holding it as a livelihood, and with this snare slaying many, he would warm his heart much.
§991ἐκτείνατ᾽ αὐτὸ καὶ κύκλῳ παρασταδὸν §992στέγαστρον ἀνδρὸς δείξαθ᾽, ὡς ἴδῃ πατήρ, §993οὐχ οὑμός, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ πάντ᾽ ἐποπτεύων τάδε §994Ἥλιος, ἄναγνα μητρὸς ἔργα τῆς ἐμῆς, §995ὡς ἂν παρῇ μοι μάρτυς ἐν δίκῃ ποτέ, §996ὡς τόνδ᾽ ἐγὼ μετῆλθον ἐνδίκως μόρον §997τὸν μητρός: Αἰγίσθου γὰρ οὐ λέγω μόρον: §998ἔχει γὰρ αἰσχυντῆρος, ὡς νόμος, δίκην:
Stretch it out, and standing around in a circle, show the husband's shroud, so that the father may see— not mine, but he who watches over all these things, Helios, my mother's unholy deeds, so that he may stand by me as a witness in court one day, that I pursued this fate of my mother justly— for I do not speak of Aegisthus' death, since he has, as is the law, the adulterer's punishment.
§999ἥτις δ᾽ ἐπ᾽ ἀνδρὶ τοῦτ᾽ ἐμήσατο στύγος, §1000ἐξ οὗ τέκνων ἤνεγχ᾽ ὑπὸ ζώνην βάρος, §1001φίλον τέως, νῦν δ᾽ ἐχθρόν, ὡς φαίνει, κακόν, §1002τί σοι δοκεῖ;
But she who devised this hateful thing against her husband, from whom she bore under her girdle the weight of children, once dear, but now, as it appears, an enemy and an evil weight— what do you think of her?
μύραινά γ᾽ εἴτ᾽ ἔχιδν᾽ ἔφυ §1003σήπειν θιγοῦσ᾽ ἂν ἄλλον οὐ δεδηγμένον §1004τόλμης ἕκατι κἀκδίκου φρονήματος.
Whether she was born a sea-eel or a viper, she would rot another without even biting, merely by touch, on account of her daring and unjust mind.
May such a woman not become a co-dweller with me in my house; may I rather perish childless from the gods before that.
§1007αἰαῖ αἰαῖ μελέων ἔργων:
Alas, alas, for the wretched deeds!
§1008στυγερῷ θανάτῳ διεπράχθης.
You were destroyed by a hateful death.
§1009ἒ ἔ, μίμνοντι δὲ καὶ πάθος ἀνθεῖ.
Ah, ah! And for the survivor, suffering also blossoms.
§1010ἔδρασεν ἢ οὐκ ἔδρασε; μαρτυρεῖ δέ μοι
Did she do it or did she not?
§1011φᾶρος τόδ᾽, ὡς ἔβαψεν Αἰγίσθου ξίφος.
And this robe testifies to me, how Aegisthus' sword dyed it.
And the gush of blood conspires with time, destroying many dyes of the embroidery.
Now I praise him, now I lament him, being present, addressing this father-slaying web.
I grieve for the deeds and the suffering and the whole race, having the unenviable pollutions of this victory.
No one of mortals shall pass through a life free from harm, completely without penalty.
§1020ἒ ἔ, μόχθος δ᾽ ὁ μὲν αὐτίχ᾽, ὁ δ᾽ ἥξει.
Ah, ah! One toil is here immediately, and another will come.
§1021ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ἂν εἰδῆτ᾽, οὐ γὰρ οἶδ᾽ ὅπη τελεῖ, §1022ὥσπερ ξὺν ἵπποις ἡνιοστροφῶ δρόμου §1023ἐξωτέρω: φέρουσι γὰρ νικώμενον
But that you may know—for I do not know where it will end— like a charioteer with horses, I drive outside the course; for my hard-to-rule wits carry me away, defeating me.
And at my heart, fear is ready to sing and dance to wrath's tune.
§1026ἕως δ᾽ ἔτ᾽ ἔμφρων εἰμί, κηρύσσω φίλοις, §1027κτανεῖν τέ φημι μητέρ᾽ οὐκ ἄνευ δίκης, §1028πατροκτόνον μίασμα καὶ θεῶν στύγος.
