Sophocles' Ajax
Daniel Libatique /
- Created on 2018-01-29 05:41:58
- Translated by Daniel Libatique
- Aligned by Daniel Libatique
First speech of Athena in Sophocles' Ajax.
Ἑλληνική Transliterate
English
urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0011.tlg003.1st1K-grc1
Ἀεὶ μὲν , ὦ παῖ Λαρτίου , δἐδορκά σε
πεῖράν τιν ' ἐχθρῶν ἁρπάσαι θηρώμενον .
καὶ νῦν ἐπὶ σκηναῖς σε ναυτικαῖς ὁρῶ
Αἴαντος , ἔνθα τάξιν ἐσχάτην ἔχει ,
πάλαι κυνηγετοῦντα καὶ μετρούμενον
ἴχνη τὰ κείνου νεοχάραχθ ' , ὅπως ἴδῃς
εἴτ ' ἔνδον , εἴτ ' οὐκ ἔνδον · εὑ δέ σ ' ἐκφέρει
κυνὸς Λακαίνης ὥς τις εὔρινος βάσις .
ἔνδον γὰρ ἁνὴρ ἄρτι τυγχάνει κάρα
στάζων ἱδρῶτι καὶ χέρας ζιφοκτόνους ,
καί σ ' οὐδὲν εἴσω τἧςδε παπταίνειν πύλης
ἔτ ' ἔργον ἐστὶν , ἐννέπειν δ ' ὅτου χάριν
σπουδὴν ἔθου τήνδ ' , ὡς παρ ' εἰδυίας μάθης .
πεῖράν τιν ' ἐχθρῶν ἁρπάσαι θηρώμενον .
καὶ νῦν ἐπὶ σκηναῖς σε ναυτικαῖς ὁρῶ
Αἴαντος , ἔνθα τάξιν ἐσχάτην ἔχει ,
πάλαι κυνηγετοῦντα καὶ μετρούμενον
ἴχνη τὰ κείνου νεοχάραχθ ' , ὅπως ἴδῃς
εἴτ ' ἔνδον , εἴτ ' οὐκ ἔνδον · εὑ δέ σ ' ἐκφέρει
κυνὸς Λακαίνης ὥς τις εὔρινος βάσις .
ἔνδον γὰρ ἁνὴρ ἄρτι τυγχάνει κάρα
στάζων ἱδρῶτι καὶ χέρας ζιφοκτόνους ,
καί σ ' οὐδὲν εἴσω τἧςδε παπταίνειν πύλης
ἔτ ' ἔργον ἐστὶν , ἐννέπειν δ ' ὅτου χάριν
σπουδὴν ἔθου τήνδ ' , ὡς παρ ' εἰδυίας μάθης .
Son
of
Laertes
,
ever
do
I
behold
thee
Scheming to snatch some vantage o ' er thy foes .
And now among the tents that guard the ships
Of Ajax , camped at the army ' s outmost verge ,
Long have I watched thee hunting in his trail ,
And scanning his fresh prints , to learn if now
He be within or forth . Skilled in the chase
Thou seemest , as a keen-nosed Spartan hound .
For the man but now has passed within , his face
And slaughterous hands streaming with sweat and blood .
No further need for thee to peer about
Inside these doors . But say what eager quest
Is thine , that I who know may give thee light .
Scheming to snatch some vantage o ' er thy foes .
And now among the tents that guard the ships
Of Ajax , camped at the army ' s outmost verge ,
Long have I watched thee hunting in his trail ,
And scanning his fresh prints , to learn if now
He be within or forth . Skilled in the chase
Thou seemest , as a keen-nosed Spartan hound .
For the man but now has passed within , his face
And slaughterous hands streaming with sweat and blood .
No further need for thee to peer about
Inside these doors . But say what eager quest
Is thine , that I who know may give thee light .