʼ αὐτό.
(Neoptolemus) Well, bring it out.
τί γὰρ ἔτʼ ἄλλʼ ἐρᾷς λαβεῖν;
For what else do you desire to take?
(Philoctetes) If any of these arrows of mine, neglected, has fallen aside, lest I leave it for anyone to take.
§654ἦ ταῦτα γὰρ τὰ κλεινὰ τόξʼ ἃ νῦν ἔχεις;
(Neoptolemus) Is this indeed the famous bow which you now hold?
§655ταῦτʼ, οὐ γὰρ ἄλλʼ ἔστʼ, ἀλλʼ ἃ βαστάζω χεροῖν.
(Philoctetes) This indeed, for there is no other, but what I carry in my hands.
(Neoptolemus) Is it possible for me even to get a close look, and hold it, and revere it like a god?
(Philoctetes) To you indeed, my child, both this and any other of my things whatever may be of use to you, shall be granted.
(Neoptolemus) Indeed I desire it, and my desire is thus: if it is lawful for me, I would wish it; but if not, let it go.
§662ὅσιά τε φωνεῖς ἔστι τʼ, ὦ τέκνον, θέμις, §663ὅς γʼ ἡλίου τόδʼ εἰσορᾶν ἐμοὶ φάος §664μόνος δέδωκας, ὃς χθόνʼ Οἰταίαν ἰδεῖν, §665ὃς πατέρα πρέσβυν, ὃς φίλους, ὃς τῶν ἐμῶν §666ἐχθρῶν μʼ ἔνερθεν ὄντʼ ἀνέστησας πέρα.
(Philoctetes) You speak holy words, and it is lawful, my child, you who alone have given to me to behold this light of the sun, alone have granted, to see the Oetaean land, and my aged father, and my friends, you who from beneath enemies have raised me up, when I was far below.
§667θάρσει, παρέσται ταῦτά σοι καὶ θιγγάνειν §668καὶ δόντι δοῦναι κἀξεπεύξασθαι βροτῶν §669ἀρετῆς ἕκατι τῶνδʼ ἐπιψαῦσαι μόνον· §670εὐεργετῶν γὰρ καὐτὸς αὔτʼ ἐκτησάμην.
Be of good courage, these things shall be possible for you both to touch and to return to him who gave it, and to boast that of mortals by reason of your virtue you alone have touched these; for I myself acquired them by doing a benefit.
§671οὐκ ἄχθομαί σʼ ἰδών τε καὶ λαβὼν φίλον· §672ὅστις γὰρ εὖ δρᾶν εὖ παθὼν ἐπίσταται, §673παντὸς γένοιτʼ ἂν κτήματος κρείσσων φίλος.
I am not vexed having seen you and taken you as a friend; for whoever knows how to do good in return when he has received good, would be a friend better than any possession.
χωροῖς ἂν εἴσω.
Go inside.
(Neoptolemus) And I will lead you in; for your ailing state desires to have you as a helper.
§676λόγῳ μὲν ἐξήκουσʼ, ὄπωπα δʼ οὐ μάλα, §677τὸν πελάταν λέκτρων ποτὲ τῶν Διὸς §680κατὰ δρομάδʼ ἄμπυκα δέσμιον ὡς ἔβαλεν παγκρατὴς Κρόνου παῖς· §681ἄλλον δʼ οὔτινʼ ἔγωγʼ οἶδα κλύων οὐδʼ ἐσιδὼν μοίρᾳ §682τοῦδʼ ἐχθίονι συντυχόντα §683θνατῶν, ὃς οὔτʼ ἔρξας τινʼ οὔ τι νοσφίσας, §685ἀλλʼ ἴσος ὢν ἴσοις ἀνήρ, §686ὤλλυθʼ ὧδʼ ἀναξίως.
(Chorus) In story indeed I have heard, but have not seen at all, how the one who once approached the bed of Zeus how the all-powerful son of Cronus cast him bound upon a spinning wheel; but no other of mortals do I know, by hearing or by sight, who met with a fate more hateful than this man's, who neither did any wrong nor robbed anyone, but being an equal man among equals, perished so undeservedly.
