Francesco Mambrini / Antigone, Second Stasimon (583-625). Trans. by E.R. Dodds (1951: 49-50)
University Of Leipzig
Antigone, Second Stasimon
Francesco Mambrini / Antigone, Second Stasimon (583-625). Trans. by E.R. Dodds (1951: 49-50)
- Created on 2017-07-02 16:07:42
- Modified on 2017-07-02 20:14:35
- Aligned by Francesco Mambrini
Translated by E.R. Dodds (1951). The Greek text is tentatively identified with the OCT edition of Pearson
English
Ἑλληνική Transliterate
Blessed is he whose life has not tasted of evil .
When God has shaken a house , the winds of madness ,
Lash its breed till the breed is done :
Even so the deep-sea well
Raked by wicked Thracian winds
Scours in its running the subaqueous darkness ,
Churns the silt back from sea-bottom ;
And the windy cliffs roar as they take its shock .
Here on the Labdacid house long we watched it piling ,
Trouble on dead men ' s trouble : no generation
Frees the next from the stroke of God :
Deliverance does not come .
The final branch of Oedipus
Grew in his house , and a lightness hung above it :
To-day they reap with Death ' s red sickle ,
The unwise mouth and the temper who sits in the brain
The power of God man ' s arrogance shall not limit :
Sleep who takes all in his net takes not this ,
Nor the unflagging months of Heaven – ageless the Master
Holds for ever the shimmering courts of Olympus .
For time approaching , and time thereafter ,
And time forgotten , one rule stans :
That greatness never
Shall touch the life of man without destruction .
Hope goes fast and far : to many it carries comfort ,
To many it is but the trick of light-witted desire–
Blind we walk , till the unseen flame has trapped our footsteps .
For old anonymous wisdom has left us a saying
" Of a mind that God leads to destruction
The sign is this – that in the end
Its good is evil . "
Not long shall that mind evade destruction .
When God has shaken a house , the winds of madness ,
Lash its breed till the breed is done :
Even so the deep-sea well
Raked by wicked Thracian winds
Scours in its running the subaqueous darkness ,
Churns the silt back from sea-bottom ;
And the windy cliffs roar as they take its shock .
Here on the Labdacid house long we watched it piling ,
Trouble on dead men ' s trouble : no generation
Frees the next from the stroke of God :
Deliverance does not come .
The final branch of Oedipus
Grew in his house , and a lightness hung above it :
To-day they reap with Death ' s red sickle ,
The unwise mouth and the temper who sits in the brain
The power of God man ' s arrogance shall not limit :
Sleep who takes all in his net takes not this ,
Nor the unflagging months of Heaven – ageless the Master
Holds for ever the shimmering courts of Olympus .
For time approaching , and time thereafter ,
And time forgotten , one rule stans :
That greatness never
Shall touch the life of man without destruction .
Hope goes fast and far : to many it carries comfort ,
To many it is but the trick of light-witted desire–
Blind we walk , till the unseen flame has trapped our footsteps .
For old anonymous wisdom has left us a saying
" Of a mind that God leads to destruction
The sign is this – that in the end
Its good is evil . "
Not long shall that mind evade destruction .
εὐδαίμονες
οἷσι
κακῶν
ἄγευστος
αἰών
.
οἷς γὰρ ἂν σεισθῇ θεόθεν δόμος , ἄτας
οὐδὲν ἐλλείπει γενεᾶς ἐπὶ πλῆθος ἕρπον ·
ὅμοιον ὥστε πόντιον
οἶδμα δυσπνόοις ὅταν
Θρῄσσῃσιν ἔρεβος ὕφαλον ἐπιδράμῃ πνοαῖς ,
κυλίνδει βυσσόθεν κελαινὰν
θῖνα καὶ δυσάνεμοι
στόνῳ βρέμουσι ἀντιπλῆγες ἀκταί .
ἀρχαῖα τὰ Λαβδακιδᾶν οἴκων ὁρῶμαι
πήματα φθιμένων ἐπὶ πήμασι πίπτοντʼ ,
οὐδʼ ἀπαλλάσσει γενεὰν γένος , ἀλλʼ ἐρείπει
θεῶν τις , οὐδʼ ἔχει λύσιν .
νῦν γὰρ ἐσχάτας ὕπερ
ῥίζας ἐτέτατο φάος ἐν Οἰδίπου δόμοις ·
κατʼ αὖ νιν φοινία θεῶν τῶν
νερτέρων ἀμᾷ κοπίς ,
λόγου τʼ ἄνοια καὶ φρενῶν Ἐρινύς .
