§789ἐέ, πρὸ δὲ δὴ ᾽χθρῶν §790τὸν ἔσωθεν μελάθρων, Ζεῦ, §791θές, ἐπεί νιν μέγαν ἄρας, §792δίδυμα καὶ τριπλᾶ §793παλίμποινα θέλων ἀμείψει.
Ah, before his enemies, O Zeus, set him who is within the palace; since, if you raise him to greatness, willingly will he repay you with double and threefold recompense.
§794ἴσθι δ᾽ ἀνδρὸς φίλου πῶλον εὖ- §795νιν ζυγέντ᾽ ἐν ἅρμασιν §796πημάτων, ἐν δρόμῳ προστιθεὶς §797μέτρον.
Know that the colt of a beloved man is yoked in the chariot of sufferings; establish a limit to his race.
Who might see this stride of his finishing steps keeping a steady rhythm across the plain?
§800οἵ τ᾽ ἔσω δωμάτων §801πλουτογαθῆ μυχὸν ἐνίζετε, §802κλῦτε, σύμφρονες θεοί: §803[ἄγετε] τῶν πάλαι πεπραγμένων §804λύσασθ᾽ αἷμα προσφάτοις δίκαις.
And you who within the house occupy the inner chamber that rejoices in wealth, hear, you gods who are of one mind: come, wash away the blood of deeds done of old with fresh justice.
§805γέρων φόνος μηκέτ᾽ ἐν δόμοις τέκοι.
May ancient murder breed no more in this house.
§806τὸ δὲ καλῶς κτίμενον ὦ μέγα ναίων §807στόμιον, εὖ δὸς ἀνιδεῖν δόμον ἀνδρός, §808καί νιν ἐλευθερίας φῶς §809λαμπρὸν ἰδεῖν φιλίοις §810ὄμμασιν <ἐκ> δνοφερᾶς καλύπτρας. §811ξυλλάβοι δ᾽ ἐνδίκως §812παῖς ὁ Μαίας, ἐπιφορώτατος §813πρᾶξιν οὐρίαν θέλων: §815[πολλὰ δ᾽ ἄλλα φανεῖ χρηίζων κρυπτά].
And you, who inhabit the grand, beautifully built cleft, grant that the house of the man may look up again in wellness, and that it may see the bright light of freedom from its dark veil And may Maia's son rightfully help, he who is most favorable for bringing a prosperous outcome when he wills; [and many other hidden things will he reveal if he wishes].
§816ἄσκοπον δ᾽ ἔπος λέγω: §817νύκτα πρό τ᾽ ὀμμάτων σκότον φέρει, §818καθ᾽ ἡμέραν δ᾽ οὐδὲν ἐμφανέστερος.
But I speak an obscure word: he brings night and darkness before our eyes, and by day he is no more manifest.
§819καὶ τότ᾽ ἤδη κλυτὸν §820δωμάτων λυτήριον, §821θῆλυν οὐριοστάταν §822†ὁμοῦ κρεκτον γοα- §823τὰν νόμον μεθήσομεν.
And then indeed shall we release the famous song of deliverance for the house, the wind-favoring song of women, striking the mournful strain together.
§824πόλει τάδ᾽ εὖ: §825ἐμὸν ἐμὸν κέρδος αὔξεται τόδ᾽: ἄ- §826τα δ᾽ ἀποστατεῖ φίλων†. §827σὺ δὲ θαρσῶν, ὅταν ἥκῃ μέρος ἔργων, §828ἐπαΰσας Πατρὸς αὐδὰν §829θροούσᾳ [πρὸς σὲ] Τέκνον [πατρὸς αὐδὰν] §830[καὶ] πέραιν᾽ ἀνεπίμομφον ἄταν.
"This is good for the city; my own, my own gain is increased by this, and ruin stands aloof from my friends!" But be of good courage, when the turn for action comes, shouting back the cry of "Father!" to her when she cries "Child!" to you, and accomplish a ruin that is free from blame.
§831Περσέως τ᾽ ἐν φρεσὶν §832καρδίαν ἀνασχεθών, §833τοῖς θ᾽ ὑπὸ χθονὸς φίλοις, §834†τοῖς τ᾽ ἄνωθεν προπάσσων §835χάριτας ὀργᾶς λυγρᾶς, ἔνδοθεν §836φόνιαν ἄταν τίθει, τὸν αἴτιον δ᾽ §837ἐξαπολλύων μόρου†.
And holding the heart of Perseus within your breast, for those beloved beneath the earth, and for those above, securing the favor of a painful wrath, place within a murderous ruin, utterly destroying the one guilty of death.
§838ἥκω μὲν οὐκ ἄκλητος, ἀλλ᾽ ὑπάγγελος: §839νέαν φάτιν δὲ πεύθομαι λέγειν τινὰς §840ξένους μολόντας οὐδαμῶς ἐφίμερον, §841μόρον δ᾽ Ὀρέστου.
Aegisthus: I come indeed not unsummoned, but by a messenger's call; and I hear that certain strangers who have arrived are telling a new story, by no means welcome, namely, the death of Orestes.
καὶ τόδ᾽ ἀμφέρειν δόμοις §842γένοιτ᾽ ἂν ἄχθος δειματοσταγὲς φόνῳ §843τῷ πρόσθεν ἑλκαίνουσι καὶ δεδηγμένοις.
And to lay this upon the house would be a burden dripping with terror for those already wounded and bitten by the former murder.
§844πῶς ταῦτ᾽ ἀληθῆ καὶ βλέποντα δοξάσω;
How shall I deem these things true and living?
Or are they merely tales frightened by women that leap up into the air, dying in vain?
§847τί τῶνδ᾽ ἂν εἴποις ὥστε δηλῶσαι φρενί;
What can you say of these things to make them clear to my mind?
