§166et tu, parens, ubicumque poenarum arbiter §167adstas mearum; non ego hoc tantum scelus §168ulla expiari credidi poena satis §169umquam, nec ista morte contentus fui, §170nec me redemi parte: membratim tibi §171perire volui— debitum tandem exige.
And you, my father, wherever you stand as the judge of my punishments; I did not believe that so great a crime could ever be sufficiently expiated by any punishment, nor was I content with that death of mine, nor did I redeem myself by a part: limb by limb, for you, I wished to perish— at last exact what is owed.
§172nunc solvo poenas, tunc tibi inferias dedi.
Now I pay the penalty, then I gave you the funeral offerings.
§173ades atque inertem dexteram introrsus preme §174magisque merge: timida tunc parvo caput §175libavit haustu vixque cupientes sequi
Be present, and press my sluggish right hand inward, and plunge it deeper: then, my timid hand touched my head with a small stroke, and scarcely plucked out my eyes that were unwilling to follow.
Even now there clings to me that mind of mine, it clings, when my face pressed upon my reluctant hand.
You shall hear the truth, Oedipus: you tore out your eyes less boldly than you boasted.
Now insert your hand into your brain: complete my death in this part where I began to die.
A few words, o magnanimous parent, I, your pitiable daughter, pray that you hear with a placated mind.
§184non te ut reducam veteris ad speciem domus §185habitumque regni flore pollentem inclito §186peto aut ut iras, temporum haut ipsa mora §187fractas, remisso pectore ac placido feras: §188at hoc decebat roboris tanti virum, §189non esse sub dolore nec victum malis §190dare terga; non est, ut putas, virtus, pater, §191timere vitam, sed malis ingentibus §192obstare nec se vertere ac retro dare.
I do not ask that I may bring you back to the appearance of your former house, and the condition of the kingdom strong in famous bloom, or that you bear with a relaxed and placid breast your rages, which have not been broken by the very delay of time: but this was fitting for a man of such great strength, not to be under pain, nor, conquered by misfortunes, to turn his back; it is not, as you think, a virtue, father, to fear life, but to resist huge misfortunes, and not to turn oneself away and retreat.
§193qui fata proculcavit ac vitae bona §194proiecit atque abscidit et casus suos §195oneravit ipse, cui deo nullo est opus, §196quare ille mortem cupiat aut quare petat?
He who has trampled upon fates and thrown away and cut off the goods of life, and has himself loaded his own calamities, who has no need of any god, why should he desire death or why should he seek it?
§197utrumque timidi est: nemo contempsit mori §198qui concupivit, cuius haut ultra mala §199exire possunt, in loco tuto est situs.
Both belong to a timid man: no one has despised dying who has lusted after it; he whose misfortunes can go no further is situated in a safe place.
Which of the gods now, make it that he wills it, can add anything to your misfortunes?
Now not even you can, except this, that you think yourself worthy of death— you are not, nor has any guilt touched this breast.
§204et hoc magis te, genitor, insontem voca.
And for this reason more, father, call yourself innocent.
Since you are innocent even against the will of the gods, what is there that makes you rage, that has fixed new goads to your grief?
§207stimulos dolori? quid te in infernas agit
What drives you to the infernal abodes, what expels you from these?
§208sedes, quid ex his pellit? ut careas die?
That you may lack the light of day?
§209cares; ut altis nobilem muris domum
You lack it; that you may flee your noble home with high walls and your country?
Your country has perished while you live; Do you flee your children and mother?
§212fortuna te summovit, et quicquid potest §213auferre cuiquam mors, tibi hoc vita abstulit; §214regni tumultus? turba fortunae prior
From the sight of everyone fortune has removed you, and whatever death can take away from anyone, life has already taken this away from you; the tumults of the kingdom?
§215abscessit a te iussa, quem, genitor, fugis?
The former crowd of fortune has departed from you as ordered; whom, father, do you flee?
§216Me fugio, fugio conscium scelerum omnium §217pectus, manumque hanc fugio et hoc "caelum et deos.
I flee myself, I flee my breast conscious of all crimes, and I flee this hand and this sky and the gods.
§218.
.
§219ego hoc solum, frugifera quo surgit Ceres,
Do I tread this ground, from which fertile Ceres rises?
§220premo? has ego auras ore pestifero traho?
Do I draw these breezes with my pestilential mouth?
§221ego laticis haustu satior aut ullo fruor
Am I satisfied by a draft of water, or do I enjoy any gift of the nurturing parent?
Do I, unspeakable, incestuous, accursed, touch your chaste hand?
Do I conceive any sounds in my ear, through which I might hear the name of parent or of child?
§226utinam quidem rescindere has quirem vias §227manibusque adactis omne qua voces meant §228aditusque verbis tramite angusto patet §229eruere possem: nata, iam sensum tui, §230quae pars meorum es criminum, infelix pater §231fugissem.
Would that indeed I were able to tear open these paths, and, with hands driven in, to pluck out everything where voices travel and an approach is open for words by a narrow path: my daughter, then I, an unhappy father, would have already fled the sense of you, who are a part of my crimes.
inhaeret ac recrudescit nefas §232subinde, et aures ingerunt quicquid mihi §233donastis, oculi, cur caput tenebris grave
The crime clings and breaks out afresh immediately, and my ears pour in whatever you, my eyes, gave to me.
§234non mitto ad umbras Ditis aeternas? quid hic
Why do I not send my head heavy with darkness to the eternal shades of Dis?
§235manes meos detineo? quid terram gravo
Why here do I detain my ghost?
§236mixtusque superis erro? quid restat mali?
Why do I burden the earth, and wander mixed among the living? What of evil remains?
§237regnum parentes liberi, virtus quoque §238et ingeni sollertis eximium decus §239periere, cuncta sors mihi infesta abstulit: §240lacrimae supererant: has quoque eripui mihi.
Kingdom, parents, children, and virtue too, and the exceptional glory of a clever mind have perished; hostile fortune has taken all from me: tears were left: these too I snatched from myself.
Desist, my mind admits no prayers, and seeks a new punishment equal to my crimes.
§243et esse par quae poterit? infanti quoque
And what can be equal?
Even to an infant death was decreed.— Who has ever allotted fates so grim?
§246uterique nondum solveram clausi moras,
I had not yet seen the day, and had not yet solved the delays of the closed womb,