τεάν , Ζεῦ , δύνασιν τίς ἀνδρῶν ὑπερβασία κατάσχοι ;
τὰν οὔθʼ ὕπνος αἱρεῖ ποθʼ ὁ παντoγήρως ,
οὔτ ' ἀκάματοι θεῶν
μῆνες , ἀγήρως δὲ χρόνῳ δυνάστας
κατέχεις Ὀλύμπου
μαρμαρόεσσαν αἴγλαν .
τό τʼ ἔπειτα καὶ τὸ μέλλον
καὶ τὸ πρὶν ἐπαρκέσει
νόμος ὅδʼ · οὐδὲν ἕρπει
θνατῶν βιότῳ πάμπολύ γʼ ἐκτὸς ἄτας .
ἁ γὰρ δὴ πολύπλαγκτος ἐλπὶς πολλοῖς μὲν ὄνασις ἀνδρῶν ,
πολλοῖς δʼ ἀπάτα κουφονόων ἐρώτων ·
εἰδότι δʼ οὐδὲν ἕρπει ,
πρὶν πυρὶ θερμῷ πόδα τις προσαύσῃ .
σοφίᾳ γὰρ ἔκ του
κλεινὸν ἔπος πέφανται ,
τὸ κακὸν δοκεῖν ποτʼ ἐσθλὸν
τῷδʼ ἔμμεν ὅτῳ φρένας
θεὸς ἄγει πρὸς ἄταν ·
πράσσει δʼ ὀλίγιστον χρόνον ἐκτὸς ἄτας .
οἷς γὰρ ἂν σεισθῇ θεόθεν δόμος , ἄτας
οὐδὲν ἐλλείπει γενεᾶς ἐπὶ πλῆθος ἕρπον ·
ὅμοιον ὥστε πόντιον
οἶδμα δυσπνόοις ὅταν
Θρῄσσῃσιν ἔρεβος ὕφαλον ἐπιδράμῃ πνοαῖς ,
κυλίνδει βυσσόθεν κελαινὰν
θῖνα καὶ δυσάνεμοι
στόνῳ βρέμουσι ἀντιπλῆγες ἀκταί .
ἀρχαῖα τὰ Λαβδακιδᾶν οἴκων ὁρῶμαι
πήματα φθιμένων ἐπὶ πήμασι πίπτοντʼ ,
οὐδʼ ἀπαλλάσσει γενεὰν γένος , ἀλλʼ ἐρείπει
θεῶν τις , οὐδʼ ἔχει λύσιν .
νῦν γὰρ ἐσχάτας ὕπερ
ῥίζας ἐτέτατο φάος ἐν Οἰδίπου δόμοις ·
κατʼ αὖ νιν φοινία θεῶν τῶν
νερτέρων ἀμᾷ κοπίς ,
λόγου τʼ ἄνοια καὶ φρενῶν Ἐρινύς .
τεάν , Ζεῦ , δύνασιν τίς ἀνδρῶν ὑπερβασία κατάσχοι ;
τὰν οὔθʼ ὕπνος αἱρεῖ ποθʼ ὁ παντoγήρως ,
οὔτ ' ἀκάματοι θεῶν
μῆνες , ἀγήρως δὲ χρόνῳ δυνάστας
κατέχεις Ὀλύμπου
μαρμαρόεσσαν αἴγλαν .
τό τʼ ἔπειτα καὶ τὸ μέλλον
καὶ τὸ πρὶν ἐπαρκέσει
νόμος ὅδʼ · οὐδὲν ἕρπει
θνατῶν βιότῳ πάμπολύ γʼ ἐκτὸς ἄτας .
ἁ γὰρ δὴ πολύπλαγκτος ἐλπὶς πολλοῖς μὲν ὄνασις ἀνδρῶν ,
πολλοῖς δʼ ἀπάτα κουφονόων ἐρώτων ·
εἰδότι δʼ οὐδὲν ἕρπει ,
πρὶν πυρὶ θερμῷ πόδα τις προσαύσῃ .
σοφίᾳ γὰρ ἔκ του
κλεινὸν ἔπος πέφανται ,
τὸ κακὸν δοκεῖν ποτʼ ἐσθλὸν
τῷδʼ ἔμμεν ὅτῳ φρένας
θεὸς ἄγει πρὸς ἄταν ·
πράσσει δʼ ὀλίγιστον χρόνον ἐκτὸς ἄτας .
