Cook, Jeanna / Antigone
Tufts University
Antigone ll.49-68
Cook, Jeanna / Antigone
- Created on 2017-05-03 19:08:08
- Modified on 2017-05-03 19:27:13
- Translated by Robert Fagles
- Aligned by Cook, Jeanna
Ἑλληνική Transliterate
English
ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
οἴμοι · φρόνησον , ὦ κασιγνήτη , πατὴρ
50 ὡς νῷν ἀπεχθὴς δυσκλεής τ᾿ ἀπώλετο
πρὸς αὐτοφώρων ἀμπλακημάτων , διπλᾶς
ὄψεις ἀράξας αὐτὸς αὐτουργῷ χερί ·
ἔπειτα μήτηρ καὶ γυνή , διπλοῦν ἔπος ,
πλεκταῖσιν ἀρτάναισι λωβᾶται βίον ·
55 τρίτον δ᾿ ἀδελφὼ δύο μίαν καθ᾿ ἡμέραν
αὐτοκτονοῦντε τὼ ταλαιπώρω μόρον
κοινὸν κατειργάσαντ᾿ ἐπαλλήλοιν χεροῖν .
νῦν δ᾿ αὖ μόνα δὴ νὼ λελειμμένα σκόπει
ὅσῳ κάκιστ᾿ ὀλούμεθ᾿ , εἰ νόμου βίᾳ
60 ψῆφον τυράννων ἢ κράτη παρέξιμεν .
ἀλλ᾿ ἐννοεῖν χρὴ τοῦτο μὲν γυναῖχ᾿ ὅτι
ἔφυμεν , ὡς πρὸς ἄνδρας οὐ μαχουμένα ·
ἔπειτα δ᾿ οὕνεκ᾿ ἀρχόμεσθ᾿ ἐκ κρεισσόνων
καὶ ταῦτ᾿ ἀκούειν κἄτι τῶνδ᾿ ἀλγίονα .
65 ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν αἰτοῦσα τοὺς ὑπὸ χθονὸς
ξύγγνοιαν ἴσχειν , ὡς βιάζομαι τάδε ,
τοῖς ἐν τέλει βεβῶσι πείσομαι . τὸ γὰρ
περισσὰ πράσσειν οὐκ ἔχει νοῦν οὐδένα .
οἴμοι · φρόνησον , ὦ κασιγνήτη , πατὴρ
50 ὡς νῷν ἀπεχθὴς δυσκλεής τ᾿ ἀπώλετο
πρὸς αὐτοφώρων ἀμπλακημάτων , διπλᾶς
ὄψεις ἀράξας αὐτὸς αὐτουργῷ χερί ·
ἔπειτα μήτηρ καὶ γυνή , διπλοῦν ἔπος ,
πλεκταῖσιν ἀρτάναισι λωβᾶται βίον ·
55 τρίτον δ᾿ ἀδελφὼ δύο μίαν καθ᾿ ἡμέραν
αὐτοκτονοῦντε τὼ ταλαιπώρω μόρον
κοινὸν κατειργάσαντ᾿ ἐπαλλήλοιν χεροῖν .
νῦν δ᾿ αὖ μόνα δὴ νὼ λελειμμένα σκόπει
ὅσῳ κάκιστ᾿ ὀλούμεθ᾿ , εἰ νόμου βίᾳ
60 ψῆφον τυράννων ἢ κράτη παρέξιμεν .
ἀλλ᾿ ἐννοεῖν χρὴ τοῦτο μὲν γυναῖχ᾿ ὅτι
ἔφυμεν , ὡς πρὸς ἄνδρας οὐ μαχουμένα ·
ἔπειτα δ᾿ οὕνεκ᾿ ἀρχόμεσθ᾿ ἐκ κρεισσόνων
καὶ ταῦτ᾿ ἀκούειν κἄτι τῶνδ᾿ ἀλγίονα .
65 ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν αἰτοῦσα τοὺς ὑπὸ χθονὸς
ξύγγνοιαν ἴσχειν , ὡς βιάζομαι τάδε ,
τοῖς ἐν τέλει βεβῶσι πείσομαι . τὸ γὰρ
περισσὰ πράσσειν οὐκ ἔχει νοῦν οὐδένα .
