§1417καὶ μὴ σέ τʼ αὐτὸν καὶ πόλιν διεργάσῃ.
And do not destroy both yourself and the city.
But it is not possible; for how could I again lead the same army back, once I have trembled?
§1420τί δʼ αὖθις, ὦ παῖ, δεῖ σε θυμοῦσθαι;
Why, my brother, must you be angry again?
τί σοι §1421πάτραν κατασκάψαντι κέρδος ἔρχεται;
What gain comes to you by destroying your native land?
It is shameful to flee, and for me, being the elder, to be thus laughed at by my brother.
Do you see then how his prophecies are turning out true, he who proclaims death for both of you from one another?
§1426χρῄζει γάρ· ἡμῖν δʼ οὐχὶ συγχωρητέα.
For he wishes it; but we must not yield.
§1427οἴμοι τάλαινα·
Alas, wretched me!
τίς δὲ τολμήσει κλύων §1428τὰ τοῦδʼ ἕπεσθαι τἀνδρός, οἷʼ ἐθέσπισεν;
But who, hearing what this man has prophesied, will dare to follow you?
We shall not report bad news; since it is the part of a good general to tell the better things and not the deficiencies.
§1431οὕτως ἄρʼ, ὦ παῖ, ταῦτά σοι δεδογμένα;
Is this then, my brother, your resolved purpose?
§1432καὶ μή μʼ ἐπίσχῃς γʼ· ἀλλʼ ἐμοὶ μὲν ἥδʼ ὁδὸς §1433ἔσται μέλουσα δύσποτμός τε καὶ κακὴ §1434πρὸς τοῦδε πατρὸς τῶν τε τοῦδʼ ἐρινύων·
And do not hold me back; but this journey shall be my care, ill-fated and evil, because of this father and his Furies.
And may Zeus give you two well, if you perform these things for me when dead, since you will no longer have me alive.
Release me now, and farewell; for you will never see me alive again.
§1438aὦ τάλαινʼ ἐγώ.
Ah, wretched me!
§1439μή τοί μʼ ὀδύρου.
Do not weep for me.
And who would not groan for you, brother, as you rush to manifest death?
§1441εἰ χρή, θανοῦμαι.
If it must be, I shall die.
§1441aμὴ σύ γʼ, ἀλλʼ ἐμοὶ πιθοῦ.
Do not, but yield to me!
§1442μὴ πεῖθʼ ἃ μὴ δεῖ.
Do not persuade me of what must not be.
§1442aδυστάλαινά τἄρʼ ἐγώ, εἴ σου στερηθῶ.
Wretched indeed am I, if I am deprived of you!
But these things are in the power of the deity, either to turn out this way or another.
But for you two, I pray that you never meet with evils; for you are in all eyes undeserving of misfortune.
New evils have come newly to me, heavy with fate, from the blind stranger, unless fate is finding its mark.
For I cannot say that any decree of the gods is in vain.
Time sees, sees these things always, overturning some things, and on the next day raising others up again.
§1456ἔκτυπεν αἰθήρ, ὦ Ζεῦ.
The sky has thundered, O Zeus!
O children, children, how might someone local bring the all-excellent Theseus hither?
§1459πάτερ, τί δʼ ἐστὶ τἀξίωμʼ ἐφʼ ᾧ καλεῖς;
Father, what is the purpose for which you call him?
This winged thunder of Zeus will straightway carry me to Hades; but send with all speed.
§1462μέγας, ἴδε, μάλʼ ὅδʼ ἐρείπεται §1463κτύπος ἄφατος διόβολος· ἐς δʼ ἄκραν §1465δεῖμʼ ὑπῆλθε κρατὸς φόβαν.
Lo, a great, unspeakable noise sent by Zeus crashes down; and terror has crept to the very tips of the hair of my head.
§1466ἔπτηξα θυμόν· οὐρανία γὰρ ἀστραπὴ φλέγει πάλιν.
I cower in spirit; for the heavenly lightning flashes again.
§1467τί μὰν ἀφήσει τέλος;
What end will it bring?
δέδοικα δʼ· οὐ γὰρ ἅλιον §1470ἀφορμᾷ ποτʼ, οὐκ ἄνευ ξυμφορᾶς.
I fear; for it never starts in vain, nor without some outcome.
§1471ὦ μέγας αἰθήρ, ὦ Ζεῦ.
O great sky, O Zeus!
O children, the prophesied end of life has come upon this man, and there is no longer any turning back.
§1474πῶς οἶσθα;
How do you know?
τῷ δὲ τοῦτο συμβαλὼν ἔχεις;
By what sign do you conjecture this?
I know it well; but let someone go with all speed and bring the lord of this land hither.
§1477ἔα ἔα, ἰδοὺ μάλʼ αὖθις ἀμφίσταται διαπρύσιος ὄτοβος.
Ah! Ah! Lo, again a piercing crash resounds all around.
Be merciful, O god, be merciful, if you are bringing something dark to our mother earth.
And may I find you favorable, and may I not, by having seen an accursed man, somehow share in a profitless reward.
Ζεῦ ἄνα σοὶ φωνῶ.
Lord Zeus, to you I cry!
§1486ἆρʼ ἐγγὺς ἁνήρ;
Is the man near?
ἆρʼ ἔτʼ ἐμψύχου, τέκνα, §1487κιχήσεταί μου καὶ κατορθοῦντος φρένα;
Will he still find me alive, children, and with my mind unimpaired?
§1488τί δʼ ἂν θέλοις τὸ πιστὸν ἐμφῦναι φρενί;
And what pledge would you wish to implant in his mind?
In return for the good things I received, to give them the fulfilling favor which I promised when I received them.
§1491ἰὼ ἰὼ παῖ, βᾶθι βᾶθʼ, εἴτʼ ἄκρα, §1492περὶ γύαλʼ ἐναλίῳ Ποσειδωνίῳ θεῷ, τυγχάνεις §1493βούθυτον ἑστίαν ἁγίζων, ἱκοῦ.
Ho, ho, son! Come, come, whether you happen to be consecrating a hearth with sacrifice of oxen at the high hollows of the sea-god Poseidon, come!
For the stranger deems you, your city, and your friends worthy of receiving a just return, because of what he has received.
§1496ἄϊσσʼ, ὦναξ.
Hasten, O king!
What common cry is this that sounds from you all, clear on the part of the citizens, and manifest on the part of the stranger?
Has some thunderbolt of Zeus or some driving hail-storm burst upon you?
πάντα γὰρ θεοῦ §1504τοιαῦτα χειμάζοντος εἰκάσαι πάρα.
For all such things may be conjectured when the god raises a storm.
§1505ἄναξ, ποθοῦντι προυφάνης, καί σοι θεῶν
O king, you have appeared to my longing, and some god...