But while I am still in my right mind, I declare to my friends, and I say that I killed my mother not without justice, a father-killing pollution and a thing hated by the gods.
§1029καὶ φίλτρα τόλμης τῆσδε πλειστηρίζομαι §1030τὸν πυθόμαντιν Λοξίαν, χρήσαντ᾽ ἐμοὶ §1031πράξαντι μὲν ταῦτ᾽ ἐκτὸς αἰτίας κακῆς §1032εἶναι, παρέντα δ᾽—οὐκ ἐρῶ τὴν ζημίαν: §1033τόξῳ γὰρ οὔτις πημάτων προσίξεται.
And as the greatest spell for this daring deed, I claim the Pythian prophet Loxias, who declared to me that if I did these things, I would be free from bad blame, but if I neglected it—I will not speak of the penalty; for no one by his bow shall reach such sufferings.
§1034καὶ νῦν ὁρᾶτέ μ᾽, ὡς παρεσκευασμένος §1035ξὺν τῷδε θαλλῷ καὶ στέφει προσίξομαι §1036μεσόμφαλόν θ᾽ ἵδρυμα, Λοξίου πέδον, §1037πυρός τε φέγγος ἄφθιτον κεκλημένον, §1038φεύγων τόδ᾽ αἷμα κοινόν: οὐδ᾽ ἐφ᾽ ἑστίαν §1039ἄλλην τραπέσθαι Λοξίας ἐφίετο.
And now behold me, how, prepared with this branch and wreath, I shall approach the navel-stone seat, the ground of Loxias, and the light of fire called imperishable, fleeing this kindred blood; nor did Loxias command me to turn to any other hearth.
§1040καὶ μαρτυρεῖν μὲν ὡς ἐπορσύνθη κακὰ §1041τάδ᾽ ἐν χρόνῳ μοι πάντας Ἀργείους λέγω: §1042φεύγω δ᾽ ἀλήτης τῆσδε γῆς ἀπόξενος, §1043ζῶν καὶ τεθνηκὼς τάσδε κληδόνας λιπών.
And as to how these evils were brought about, I bid all Argives to bear witness for me in time; and I flee as a wanderer, an exile from this land, leaving behind these reports, whether alive or dead.
§1044ἀλλ᾽ εὖ γ᾽ ἔπραξας, μηδ᾽ ἐπιζευχθῇς στόμα §1045φήμῃ πονηρᾷ μηδ᾽ ἐπιγλωσσῶ κακά, §1046ἐλευθερώσας πᾶσαν Ἀργείων πόλιν, §1047δυοῖν δρακόντοιν εὐπετῶς τεμὼν κάρα.
But you have done well; do not yoke your mouth to evil rumor, nor speak ill-omened things, since you have freed the entire city of Argives, by easily cutting off the heads of two serpents.
§1048ἆ, ἆ.
Ah, ah!
δμωαὶ γυναῖκες αἵδε Γοργόνων δίκην §1049φαιοχίτωνες καὶ πεπλεκτανημέναι
Handmaidens, these women are like Gorgons, dark-robed and intertwined with dense serpents!
§1050πυκνοῖς δράκουσιν: οὐκέτ᾽ ἂν μείναιμ᾽ ἐγώ.
I can stay no longer.
What fantasies whirl you, dearest of men to your father?
ἴσχε, μὴ φόβου νικῶ πολύ.
Hold, do not be greatly overcome by fear.
These are no fantasies of these sufferings to me; for clearly these are my mother's wrathful hounds.
For the blood is still fresh upon your hands; and from this, to be sure, confusion falls upon your mind.
Lord Apollo, they are crowding indeed, and from their eyes drips loathsome blood.
There is one purification for you; and Loxias, by his touch, will set you free from these sufferings.
You do not see them, but I see them; I am driven away, and I can stay no longer.
But may you be fortunate, and may the god, watching over you benignly, guard you with timely fortunes.
Now for the royal halls, a third storm indeed has blown and run its course.
First began the child-devouring wretched sufferings of Thyestes.
Second were the kingly sufferings of a man: and he perished, cut down in his bath, the warlord of the Achaians.
And now, again, a third has come from somewhere—a savior, or shall I call it death?