Chorus: We have heard, indeed; but go inside and inquire of the strangers.
οὐδὲν ἀγγέλων σθένος §850ὡς αὐτὸν αὐτῶν ἄνδρα πεύθεσθαι πάρα.
The strength of messengers is nothing compared to a man inquiring directly from them himself.
§851ἰδεῖν ἐλέγξαι τ᾽ αὖ θέλω τὸν ἄγγελον, §852εἴτ᾽ αὐτὸς ἦν θνῄσκοντος ἐγγύθεν παρών, §853εἴτ᾽ ἐξ ἀμαυρᾶς κληδόνος λέγει μαθών.
Aegisthus: I wish to see and question the messenger again, whether he himself was present near the dying man, or speaks from having learned of an obscure rumor.
§854οὔτοι φρέν᾽ ἂν κλέψειεν ὠμματωμένην.
He certainly cannot deceive a mind that has its eyes open.
§855Ζεῦ Ζεῦ, τί λέγω, πόθεν ἄρξωμαι
Chorus: Zeus, Zeus, what am I to say?
§856τάδ᾽ ἐπευχομένη κἀπιθεάζουσ᾽,
Where shall I begin with my prayers and appeals to the gods?
And, under the influence of my goodwill, how can I speak in a fitting way and achieve my end?
§859νῦν γὰρ μέλλουσι μιανθεῖσαι §860πειραὶ κοπάνων ἀνδροδαΐκτων §861ἢ πάνυ θήσειν Ἀγαμεμνονίων §862οἴκων ὄλεθρον διὰ παντός, §863ἢ πῦρ καὶ φῶς ἐπ᾽ ἐλευθερίᾳ §864δαίων ἀρχάς τε πολισσονόμους §865πατέρων θ᾽ ἕξει μέγαν ὄλβον.
For now the edges of the man-slaying axes, defiled with blood, are either going to bring utterly and forever destruction upon the house of Agamemnon, or, kindling fire and light for freedom, he will hold the city-ruling authority and the great wealth of his fathers.
Such a struggle is divine Orestes, as a sole reserve, about to join against two.
εἴη δ᾽ ἐπὶ νίκῃ.
May it be for victory!
§869ἐή, ὀτοτοτοῖ.
Aegisthus: (Within) Ah! Otototoi!
§870ἔα ἔα μάλα:
Chorus: Ha! Ha! Indeed!
§871πῶς ἔχει;
How does it stand?
πῶς κέκρανται δόμοις;
How has it been decided for the house?
§872ἀποσταθῶμεν πράγματος τελουμένου, §873ὅπως δοκῶμεν τῶνδ᾽ ἀναίτιαι κακῶν §874εἶναι: μάχης γὰρ δὴ κεκύρωται τέλος.
Let us stand aloof while the deed is being accomplished, so that we may seem to be blameless of these evils; for the issue of the battle has indeed been decided.
§875οἴμοι, πανοίμοι δεσπότου πεπληγμένου:
Servant: Alas, utter alas for my stricken master!
§876οἴμοι μάλ᾽ αὖθις ἐν τρίτοις προσφθέγμασιν.
Alas indeed once more, in this third cry!
§877Αἴγισθος οὐκέτ᾽ ἔστιν.
Aegisthus is no more.
ἀλλ᾽ ἀνοίξατε §878ὅπως τάχιστα, καὶ γυναικείους πύλας §879μοχλοῖς χαλᾶτε: καὶ μάλ᾽ ἡβῶντος δὲ δεῖ, §880οὐχ ὥστ᾽ ἀρῆξαι διαπεπραγμένῳ: τί γάρ;
But open as quickly as possible, and unbar the women's gates with levers; and indeed there is need of one in full strength, not indeed to help him who is already dispatched; for what use is that?
§881ἰοὺ ἰού.
Ho! Ho!
Do I shout to the deaf, and speak in vain to those who sleep, to no effect?
ποῖ Κλυταιμήστρα;
Where is Clytemnestra?
τί δρᾷ;
What is she doing?
§884ἔοικε νῦν αὖ τῆσδ᾽ ἐπιξήνου πέλας αὐχὴν πεσεῖσθαι πρὸς δίκην πεπληγμένος.
It seems that her neck too is now about to fall, struck by justice, near this chopping-block.
§885τί δ᾽ ἐστὶ χρῆμα;
Clytemnestra: What is the matter?
τίνα βοὴν ἵστης δόμοις;
What cry are you raising in the house?
§886τὸν ζῶντα καίνειν τοὺς τεθνηκότας λέγω.
Servant: I say that the dead are slaying the living!
§887οἲ ᾽γώ.
Clytemnestra: Ah me!
ξυνῆκα τοὔπος ἐξ αἰνιγμάτων.
I understand the word from the riddles.
§888δόλοις ὀλούμεθ᾽, ὥσπερ οὖν ἐκτείναμεν.
By guile we shall perish, just as indeed we slew.
§889δοίη τις ἀνδροκμῆτα πέλεκυν ὡς τάχος: §890εἰδῶμεν εἰ νικῶμεν, ἢ νικώμεθα: §891ἐνταῦθα γὰρ δὴ τοῦδ᾽ ἀφικόμην κακοῦ.
Let some give me a man-slaying axe as quickly as possible; let us know if we conquer or are conquered; for indeed to this point of evil have I come.
§892σὲ καὶ ματεύω: τῷδε δ᾽ ἀρκούντως ἔχει.
Orestes: You indeed I seek; for him, it is sufficient.
§893οἲ ᾽γώ.
Clytemnestra: Ah me!
τέθνηκας, φίλτατ᾽ Αἰγίσθου βία.
You are dead, dearest, strong Aegisthus.