§917πιστός, τινάσσων τ᾽ ἐν χεροῖν πύρπνουν βέλος.
and shaking in his hands the fire-breathing bolt, trusting in it.
§918οὐδὲν γὰρ αὐτῷ ταῦτ᾽ ἐπαρκέσει τὸ μὴ οὐ §919πεσεῖν ἀτίμως πτώματ᾽ οὐκ ἀνασχετά: §920τοῖον παλαιστὴν νῦν παρασκευάζεται §921ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸς αὑτῷ, δυσμαχώτατον τέρας: §922ὃς δὴ κεραυνοῦ κρείσσον᾽ εὑρήσει φλόγα, §923βροντῆς θ᾽ ὑπερβάλλοντα καρτερὸν κτύπον: §924θαλασσίαν τε γῆς τινάκτειραν †νόσον §925τρίαιναν, αἰχμὴν τὴν Ποσειδῶνος, σκεδᾷ.
For these things will assist him not at all so as not to fall dishonorably in an unbearable fall; Such a wrestler he is now preparing against himself, a most difficult monster to fight; who indeed will find a flame stronger than lightning, and a powerful crash surpassing thunder; and he will shatter the trident, that marine pest, the shaker of the earth, Poseidon's spear.
And having stumbled against this evil, he will learn how far apart ruling and being a slave are.
§928σύ θην ἃ χρῄζεις, ταῦτ᾽ ἐπιγλωσσᾷ Διός.
Chorus: Surely you are uttering against Zeus the things you wish for.
§929ἅπερ τελεῖται, πρὸς δ᾽ ἃ βούλομαι λέγω.
Prometheus: I say both what will be accomplished, and in addition what I wish.
§930καὶ προσδοκᾶν χρὴ δεσπόσειν Ζηνός τινα;
Chorus: And must we expect that someone will master Zeus?
§931καὶ τῶνδέ γ᾽ ἕξει δυσλοφωτέρους πόνους.
Prometheus: Yes, and he will have labors even harder to bear than these.
§932πῶς δ᾽ οὐχὶ ταρβεῖς τοιάδ᾽ ἐκρίπτων ἔπη;
Chorus: And how are you not afraid, throwing out such words?
§933τί δ᾽ ἂν φοβοίμην ᾧ θανεῖν οὐ μόρσιμον;
Prometheus: And why should I fear, for whom it is not fated to die?
§934ἀλλ᾽ ἆθλον ἄν σοι τοῦδ᾽ ἔτ᾽ ἀλγίω πόροι.
Chorus: But he might provide for you an ordeal even more painful than this.
§935ὁ δ᾽ οὖν ποιείτω: πάντα προσδοκητά μοι.
Prometheus: Then let him do it; all is expected by me.
§936οἱ προσκυνοῦντες τὴν Ἀδράστειαν σοφοί.
Chorus: Those who pay homage to Adrasteia are wise.
Prometheus: Revere, pray, flatter him who rules at any time; but to me, Zeus is of less concern than nothing.
Let him act, let him rule for this short time as he pleases; for he will not rule the gods for long.
§941ἀλλ᾽ εἰσορῶ γὰρ τόνδε τὸν Διὸς τρόχιν, §942τὸν τοῦ τυράννου τοῦ νέου διάκονον: §943πάντως τι καινὸν ἀγγελῶν ἐλήλυθεν.
But indeed I see this runner of Zeus, the servant of the new tyrant; he has certainly come to announce something new.
§944σὲ τὸν σοφιστήν, τὸν πικρῶς ὑπέρπικρον, §945τὸν ἐξαμαρτόντ᾽ εἰς θεοὺς ἐφημέροις §946πορόντα τιμάς, τὸν πυρὸς κλέπτην λέγω: §947πατὴρ ἄνωγέ σ᾽ οὕστινας κομπεῖς γάμους §948αὐδᾶν, πρὸς ὧν ἐκεῖνος ἐκπίπτει κράτους: §949καὶ ταῦτα μέντοι μηδὲν αἰνικτηρίως, §950ἀλλ᾽ αὔθ᾽ ἕκαστ᾽ ἔκφραζε: μηδέ μοι διπλᾶς §951ὁδούς, Προμηθεῦ, προσβάλῃς: ὁρᾷς δ᾽ ὅτι §952Ζεὺς τοῖς τοιούτοις οὐχὶ μαλθακίζεται.
Hermes: You, the sophist, the bitterly over-bitter, who sinned against the gods by granting privileges to creatures of a day, the thief of fire, I address: The Father commands you to declare what marriages you boast of, by which he is to fall from power; and this indeed in no riddles, but explain each thing clearly; and do not, Prometheus, impose double journeys on me; for you see that Zeus is not softened by such things.
