But now again, what word have you come bringing, Ismene, to your father?
τίς σʼ ἐξῆρεν οἴκοθεν στόλος;
What journey has sent you forth from home?
For you have not come empty-handed, of this I am well aware, unless indeed you are bringing some fear to me.
§361ἐγὼ τὰ μὲν παθήμαθʼ ἅπαθον, πάτερ, §362ζητοῦσα τὴν σὴν ποῦ κατοικοίης τροφήν, §363παρεῖσʼ ἐάσω· δὶς γὰρ οὐχὶ βούλομαι §364πονοῦσά τʼ ἀλγεῖν καὶ λέγουσʼ αὖθις πάλιν.
Father, the sufferings which I endured, while seeking where you were living and nurtured, I shall pass over and let be; for I do not wish to suffer twice, both in laboring and in telling the story again.
But the evils that now surround your two wretched sons, these I have come to signify to you.
§367πρὶν μὲν γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἦν ἔρως Κρέοντί τε §368θρόνους ἐᾶσθαι μηδὲ χραίνεσθαι πόλιν, §369λόγῳ σκοποῦσι τὴν πάλαι γένους φθοράν, §370οἵα κατέσχε τὸν σὸν ἄθλιον δόμον· §371νῦν δʼ ἐκ θεῶν του κἀλιτηρίου φρενὸς §372εἰσῆλθε τοῖν τρὶς ἀθλίοιν ἔρις κακή, §373ἀρχῆς λαβέσθαι καὶ κράτους τυραννικοῦ.
For previously they and Creon had a desire to leave the throne alone and not to defile the city, considering in their minds the ancient ruin of the race, such as possessed your wretched house; but now, from some god and an evil mind, a wicked strife has entered into the thrice-wretched pair, to seize the rule and the sovereign power.
§374χὠ μὲν νεάζων καὶ χρόνῳ μείων γεγὼς §375τὸν πρόσθε γεννηθέντα Πολυνείκη θρόνων §376ἀποστερίσκει, κἀξελήλακεν πάτρας.
And the younger one, being also less in years, deprives Polynices, who was born before him, of the throne and has driven him out of the fatherland.
§377ὁ δʼ, ὡς καθʼ ἡμᾶς ἔσθʼ ὁ πληθύων λόγος, §378τὸ κοῖλον Ἄργος βὰς φυγὰς προσλαμβάνει §379κῆδός τε καινὸν καὶ ξυνασπιστὰς φίλους §380ὡς αὐτίκʼ Ἄργος ἢ τὸ Καδμείων πέδον §381τιμῇ καθέξον ἢ πρὸς οὐρανὸν βιβῶν.
And he, as the prevailing report among us says, having gone as an exile to the hollow of Argos, takes to himself a new kinship and shield-bearing friends, with the intent that Argos would either straightway hold the Cadmean plain in honor, or raise its own name to heaven.
§382ταῦτʼ οὐκ ἀριθμός ἐστιν, ὦ πάτερ, λόγων, §383ἀλλʼ ἔργα δεινά· τοὺς δὲ σοὺς ὅπου θεοὶ §384πόνους κατοικτιοῦσιν οὐκ ἔχω μαθεῖν.
These, father, are not a mere number of words, but terrible deeds; and where the gods will take pity on your labors, I am unable to learn.
For had you already conceived a hope that the gods would have some regard for you, so that you would eventually be saved?
§387ἔγωγε τοῖς νὺν γʼ, ὦ πάτερ, μαντεύμασιν.
Yes, father, indeed from these present oracles.
§388ποίοισι τούτοις;
What sort of oracles are these?
τί δὲ τεθέσπισται, τέκνον;
What has been prophesied, child?
That you will one day be sought by the men of that land, both when dead and when alive, for the sake of their safety.
§391τίς δʼ ἂν τοιοῦδʼ ὑπʼ ἀνδρὸς εὖ πράξειεν ἄν;
And who could fare well through such a man as me?
§392ἐν σοὶ τὰ κείνων φασὶ γίγνεσθαι κράτη.
They say that their power comes to depend on you.
§393ὅτʼ οὐκέτʼ εἰμί, τηνικαῦτʼ ἄρʼ εἴμʼ ἀνήρ;
When I am no longer existing, am I then indeed a man?
§394νῦν γὰρ θεοί σʼ ὀρθοῦσι, πρόσθε δʼ ὤλλυσαν.
For now the gods raise you up, though previously they destroyed you.
