§184maculaeque cutem sparsere leves; §184btum vapor ipsam §185corporis arcem flammeus urit §186multoque genas sanguine tendit, §187oculique rigent, resonant aures §188stilla tque niger naris aduncae §190cruor et venas rumpit hiantes; §191intima creber viscera quassat §187bgemitus stridens, et sacer ignis §192bpascitur artus iamque amplexu §193frigida presso saxa fatigant; §194quos liberior domus elato §195custode sinit, petits fontes §196aliturque sitis latice ingesto.
and light spots have flecked the skin; then a fiery heat burns the very citadel of the body and distends the cheeks with much blood, and the eyes are stiff, the ears ring, and black blood drips from the hooked nose and bursts the gaping veins; a frequent, creaking groan shakes the innermost vitals, and the sacred fire feeds upon the limbs, and now with their tight embrace they weary the cold stones; those whom a freer house, their guardian having been carried out, permits, seek the fountains, and the thirst is nourished by the poured-in liquid.
§197prostrata iacet turba per aras §198oratque mori: solum hoc faciles §199tribuere dei; delubra petunt §200haut ut voto numina placent, §201sed iuvat ipsos satiare deos.
The prostrate crowd lies along the altars and prays to die: this alone the compliant gods have granted; they seek the shrines not so that they may appease the divinities with a vow, but it pleases them to sate the gods themselves.
§202Quisnam ille propero regiam gressu petit?
Who is that who seeks the palace with hasty step?
Is Creon present, illustrious for his dragon-blood and deeds, or does my sick mind see false things instead of true?
§205Adest petitus omnibus votis Creo.
Present is Creon, sought by all vows.
§206Horrore quatior, fata quo vergant timens, §207trepidumque gemino pectus affectu labat: §208ubi laeta duris mixta in ambiguo iacent, §209incertus animus scire cum cupiat timet.
I am shaken with horror, fearing whither the fates may incline, and my trembling breast wavers with a double emotion: where joyful things lie mixed with hard things in ambiguity, the uncertain mind fears even as it desires to know.
Brother of my wife, if you bring any help to the weary, teach us with a hastened voice.
§212Responsa dubia sorte perplexa iacent.
The responses lie doubtful, tangled by an intricate lot.
§213Dubiam salutem qui dat adflictis negat.
He who gives a doubtful safety to the afflicted, denies it.
It is the custom of the Delphic god to cover his secrets with a winding ambiguity.
Speak, although it be doubtful: to know ambiguous things is given to Oedipus alone.
§217Caedem expiari regiam exilio deus, §218et interemptum Laium ulcisci iubet: §219non ante caelo lucidus curret dies §220haustusque tutos aetheris puri dabit.
The god orders the royal murder to be expiated by exile, and the slain Laius to be avenged: not before will the bright day run in the sky and give safe draughts of pure air.
§221Et quis peremptor induti regis fuit?
And who was the slayer of the famous king?
§222quem memoret ede Phoebus, ut poenas luat.
tell whom Phoebus mentions, so that he may pay the penalty.
§223Sit precor dixisse tutum visu et auditu horrida; §224torpor insedit per artus, frigidus sanguis coit.
May it be safe, I pray, to have spoken things horrible to see and hear; a numbness has settled through my limbs, my cold blood coagulates.
§225ut sacrata templa Phoebi supplici intravi pede §226et pias numen precatus rite summisi manus, §227gemina Parnasi nivalis arx trucem fremitum dedit; §228imminens Phoebea laurus tremuit et movit comam §229ac repente sancta fontis lympha Castalii stetit, §230incipit Letoa vates spargere horrentes comas §231et pati commota Phoebum; contigit nondum specum, §232emicat vasto fragore maior humano sonus: §233mitia Cadmeis remeabunt sidera Thebis, §234si profugus Dircen Ismenida liqueris hospes §235regis caede nocens, Phoebo iam notus et infans.
As I entered the sacred temples of Phoebus with suppliant foot and, having prayed to the deity, duly raised my pious hands, the double peak of snowy Parnassus gave a harsh roar; the overhanging Phoebean laurel trembled and moved its foliage and suddenly the sacred water of the Castalian spring stood still, the Letoan priestess begins to scatter her bristling hair and, deeply moved, to suffer Phoebus; she had not yet touched the cave, a sound greater than human burst forth with a vast crash: "Mild stars will return to Cadmean Thebes, if you, a fugitive guest, leave Dirce and Ismenos, guilty of the king's murder, already known to Phoebus even as an infant.
§236nec tibi longa manent sceleratae gaudia caedis: §237tecum bella geres, natis quoque bella relinquens §238turpia, maternos iterum revolutus in ortus. §239Quod facere monitu caelitum iussus paro, §240functi cineribus regis hoc decuit dari, §241ne sancta quisquam sceptra violaret dolo.
Nor do long joys of your wicked slaughter await you: you will wage war with yourself, leaving ugly wars also to your children, turning back again into your mother's source." What I, ordered by the admonition of the gods, prepare to do, this was fitting to be given to the ashes of the deceased king, lest anyone should violate the sacred sceptres with guile.
By a king, the safety of kings must be protected most of all: no one cares for the slain man whom they feared when he was safe.
§244Curam perempti maior excussit timor.
A greater fear shook off the care for the slain man.
§245Pium prohibuit ullus officium metus?
Did any fear forbid the pious duty?
§246Sphinx et nefandi carminis tristes minae.
The Sphinx and the sad threats of her unspeakable song.
§247Nunc expietur numinum imperio scelus.
Now let the crime be expiated by the command of the gods.
§248Quisquis deorum regna placatus vides: §249tu, tu penes quem iura praecipitis poli §250tuque, o sereni maximum mundi decus, §251bis sena cursu signa qui vario legis, §252qui tarda celeri saecula evolvis rota, §253sororque fratri semper occurrens tuo, §254noctivaga Phoebe, quique ventorum potens §255aequor per altum caerulos currus agis, §256et qui carentis luce disponis domos, §257adeste: cuius Laius dextra occidit, §258hunc non quieta tecta, non fidi lares, §259non hospitalis exulem tellus ferat; §260thalamis pudendis doleat et prole impia; §261hic et parentem dextera perimat sua,, §262faciatque (num quid gravius optari potest?) §263quicquid ego fugi— non erit veniae locus: §264per regna iuro quaeque nunc hospes gero §265et quae reliqui perque penetrales deos, §266per te, pater Neptune, qui fluctu brevi §267utrimque nostro geminus alludis solo;
Whichever of the gods looks upon this kingdom with placated mind: you, you in whose hands are the laws of the steep sky, and you, o greatest glory of the serene world, who traverse the twice six constellations with your varying course, who unroll the slow ages with your swift wheel, and sister, always meeting your brother, night-wandering Phoebe, and you, ruler of the winds, who drive your blue chariot through the deep sea, and you who arrange the dwellings lacking light, be present: he by whose right hand Laius fell, may quiet dwellings not receive him, nor faithful Lares, nor may a hospitable land bear him as an exile; may he suffer in a shameful marriage chamber and with impious offspring; may he also destroy his father with his own right hand, and commit (can anything more heavy be wished?) whatever I have fled—there shall be no room for pardon: I swear by the kingdom which I now rule as a guest, and those which I left, and by the household gods, by you, father Neptune, who with a brief wave on both sides, as a twin, play against our soil.