§1.837Ἐνταῦθα μέν σοι τῶνδ’ ἀπαλλάσσω λόγον.
Here indeed I bring to an end my speech to you concerning these things.
§1.838Ἄραρεν, ὡς ἔοικεν, ὦ τάλαιν᾿ ἐγώ·
It is fixed, as it seems, O wretched me!
§1.839Αἲ αἴ·
Alas, alas!
τίν’ ἐκφωνεῖς φρικώδη τήνδ’ ὄπα §1.840γλυκασμὸς ὢν ὅλος δὲ καὶ θυμηδία;
What terrifying voice do you utter, you who are entirely sweetness and delight?
§1.841Τίνος γε διψῶν ἀπεγεύσω πικρίας;
Seeking what bitterness did you taste of it?
§1.842Αὖθίς τε διψᾶν κάρτα κέκραγες μέγα.
And again you cry out greatly that you thirst.
§1.843κραυγῆς ἀκούσασ’ ἐκπέπληγμαι παντλάμων §1.844ἐγώ· τὸ μέντοι πρᾶγμ’, ἐφ’ ᾧ τανῦν στένεις. §1.845οὐκ οἶδα, βουλοίμην δ’ ἂν ἐκ σέθεν κλύειν.
Hearing your cry, I, all-wretched, am struck with terror; indeed the matter about which you are now groaning, I do not know, but I would wish to hear it from you.
§1.846Φθέγξαι τι, δεῦρ’ ἄθρησον.
Speak something, look hither!
Ἰώ μοι κακῶν·
Alas for my woes!
§1.847Τί τί σὸν ὄμμα χρώς τε συντέτηκε νῦν;
Why, why do your eye and your skin waste away now?
Be silent, O women, we are undone; restrain your voice; I wish to question my Child.
§1.850ὁρῶ γὰρ ἤδη τόνδε πλησίον μόρου, §1.851ναὶ ναὶ βλέπω κλίναντα πάντιμον κάραν. §1.852μικρὰν λιπόντα ῥᾳδίως ὁμιλίαν.
For I see him already near death; yes, yes, I see him bowing his most honored head, easily leaving this brief companionship.
§1.853Ἔα, τί λεύσω;
Ah, what do I behold?
σὸν δέμας νεκρὸν, Τέκνον, §1.854ἀθρῶ, μεγίστου θαύματος τόδ’ ἄξιον, §1.855ὃς ἀρτίως κέκραγε πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα §1.856φωνῇ κραταιᾷ γεῖσσα γῆς ταραξάσῃ, §1.857οὗ πᾶσα μὲν χθὼν φθέγματος πληρουμένη §1.858φρικῶδες ἀντεφθέγξατ᾿, εἰσορῶσι δὲ §1.859θέαμα κρεῖσσον ὀμμάτων ἐφαίνετο, §1.860ὃν ἀρτίως ἔδρακον, ὃς φάος τόδε §1.861οὔπω χρόνον παλαιὸν εἰσεδέρκετο.
Your dead body, Child, I gaze upon—this is worthy of the greatest wonder— who just now cried out to the Father with a mighty voice that shook the foundations of the earth, at whose utterance all the earth, filled with the sound, answered in terror, and to those who looked a sight appeared too great for eyes to behold, whom just now I saw, who beheld this light not yet for a long time.
§1.862Τί χρῆμα πάσχεις;
What is happening to you?
τῷ τρόπῳ διόλλυσαι, §1.863Τέκνον;
In what way do you perish, Child?
πυθέσθαι βούλομαι σέθεν πάρα.
I wish to learn from you.
For the heart that longs to know all is caught being greedy even in midst of evils.
§1.866Ἑ ἒ ἒ ἒ
Eh, eh, eh, eh!
§1.867Τάδε ξυνῳδὰ τοῖς προηγορευμένοις;
Are these things in accord with what was predicted?
§1.868Αἲ αἴ·
Alas, alas!
τί δράσω;
What shall I do?
καρδία γὰρ οἴχεται.
For my heart is gone.
§1.869Γυναῖκες, ὄψιν οὐχ ὁρῶ φαιδρὰν τέκνου· §1.870χροιὰν γὰρ ἠλλάξατο καὶ κάλλος ξένον, §1.871δεινὸν θέαμα· καὶ φόβος νεκροῦ θίγειν·
Women, I do not see the bright face of my child; for he has changed his color and strange beauty, a terrible sight; and there is fear of touching a corpse.
For I have as my teacher the suffering of the stars, the shaken foundations of the earth, and the rent rocks.
§1.874χωρεῖτε χωρεῖτ’·
Depart, depart!
οὐκέτ᾿ εἰμὶ προσβλέπειν §1.875οἵα πρὸς αὐτὸν, ἀλλὰ νικῶμαι πόνοις.
I am no longer able to look upon him, but I am overcome by pains.
And indeed I understand what these things will soon be, but grief is stronger even than firm hope.
Child of the All-King, how do you now go to the halls of Hades for the sake of the death of the first-sown?
