§326οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἀμφὶ σώμασιν πεπτωκότες §327ἀνδρῶν κασιγνήτων τε καὶ φυταλμίων §328παῖδες γερόντων οὐκέτ᾽ ἐξ ἐλευθέρου §329δέρης ἀποιμώζουσι φιλτάτων μόρον: §330τοὺς δ᾽ αὖτε νυκτίπλαγκτος ἐκ μάχης πόνος §331νήστεις πρὸς ἀρίστοισιν ὧν ἔχει πόλις §332τάσσει, πρὸς οὐδὲν ἐν μέρει τεκμήριον, §333ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ἕκαστος ἔσπασεν τύχης πάλον.
For some, falling around the bodies of husbands, brothers, and parents, children of old men, no longer from a free neck wail for the death of their dearest ones; while others, again, a night-roaming toil after battle sets down hungry to breakfasts of what the city holds, according to no orderly division in turn, but as each has drawn the lot of fortune.
§334ἐν <δ᾽> αἰχμαλώτοις Τρωικοῖς οἰκήμασιν §335ναίουσιν ἤδη, τῶν ὑπαιθρίων πάγων §336δρόσων τ᾽ ἀπαλλαγέντες, ὡς δ᾽ εὐδαίμονες §337ἀφύλακτον εὑδήσουσι πᾶσαν εὐφρόνην.
And in captured Trojan dwellings they now dwell, from the frost under the open sky and the dew released, and like happy men they will sleep unguarded through the whole night.
§338εἰ δ᾽ εὖ σέβουσι τοὺς πολισσούχους θεοὺς §339τοὺς τῆς ἁλούσης γῆς θεῶν θ᾽ ἱδρύματα, §340οὔ τἂν ἑλόντες αὖθις ἀνθαλοῖεν ἄν.
And if they well revere the gods who hold the city and the shrines of the gods of the captured land, they, having taken it, would not in turn be captured.
But let no desire first fall upon the army to plunder what they should not, overcome by greed.
For they need, for a safe return home, to bend back the other leg of the double race-course.
§345θεοῖς δ᾽ ἀναμπλάκητος εἰ μόλοι στρατός, §346ἐγρηγορὸς τὸ πῆμα τῶν ὀλωλότων §347γένοιτ᾽ ἄν, εἰ πρόσπαια μὴ τύχοι κακά.
And even if the army should return without offense to the gods, the pain of the destroyed might become awake, if no sudden evils should happen.
Such words indeed you hear from me, a woman; but may the good prevail, so that we see it without doubt.
§350πολλῶν γὰρ ἐσθλῶν τήνδ᾽ ὄνησιν εἱλόμην.
For I have chosen this enjoyment of many blessings.
§351γύναι, κατ᾽ ἄνδρα σώφρον᾽ εὐφρόνως λέγεις.
Chorus: Woman, you speak wisely, like a prudent man.
And I, having heard your trustworthy proofs, prepare myself to address the gods.
§354χάρις γὰρ οὐκ ἄτιμος εἴργασται πόνων.
For a favor not without honor has been accomplished for our labors.
§355ὦ Ζεῦ βασιλεῦ καὶ νὺξ φιλία §356μεγάλων κόσμων κτεάτειρα, §357ἥτ᾽ ἐπὶ Τροίας πύργοις ἔβαλες §358στεγανὸν δίκτυον, ὡς μήτε μέγαν §359μήτ᾽ οὖν νεαρῶν τιν᾽ ὑπερτελέσαι §360μέγα δουλείας §361γάγγαμον, ἄτης παναλώτου.
O king Zeus and friendly Night, possessor of great ornaments, who didst cast upon the towers of Troy a close-meshed net, so that neither the great nor any of the young could overleap the great dragnet of slavery, of all-capturing ruin.
§362Δία τοι ξένιον μέγαν αἰδοῦμαι §363τὸν τάδε πράξαντ᾽ ἐπ᾽ Ἀλεξάνδρῳ §364τείνοντα πάλαι τόξον, ὅπως ἂν §365μήτε πρὸ καιροῦ μήθ᾽ ὑπὲρ ἄστρων §366βέλος ἠλίθιον σκήψειεν.
I revere great Zeus, god of hospitality, who accomplished these things against Alexander, stretching his bow of old, so that neither before the proper time nor beyond the stars the foolish arrow might strike.
They have the blow of Zeus to speak of; this at least can be traced out.
§369ἔπραξαν ὡς ἔκρανεν.
They fared as he ordained.
οὐκ ἔφα τις §370θεοὺς βροτῶν ἀξιοῦσθαι μέλειν §371ὅσοις ἀθίκτων χάρις §372πατοῖθ᾽: ὁ δ᾽ οὐκ εὐσεβής.
