near the hollow basin, where Theseus' and Pirithous' ever-faithful pledges are situated.
§1595ἀφʼ οὗ μέσος στὰς τοῦ τε Θορικίου πέτρου §1596κοίλης τʼ ἀχέρδου κἀπὸ λαΐνου τάφου, §1597καθέζετʼ· εἶτʼ ἔλυσε δυσπινεῖς στολάς.
Standing midway between which, and the Thorician rock, and the hollow pear-tree and the stone tomb, he sat down; then he undid his dirty garments.
And then, calling aloud, he bade his daughters bring from somewhere running water for washing and for libations.
§1600τὼ δʼ εὐχλόου Δήμητρος εἰς προσόψιον §1601πάγον μολοῦσαι τάσδʼ ἐπιστολὰς πατρὶ §1602ταχεῖ ʼπόρευσαν σῦν χρόνῳ, λουτροῖς τέ νιν §1603ἐσθῆτί τʼ ἐξήσκησαν ᾗ νομίζεται.
And the two, going to the hill of green Demeter in full view, quickly brought these commands to their father in a short time, and with washings and garments they arrayed him as is customary.
§1604ἐπεὶ δὲ παντὸς εἶχε δρῶντος ἡδονὴν §1605κοὐκ ἦν ἔτʼ οὐδὲν ἀργὸν ὧν ἐφίετο, §1606κτύπησε μὲν Ζεὺς χθόνιος αἱ δὲ παρθένοι §1607ῥίγησαν, ὡς ἤκουσαν· ἐς δὲ γούνατα §1608πατρὸς πεσοῦσαι ʼκλαιον οὐδʼ ἀνίεσαν §1609στέρνων ἀραγμοὺς οὐδὲ παμμήκεις γόους.
And when he had satisfaction of everything being done, and there was no longer any neglect of those things he desired, Zeus of the underworld thundered, and the maidens shuddered as they heard it; and falling at their father's knees they wept, nor did they cease from beatings of breasts nor very long wails.
And he, when he suddenly heard their bitter voice, folding his arms over them, said: "O children, you no longer have a father on this day.
§1612οὐκ ἔστʼ ἔθʼ ὑμῖν τῇδʼ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ πατήρ. §1613ὄλωλε γὰρ δὴ πάντα τἀμά, κοὐκέτι §1614τὴν δυσπόνητον ἕξετʼ ἀμφʼ ἐμοὶ τροφήν·
For all that is mine has perished, and no longer will you have the difficult task of nurturing me.
Hard indeed, I know, my children; but one single word dissolves all these hardships.
§1617τὸ γὰρ φιλεῖν οὐκ ἔστιν ἐξ ὅτου πλέον §1618ἢ τοῦδε τἀνδρὸς ἔσχεθʼ, οὗ τητώμεναι §1619τὸ λοιπὸν ἤδη τὸν βίον διάζετον. §1620τοιαῦτʼ ἐπʼ ἀλλήλοισιν ἀμφικείμενοι §1621λύγδην ἔκλαιον πάντες.
For to love there is none from whom you had more than from this man, deprived of whom you shall now spend the rest of your life." Embracing one another in this way, they all wept with sobbing.
ὡς δὲ πρὸς τέλος §1622γόων ἀφίκοντʼ οὐδʼ ἔτʼ ὠρώρει βοή, §1623ἦν μὲν σιωπή· φθέγμα δʼ ἐξαίφνης τινὸς §1624θώϋξεν αὐτόν, ὥστε πάντας ὀρθίας §1625στῆσαι φόβῳ δείσαντας ἐξαίφνης τρίχας, §1626καλεῖ γὰρ αὐτὸν πολλὰ πολλαχῇ θεός· §1627ὦ οὗτος οὗτος, Οἰδίπους, τί μέλλομεν
But when they came to an end of their wails, and no longer did any cry arise, there was silence; but suddenly the voice of someone called aloud to him, so that all, terrified with fear, suddenly had their hair stand on end, for a god called him many times in many ways: "O you, you, Oedipus, why do we delay to go?
§1628χωρεῖν; πάλαι δὴ τἀπὸ σοῦ βραδύνεται. §1629ὁ δʼ ὡς ἐπῄσθετʼ ἐκ θεοῦ καλούμενος, §1630αὐδᾷ μολεῖν οἱ γῆς ἄνακτα Θησέα.
Long since what is on your part has been slow." And he, when he perceived that he was being called by the god, cried out for Theseus, the lord of the land, to come to him.
