And do not, while claiming to honor the gods, then make those gods of no account at all.
ἡγεῖσθε δὲ §279βλέπειν μὲν αὐτοὺς πρὸς τὸν εὐσεβῆ βροτῶν, §280βλέπειν δὲ πρὸς τοὺς δυσσεβεῖς, φυγὴν δέ του §281μήπω γενέσθαι φωτὸς ἀνοσίου βροτῶν.
But believe that they look upon the pious among mortals, and look upon the impious, and that for any unholy mortal there has never yet been an escape.
§282ξὺν οἷς σὺ μὴ κάλυπτε τὰς εὐδαίμονας §283ἔργοις Ἀθήνας ἀνοσίοις ὑπηρετῶν, §284ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ ἔλαβες τὸν ἱκέτην ἐχέγγυον, §285ῥύου με κἀκφύλασσε· μηδέ μου κάρα §286τὸ δυσπρόσοπτον εἰσορῶν ἀτιμάσῃς,
With their help, do not obscure prosperous Athens by ministering to unholy deeds, but just as you received the suppliant under pledge, rescue me and guard me; and do not dishonor me by looking upon my unsightly face.
For I have come holy and pious and bringing benefit to these citizens.
ὅταν δʼ ὁ κύριος §289παρῇ τις, ὑμῶν ὅστις ἐστὶν ἡγεμών, §290τότʼ εἰσακούων πάντʼ ἐπιστήσει· τὰ δὲ §291μεταξὺ τούτου μηδαμῶς γίγνου κακός.
But when the master arrives, whoever is your leader, then by listening you will know everything; but in the meantime, by no means be base.
§292ταρβεῖν μέν, ὦ γεραιέ, τἀνθυμήματα §293πολλή ʼστʼ ἀνάγκη τἀπὸ σοῦ· λόγοισι γὰρ §294οὐκ ὠνόμασται βραχέσι·
There is great necessity, old man, to fear the thoughts from you; for they have not been expressed in brief words.
τοὺς δὲ τῆσδε γῆς §295ἄνακτας ἀρκεῖ ταῦτά μοι διειδέναι.
And it is enough for me that the rulers of this land decide these things.
§296καὶ ποῦ ʼσθʼ ὁ κραίνων τῆσδε τῆς χώρας, ξένοι;
And where is the ruler of this land, strangers?
§297πατρῷον ἄστυ γῆς ἔχει·
He holds the ancestral city of the land.
σκοπὸς δέ νιν, §298ὃς κἀμὲ δεῦρʼ ἔπεμψεν, οἴχεται στελῶν.
And the scout who also sent me here has gone to fetch him.
Do you really think he will have any regard or care for the blind man, so that he himself will come near?
§301καὶ κάρθʼ, ὅταν περ τοὔνομʼ αἴσθηται τὸ σόν.
Very much so, as soon as he perceives your name.
§302τίς δʼ ἔσθʼ ὁ κείνῳ τοῦτο τοὔπος ἀγγελῶν;
And who is there to report this word to him?
§303μακρὰ κέλευθος· πολλὰ δʼ ἐμπόρων ἔπη §304φιλεῖ πλανᾶσθαι, τῶν ἐκεῖνος ἀΐων, §305θάρσει, παρέσται.
The way is long; and many rumors of travelers are wont to wander, hearing which, he will come; take heart.
πολὺ γάρ, ὦ γέρον, τὸ σὸν §306ὄνομα διήκει πάντας, ὥστε κεἰ βραδὺς §307εὕδει, κλύων σοῦ δεῦρʼ ἀφίξεται ταχύς.
For, old man, your name has deeply penetrated all, so that even if he is slow and sleeping, hearing of you he will arrive here quickly.
May he come with good fortune both to his own city and to me; for what good man is not a friend to himself?
§310ὦ Ζεῦ, τί λέξω;
O Zeus, what shall I say?
ποῖ φρενῶν ἔλθω, πάτερ;
Whither shall I go in my thoughts, father?
§311τί δʼ ἔστι, τέκνον Ἀντιγόνη;
What is it, child Antigone?
§311aγυναῖχʼ ὁρῶ §312στείχουσαν ἡμῶν ἆσσον, Αἰτναίας ἐπὶ §313πώλου βεβῶσαν· κρατὶ δʼ ἡλιοστεγὴς §314κυνῆ πρόσωπα Θεσσαλίς νιν ἀμπέχει.
I see a woman coming closer to us, mounted on an Etnaean filly; and on her head a sun-shading Thessalian hat covers her face.
§315τί φῶ;
What shall I say?
§316ἆρʼ ἔστιν;
Is it she?
ἆρʼ οὐκ ἔστιν;
Is it not?
ἢ γνώμη πλανᾷ;
Or does my judgment wander?
§317καὶ φημὶ κἀπόφημι κοὐκ ἔχω τί φῶ.