Someone said that the gods do not deign to care for mortals by whom the grace of untouched things is trampled; but he was not impious.
§373πέφανται δ᾽ ἐκτίνου- §375σα τόλμα τῶν Ἄρη §376πνεόντων μεῖζον ἢ δικαίως, §377φλεόντων δωμάτων ὑπέρφευ §378ὑπὲρ τὸ βέλτιστον.
And it has been shown that ruin is the penalty of those who breathe a spirit of war more than is just, when their houses overflow beyond measure, beyond what is best.
Let it be free from pain, so as to suffice for one who has been well endowed with understanding.
§381οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν ἔπαλξις §382πλούτου πρὸς κόρον ἀνδρὶ §383λακτίσαντι μέγαν Δίκας §384βωμὸν εἰς ἀφάνειαν.
For there is no defense of wealth against surfeit for a man who has kicked the great altar of Justice into obscurity.
And miserable Persuasion forces him, the intolerable child of scheming Ruin.
§387ἄκος δὲ πᾶν μάταιον.
And all cure is vain.
οὐκ ἐκρύφθη, §388πρέπει δέ, φῶς αἰνολαμπές, σίνος: §390κακοῦ δὲ χαλκοῦ τρόπον §391τρίβῳ τε καὶ προσβολαῖς §392μελαμπαγὴς πέλει §393δικαιωθείς, ἐπεὶ §394διώκει παῖς ποτανὸν ὄρνιν, §395πόλει πρόστριμμ᾽ ἄφερτον ἐνθείς.
It is not hidden, but stands out, a dread-shining light, the mischief; and like bad bronze by rubbing and blows he becomes black when tested, since a boy chases a winged bird, bringing upon his city an intolerable stain.
And of his prayers none of the gods hears; but the one who has dealings with these things, the unjust man, they pull down.
§399οἷος καὶ Πάρις ἐλθὼν §400ἐς δόμον τὸν Ἀτρειδᾶν §401ᾔσχυνε ξενίαν τράπε- §402ζαν κλοπαῖσι γυναικός.
Such too was Paris, who came to the house of the Atreidae and shamed the hospitable table by the theft of a wife.
§403λιποῦσα δ᾽ ἀστοῖσιν ἀσπίστοράς §404τε καὶ κλόνους λογχίμους §405ναυβάτας <θ᾽> ὁπλισμούς, §406ἄγουσά τ᾽ ἀντίφερνον Ἰλίῳ φθορὰν §407βέβακεν ῥίμφα διὰ πυλᾶν §408ἄτλητα τλᾶσα: πολλὰ δ᾽ ἔστενον §409τόδ᾽ ἐννέποντες δόμων προφῆται: §410“ἰὼ ἰὼ δῶμα δῶμα καὶ πρόμοι, §411ἰὼ λέχος καὶ στίβοι φιλάνορες.
And leaving to her citizens the din of shields, and the clashes of spears, and the arming of fleets, and bringing as a dowry destruction to Ilium, she went swiftly through the gates, daring what is not to be dared; and many a groan did they utter as they spoke, the prophets of the house: "Alas, alas, for the house, the house, and the leaders, alas, for the bed and the steps of her who loved her husband.
There stands silence, unhonored, unreviling, of those who sit apart in deepest grief.
And in longing for her who is beyond the sea, a phantom will seem to rule the house.
§416εὐμόρφων δὲ κολοσσῶν §417ἔχθεται χάρις ἀνδρί: §418ὀμμάτων δ᾽ ἐν ἀχηνίαις §419ἔρρει πᾶσ᾽ Ἀφροδίτα.
And the grace of beautiful statues is hated by the husband; and in the emptiness of eyes, all love is gone.
and sorrowful visions appearing in dreams are present, bringing a vain joy.
§423μάταν γάρ, εὖτ᾽ ἂν ἐσθλά τις δοκῶν ὁρᾷ, §424παραλλάξασα διὰ χερῶν, §425βέβακεν ὄψις οὐ μεθύστερον §426πτεροῖς ὀπαδοῦσ᾽ ὕπνου κελεύθοις. ” §427τὰ μὲν κατ᾽ οἴκους ἐφ᾽ ἑστίας ἄχη §428τάδ᾽ ἐστὶ καὶ τῶνδ᾽ ὑπερβατώτερα.
For in vain, when one sees what seems good, slipping through his hands, the vision is gone, never afterwards accompanying on wings the paths of sleep." Such are the griefs in the house at the hearth, and others even more overflowing than these.
And for all who set forth together from the land of Hellas, a heart-enduring grief of each house is fitting.