§819ὦ γαῖα, δέξαι θανάσιμόν μʼ ὅπως ἔχω §820τὸ γὰρ κακὸν τόδʼ οὐκέτʼ ὀρθοῦσθαί μʼ ἐᾷ. §821τὸν ἄνδρʼ ἔοικεν ὕπνος οὐ μακροῦ χρόνου §822ἕξειν· κάρα γὰρ ὑπτιάζεται τόδε· §823ἱδρώς γέ τοί νιν πᾶν καταστάζει δέμας, §824μέλαινά τʼ ἄκρου τις παρέρρωγεν ποδὸς §825αἱμορραγὴς φλέψ.
(Philoctetes) "O Earth, receive me as I am, dying; for this evil no longer permits me to stand upright." (Neoptolemus) "It seems that sleep will possess the man before long; for this head is sinking backward; indeed, sweat is dripping over his whole body, and a dark, bleeding vein has burst open at the extremity of his foot.
ἀλλʼ ἐάσωμεν, φίλοι, §826ἕκηλον αὐτόν, ὡς ἂν εἰς ὕπνον πέσῃ. §827Ὕπνʼ ὀδύνας ἀδαής, Ὕπνε δʼ ἀλγέων, §828εὐαὲς ἡμῖν ἔλθοις, §829εὐαίων εὐαίων, ὦναξ·
But let us leave him, friends, quiet, so that he may fall into sleep." (Chorus) "O Sleep, ignorant of pain, O Sleep, ignorant of grief, may you come to us with gentle breath, blessed one, blessed one, O king!
And may you hold before his eyes this light which is now spread out.
Come, come, I pray, as our healer." "O child, look where you will stand, and where you will take your next step, with careful thought.
ὁρᾷς ἤδη.
You see it already.
§836πρὸς τί μενοῦμεν πράσσειν;
Why do we wait to act?
§837καιρός τοι πάντων γνώμαν ἴσχων §838πολύ τι πολὺ παρὰ πόδα κράτος ἄρνυται. §839ἀλλʼ ὅδε μὲν κλύει οὐδέν, ἐγὼ δʼ ὁρῶ οὕνεκα θήραν §840τήνδʼ ἁλίως ἔχομεν τόξων, δίχα τοῦδε πλέοντες.
Opportunity, holding the decision of all things, wins a great, great victory in an instant." (Neoptolemus) "But he hears nothing, and I see that we have this prey of the bow in vain, if we sail without him.
§841τοῦδε γὰρ ὁ στέφανος, τοῦτον θεὸς εἶπε κομίζειν.
For his is the crown; him the god commanded us to bring.
§842κομπεῖν δʼ ἔστʼ ἀτελῆ σὺν ψεύδεσιν αἰσχρὸν ὄνειδος.
But to boast of things unaccomplished with lies is a shameful disgrace." (Chorus) "But, child, the god will look to these things.
§843ἀλλά, τέκνον, τάδε μὲν θεὸς ὄψεται· §844ὧν δʼ ἂν ἀμείβῃ μʼ αὖθις, §845βαιάν μοι, βαιάν, ὦ τέκνον, §846πέμπε λόγων φάμαν· §847ὡς πάντων ἐν νόσῳ εὐδρακὴς §848ὕπνος ἄϋπνος λεύσσειν.
And whatever you reply to me in turn, send me, child, a low, low sound of words; since the sleep of all who are in sickness is keen-sighted, sleeping yet not sleeping, to look out." "But, as far as you are most able, that very thing, yes, that very thing secretly look out how you will accomplish.
§849ἀλλʼ ὅτι δύνᾳ μάκιστον §850κεῖνο δή μοι κεῖνο λάθρᾳ §851ἐξιδοῦ ὅπᾳ πράξεις. §852οἶσθα γὰρ ἃν αὐδῶμαι, §853εἰ ταύταν τούτων γνώμαν ἴσχεις, §854μάλα τοι ἄπορα πυκινοῖς ἐνιδεῖν πάθη. §855οὖρός τοι, τέκνον, οὖρος· §856ἁνὴρ δʼ ἀνόμματος οὐδʼ ἔχων §857ἀρωγὰν ἐκτέταται νύχιος, §858ʽἁ̓λεὴς ὕπνος ἐσθλός,ʼ §860οὐ χερός, οὐ ποδός, οὔ τινος ἄρχων, §861ἀλλά τις ὡς Ἀΐδᾳ παρακείμενος. §862ὅρα, βλέπʼ εἰ καίρια §863φθέγγει·
For you know what I am speaking of, if you hold this same purpose as those men; to the wise, indeed, such situations are very difficult to foresee." "The wind is fair, child, the wind is fair; the man is sightless, having no help, stretched out in the dark, a warm sleep is good, having no control of hand, of foot, or of anything, but lying like one next to Hades." "Look, see if you are speaking seasonably; but the opportunity to seize, in my thought, child, is best achieved by the effort that causes no fear." "I bid you be silent and not let go of your senses; for the man is moving his eye and raising his head." (Philoctetes) "O light that succeeds sleep, and unexpected faithfulness of these strangers who watched over me!
