§195εἴθ᾽ εἶχε φωνὴν εὔφρον᾽ ἀγγέλου δίκην, §196ὅπως δίφροντις οὖσα μὴ ᾽κινυσσόμην, §197ἀλλ᾽ εὖ ᾽σαφήνει τόνδ᾽ ἀποπτύσαι πλόκον, §198εἴπερ γ᾽ ἀπ᾽ ἐχθροῦ κρατὸς ἦν τετμημένος, §199ἢ ξυγγενὴς ὢν εἶχε συμπενθεῖν ἐμοὶ §200ἄγαλμα τύμβου τοῦδε καὶ τιμὴν πατρός.
Would that it had a friendly voice, like a messenger, so that I might not be tossed about with double thoughts, but that it clearly warned me either to spit out this lock of hair, if indeed it was shorn from an enemy's head, or, if it was of kin, that it might be able to share my grief with me as an adornment of this tomb and an honor to my father.
§201ἀλλ᾽ εἰδότας μὲν τοὺς θεοὺς καλούμεθα, §202οἵοισιν ἐν χειμῶσι ναυτίλων δίκην §203στροβούμεθ᾽: εἰ δὲ χρὴ τυχεῖν σωτηρίας, §204σμικροῦ γένοιτ᾽ ἂν σπέρματος μέγας πυθμήν.
But we call upon the gods, who know in what tempests, like sailors, we are tossed; yet if we are destined to find safety, from a tiny seed a great trunk might grow.
§205καὶ μὴν στίβοι γε, δεύτερον τεκμήριον, §206ποδῶν ὅμοιοι τοῖς τ᾽ ἐμοῖσιν ἐμφερεῖσ— §207καὶ γὰρ δύ᾽ ἐστὸν τώδε περιγραφὰ ποδοῖν, §208αὐτοῦ τ᾽ ἐκείνου καὶ συνεμπόρου τινόσ— §209πτέρναι τενόντων θ᾽ ὑπογραφαὶ μετρούμεναι §210εἰς ταὐτὸ συμβαίνουσι τοῖς ἐμοῖς στίβοις.
And indeed, here are footprints, a second token, of feet similar and resembling my own— for indeed here are two outlines of feet, both of himself and of some fellow traveler— the heels and the outlines of the tendons, when measured, coincide with my own steps.
§211πάρεστι δ᾽ ὠδὶς καὶ φρενῶν καταφθορά.
And here is anguish and a distraction of mind.
Orestes: Pray for the rest, announcing to the gods prayers that bring fulfillment, that things may turn out well.
§214ἐπεὶ τί νῦν ἕκατι δαιμόνων κυρῶ;
Electra: For what do I now obtain by the favor of the gods?
§215εἰς ὄψιν ἥκεις ὧνπερ ἐξηύχου πάλαι.
Orestes: You have come to the sight of those you have long prayed for.
§216καὶ τίνα σύνοισθά μοι καλουμένῃ βροτῶν;
Electra: And whom of mortals do you know me to have been calling upon?
§217σύνοιδ᾽ Ὀρέστην πολλά σ᾽ ἐκπαγλουμένην.
Orestes: I know that you have been greatly yearning for Orestes.
§218καὶ πρὸς τί δῆτα τυγχάνω κατευγμάτων;
Electra: And in what, then, do I obtain my prayers?
§219ὅδ᾽ εἰμί: μὴ μάτευ᾽ ἐμοῦ μᾶλλον φίλον.
Orestes: I am he; do not seek anyone more dear than me.
§220ἀλλ᾽ ἦ δόλον τιν᾽, ὦ ξέν᾽, ἀμφί μοι πλέκεις;
Electra: But are you not weaving some deceit about me, stranger?
§221αὐτὸς καθ᾽ αὑτοῦ τἄρα μηχανορραφῶ.
Orestes: Then indeed I am plotting schemes against myself.
§222ἀλλ᾽ ἐν κακοῖσι τοῖς ἐμοῖς γελᾶν θέλεις.
Electra: But you wish to laugh at my miseries.
§223κἀν τοῖς ἐμοῖς ἄρ᾽, εἴπερ ἔν γε τοῖσι σοῖς.
Orestes: At my own too, then, if indeed at yours.
§224ὡς ὄντ᾽ Ὀρέστην τἄρ᾽ ἐγὼ προσεννέπω;
Electra: Am I then addressing you as indeed Orestes?
§225αὐτὸν μὲν οὖν ὁρῶσα δυσμαθεῖς ἐμέ: §226κουρὰν δ᾽ ἰδοῦσα τήνδε κηδείου τριχὸς §228ἰχνοσκοποῦσά τ᾽ ἐν στίβοισι τοῖς ἐμοῖς §227ἀνεπτερώθης κἀδόκεις ὁρᾶν ἐμέ.
Orestes: You see me myself, yet you are slow to recognize me; but when you saw this shorn lock of mourning hair, and when you were tracing my steps in my footprints, you were excited and thought you saw me.
Look, put this lock of hair to the place where it was shorn, your own brother's, matching your own head.
And see this weaving, the work of your own hand, and the strokes of the batten, and the design of beasts.
Be calm, and do not let your mind be startled with joy; for I know that our dearest ones are bitter enemies to us.