§687τόδε τοι θαῦμά μʼ ἔχει, §688πῶς ποτε πῶς ποτʼ ἀμφιπλάκτων ῥοθίων μόνος κλύων, §690πῶς ἄρα πανδάκρυτον οὕτω βιοτὰν κατέσχεν· §691ἵνʼ αὐτὸς ἦν πρόσουρος, οὐκ ἔχων βάσιν, §692οὐδέ τινʼ ἐγχώρων κακογείτονα, §693παρʼ ᾧ στόνον ἀντίτυπον βαρυβρῶτʼ ἀποκλαύσειεν αἱματηρόν· §696ὃς τὰν θερμοτάταν αἱμάδα κηκιομέναν ἑλκέων §697ἐνθήρου ποδὸς ἠπίοισι §698φύλλοις κατευνάσειεν, εἴ τις ἐμπέσοι, §700φορβάδος ἐκ γαίας ἑλών· §701εἷρπε γὰρ ἄλλοτʼ ἀλλαχᾷ §702τότʼ ἂν εἰλυόμενος §703παῖς ἄτερ ὡς φίλας τιθήνας ὅθεν εὐμάρειʼ ὑπάρ- §705χοι πόρου, ἁνίκʼ ἐξανείη δακέθυμος ἄτα· §707οὐ φορβὰν ἱερᾶς γᾶς σπόρον, οὐκ ἄλλων §708αἴρων τῶν νεμόμεσθʼ ἀνέρες ἀλφησταί, §710πλὴν ἐξ ὠκυβόλων εἴ ποτε τόξων §711πτανοῖς ἰοῖς ἀνύσειε γαστρὶ φορβάν.
Indeed, this wonder holds me, how on earth, how on earth, listening alone to the beating waves, how indeed he held on to such a tearful life; where he was his own neighbor, unable to walk, nor having any of the inhabitants as a bad neighbor, with whom he might weep in response for his heavy-eating, bloody lamentation; who, when the hot blood gushing from the wounds of his beast-bitten foot, with soothing leaves would lull to sleep, if any attack should fall upon him, gathering them from the nurturing earth; for he would creep now here, now there, then crawling, like a child without a dear nurse, to wherever there might be a source of relief, whenever the soul-devouring pain let go; not gathering food, the seed of the holy earth, nor of other things which we, bread-eating men, enjoy, except if ever from his swift-shooting bow with winged arrows he might procure food for his belly.
§712ὦ μελέα ψυχά, §713ὃς μηδʼ οἰνοχύτου πώματος ἥσθη δεκέτει χρόνῳ, §716λεύσσων δʼ ὅπου γνοίη στατὸν εἰς ὕδωρ, §717ἀεὶ προσενώμα.
O wretched soul, who for a ten-year time did not even enjoy the wine-poured drink, but looking to see where he might know of standing water, he would always bend his way toward it.
§718νῦν δʼ ἀνδρῶν ἀγαθῶν παιδὸς ὑπαντήσας §720εὐδαίμων ἀνύσει καὶ μέγας ἐκ κείνων· §721ὅς νιν ποντοπόρῳ δούρατι, πλήθει §722πολλῶν μηνῶν, πατρίαν ἄγει πρὸς αὐλὰν §725Μαλιάδων νυμφᾶν §726Σπερχειοῦ τε παρʼ ὄχθας, ἵνʼ ὁ χάλκασπις ἀνὴρ θεοῖς §727πλάθει πατρὸς θείῳ πυρὶ παμφαής, §728Οἴτας ὑπὲρ ὄχθων.
But now, having met with the son of noble men, he shall emerge happy and great from those troubles; who is leading him on his sea-traversing ship, after the fullness of many months, to his ancestral home, of the Malian nymphs, and beside the banks of Spercheius, where the bronze-shielded hero approaches the gods, all-shining with the divine fire of his father, above the ridges of Oeta.
§730ἕρπʼ, εἰ θέλεις.
(Neoptolemus) Go, if you wish.
τί δή ποθʼ ὧδʼ ἐξ οὐδενὸς §731λόγου σιωπᾷς κἀπόπληκτος ὧδʼ ἔχει;
Why on earth, for no reason, are you silent, and stand as if struck dumb?
§732ἀᾶ, ἀᾶ.
(Philoctetes) Ah, ah!
§733τί δʼ ἔστιν;
(Neoptolemus) What is the matter?
§733aοὐδὲν δεινόν· ἀλλʼ ἴθʼ, ὦ τέκνον.
(Philoctetes) Nothing terrible; but go on, my child.
§734μῶν ἄλγος ἴσχεις τῆς παρεστώσης νόσου;
(Neoptolemus) Surely you do not have pain from your present disease?
§735οὐ δῆτʼ ἔγωγʼ, ἀλλʼ ἄρτι κουφίζειν δοκῶ.
(Philoctetes) Not I, indeed, but I think I feel lighter just now.
ὦ θεοί.
O gods!
§736τί τοὺς θεοὺς ὧδʼ ἀναστένων καλεῖς;
(Neoptolemus) Why do you call upon the gods thus with groans?
§737σωτῆρας αὐτοὺς ἠπίους θʼ ἡμῖν μολεῖν.
(Philoctetes) That they may come as saviors and gentle to us.
ἀᾶ, ἀᾶ.
Ah, ah!