τὸ δʼ ἁλώσιμον §863bἐμᾷ φροντίδι, παῖ, §864πόνος ὁ μὴ φοβῶν κράτιστος. §865σιγᾶν κελεύω μηδʼ ἀφεστάναι φρενῶν· §866κινεῖ γὰρ ἁνὴρ ὄμμα κἀνάγει κάρα. §867ὦ φέγγος ὕπνου διάδοχον τό τʼ ἐλπίδων §868ἄπιστον οἰκούρημα τῶνδε τῶν ξένων. §869οὐ γάρ ποτʼ, ὦ παῖ, τοῦτʼ ἂν ἐξηύχησʼ ἐγώ, §870τλῆναί σʼ ἐλεινῶς ὧδε τἀμὰ πήματα §871μεῖναι παρόντα καὶ ξυνωφελοῦντά μοι. §872οὔκουν Ἀτρεῖδαι τοῦτʼ ἔτλησαν εὐφόρως §873οὕτως ἐνεγκεῖν, ἁγαθοὶ στρατηλάται. §874ἀλλʼ εὐγενὴς γὰρ ἡ φύσις κἀξ εὐγενῶν, §875ὦ τέκνον, ἡ σή, πάντα ταῦτʼ ἐν εὐχερεῖ §876ἔθου, βοῆς τε καὶ δυσοσμίας γέμων. §877καὶ νῦν ἐπειδὴ τοῦδε τοῦ κακοῦ δοκεῖ §878λήθη τις εἶναι κἀνάπαυλα δή, τέκνον, §879σύ μʼ αὐτὸς ἆρον, σύ με κατάστησον, τέκνον, §880ἵνʼ, ἡνίκʼ ἂν κόπος μʼ ἀπαλλάξῃ ποτέ, §881ὁρμώμεθʼ ἐς ναῦν μηδʼ ἐπίσχωμεν τὸ πλεῖν. §882ἀλλʼ ἥδομαι μέν σʼ εἰσιδὼν παρʼ ἐλπίδα §883ἀνώδυνον βλέποντα κἀμπνέοντʼ ἔτι· §884ὡς οὐκέτʼ ὄντος γὰρ τὰ συμβόλαιά σου §885πρὸς τὰς παρούσας ξυμφορὰς ἐφαίνετο. §886νῦν δʼ αἶρε σαυτόν· εἰ δέ σοι μᾶλλον φίλον, §887οἴσουσί σʼ οἵδε· τοῦ πόνου γὰρ οὐκ ὄκνος, §888ἐπείπερ οὕτω σοί τʼ ἔδοξʼ ἐμοί τε δρᾶν. §889αἰνῶ τάδʼ, ὦ παῖ, καί μʼ ἔπαιρʼ, ὥσπερ νοεῖς· §890τούτους δʼ ἔασον, μὴ βαρυνθῶσιν κακῇ §891ὀσμῇ πρὸ τοῦ δέοντος· οὑπὶ νηὶ γὰρ §892ἅλις πόνος τούτοισι συνναίειν ἐμοί. §893ἔσται τάδʼ· ἀλλʼ ἵστω τε καὐτὸς ἀντέχου. §894θάρσει· τό τοι σύνηθες ὀρθώσει μʼ ἔθος.
For never, child, would I have boasted of this, that you would endure so compassionately to stay for my sufferings, remaining present and helping me." "Yet the Atreidae did not endure to bear this so easily, those noble commanders." "But, for your nature is noble and from noble ancestors, my child, you made light of all these things, though they were full of my cries and foul smell." "And now, since there seems to be some forgetfulness and indeed a respite from this evil, child, lift me up yourself, set me upright, child, so that, when weariness at last releases me, we may hasten to the ship and not delay our sailing." (Neoptolemus) "Indeed, I am glad to see you contrary to expectation, looking painless and still breathing; for your symptoms appeared as of one no longer living, in the face of your present misfortunes." "But now lift yourself; or, if it is more pleasing to you, these men will carry you; for there is no shrinking from the trouble, since indeed it seemed best both to you and to me to do so." (Philoctetes) "I thank you, child, and lift me up as you intend; but leave these men, lest they be burdened by the foul smell before it is necessary; for on the ship there is enough trouble for them to dwell with me." (Neoptolemus) "It shall be so; but stand up and hold on yourself." (Philoctetes) "Be of good courage; my usual habit will set me upright." (Neoptolemus) "Papai!
§895παπαῖ· τί δῆτʼ ἂν δρῷμʼ ἐγὼ τοὐνθένδε γε;
What then should I do from this point?" (Philoctetes) "What is it, child?
§896τί δʼ ἔστιν, ὦ παῖ; ποῖ ποτʼ ἐξέβης λόγῳ;
Whither have you gone in your speech?" (Neoptolemus) "I do not know where I must turn my perplexed words." (Philoctetes) "At what are you perplexed?
§897οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅποι χρὴ τἄπορον τρέπειν ἔπος. §898ἀπορεῖς δὲ τοῦ σύ; μὴ λέγʼ, ὦ τέκνον, τάδε. §899ἀλλʼ ἐνθάδʼ ἤδη τοῦδε τοῦ πάθους κυρῶ. §900οὐ δή σε δυσχέρεια τοῦ νοσήματος §901ἔπεισεν ὥστε μή μʼ ἄγειν ναύτην ἔτι;
Do not speak thus, child." (Neoptolemus) "But I am already at this point of suffering." (Philoctetes) "Surely the disgust of my sickness has not persuaded you so as no longer to take me as a sailor?"