§1631κἀπεὶ προσῆλθεν, εἶπεν· ὦ φίλον κάρα, §1632δός μοι χερὸς σῆς πίστιν ὁρκίαν τέκνοις, §1633ὑμεῖς τε, παῖδες, τῷδε· καὶ καταίνεσον §1634μήποτε προδώσειν τάσδʼ ἑκών, τελεῖν δʼ ὅσʼ ἂν §1635μέλλῃς φρονῶν εὖ ξυμφέροντʼ αὐτοῖς ἀεί. §1636ὁ δʼ, ὡς ἀνὴρ γενναῖος, οὐκ οἴκτου μέτα §1637κατῄνεσεν τάδʼ ὅρκιος δράσειν ξένῳ.
And when he approached, he said: "O dear friend, give me the sworn pledge of your hand for my children, and you, children, to him; and promise that you will never willingly betray these maidens, but will perform whatever you intend to do, in goodwill, to their advantage." And he, like a noble man, without lamentation, swore to do these things for the stranger.
§1638ὅπως δὲ ταῦτʼ ἔδρασεν, εὐθὺς Οἰδίπους §1639ψαύσας ἀμαυραῖς χερσὶν ὧν παίδων λέγει· §1640ὦ παῖδε, τλάσας χρὴ τὸ γενναῖον φρενὶ §1641χωρεῖν τόπων ἐκ τῶνδε, μηδʼ ἃ μὴ θέμις §1642λεύσσειν δικαιοῦν μηδὲ φωνούντων κλύειν, §1643ἀλλʼ ἕρπεθʼ ὡς τάχιστα· πλὴν ὁ κύριος §1644Θησεὺς παρέστω μανθάνων τὰ δρώμενα. §1645τοσαῦτα φωνήσαντος εἰσηκούσαμεν §1646ξύμπαντες· ἀστακτὶ δὲ σὺν ταῖς παρθένοις §1647στένοντες ὡμαρτοῦμεν.
And when he had done this, immediately Oedipus, touching his children with his sightless hands, said: "O children, you must be noble in spirit and depart from these places, and not think it right to look upon what is not lawful, nor to hear those who speak, but go as quickly as possible; only let Theseus, who has authority, remain to learn what is being done." When he had spoken so much, we heard him, all of us; and weeping copiously with the maidens, groaning, we followed.
ὡς δʼ ἀπήλθομεν, §1648χρόνῳ βραχεῖ στραφέντες ἐξαπείδομεν §1649τὸν ἄνδρα τὸν μὲν οὐδαμοῦ παρόντʼ ἔτι, §1650ἄνακτα δʼ αὐτὸν ὀμμάτων ἐπίσκιον §1651χεῖρʼ ἀντέχοντα κρατός, ὡς δεινοῦ τινος §1652φόβου φανέντος οὐδʼ ἀνασχετοῦ βλέπειν.
But when we departed, turning back after a short time, we looked from afar and saw the man indeed no longer present anywhere, but the king himself holding his hand as a shade over his eyes, as if some terrible fear had appeared, unbearable to look upon.
§1653ἔπειτα μέντοι βαιὸν οὐδὲ σὺν χρόνῳ §1654ὁρῶμεν αὐτὸν γῆν τε προσκυνοῦνθʼ ἅμα §1655καὶ τὸν θεῶν Ὄλυμπον ἐν ταὐτῷ λόγῳ.
Then indeed, after a short time, we saw him worshipping the earth and the Olympus of the gods in the same prayer.
But by what kind of death that man perished, no one of mortals could tell, except Theseus alone.
§1658οὐ γάρ τις αὐτὸν οὔτε πυρφόρος θεοῦ §1659κεραυνὸς ἐξέπραξεν οὔτε ποντία §1660θύελλα κινηθεῖσα τῷ τότʼ ἐν χρόνῳ, §1661ἀλλʼ ἤ τις ἐκ θεῶν πομπὸς ἢ τὸ νερτέρων §1662εὔνουν διαστὰν γῆς ἀλύπητον βάθρον.
For neither did any fiery thunderbolt of the god destroy him, nor any sea-tempest arising at that time, but either some escort from the gods, or the subterranean earthly foundation splitting open in goodwill, without pain.
§1663ἁνὴρ γὰρ οὐ στενακτὸς οὐδὲ σὺν νόσοις §1664ἀλγεινὸς ἐξεπέμπετʼ, ἀλλʼ εἴ τις βροτῶν §1665θαυμαστός.
For the man was sent away not lamented, nor painful with diseases, but if any of mortals was wonderful.
εἰ δὲ μὴ δοκῶ φρονῶν λέγειν, §1666οὐκ ἂν παρείμην οἷσι μὴ δοκῶ φρονεῖν.
And if I do not seem to speak with good sense, I would not court those to whom I do not seem to be wise.
§1667ποῦ δʼ αἵ τε παῖδες χοἰ προπέμψαντες φίλων;
And where are the girls and the friends who escorted them?
They are not far off; for the not-unclear sounds of wailing show them hastening hither.