I both say yes and say no, and I do not know what to say.
§318τάλαινα.
Ah, wretched me!
§319οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλη·
It is no other.
φαιδρὰ γοῦν ἀπʼ ὀμμάτων §320σαίνει με προσστείχουσα·
She greets me with bright eyes as she approaches.
σημαίνει δʼ ὅτι §321μόνης τόδʼ ἐστὶ δῆλον Ἰσμήνης κάρα.
It shows clearly that this is the head of none other than Ismene.
§322πῶς εἶπας, ὦ παῖ;
What did you say, child?
That I see your child, and my sister; and you can learn it immediately by her voice.
§324ὦ δισσὰ πατρὸς καὶ κασιγνήτης ἐμοὶ §325ἥδιστα προσφωνήμαθʼ, ὡς ὑμᾶς μόλις §326εὑροῦσα λύπῃ δεύτερον μόλις βλέπω.
O double address of father and sister, sweetest to me, how having found you with difficulty, now with difficulty through my grief I look upon you again.
§327ὦ τέκνον, ἥκεις;
O child, have you come?
§327aὦ πάτερ δύσμοιρʼ ὁρᾶν.
O father, wretched to look upon.
§328τέκνον, πέφηνας;
Child, have you appeared?
§328aοὐκ ἄνευ μόχθου γέ μοι.
Not without toil for me, at least.
§329πρόσψαυσον, ὦ παῖ.
Touch me, child.
§329aθιγγάνω δυοῖν ὁμοῦ.
I touch both of you together.
§330ὦ σπέρμʼ ὅμαιμον.
O kindred seed.
§330aὦ δυσάθλιαι τροφαί.
O wretched nurturing.
§331ἦ τῆσδε κἀμοῦ;
Of her and me?
§331aδυσμόρου τʼ ἐμοῦ τρίτης.
And of me, the wretched third.
§332τέκνον, τί δʼ ἦλθες;
Child, why have you come?
§332aσῇ, πάτερ, προμηθίᾳ.
Out of care for you, father.
§333πότερα πόθοισι;
Is it from longing?
Yes, and to be a messenger of words myself, with the only faithful servant I had.
§335οἱ δʼ αὐθόμαιμοι ποῦ νεανίαι πονεῖν;
And where are the young men, your brothers, to labor?
§336εἴσʼ οὗπέρ εἰσι· δεινὰ τἀν κείνοις τανῦν.
They are where they are; things are terrible among them now.
Oh, those two have made their nature and way of life completely like the laws in Egypt!
§339ἐκεῖ γὰρ οἱ μὲν ἄρσενες κατὰ στέγας §340θακοῦσιν ἱστουργοῦντες, αἱ δὲ σύννομοι §341τἄξω βίου τροφεῖα πορσύνουσʼ ἀεί.
For there, the men sit indoors weaving, while their partners always provide the sustenance of life outside.
§342σφῷν δʼ, ὦ τέκνʼ, οὓς μὲν εἰκὸς ἦν πονεῖν τάδε, §343κατʼ οἶκον οἰκουροῦσιν ὥστε παρθένοι, §344σφὼ δʼ ἀντʼ ἐκείνων τἀμὰ δυστήνου κακὰ §345ὑπερπονεῖτον.
But in your case, my children, those who should have labored in this way stay at home like maidens, while you two, instead of them, labor to the utmost over the evils of my wretched self.
ἡ μὲν ἐξ ὅτου νέας §346τροφῆς ἔληξε καὶ κατίσχυσεν δέμας, §347ἀεὶ μεθʼ ἡμῶν δύσμορος πλανωμένη §348γερονταγωγεῖ, πολλὰ μὲν κατʼ ἀγρίαν §349ὕλην ἄσιτος νηλίπους τʼ ἀλωμένη, §350πολλοῖσι δʼ ὄμβροις ἡλίου τε καύμασιν §351μοχθοῦσα τλήμων δεύτερʼ ἡγεῖται τὰ τῆς §352οἴκοι διαίτης, εἰ πατὴρ τροφὴν ἔχοι.
The one, ever since she ceased from young nurture and her body grew strong, wandering always with me, wretched, guides the old man, often straying through the wild forest, without food and barefoot, suffering from many rains and the heat of the sun, patient one, she considers secondary the things of home life, if only her father has nurture.
§353σὺ δʼ, ὦ τέκνον, πρόσθεν μὲν ἐξίκου πατρὶ §354μαντεῖʼ ἄγουσα πάντα, Καδμείων λάθρᾳ, §355ἃ τοῦδʼ ἐχρήσθη σώματος, φύλαξ τέ μου §356πιστὴ κατέστης, γῆς ὅτʼ ἐξηλαυνόμην·
And you, child, previously came to your father bringing all the oracles, in secret from the Cadmeans, which had been declared concerning this body of mine, and you became a faithful guardian for me, when I was being driven out of the land.