Bacchae 1-9 Johnston
Ezekiel Aurelius /
- Created on 2021-02-16 17:11:08
- Modified on 2021-02-16 17:55:10
- Translated by Ian Johnston
- Aligned by Ezekiel Aurelius
English
Ἑλληνική Transliterate
I’ve arrived here in the land of Thebes ,
I , Dionysus , son of Zeus , born to him
from Semele , Cadmus’ daughter , delivered
by a fiery midwife—Zeus’s lightning flash . ( 1 )
Yes , I’ve changed my form from god to human ,
appearing here at these streams of Dirce ,
the waters of Ismarus . I see my mother’s tomb—
for she was wiped out by that lightning bolt .
It’s there , by the palace , with that rubble ,
the remnants of her house , still smoldering
from Zeus’s living fire—Hera’s undying outrage
against my mother .
I , Dionysus , son of Zeus , born to him
from Semele , Cadmus’ daughter , delivered
by a fiery midwife—Zeus’s lightning flash . ( 1 )
Yes , I’ve changed my form from god to human ,
appearing here at these streams of Dirce ,
the waters of Ismarus . I see my mother’s tomb—
for she was wiped out by that lightning bolt .
It’s there , by the palace , with that rubble ,
the remnants of her house , still smoldering
from Zeus’s living fire—Hera’s undying outrage
against my mother .
ἥκω
Διὸς
παῖς
τήνδε
Θηβαίων
χθόνα
Διόνυσος , ὃν τίκτει ποθ᾽ ἡ Κάδμου κόρη
Σεμέλη λοχευθεῖσ᾽ ἀστραπηφόρῳ πυρί :
μορφὴν δ᾽ ἀμείψας ἐκ θεοῦ βροτησίαν
πάρειμι Δίρκης νάματ᾽ Ἰσμηνοῦ θ᾽ ὕδωρ . 5
ὁρῶ δὲ μητρὸς μνῆμα τῆς κεραυνίας
τόδ᾽ ἐγγὺς οἴκων καὶ δόμων ἐρείπια
τυφόμενα Δίου πυρὸς ἔτι ζῶσαν φλόγα ,
ἀθάνατον Ἥρας μητέρ᾽ εἰς ἐμὴν ὕβριν .
αἰνῶ δὲ Κάδμον , ἄβατον ὃς πέδον τόδε
Διόνυσος , ὃν τίκτει ποθ᾽ ἡ Κάδμου κόρη
Σεμέλη λοχευθεῖσ᾽ ἀστραπηφόρῳ πυρί :
μορφὴν δ᾽ ἀμείψας ἐκ θεοῦ βροτησίαν
πάρειμι Δίρκης νάματ᾽ Ἰσμηνοῦ θ᾽ ὕδωρ . 5
ὁρῶ δὲ μητρὸς μνῆμα τῆς κεραυνίας
τόδ᾽ ἐγγὺς οἴκων καὶ δόμων ἐρείπια
τυφόμενα Δίου πυρὸς ἔτι ζῶσαν φλόγα ,
ἀθάνατον Ἥρας μητέρ᾽ εἰς ἐμὴν ὕβριν .
αἰνῶ δὲ Κάδμον , ἄβατον ὃς πέδον τόδε