Prometheus: Solemn-mouthed indeed and full of pride is your speech, as fits a servant of the gods.
You, young, hold power newly, and indeed you think you dwell in castles free from grief.
§957δισσοὺς τυράννους ἐκπεσόντας ᾐσθόμην;
Have I not seen two tyrants cast out from these heights?
And I shall behold the third, who now rules, fall most shamefully and most swiftly.
μή τί σοι δοκῶ §960ταρβεῖν ὑποπτήσσειν τε τοὺς νέους θεούς;
Do I seem to you to fear and cower before the new gods?
§961πολλοῦ γε καὶ τοῦ παντὸς ἐλλείπω.
I fall far short of it, indeed completely.
But you, hasten back along the path you came; for you will learn nothing of the things you ask me.
Hermes: Yet indeed by such stubbornness before too, you moored yourself in these calamities.
Prometheus: My misfortune, know clearly, I would not exchange for your servitude.
For I think it is better to serve this rock than to be born a faithful messenger to Father Zeus.
§970οὕτως ὑβρίζειν τοὺς ὑβρίζοντας χρεών.
Thus it is right to insult those who insult.
§971χλιδᾶν ἔοικας τοῖς παροῦσι πράγμασι.
Hermes: You seem to luxury in your present circumstances.
§972χλιδῶ;
Prometheus: I revel?
χλιδῶντας ὧδε τοὺς ἐμοὺς ἐγὼ
May I see my enemies thus reveling!
§973ἐχθροὺς ἴδοιμι: καὶ σὲ δ᾽ ἐν τούτοις λέγω.
And I count you among them.
§974ἦ κἀμὲ γάρ τι συμφοραῖς ἐπαιτιᾷ;
Hermes: What, do you blame me too for your misfortunes?
Prometheus: In a single word, I hate all the gods, who, having received benefits, treat me badly unjustly.
§977κλύω σ᾽ ἐγὼ μεμηνότ᾽ οὐ σμικρὰν νόσον.
Hermes: I hear that you are mad with no small sickness.
§978νοσοῖμ᾽ ἄν, εἰ νόσημα τοὺς ἐχθροὺς στυγεῖν.
Prometheus: I might be sick, if it is a sickness to hate enemies.
§979εἴης φορητὸς οὐκ ἄν, εἰ πράσσοις καλῶς.
Hermes: You would be unbearable if you were faring well.
§980τόδε Ζεὺς τοὔπος οὐκ ἐπίσταται.
Zeus does not know that word.
§981ἀλλ᾽ ἐκδιδάσκει πάνθ᾽ ὁ γηράσκων χρόνος.
Prometheus: But aging time teaches everything.
§982καὶ μὴν σύ γ᾽ οὔπω σωφρονεῖν ἐπίστασαι.
Hermes: And yet you do not yet know how to be wise.
§983σὲ γὰρ προσηύδων οὐκ ἂν ὄνθ᾽ ὑπηρέτην.
Prometheus: For otherwise I would not have addressed you, who are a servant.
§984ἐρεῖν ἔοικας οὐδὲν ὧν χρῄζει πατήρ.
Hermes: You seem likely to say nothing of the things the Father wishes.
§985καὶ μὴν ὀφείλων γ᾽ ἂν τίνοιμ᾽ αὐτῷ χάριν.
Prometheus: And indeed, since I owe him, I ought to pay him back a favor.
§986ἐκερτόμησας δῆθεν ὥστε παῖδά με.
Hermes: You mocked me, forsooth, as if I were a child.
Prometheus: Are you not indeed a child and even more foolish than that, if you expect to learn anything from me?
§989οὐκ ἔστιν αἴκισμ᾽ οὐδὲ μηχάνημ᾽ ὅτῳ §990προτρέψεταί με Ζεὺς γεγωνῆσαι τάδε, §991πρὶν ἂν χαλασθῇ δεσμὰ λυμαντήρια.
There is no torture nor engine by which Zeus will induce me to utter these things, until these ruinous bonds are loosened.
§992πρὸς ταῦτα ῥιπτέσθω μὲν αἰθαλοῦσσα φλόξ, §993λευκοπτέρῳ δὲ νιφάδι καὶ βροντήμασι §994χθονίοις κυκάτω πάντα καὶ ταρασσέτω: §995γνάμψει γὰρ οὐδὲν τῶνδέ μ᾽ ὥστε καὶ φράσαι §996πρὸς οὗ χρεών νιν ἐκπεσεῖν τυραννίδος.
Therefore let the glowing flame be hurled, and with white-winged snow and earth-born thunders let him confound and disturb everything; for none of these things will bend me so as to declare by whom it is fated that he fall from power.
§997ὅρα νυν εἴ σοι ταῦτ᾽ ἀρωγὰ φαίνεται.
Hermes: See now if these things seem helpful to you.