Shawn Geison
Augustana College
Bacchae
Shawn Geison /
- Created on 2021-02-23 19:38:00
- Modified on 2021-02-23 20:17:15
- Aligned by Shawn Geison
Bacchae
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 2
Shawn Geison /
- Created on 2021-03-02 05:48:38
- Modified on 2021-03-05 02:07:58
- Aligned by Shawn Geison
Ἑλληνική Transliterate
English
λιπὼν δὲ Λυδῶν τοὺς πολυχρύσους γύας
Φρυγῶν τε , Περσῶν θ᾽ ἡλιοβλήτους πλάκας
Βάκτριά τε τείχη τήν τε δύσχιμον χθόνα 15
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 , 20
τἀκεῖ χορεύσας καὶ καταστήσας ἐμὰς
τελετάς , ἵν᾽ εἴην ἐμφανὴς δαίμων βροτοῖς .
Φρυγῶν τε , Περσῶν θ᾽ ἡλιοβλήτους πλάκας
Βάκτριά τε τείχη τήν τε δύσχιμον χθόνα 15
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 , 20
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 3
Shawn Geison /
- Created on 2021-03-09 03:20:26
- Modified on 2021-03-09 20:21:42
- Aligned by Shawn Geison
Ἑλληνική Transliterate
English
πρώτας δὲ Θήβας τῆσδε γῆς Ἑλληνίδος
ἀνωλόλυξα , νεβρίδ᾽ ἐξάψας χροὸς
θύρσον τε δοὺς ἐς χεῖρα , κίσσινον βέλος : 25
ἐπεί μ᾽ ἀδελφαὶ μητρός , ἃς ἥκιστα χρῆν ,
Διόνυσον οὐκ ἔφασκον ἐκφῦναι Διός ,
Σεμέλην δὲ νυμφευθεῖσαν ἐκ θνητοῦ τινος
ἐς Ζῆν᾽ ἀναφέρειν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν λέχους ,
Κάδμου σοφίσμαθ᾽ , ὧν νιν οὕνεκα κτανεῖν 30
Ζῆν᾽ ἐξεκαυχῶνθ᾽ , ὅτι γάμους ἐψεύσατο .
τοιγάρ νιν αὐτὰς ἐκ δόμων ᾤστρησ᾽ ἐγὼ
μανίαις , ὄρος δ᾽ οἰκοῦσι παράκοποι φρενῶν :
ἀνωλόλυξα , νεβρίδ᾽ ἐξάψας χροὸς
θύρσον τε δοὺς ἐς χεῖρα , κίσσινον βέλος : 25
ἐπεί μ᾽ ἀδελφαὶ μητρός , ἃς ἥκιστα χρῆν ,
Διόνυσον οὐκ ἔφασκον ἐκφῦναι Διός ,
Σεμέλην δὲ νυμφευθεῖσαν ἐκ θνητοῦ τινος
ἐς Ζῆν᾽ ἀναφέρειν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν λέχους ,
Κάδμου σοφίσμαθ᾽ , ὧν νιν οὕνεκα κτανεῖν 30
Ζῆν᾽ ἐξεκαυχῶνθ᾽ , ὅτι γάμους ἐψεύσατο .
τοιγάρ νιν αὐτὰς ἐκ δόμων ᾤστρησ᾽ ἐγὼ
μανίαις , ὄρος δ᾽ οἰκοῦσι παράκοποι φρενῶν :
Thebes
is
the
first
city
of
the
Greeks
where I’ve roused people to shout out my cries ,
with this deerskin draped around my body ,
this ivy spear , a thyrsus , in my hand .
For my mother’s sisters have acted badly ,
something they , of all people , should avoid .
They boasted aloud that I , Dionysus ,
was no child of Zeus , claiming Semele ,
once she was pregnant by some mortal man ,
attributed her bad luck in bed to Zeus ,
a story made up ( they said ) to trick Cadmus .
Those sisters state that is why Zeus killed her ,
because she lied about the man she’d slept with .
So I’ve driven those women from their homes
in a frenzy — they now live in the mountains ,
out of their minds .
where I’ve roused people to shout out my cries ,
with this deerskin draped around my body ,
this ivy spear , a thyrsus , in my hand .
For my mother’s sisters have acted badly ,
something they , of all people , should avoid .
They boasted aloud that I , Dionysus ,
was no child of Zeus , claiming Semele ,
once she was pregnant by some mortal man ,
attributed her bad luck in bed to Zeus ,
a story made up ( they said ) to trick Cadmus .
Those sisters state that is why Zeus killed her ,
because she lied about the man she’d slept with .
So I’ve driven those women from their homes
in a frenzy — they now live in the mountains ,
out of their minds .
Bacchae 4
Shawn Geison /
- Created on 2021-03-16 18:40:14
- Modified on 2021-03-16 19:09:04
- Aligned by Shawn Geison
Ainu
Ainu
σκευήν τ᾽ ἔχειν ἠνάγκασ᾽ ὀργίων ἐμῶν ,
καὶ πᾶν τὸ θῆλυ σπέρμα Καδμείων , ὅσαι 35
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 , 40
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 45
ὠθεῖ μ᾽ , ἐν εὐχαῖς τ᾽ οὐδαμοῦ μνείαν ἔχει .
καὶ πᾶν τὸ θῆλυ σπέρμα Καδμείων , ὅσαι 35
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 , 40
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 45
ὠθεῖ μ᾽ , ἐν εὐχαῖς τ᾽ οὐδαμοῦ μνείαν ἔχει .
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
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