§589πλάθουσι [βλαστοῦσι] καὶ πεδαίχμιοι §590λαμπάδες πεδάοροι, §591πτανά τε καὶ πεδοβά- §592μονα κἀνεμοέντ᾽ ἂν §593αἰγίδων φράσαι κότον.
The meteors that appear in the middle air also draw near, suspended in the sky; and winged things and those that walk the earth could also tell of the windy wrath of tempests.
§594ἀλλ᾽ ὑπέρτολμον ἀν- §595δρὸς φρόνημα τίς λέγοι §596καὶ γυναικῶν φρεσὶν τλαμόνων [καὶ] §597παντόλμους ἔρωτας §598ἄταισι συννόμους βροτῶν;
But who could speak of the overbold spirit of man, and, in the hearts of reckless women, of all-daring passions, partners in the ruin of mortals?
Passion that rules over females, devoid of love, overcomes the wedded fellowship of both beasts and mortals.
§602ἴστω δ᾽ ὅστις οὐχ ὑπόπτερος §603φροντίσιν δαεὶς, §604τὰν ἁ παιδολυ- §605μὰς τάλαινα Θεστιὰς μήσατο §606πυρδαῆτιν πρόνοιαν, §607καταίθουσα παιδὸς δαφοινὸν §608δαλὸν ἥλικ᾽, ἐπεὶ μολὼν §609ματρόθεν κελάδησε, §610ξύμμετρόν τε διαὶ βίου §611μοιρόκραντον ἐς ἆμαρ.
Let anyone who is not flighty in his thoughts know this, having learned the burning plan which the wretched daughter of Thestius, who destroyed her child, devised, consuming the blood-red brand that was of equal age with her child, since he came crying from his mother, and which kept pace with his life to the day destined by fate.
§612ἄλλαν δ᾽ ἔστιν ἐν λόγοις στυγεῖν §613φοινίαν κόραν, §615ἅτ᾽ ἐχθρῶν ὑπαὶ §616φῶτ᾽ ἀπώλεσεν φίλον Κρητικοῖς §617χρυσοκμήτοισιν ὅρμοις §618πιθήσασα δώροισι Μίνω, §619Νῖσον ἀθανάτας τριχὸς §620νοσφίσασ᾽ ἀπροβούλως §621πνέονθ᾽ ἁ κυνόφρων ὕπνῳ.
And there is another murderous girl whom we may hate in stories, who, at the instigation of enemies, destroyed her beloved father, bribed by the Cretan gold-wrought necklaces, the gifts of Minos; she robbed Nisus of his immortal hair thoughtlessly, while he, shameless woman, was breathing in sleep.
§622κιγχάνει δέ μιν Ἑρμῆς.
And Hermes overtook her.
§623ἐπεὶ δ᾽ ἐπεμνασάμην ἀμειλίχων §624πόνων, †ἀκαιρως δὲ δυσφιλὲς γαμή- §625λευμ᾽ ἀπεύχετον δόμοις §626γυναικοβούλους τε μήτιδας φρενῶν §627ἐπ᾽ ἀνδρὶ τευχεσφόρῳ, §628ἐπ᾽ ἀνδρὶ δᾴοις ἐπικότῳ σέβασ† §629τίω δ᾽ ἀθέρμαντον ἑστίαν δόμων §630γυναικείαν <τ᾽> ἄτολμον αἰχμάν.
And since I have mentioned relentless troubles, not unseasonably, but the hateful marriage detestable to the house, and the plot devised by a woman's mind against a warrior husband, against a husband who was a revered object of wrath to his enemies, I honor the unheated hearth of the house, and a woman's unbold spirit.
§631κακῶν δὲ πρεσβεύεται τὸ Λήμνιον §632λόγῳ: γοᾶται δὲ δὴ πάθος κατά- §633πτυστον: ᾔκασεν δέ τις §634τὸ δεινὸν αὖ Λημνίοισι πήμασιν.
Foremost among evils in story is the Lemnian deed; and indeed that abominable suffering is lamented, and one compares the terrible event to Lemnian woes.
And by a god-hated pollution, the race of mortals, dishonored, passes away.
§637σέβει γὰρ οὔτις τὸ δυσφιλὲς θεοῖς.
For no one respects what is hateful to the gods.
§638τί τῶνδ᾽ οὐκ ἐνδίκως ἀγείρω;
Which of these examples do I not gather justly?
But the sword near the lungs pierces sharp and deep by the hand of Justice.
For that which is unlawful is not trodden on the ground underfoot, since the whole majesty of Zeus has been transgressed unlawfully.
† §646Δίκας δ᾽ ἐρείδεται πυθμήν: §647προχαλκεύει δ᾽ Αἶσα φασγανουργός: §648τέκνον δ᾽ ἐπεισφέρει δόμοισιν §650αἱμάτων παλαιτέρων τίνειν μύσος §651χρόνῳ κλυτὰ βυσσόφρων Ἐρινύς.
The anvil of Justice is firmly set; Fate the sword-smith forges it beforehand; and she brings a child into the house to pay for the pollution of ancient blood, in time, the famous, deep-minded Fury.
§652παῖ παῖ, θύρας ἄκουσον ἑρκείας κτύπον.
Orestes: Boy, boy, hear the knocking at the courtyard door!
§653τίς ἔνδον, ὦ παῖ, παῖ, μάλ᾽ αὖθις, ἐν δόμοις;
Who is inside, boy, boy, once again, in the house?