Antigone, Second Stasimon (tr. Jebb)
Francesco Mambrini / Antigone, Second Stasimon (583-625). Trans. by E.R. Dodds (1951: 49-50)
- Created on 2017-07-04 13:03:14
- Modified on 2017-07-04 13:26:07
- Aligned by Francesco Mambrini
Translation by R.C. Jebb. The text is also taken from Jebb's edition
Ἑλληνική Transliterate
English
εὐδαίμονες οἷσι κακῶν ἄγευστος αἰών ·
οἷς γὰρ ἂν σεισθῇ θεόθεν δόμος , ἄτας
οὐδὲν ἐλλείπει , γενεᾶς ἐπὶ πλῆθος ἕρπον ·
ὅμοιον ὥστε ποντίας οἶδμα δυσπνόοις ὅταν
Θρῄσσαισιν ἔρεβος ὕφαλον ἐπιδράμῃ πνοαῖς ,
κυλίνδει βυσσόθεν κελαινὰν θῖνα , καὶ
δυσάνεμοι στόνῳ βρέμουσιν ἀντιπλῆγες ἀκταί .
ἀρχαῖα τὰ Λαβδακιδᾶν οἴκων ὁρῶμαι
πήματα φθιτῶν ἐπὶ πήμασι πίπτοντ ' ,
οὐδ ' ἀπαλλάσσει γενεὰν γένος , ἀλλ ' ἐρείπει
θεῶν τις , οὐδ ' ἔχει λύσιν . νῦν γὰρ ἐσχάτας ὑπὲρ
ῥίζας ὃ τέτατο φάος ἐν Οἰδίπου δόμοις ,
κατ ' αὖ νιν φοινία θεῶν τῶν νερτέρων
ἀμᾷ κόνις , λόγου τ ' ἄνοια καὶ φρενῶν ἐρινύς .
τεάν , Ζεῦ , δύνασιν τίς ἀνδρῶν ὑπερβασία κατάσχοι ;
τὰν οὔθ ' ὕπνος αἱρεῖ ποθ ' ὁ πάντ ἀγρεύων ,
οὔτε θεῶν ἀκάματοι μῆνες , ἀγήρως δὲ χρόνῳ
δυνάστας κατέχεις Ὀλύμπου μαρμαρόεσσαν αἴγλαν .
τό τ ' ἔπειτα καὶ τὸ μέλλον
καὶ τὸ πρὶν ἐπαρκέσει
νόμος ὅδ ' · οὐδὲν ἕρπει
θνατῶν βιότῳ πάμπολύ γ ' ἐκτὸς ἄτας .
ἁ γὰρ δὴ πολύπλαγκτος ἐλπὶς πολλοῖς μὲν ὄνασις ἀνδρῶν ,
πολλοῖς δ ' ἀπάτα κουφονόων ἐρώτων ·
εἰδότι δ ' οὐδὲν ἕρπει , πρὶν πυρὶ θερμῷ πόδα τις
προσαύσῃ . σοφίᾳ γὰρ ἔκ του κλεινὸν ἔπος πέφανται ,
τὸ κακὸν δοκεῖν ποτ ' ἐσθλὸν
τῷδ ' ἔμμεν ὅτῳ φρένας
θεὸς ἄγει πρὸς ἄταν ·
πράσσει δ ' ὀλιγοστὸν χρόνον ἐκτὸς ἄτας .
οἷς γὰρ ἂν σεισθῇ θεόθεν δόμος , ἄτας
οὐδὲν ἐλλείπει , γενεᾶς ἐπὶ πλῆθος ἕρπον ·
ὅμοιον ὥστε ποντίας οἶδμα δυσπνόοις ὅταν
Θρῄσσαισιν ἔρεβος ὕφαλον ἐπιδράμῃ πνοαῖς ,
κυλίνδει βυσσόθεν κελαινὰν θῖνα , καὶ
δυσάνεμοι στόνῳ βρέμουσιν ἀντιπλῆγες ἀκταί .
ἀρχαῖα τὰ Λαβδακιδᾶν οἴκων ὁρῶμαι
πήματα φθιτῶν ἐπὶ πήμασι πίπτοντ ' ,
οὐδ ' ἀπαλλάσσει γενεὰν γένος , ἀλλ ' ἐρείπει
θεῶν τις , οὐδ ' ἔχει λύσιν . νῦν γὰρ ἐσχάτας ὑπὲρ
ῥίζας ὃ τέτατο φάος ἐν Οἰδίπου δόμοις ,
κατ ' αὖ νιν φοινία θεῶν τῶν νερτέρων
ἀμᾷ κόνις , λόγου τ ' ἄνοια καὶ φρενῶν ἐρινύς .