§235ὦ φίλτατον μέλημα δώμασιν πατρός, §236δακρυτὸς ἐλπὶς σπέρματος σωτηρίου, §237ἀλκῇ πεποιθὼς δῶμ᾽ ἀνακτήσῃ πατρός.
Electra: O dearest care of your father's house, wept-for hope of a saving seed, trusting in your strength, you shall win back your father's house.
§238ὦ τερπνὸν ὄμμα τέσσαρας μοίρας ἔχον §239ἐμοί: προσαυδᾶν δ᾽ ἐστ᾽ ἀναγκαίως ἔχον §240πατέρα τε, καὶ τὸ μητρὸς ἐς σέ μοι ῥέπει §241στέργηθρον: ἡ δὲ πανδίκως ἐχθαίρεται: §242καὶ τῆς τυθείσης νηλεῶς ὁμοσπόρου: §243πιστὸς δ᾽ ἀδελφὸς ἦσθ᾽, ἐμοὶ σέβας φέρων
O delightful face that holds four shares for me; for I must needs address you as father, and the love due to my mother turns to you (for she is most justly hated), and that of my sister pitilessly sacrificed, and you were my faithful brother, bringing me reverence.
May only Strength and Justice, with the third, greatest of all, Zeus, stand by you.
§246Ζεῦ Ζεῦ, θεωρὸς τῶνδε πραγμάτων γενοῦ: §247ἰδοῦ δὲ γένναν εὖνιν αἰετοῦ πατρός, §248θανόντος ἐν πλεκταῖσι καὶ σπειράμασιν §249δεινῆς ἐχίδνης.
Orestes: Zeus, Zeus, be a spectator of these deeds; behold the orphaned brood of an eagle father, who died in the woven coils and spirals of a terrible viper.
τοὺς δ᾽ ἀπωρφανισμένους §250νῆστις πιέζει λιμός: οὐ γὰρ ἐντελεῖς §251θήραν πατρῴαν προσφέρειν σκηνήμασιν.
And those left orphans are pressed by starving hunger; for they are not full-grown to bring their father's prey to the nest.
§252οὕτω δὲ κἀμὲ τήνδε τ᾽, Ἠλέκτραν λέγω, §253ἰδεῖν πάρεστί σοι, πατροστερῆ γόνον, §254ἄμφω φυγὴν ἔχοντε τὴν αὐτὴν δόμων.
Even so you may see both me and this girl—I mean Electra— a father-bereft offspring, both having the same exile from our home.
§255καὶ τοῦ θυτῆρος καί σε τιμῶντος μέγα §256πατρὸς νεοσσοὺς τούσδ᾽ ἀποφθείρας πόθεν §257ἕξεις ὁμοίας χειρὸς εὔθοινον γέρας;
And if you destroy these nestlings of a father who sacrificed to you and honored you greatly, from what similar hand will you have the gift of rich feasts?
§258οὔτ᾽ αἰετοῦ γένεθλ᾽ ἀποφθείρας, πάλιν §259πέμπειν ἔχοις ἂν σήματ᾽ εὐπιθῆ βροτοῖς: §260οὔτ᾽ ἀρχικός σοι πᾶς ὅδ᾽ αὐανθεὶς πυθμὴν §261βωμοῖς ἀρήξει βουθύτοις ἐν ἤμασιν.
Neither, if you destroy the eagle's brood, would you have signs to send that mortals will trust; nor will this whole royal stem, if withered, assist your altars on days of ox-sacrificing.
Save us, and from a small thing you may raise up a great house, though it now seems utterly fallen.
§264ὦ παῖδες, ὦ σωτῆρες ἑστίας πατρός, §265σιγᾶθ᾽, ὅπως μὴ πεύσεταί τις, ὦ τέκνα, §266γλώσσης χάριν δὲ πάντ᾽ ἀπαγγείλῃ τάδε §267πρὸς τοὺς κρατοῦντας: οὓς ἴδοιμ᾽ ἐγώ ποτε §268θανόντας ἐν κηκῖδι πισσήρει φλογός.
Chorus: O children, O saviors of your father's hearth, keep silence, lest someone hear, O children, and for the sake of gossip report all this to those in power; whom may I some day see dead in the pitchy ooze of flame.
§269οὔτοι προδώσει Λοξίου μεγασθενὴς §270χρησμὸς κελεύων τόνδε κίνδυνον περᾶν, §271κἀξορθιάζων πολλὰ καὶ δυσχειμέρους §272ἄτας ὑφ᾽ ἧπαρ θερμὸν ἐξαυδώμενος, §273εἰ μὴ μέτειμι τοῦ πατρὸς τοὺς αἰτίους: §274τρόπον τὸν αὐτὸν ἀνταποκτεῖναι λέγων, §275ἀποχρημάτοισι ζημίαις ταυρούμενον: §276αὐτὸν δ᾽ ἔφασκε τῇ φίλῃ ψυχῇ τάδε §277τείσειν μ᾽ ἔχοντα πολλὰ δυστερπῆ κακά.
Orestes: Surely the mighty oracle of Loxias will not betray me, which bids me to go through this danger, crying aloud warnings of chilled disasters beneath my warm liver, if I do not pursue my father's murderers; telling me to kill them in return in the same way, driven to fury like a bull by losses of my property; and he declared that I myself should pay for this with my own dear life, having many bitter evils.
§278τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἐκ γῆς δυσφρόνων μηνίματα
For the wraths of the hostile dead arising from the earth...