ISMENE
:
Oh my sister , think— 60
think how our own father died , hated ,
his reputation in ruins , driven on
by the crimes he brought to light himself
to gouge out his eyes with his own hands—
then mother . . . his mother and wife , both in one , 65
mutilating her life in the twisted noose—
and last , our two brothers dead in a single day ,
both shedding their own blood , poor suffering boys ,
battling out their common destiny hand-to-hand .
Now look at the two of us , left so alone . . . 70
think what a death we ' ll die , the worst of all
if we violate the laws and override
the fixed decree of the throne , its power—
we must be sensible . Remember we are women ,
we ' re not born to contend with men . Then too , 75
we ' re underlings , ruled by much stronger hands ,
so we must submit in this , and things still worse .
I , for one , I ' ll beg the dead to forgive me—
I ' m forced , I have no choice—I must obey
the ones who stand in power . Why rush to extremes ? 80
It ' s madness , madness .
Oh my sister , think— 60
think how our own father died , hated ,
his reputation in ruins , driven on
by the crimes he brought to light himself
to gouge out his eyes with his own hands—
then mother . . . his mother and wife , both in one , 65
mutilating her life in the twisted noose—
and last , our two brothers dead in a single day ,
both shedding their own blood , poor suffering boys ,
battling out their common destiny hand-to-hand .
Now look at the two of us , left so alone . . . 70
think what a death we ' ll die , the worst of all
if we violate the laws and override
the fixed decree of the throne , its power—
we must be sensible . Remember we are women ,
we ' re not born to contend with men . Then too , 75
we ' re underlings , ruled by much stronger hands ,
so we must submit in this , and things still worse .
I , for one , I ' ll beg the dead to forgive me—
I ' m forced , I have no choice—I must obey
the ones who stand in power . Why rush to extremes ? 80
It ' s madness , madness .
Antigone ll.69-99
Cook, Jeanna / Antigone
- Created on 2017-05-03 19:33:12
- Modified on 2017-05-03 19:56:24
- Translated by Robert Fagles
- Aligned by Cook, Jeanna
Ἑλληνική Transliterate
English
ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΗ
οὔτ᾿ ἂν κελεύσαιμ᾿ οὔτ᾿ ἄν , εἰ θέλοις ἔτι
70 πράσσειν , ἐμοῦ γ᾿ ἂν ἡδέως δρῴης μέτα .
ἀλλ᾿ ἴσθ᾿ ὁποία σοι δοκεῖ , κεῖνον δ᾿ ἐγὼ
θάψω . καλόν μοι τοῦτο ποιούσῃ θανεῖν .
φίλη μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ κείσομαι , φίλου μέτα ,
ὅσια πανουργήσασ᾿ · ἐπεὶ πλείων χρόνος
75 ὃν δεῖ μ᾿ ἀρέσκειν τοῖς κάτω τῶν ἐνθάδε ·
ἐκεῖ γὰρ αἰεὶ κείσομαι . σὺ δ᾿ εἰ δοκεῖ
τὰ τῶν θεῶν ἔντιμ᾿ ἀτιμάσασ᾿ ἔχε .
ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
ἐγὼ μὲν οὐκ ἄτιμα ποιοῦμαι , τὸ δὲ
βίᾳ πολιτῶν δρᾶν ἔφυν ἀμήχανος .
ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΗ
80 σὺ μὲν τάδ᾿ ἂν προὔχοι᾿ · ἐγὼ δὲ δὴ τάφον
χώσουσ᾿ ἀδελφῷ φιλτάτῳ πορεύσομαι .
ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
οἴμοι , ταλαίνης ὡς ὑπερδέδοικά σου .
ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΗ
μὴ ᾿μοῦ προτάρβει · τὸν σὸν ἐξόρθου πότμον .
ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
ἀλλ᾿ οὖν προμηνύσῃς γε τοῦτο μηδενὶ
85 τοὔργον , κρυφῇ δὲ κεῦθε , σὺν δ᾿ αὔτως ἐγώ .
ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΗ
οἴμοι , καταύδα · πολλὸν ἐχθίων ἔσῃ
σιγῶσ᾿ , ἐὰν μὴ πᾶσι κηρύξῃς τάδε .
ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
θερμὴν ἐπὶ ψυχροῖσι καρδίαν ἔχεις .
ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΗ
ἀλλ᾿ οἶδ᾿ ἀρέσκουσ᾿ οἷς μάλισθ᾿ ἁδεῖν με χρή .
ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
90 εἰ καὶ δυνήσῃ γ᾿ · ἀλλ᾿ ἀμηχάνων ἐρᾷς .
ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΗ
οὐκοῦν , ὅταν δὴ μὴ σθένω , πεπαύσομαι .
ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
ἀρχὴν δὲ θηρᾶν οὐ πρέπει τἀμήχανα .
ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΗ
εἰ ταῦτα λέξεις , ἐχθαρῇ μὲν ἐξ ἐμοῦ ,
ἐχθρὰ δὲ τῷ θανόντι προσκείσῃ δίκῃ .
95 ἀλλ᾿ ἔα με καὶ τὴν ἐξ ἐμοῦ δυσβουλίαν
παθεῖν τὸ δεινὸν τοῦτο · πείσομαι γὰρ οὖν
τοσοῦτον οὐδὲν ὥστε μὴ οὐ καλῶς θανεῖν .
ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
ἀλλ᾿ εἰ δοκεῖ σοι , στεῖχε · τοῦτο δ᾿ ἴσθ᾿ , ὅτι
ἄνους μὲν ἔρχῃ , τοῖς φίλοις δ᾿ ὀρθῶς φίλη .
οὔτ᾿ ἂν κελεύσαιμ᾿ οὔτ᾿ ἄν , εἰ θέλοις ἔτι
70 πράσσειν , ἐμοῦ γ᾿ ἂν ἡδέως δρῴης μέτα .
ἀλλ᾿ ἴσθ᾿ ὁποία σοι δοκεῖ , κεῖνον δ᾿ ἐγὼ
θάψω . καλόν μοι τοῦτο ποιούσῃ θανεῖν .
φίλη μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ κείσομαι , φίλου μέτα ,
ὅσια πανουργήσασ᾿ · ἐπεὶ πλείων χρόνος
75 ὃν δεῖ μ᾿ ἀρέσκειν τοῖς κάτω τῶν ἐνθάδε ·
ἐκεῖ γὰρ αἰεὶ κείσομαι . σὺ δ᾿ εἰ δοκεῖ
τὰ τῶν θεῶν ἔντιμ᾿ ἀτιμάσασ᾿ ἔχε .
ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
ἐγὼ μὲν οὐκ ἄτιμα ποιοῦμαι , τὸ δὲ
βίᾳ πολιτῶν δρᾶν ἔφυν ἀμήχανος .
ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΗ
80 σὺ μὲν τάδ᾿ ἂν προὔχοι᾿ · ἐγὼ δὲ δὴ τάφον
χώσουσ᾿ ἀδελφῷ φιλτάτῳ πορεύσομαι .
ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
οἴμοι , ταλαίνης ὡς ὑπερδέδοικά σου .
ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΗ
μὴ ᾿μοῦ προτάρβει · τὸν σὸν ἐξόρθου πότμον .
ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
ἀλλ᾿ οὖν προμηνύσῃς γε τοῦτο μηδενὶ
85 τοὔργον , κρυφῇ δὲ κεῦθε , σὺν δ᾿ αὔτως ἐγώ .
ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΗ
οἴμοι , καταύδα · πολλὸν ἐχθίων ἔσῃ
σιγῶσ᾿ , ἐὰν μὴ πᾶσι κηρύξῃς τάδε .
ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
θερμὴν ἐπὶ ψυχροῖσι καρδίαν ἔχεις .
ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΗ
ἀλλ᾿ οἶδ᾿ ἀρέσκουσ᾿ οἷς μάλισθ᾿ ἁδεῖν με χρή .
ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
90 εἰ καὶ δυνήσῃ γ᾿ · ἀλλ᾿ ἀμηχάνων ἐρᾷς .
ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΗ
οὐκοῦν , ὅταν δὴ μὴ σθένω , πεπαύσομαι .
ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
ἀρχὴν δὲ θηρᾶν οὐ πρέπει τἀμήχανα .
ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΗ
εἰ ταῦτα λέξεις , ἐχθαρῇ μὲν ἐξ ἐμοῦ ,
ἐχθρὰ δὲ τῷ θανόντι προσκείσῃ δίκῃ .
