Jessica Manly
Augustana College
Bacchae Lines 1-9
Jessica Manly /
- Created on 2021-02-22 02:12:43
- Modified on 2021-02-23 15:26:51
- Aligned by Jessica Manly
Ἑλληνική Transliterate
English
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 .
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 .
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 .
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 .
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 .
Bacchae Lines 13-22
Jessica Manly /
- Created on 2021-03-01 03:03:43
- Modified on 2021-03-02 04:26:02
- Aligned by Jessica Manly
Ἑλληνική Transliterate
English
λιπὼν δὲ Λυδῶν τοὺς πολυχρύσους γύας
Φρυγῶν τε , Περσῶν θ᾽ ἡλιοβλήτους πλάκας
Βάκτριά τε τείχη τήν τε δύσχιμον χθόνα
Μήδων ἐπελθὼν Ἀραβίαν τ᾽ εὐδαίμονα
Ἀσίαν τε πᾶσαν , ἣ παρ᾽ ἁλμυρὰν ἅλα
κεῖται μιγάσιν Ἕλλησι βαρβάροις θ᾽ ὁμοῦ
πλήρεις ἔχουσα καλλιπυργώτους πόλεις ,
ἐς τήνδε πρῶτον ἦλθον Ἑλλήνων πόλιν ,
τἀκεῖ χορεύσας καὶ καταστήσας ἐμὰς
τελετάς , ἵν᾽ εἴην ἐμφανὴς δαίμων βροτοῖς .
Φρυγῶν τε , Περσῶν θ᾽ ἡλιοβλήτους πλάκας
Βάκτριά τε τείχη τήν τε δύσχιμον χθόνα
Μήδων ἐπελθὼν Ἀραβίαν τ᾽ εὐδαίμονα
Ἀσίαν τε πᾶσαν , ἣ παρ᾽ ἁλμυρὰν ἅλα
κεῖται μιγάσιν Ἕλλησι βαρβάροις θ᾽ ὁμοῦ
πλήρεις ἔχουσα καλλιπυργώτους πόλεις ,
ἐς τήνδε πρῶτον ἦλθον Ἑλλήνων πόλιν ,
τἀκεῖ χορεύσας καὶ καταστήσας ἐμὰς
τελετάς , ἵν᾽ εἴην ἐμφανὴς δαίμων βροτοῖς .
I’ve
left
the
fabulously
wealthy
East
,
lands of Lydians and Phrygians ,
Persia’s sun-drenched plains , walled towns in Bactria .
I’ve moved across the bleak lands of the Medes ,
through rich Arabia , all Asian lands ,
along the salt-sea coast , through those towns
with their beautifully constructed towers ,
full of barbarians and Greeks all intermingled .
Now I’ve come to Thebes , city of Greeks ,
only after I’ve set those eastern lands
dancing in the mysteries I established ,
making known to men my own divinity .
lands of Lydians and Phrygians ,
Persia’s sun-drenched plains , walled towns in Bactria .
I’ve moved across the bleak lands of the Medes ,
through rich Arabia , all Asian lands ,
along the salt-sea coast , through those towns
with their beautifully constructed towers ,
full of barbarians and Greeks all intermingled .
Now I’ve come to Thebes , city of Greeks ,
only after I’ve set those eastern lands
dancing in the mysteries I established ,
making known to men my own divinity .
Bacchae Lines 34-46
Jessica Manly /
- Created on 2021-03-15 01:18:27
- Modified on 2021-03-15 01:55:39
- Aligned by Jessica Manly
Ἑλληνική Transliterate
English
σκευήν τ᾽ ἔχειν ἠνάγκασ᾽ ὀργίων ἐμῶν ,
καὶ πᾶν τὸ θῆλυ σπέρμα Καδμείων , ὅσαι
γυναῖκες ἦσαν , ἐξέμηνα δωμάτων :
ὁμοῦ δὲ Κάδμου παισὶν ἀναμεμειγμέναι
χλωραῖς ὑπ᾽ ἐλάταις ἀνορόφοις ἧνται πέτραις .
δεῖ γὰρ πόλιν τήνδ᾽ ἐκμαθεῖν , κεἰ μὴ θέλει ,
ἀτέλεστον οὖσαν τῶν ἐμῶν βακχευμάτων ,
Σεμέλης τε μητρὸς ἀπολογήσασθαί μ᾽ ὕπερ
φανέντα θνητοῖς δαίμον᾽ ὃν τίκτει Διί .
Κάδμος μὲν οὖν γέρας τε καὶ τυραννίδα
Πενθεῖ δίδωσι θυγατρὸς ἐκπεφυκότι ,
ὃς θεομαχεῖ τὰ κατ ' ἐμὲ καὶ σπονδῶν ἄπο
ὠθεῖ μ ' ἐν εὐχαῖς τ ' οὐδαμοῦ μνείαν ἔχει .
καὶ πᾶν τὸ θῆλυ σπέρμα Καδμείων , ὅσαι
γυναῖκες ἦσαν , ἐξέμηνα δωμάτων :
ὁμοῦ δὲ Κάδμου παισὶν ἀναμεμειγμέναι
χλωραῖς ὑπ᾽ ἐλάταις ἀνορόφοις ἧνται πέτραις .
δεῖ γὰρ πόλιν τήνδ᾽ ἐκμαθεῖν , κεἰ μὴ θέλει ,
ἀτέλεστον οὖσαν τῶν ἐμῶν βακχευμάτων ,
Σεμέλης τε μητρὸς ἀπολογήσασθαί μ᾽ ὕπερ
φανέντα θνητοῖς δαίμον᾽ ὃν τίκτει Διί .
Κάδμος μὲν οὖν γέρας τε καὶ τυραννίδα
Πενθεῖ δίδωσι θυγατρὸς ἐκπεφυκότι ,
ὃς θεομαχεῖ τὰ κατ ' ἐμὲ καὶ σπονδῶν ἄπο
ὠθεῖ μ ' ἐν εὐχαῖς τ ' οὐδαμοῦ μνείαν ἔχει .
Because
of
that
offense
I have stung them with frenzy , hounded them from home
up to the mountains where they wander , crazed of mind ,
and compelled to wear my orgies ' livery .
Every woman in Thebes — but the women only ;
I drove from home , mad . There they sit ,
rich and poor alike , even the daughters of Cadmus ,
beneath the silver firs on the roofless rocks .
Like it or not , this city must learn its lesson :
it lacks initiation in my mysteries ;
that I shall vindicate my mother Semele
and stand revealed to mortal eyes as the god
she bore to Zeus .
Cadmus the king has abdicated ,
leaving his throne and power to his grandson Pentheus ;
who now revolts against divinity , in me ;
thrusts me from his offerings ; forgets my name
in his prayers :
I have stung them with frenzy , hounded them from home
up to the mountains where they wander , crazed of mind ,
and compelled to wear my orgies ' livery .
Every woman in Thebes — but the women only ;
I drove from home , mad . There they sit ,
rich and poor alike , even the daughters of Cadmus ,
beneath the silver firs on the roofless rocks .
Like it or not , this city must learn its lesson :
it lacks initiation in my mysteries ;
that I shall vindicate my mother Semele
and stand revealed to mortal eyes as the god
she bore to Zeus .
Cadmus the king has abdicated ,
leaving his throne and power to his grandson Pentheus ;
who now revolts against divinity , in me ;
thrusts me from his offerings ; forgets my name
in his prayers :