§595πέπονθα, Θησεῦ, δεινὰ πρὸς κακοῖς κακά.
Oedipus: I have suffered, Theseus, dreadful ills upon ills.
§596ἦ τὴν παλαιὰν ξυμφορὰν γένους ἐρεῖς;
Theseus: Do you speak of the ancient misfortune of your race?
§597οὐ δῆτʼ, ἐπεὶ πᾶς τοῦτό γʼ Ἑλλήνων θροεῖ.
Oedipus: No, indeed, since every Greek talks of that.
§598τί γὰρ τὸ μεῖζον ἢ κατʼ ἄνθρωπον νοσεῖς;
Theseus: For what is the suffering you endure that is greater than what is common to humans?
§599οὕτως ἔχει μοι.
Oedipus: It is thus with me.
γῆς ἐμῆς ἀπηλάθην §600πρὸς τῶν ἐμαυτοῦ σπερμάτων· ἔστιν δέ μοι §601πάλιν κατελθεῖν μήποθʼ, ὡς πατροκτόνῳ.
I was driven from my land Oedipus: by my own offspring; and it is not possible for me Oedipus: ever to return, as a parricide.
§602πῶς δῆτα σʼ ἂν πεμψαίαθʼ, ὥστʼ οἰκεῖν δίχα;
Theseus: How then indeed could they summon you back, so as to dwell apart?
§603τὸ θεῖον αὐτοὺς ἐξαναγκάσει στόμα.
Oedipus: The divine mouth will compel them.
§604ποῖον πάθος δείσαντας ἐκ χρηστηρίων;
Theseus: Fearing what suffering from the oracles?
§605ὅτι σφʼ ἀνάγκη τῇδε πληγῆναι χθονί.
Oedipus: That they must be struck down in this land.
§606καὶ πῶς γένοιτʼ ἂν τἀμὰ κἀκείνων πικρά;
Theseus: And how could my relations and theirs become bitter?
Oedipus: O dearest son of Aegeus, to the gods alone belongs Oedipus: never to grow old or to die.
§609τὰ δʼ ἄλλα συγχεῖ πάνθʼ ὁ παγκρατὴς χρόνος.
Oedipus: All other things are confounded by all-powerful time.
§610φθίνει μὲν ἰσχὺς γῆς, φθίνει δὲ σώματος, §611θνῄσκει δὲ πίστις, βλαστάνει δʼ ἀπιστία, §612καὶ πνεῦμα ταὐτὸν οὔποτʼ οὔτʼ ἐν ἀνδράσιν §613φίλοις βέβηκεν οὔτε πρὸς πόλιν πόλει.
Oedipus: The strength of the earth decays, the strength of the body decays, Oedipus: faith dies, and distrust springs up, Oedipus: and the same spirit never remains steadfast either among friendly men Oedipus: or between city and city.
Oedipus: For to some now, and to others in later time, Oedipus: pleasant things become bitter, and then friendly again.
§616καὶ ταῖσι Θήβαις εἰ τανῦν εὐημερεῖ §617καλῶς τὰ πρὸς σέ, μυρίας ὁ μυρίος §618χρόνος τεκνοῦται νύκτας ἡμέρας τʼ ἰών, §619ἐν αἷς τὰ νῦν ξύμφωνα δεξιώματα §620δόρει διασκεδῶσιν ἐκ σμικροῦ λόγου· §621ἵνʼ οὑμὸς εὕδων καὶ κεκρυμμένος νέκυς §622ψυχρός ποτʼ αὐτῶν θερμὸν αἷμα πίεται, §623εἰ Ζεὺς ἔτι Ζεὺς χὠ Διὸς Φοῖβος σαφής.
Oedipus: And if at Thebes today all is well and fair Oedipus: towards you, the infinite time, Oedipus: as it passes, begets countless nights and days, Oedipus: in which they will scatter with the spear, for some trifling word, Oedipus: their present harmonious pledges; Oedipus: where my sleeping and buried corpse, Oedipus: cold as it is, will one day drink their warm blood, Oedipus: if Zeus is still Zeus, and Phoebus, son of Zeus, is true.
§624ἀλλʼ οὐ γὰρ αὐδᾶν ἡδὺ τἀκίνητʼ ἔπη, §625ἔα μʼ ἐν οἷσιν ἠρξάμην, τὸ σὸν μόνον §626πιστὸν φυλάσσων, κοὔποτʼ Οἰδίπουν ἐρεῖς §627ἀχρεῖον οἰκητῆρα δέξασθαι τόπων §628τῶν ἐνθάδʼ, εἴπερ μὴ θεοὶ ψεύσουσί με.
Oedipus: But, since it is not pleasant to utter unspoken words, Oedipus: leave me where I began, only keeping your own Oedipus: pledge faithful, and you will never say that Oedipus Oedipus: was received as a useless inhabitant of these Oedipus: places here, unless the gods deceive me.
Chorus: King, this man has long shown himself as about to perform Chorus: these and such words for this land.