95 ἀλλ᾿ ἔα με καὶ τὴν ἐξ ἐμοῦ δυσβουλίαν
παθεῖν τὸ δεινὸν τοῦτο · πείσομαι γὰρ οὖν
τοσοῦτον οὐδὲν ὥστε μὴ οὐ καλῶς θανεῖν .
ΙΣΜΗΝΗ
ἀλλ᾿ εἰ δοκεῖ σοι , στεῖχε · τοῦτο δ᾿ ἴσθ᾿ , ὅτι
ἄνους μὲν ἔρχῃ , τοῖς φίλοις δ᾿ ὀρθῶς φίλη .
ANTIGONE
:
I won ' t insist ,
no , even if you should have a change of heart ,
I ' d never welcome you in the labor , not with me .
So , do as you like , whatever suits you best—
I will bury him myself .
And even if I die in the act , that death will be a glory .
I will lie with the one I love and loved by him—
an outrage sacred to the gods ! I have longer
to please the dead than please the living here :
in the kingdom down below I ' ll lie forever .
Do as you like , dishonor the laws
the gods hold in honor .
ISMENE :
I ' d do them no dishonor . . .
but defy the city ? I have no strength for that .
ANTIGONE :
You have your excuses . I am on my way ,
I will raise a mound for him , for my dear brother
ISMENE :
Oh Antigone , you ' re so rash—I ' m so afraid for you !
ANTIGONE :
Don ' t fear for me . Set your own life in order .
ISMENE :
Then don ' t , at least , blurt this out to anyone .
Keep it a secret . I ' ll join you in that , I promise .
ANTIGONE :
Dear god , shout it from the rooftops . I ' ll hate you
all the more for silence—tell the world !
ISMENE :
So fiery—and it ought to chill your heart .
ANTIGONE :
I know I please where I must please the most .
ISMENE :
Yes , if you can , but you ' re in love with impossibility .
ANTIGONE :
Very well then , once my strength gives out
I will be done at last .
ISMENE :
You ' re wrong from the start ,
you ' re off on a hopeless quest .
ANTIGONE :
If you say so , you will make me hate you ,
and the hatred of the dead , by all rights ,
will haunt you night and day .
But leave me to my own absurdity , leave me
to suffer this—dreadful thing . I will suffer
nothing as great as death without glory .
ISMENE :
Then go if you must , but rest assured ,
wild , irrational as you are , my sister ,
you are truly dear to the ones who love you .
I won ' t insist ,
no , even if you should have a change of heart ,
I ' d never welcome you in the labor , not with me .
So , do as you like , whatever suits you best—
I will bury him myself .
And even if I die in the act , that death will be a glory .
I will lie with the one I love and loved by him—
an outrage sacred to the gods ! I have longer
to please the dead than please the living here :
in the kingdom down below I ' ll lie forever .
Do as you like , dishonor the laws
the gods hold in honor .
ISMENE :
I ' d do them no dishonor . . .
but defy the city ? I have no strength for that .
ANTIGONE :
You have your excuses . I am on my way ,
I will raise a mound for him , for my dear brother
ISMENE :
Oh Antigone , you ' re so rash—I ' m so afraid for you !
ANTIGONE :
Don ' t fear for me . Set your own life in order .
ISMENE :
Then don ' t , at least , blurt this out to anyone .
Keep it a secret . I ' ll join you in that , I promise .
ANTIGONE :
Dear god , shout it from the rooftops . I ' ll hate you
all the more for silence—tell the world !
ISMENE :
So fiery—and it ought to chill your heart .
ANTIGONE :
I know I please where I must please the most .
ISMENE :
Yes , if you can , but you ' re in love with impossibility .
ANTIGONE :
Very well then , once my strength gives out
I will be done at last .
ISMENE :
You ' re wrong from the start ,
you ' re off on a hopeless quest .
ANTIGONE :
If you say so , you will make me hate you ,
and the hatred of the dead , by all rights ,
will haunt you night and day .
But leave me to my own absurdity , leave me
to suffer this—dreadful thing . I will suffer
nothing as great as death without glory .
ISMENE :
Then go if you must , but rest assured ,
wild , irrational as you are , my sister ,
you are truly dear to the ones who love you .