§1.880αἴφνης δ’ ἀπέπτης, ὡς μεθεὶς ἑκουσίως §1.881ψυχήν· μόρος γὰρ οὔποτ᾿ ἦν ὑπέρτερος, §1.882εἰ μὴ μεθῆκας Πατρὶ πνεῦμ᾿ ἑκουσίως.
And suddenly you flew away, as if having willingly released your soul; for death was never superior, unless you had willingly released your spirit to the Father.
§1.883Ἤκουσ’, ἔκλυον σὴν ὄπα πρὸς Πατέρα.
I heard, I perceived your voice to the Father.
§1.884Τίνος δ’ ἕκατι γῆς σ’ ἀποστέλλει Πατήρ;
For what reason does the Father send you away from the earth?
§1.885τί σ᾿ ὧδ᾿ ἀτίμως ἠθέλησε τεθνάναι,.
Why did he wish you to die thus dishonorably?
Why have you made the mother who bore you bereaved of you?
οἴμοι, συνθάνοιμί σοι, Τέκνον·
Alas, would that I might die with you, Child!
§1.888Ἰδοὺ τέθνηκας, τὶς με δέξεται πόλις;
Behold, you are dead; what city will receive me?
What stranger, providing a safe land and secure homes, will rescue this body?
§1.891Οὐκ ἔστι.
There is none.
Μείνω σ’ οὖν ἔτι σμικρὸν χρόνου, §1.892ἢν τριττὸν ἦμαρ λαμπροφεγγὲς εἰσίδω, §1.893ὡς αὐτὸς εἶπας νεκρέγερσιν μηνύων,
Therefore I will wait for you yet a little time, if I may see the bright-shining third day, as you yourself said, indicating the resurrection from the dead.
§1.894κἀγὼ πέποιθα καὶ στέγω ταῖς ἐλπίσι, §1.895κἂν νῦν νέκυν βλέπουσ’ ἀπῃωρημένον §1.896στένω’μὲ μᾶλλον ἢ σὲ τῆς ἀπουσίας·
And I trust and hold fast to these hopes, even if now, looking upon your corpse suspended, I groan for myself more than for you because of your absence.
§1.897ἀπώλεσας γὰρ μᾶλλον ἢ κατέφθισο.
For you destroyed me rather than perished.
§1.898Εἰ γὰρ γενοίμην, Τέκνον, ἀντὶ σοῦ νεκρός·
For would that I had become a corpse instead of you, Child!
§1.899ὄλωλα, Τέκνον, οὐδέ μοι χάρις βίου.
I am undone, Child, nor is there any joy of life for me.
§1.900Αἲ αἴ·
Alas, alas!
κατ᾿ ὄσσων κιχάνει μ᾿ ἤδη σκότος· §1.901ὄλωλα καὶ δὴ νερτέρων ποθῶ δόμους·
Darkness already overtakes my eyes; I am undone, and indeed I long for the halls of those below.
§1.902τὸ κατὰ γᾶς θέλω.
I desire the things below the earth.
τὸ κατὰ γᾶς κνέφας §1.903τανῦν μετοικεῖν, σῆς θέας στερουμένη.
To migrate now to the darkness below the earth I wish, deprived of the sight of you.
§1.904Δύστηνος, οἷον ἔσχον ἄρτ᾿ ἄλγημ᾿ ἐγὼ,
Wretched me!
§1.905οὐ τλητὸν οὐδὲ ῥητον, ἀλλ’ ἀπωλόμην.
What kind of pain did I just have, neither bearable nor speakable, but I am undone!
And from you, speechless and having closed your eyes, how shall I have comfort, I, your all-wretched mother?
In vain then did I myself rear you, Child, who distribute nourishment abundantly to all?
§1.910μάτην τ᾿ ἐμόχθουν καὶ κατεξάνθην πόνοις, §1.911φεύγουσα χεῖρας τῶν φονώντων σοὶ, Τέκνον, §1.912ἀρχῆς ἀπ’ ἄκρης σῶν ξένων γενεθλίων;
And in vain did I toil and was worn away with labors, fleeing the hands of those who would slaughter you, Child, from the very beginning of your strange birth?
§1.913Ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἐγᾦμαι, κἂν στένω κἂν δακρύω.
But I do not think so, even if I groan and weep.
§1.914Ἐγώ σ’ ἔτικτον, οἶδα δ’ ὥς σ’ ἐγεινάμην·
I gave birth to you, and I know how I brought you forth.
§1.915ὅθεν ποθ’ ἡ δύστηνος εἶχον ἐλπίδας §1.916ἐν σοὶ μεγίστας γηροβοσκήσειν τ᾿ ἐμὲ §1.917καὶ κατθανοῦσαν χερσὶν εὖ περιστελεῖν, §1.918ζηλωτὸν ἀνθρώποισιν·
Whence once I, wretched, held the greatest hopes in you, that you would nurture my old age and with your hands would wrap me well when dead, a thing envied by men.
οὐδ’ ὄλωλε μοι §1.919ἐλπὶς γλυκεῖα σοῦ, Τέκνον, τεθνηκότος.
Nor is my sweet hope in you, Child, lost, though you are dead.