§631τίς δῆτʼ ἂν ἀνδρὸς εὐμένειαν ἐκβάλοι §632τοιοῦδʼ, ὅτῳ πρῶτον μὲν ἡ δορύξενος §633κοινή παρʼ ἡμῖν αἰέν ἐστιν ἑστία;
Theseus: Who then would cast away the goodwill of such a man, Theseus: for whom, first, the hearth of a war-ally Theseus: common hearth is always open among us?
Theseus: And second, having arrived as a suppliant of the gods, Theseus: he pays no small tribute to this land and to me.
Theseus: Which things I, respecting, will never cast away Theseus: his favor, but will establish him as a citizen in this country.
Theseus: And if it is pleasing to the stranger to remain here, I will appoint you Theseus: to guard him, or if he wishes to go with me...
§640τόδʼ ἡδύ, τούτων, Οἰδίπους, δίδωμί σοι
Theseus: This is pleasing.
§641κρίναντι χρῆσθαι· τῇδε γὰρ ξυνοίσομαι.
Of these, Oedipus, I give you Theseus: choosing, to use; for I will agree with this.
§642ὦ Ζεῦ, διδοίης τοῖσι τοιούτοισιν εὖ.
Oedipus: O Zeus, may you grant well to such as these!
§643τί δῆτα χρῄζεις;
Theseus: What then do you desire?
ἦ δόμους στείχειν ἐμούς;
To go to my house?
§644εἴ μοι θέμις γʼ ἦν· ἀλλʼ ὁ χῶρός ἐσθʼ ὅδε,
Oedipus: If only it were lawful for me!
§645ἐν ᾧ τί πράξεις;
But this is the place, Theseus: in which what will you do?
οὐ γὰρ ἀντιστήσομαι.
For I will not oppose you.
§646ἐν ᾧ κρατήσω τῶν ἔμʼ ἐκβεβληκότων.
Oedipus: in which I will master those who cast me out.
§647μέγʼ ἂν λέγοις δώρημα τῆς συνουσίας.
Theseus: You would speak of a great gift of your presence.
§648εἰ σοί γʼ ἅπερ φῂς ἐμμενεῖ τελοῦντί μοι.
Oedipus: If indeed, for me, what you say remains firm as you fulfill it.
§649θάρσει τὸ τοῦδέ γʼ ἀνδρός· οὔ σε μὴ προδῶ.
Theseus: Be of good courage, as far as this man is concerned; I will never betray you.
§650οὔτοι σʼ ὑφʼ ὅρκου γʼ ὡς κακὸν πιστώσομαι.
Oedipus: I will not bind you by oath like a base man.
§651οὔκουν πέρα γʼ ἂν οὐδὲν ἢ λόγῳ φέροις.
Theseus: Well, you would win nothing more than by my word.
§652πῶς οὖν ποήσεις;
Oedipus: How then will you act?
§652aτοῦ μάλιστʼ ὄκνος σʼ ἔχει;
Theseus: What fear possesses you most?
§653ἥξουσιν ἄνδρες
Oedipus: Men will come...
§653aἀλλὰ τοῖσδʼ ἔσται μέλον.
Theseus: But these here will attend to it.
§654ὅρα με λείπων
Oedipus: Watch, if you leave me...
§654aμὴ δίδασχʼ ἃ χρή με δρᾶν.
Theseus: Do not teach me what I must do.
§655ὀκνοῦντʼ ἀνάγκη.
Oedipus: One who fears must do so.
§655aτοὐμὸν οὐκ ὀκνεῖ κέαρ.
Theseus: My heart does not fear.
§656οὐκ οἶσθʼ ἀπειλὰς
Oedipus: You do not know the threats...
Theseus: I know that no one Theseus: will carry you away from here by force against my will.
§658πολλαὶ δʼ ἀπειλαὶ πολλὰ δὴ μάτην ἔπη §659θυμῷ κατηπείλησαν, ἀλλʼ ὁ νοῦς ὅταν §660αὑτοῦ γένηται, φροῦδα τἀπειλήματα.
Theseus: Many threats and many empty words Theseus: have threatened in anger; but when the mind Theseus: becomes master of itself, the threats vanish.
§661κείνοις δʼ ἴσως κεἰ δείνʼ ἐπερρώσθη λέγειν §662τῆς σῆς ἀγωγῆς, οἶδʼ ἐγώ, φανήσεται §663μακρὸν τὸ δεῦρο πέλαγος οὐδὲ πλώσιμον.
Theseus: And to them, even if they were encouraged to speak dreadfully Theseus: about carrying you away, I know, there will appear Theseus: a vast and unnavigable sea between here and there.
§664θαρσεῖν μὲν οὖν ἔγωγε κἂν ἐμῆς ἄνευ §665γνώμης ἐπαινῶ, Φοῖβος εἰ προὔπεμψέ σε· §666ὅμως δὲ κἀμοῦ μὴ παρόντος οἶδʼ ὅτι §667τοὐμὸν φυλάξει σʼ ὄνομα μὴ πάσχειν κακῶς.
Theseus: Therefore, I indeed bid you to be of good courage, even without my Theseus: judgment, if Phoebus sent you forward; Theseus: but nevertheless, even if I am not present, I know that Theseus: my name will guard you from suffering harm.