§395γέροντα δʼ ὀρθοῦν φλαῦρον ὃς νέος πέσῃ.
It is a cheap thing to raise an old man who fell when he was young.
And yet, know that Creon will arrive for you because of these things in a short and not in a vast amount of time.
§398ὅπως τί δράσῃ, θύγατερ;
To do what, daughter?
ἑρμήνευέ μοι.
Explain to me.
So that they may place you near the Cadmean land, in order that they may have power over you, but you may not step within the borders of the land.
§401ἡ δʼ ὠφέλησις τίς θύρασι κειμένου;
And what is the benefit of one lying outside the gates?
§402κείνοις ὁ τύμβος δυστυχῶν ὁ σὸς βαρύς.
To them, your tomb is a heavy burden if it fares ill.
§403κἄνευ θεοῦ τις τοῦτό γʼ ἂν γνώμῃ μάθοι.
Even without a god, one could learn this by understanding.
Therefore, because of this, they wish to place you near the land, and not where you would be master of yourself.
§406ἦ καὶ κατασκιῶσι Θηβαίᾳ κόνει;
Will they indeed cover me with Theban dust?
§407ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐᾷ τοὔμφυλον αἷμά σʼ, ὦ πάτερ.
But the kindred blood does not allow you, father.
§408οὐκ ἆρʼ ἐμοῦ γε μὴ κρατήσωσίν ποτε.
Then they shall never, under any circumstances, get me in their power.
§409ἔσται ποτʼ ἆρα τοῦτο Καδμείοις βάρος.
This will indeed one day be a heavy burden to the Cadmeans.
§410ποίας φανείσης, ὦ τέκνον, συναλλαγῆς;
When what sort of circumstance appears, my child?
§411τῆς σῆς ὑπʼ ὀργῆς, σοῖς ὅταν στῶσιν τάφοις.
Through your anger, when they stand at your tomb.
§412ἃ δʼ ἐννέπεις, κλύουσα τοῦ λέγεις, τέκνον;
And from whom did you hear what you say, child?
§413ἀνδρῶν θεωρῶν Δελφικῆς ἀφʼ ἑστίας.
From sacred envoys returning from the Delphic hearth.
§414καὶ ταῦτʼ ἐφʼ ἡμῖν Φοῖβος εἰρηκὼς κυρεῖ;
And has Phoebus really spoken these things concerning me?
§415ὥς φασιν οἱ μολόντες εἰς Θήβης πέδον.
So say those who returned to the plain of Thebes.
§416παίδων τις οὖν ἤκουσε τῶν ἐμῶν τάδε;
Did any of my sons then hear these things?
§417ἄμφω γʼ ὁμοίως, κἀξεπίστασθον καλῶς.
Both of them alike, and they know it well.
And then did those worst of men, having heard these things, prefer the tyranny before their longing for me?
§420ἀλγῶ κλύουσα ταῦτʼ ἐγώ, φέρω δʼ ὅμως.
I grieve to hear this, but nevertheless I bear it.
§421ἀλλʼ οἱ θεοί σφιν μήτε τὴν πεπρωμένην §422ἔριν κατασβέσειαν, ἔν τʼ ἐμοὶ τέλος §423αὐτοῖν γένοιτο τῆσδε τῆς μάχης πέρι, §424ἧς νῦν ἔχονται κἀπαναίρονται δόρυ· §425ὡς οὔτʼ ἂν ὃς νῦν σκῆπτρα καὶ θρόνους ἔχει §426μείνειεν οὔτʼ ἂν οὑξεληλυθὼς πάλιν §427ἔλθοι ποτʼ αὖθις· οἵ γε τὸν φύσαντʼ ἐμὲ §428οὕτως ἀτίμως πατρίδος ἐξωθούμενον §429οὐκ ἔσχον οὐδʼ ἤμυναν, ἀλλʼ ἀνάστατος §430αὐτοῖς ἐπέμφθην κἀξεκηρύχθην φυγάς.
But may the gods not extinguish their fated strife, and may the end of this battle be realized in me for them, which they now hold and raise the spear for; so that neither he who now holds the scepter and throne would remain, nor he who went out would ever return again; they who, when I, their own father, was being cast out of the fatherland so dishonorably, did not hold me back nor defend me, but I was sent away from them ruined and publicly proclaimed an exile.
You might say that the city then reasonably granted this gift to me, since I wished it so.
§433οὐ δῆτʼ, ἐπεί τοι τὴν μὲν αὐτίχʼ ἡμέραν,
By no means! For indeed, on that very day...