τεάν , Ζεῦ , δύνασιν τίς ἀνδρῶν ὑπερβασία κατάσχοι ;
τὰν οὔθ ' ὕπνος αἱρεῖ ποθ ' ὁ πάντ ἀγρεύων ,
οὔτε θεῶν ἀκάματοι μῆνες , ἀγήρως δὲ χρόνῳ
δυνάστας κατέχεις Ὀλύμπου μαρμαρόεσσαν αἴγλαν .
τό τ ' ἔπειτα καὶ τὸ μέλλον
καὶ τὸ πρὶν ἐπαρκέσει
νόμος ὅδ ' · οὐδὲν ἕρπει
θνατῶν βιότῳ πάμπολύ γ ' ἐκτὸς ἄτας .
ἁ γὰρ δὴ πολύπλαγκτος ἐλπὶς πολλοῖς μὲν ὄνασις ἀνδρῶν ,
πολλοῖς δ ' ἀπάτα κουφονόων ἐρώτων ·
εἰδότι δ ' οὐδὲν ἕρπει , πρὶν πυρὶ θερμῷ πόδα τις
προσαύσῃ . σοφίᾳ γὰρ ἔκ του κλεινὸν ἔπος πέφανται ,
τὸ κακὸν δοκεῖν ποτ ' ἐσθλὸν
τῷδ ' ἔμμεν ὅτῳ φρένας
θεὸς ἄγει πρὸς ἄταν ·
πράσσει δ ' ὀλιγοστὸν χρόνον ἐκτὸς ἄτας .
Blest
are
they
whose
days
have
not
tasted
of
evil
.
For
when
a
house
hath
once
been
shaken
from
heaven
,
there
the
curse
fails
nevermore
,
passing
from
life
to
life
of
the
race
;
even
as
,
when
the
surge
is
driven
over
the
darkness
of
the
deep
by
the
fierce
breath
of
Thracian
sea-winds
,
it
rolls
up
the
black
sand
from
the
depths
,
and
there
is
sullen
roar
from
wind-vexed
headlands
that
front
the
blows
of
the
storm
.
I see that from olden time the sorrows in the house of the Labdacidae are heaped upon the sorrows of the dead ; and generation is not freed by generation , but some god strikes them down , and the race hath no deliverance .
For now that hope of which the light had been spread above the last root of the house of Oedipus-that hope , in turn , is brought low--by the blood-stained dust due to the gods infernal , and by folly in speech , and frenzy at the heart .
Thy power , O Zeus , what human trespass can limit ? That power which neither Sleep , the all-ensnaring , nor the untiring months of the gods can master ; but thou , a ruler to whom time brings not old age , dwellest in the dazzling splendour of Olympus .
And through the future , near and far , as through the past , shall this law hold good : Nothing that is vast enters into the life of mortals without a curse .
For that hope whose wanderings are so wide is to many men a comfort , but to many a false lure of giddy desires ; and the disappointment comes on one who knoweth nought till he burn his foot against the hot fire .
For with wisdom hath some one given forth the famous saying , that evil seems good , soon or late , to him whose mind the god draws to mischief ; and but for the briefest space doth he fare free of woe .
I see that from olden time the sorrows in the house of the Labdacidae are heaped upon the sorrows of the dead ; and generation is not freed by generation , but some god strikes them down , and the race hath no deliverance .
For now that hope of which the light had been spread above the last root of the house of Oedipus-that hope , in turn , is brought low--by the blood-stained dust due to the gods infernal , and by folly in speech , and frenzy at the heart .
Thy power , O Zeus , what human trespass can limit ? That power which neither Sleep , the all-ensnaring , nor the untiring months of the gods can master ; but thou , a ruler to whom time brings not old age , dwellest in the dazzling splendour of Olympus .
And through the future , near and far , as through the past , shall this law hold good : Nothing that is vast enters into the life of mortals without a curse .
For that hope whose wanderings are so wide is to many men a comfort , but to many a false lure of giddy desires ; and the disappointment comes on one who knoweth nought till he burn his foot against the hot fire .
For with wisdom hath some one given forth the famous saying , that evil seems good , soon or late , to him whose mind the god draws to mischief ; and but for the briefest space doth he fare free of woe .