This is the third time I call for someone to come out of the house, if indeed it is hospitable under the rule of Aegisthus.
§657εἶεν, ἀκούω: ποδαπὸς ὁ ξένος;
Servant: Well, I hear. From what country is the stranger?
πόθεν;
Where from?
Orestes: Announce to the masters of the house, to whom I have come and bring new tidings.
§660τάχυνε δ᾽, ὡς καὶ νυκτὸς ἅρμ᾽ ἐπείγεται §661σκοτεινόν, ὥρα δ᾽ ἐμπόρους καθιέναι §662ἄγκυραν ἐν δόμοισι πανδόκοις ξένων.
And make haste, as the dark chariot of night is also hurrying, and it is time for travelers to let down their anchor in houses that welcome all guests.
§663ἐξελθέτω τις δωμάτων τελεσφόρος §664γυνὴ τόπαρχος, ἄνδρα δ᾽ εὐπρεπέστερον: §665αἰδὼς γὰρ ἐν λεχθεῖσιν οὐκ ἐπαργέμους
Let some authoritative person come out of the house, a woman in authority, or rather a man, which is more fitting; for modesty in spoken words does not make speech obscure.
A man speaks with confidence to another man and shows a clear sign.
§668ξένοι, λέγοιτ᾽ ἂν εἴ τι δεῖ: πάρεστι γὰρ §669ὁποῖάπερ δόμοισι τοῖσδ᾽ ἐπεικότα, §670καὶ θερμὰ λουτρὰ καὶ πόνων θελκτήριος §671στρωμνή, δικαίων τ᾽ ὀμμάτων παρουσία.
Clytemnestra: Strangers, you may say if there is any need; for there is present such things as are fitting for this house, both warm baths and a bed that soothes labors, and the presence of honest eyes.
But if there is need to do some other business requiring counsel, this is the work of men, with whom we will communicate.
§674ξένος μέν εἰμι Δαυλιεὺς ἐκ Φωκέων:
Orestes: I am a stranger, a Daulian from the Phocians.
§675στείχοντα δ᾽ αὐτόφορτον οἰκείᾳ σαγῇ §676εἰς Ἄργος, ὥσπερ δεῦρ᾽ ἀπεζύγην πόδα, §677ἀγνὼς πρὸς ἀγνῶτ᾽ εἶπε συμβαλὼν ἀνήρ, §678ἐξιστορήσας καὶ σαφηνίσας ὁδόν, §679Στροφίος ὁ Φωκεύς: πεύθομαι γὰρ ἐν λόγῳ: §680“ἐπείπερ ἄλλως, ὦ ξέν᾽, εἰς Ἄργος κίεις, §681πρὸς τοὺς τεκόντας πανδίκως μεμνημένος §682τεθνεῶτ᾽ Ὀρέστην εἰπέ, μηδαμῶς λάθῃ.
As I was walking, carrying my own baggage with my own equipment, to Argos, just as I have turned my steps here, a stranger met me, a stranger to a stranger, and said, having asked and made clear the way, Strophius the Phocian—for I learned his name in conversation: "Since you are going to Argos anyway, stranger, remember to tell his parents, with all justice, that Orestes is dead; let it by no means be forgotten.
§683εἴτ᾽ οὖν κομίζειν δόξα νικήσει φίλων, §684εἴτ᾽ οὖν μέτοικον, εἰς τὸ πᾶν ἀεὶ ξένον, §685θάπτειν, ἐφετμὰς τάσδε πόρθμευσον πάλιν.
Whether the opinion of his friends prevails to bring him home, or to bury him as an immigrant, a stranger forever, bring back these commands.
§686νῦν γὰρ λέβητος χαλκέου πλευρώματα §687σποδὸν κέκευθεν ἀνδρὸς εὖ κεκλαυμένου. ” §688τοσαῦτ᾽ ἀκούσας εἶπον.
For now the sides of a bronze urn cover the ashes of a man well lamented." Having heard so much, I have spoken.
Whether I happen to be speaking to the rulers and relatives, I do not know, but it is fitting for his parent to know.
§691οἲ ʼγώ, κατ᾽ ἄκρας εἶπας ὡς πορθούμεθα.
Clytemnestra: Alas, you have told how we are utterly ruined!
§692ὦ δυσπάλαιστε τῶνδε δωμάτων Ἀρά, §693ὡς πόλλ᾽ ἐπωπᾷς, κἀκποδὼν εὖ κείμενα §694τόξοις πρόσωθεν εὐσκόποις χειρουμένη, §695φίλων ἀποψιλοῖς με τὴν παναθλίαν.
O hard-to-wrestle Curse of this house, how many things you watch over, and even those well laid out of the way you master from afar with well-aimed arrows, stripping me, the most miserable, of my loved ones.
§696καὶ νῦν Ὀρέστης, ἦν γὰρ εὐβούλως ἔχων, §697ἔξω κομίζων ὀλεθρίου πηλοῦ πόδα,— §698νῦν δ᾽ ἥπερ ἐν δόμοισι βακχείας καλῆς §699ἰατρὸς ἐλπὶς ἦν, προδοῦσαν ἔγγραφε.
And now Orestes, for he was acting wisely, keeping his foot out of the deadly mud,— now he records as a traitor that hope which was a healer of the fine revelry in the house.