Ajax, 1223-1271 (English) (final part 1)
Glenn Maur / AJAX / FINAL part 1
- Created on 2018-05-02 16:43:28
- Modified on 2018-05-03 20:33:23
- Translated by Glenn Maur
- Aligned by Glenn Maur
Ἑλληνική Transliterate
English
Τεύκρος
Καὶ μὴν ἰδὼν ἔσπευσα τὸν στρατηλάτην
Ἀγαμέμνον᾽ ἡμῖν δεῦρο τόνδ᾽ ὁρμώμενον ·
δῆλος δέ μοὐστὶ σκαιὸν ἐκλύσων στόμα .
Ἀγαμέμνων
Σὲ δὴ τὰ δεινὰ ῥήματ᾽ ἀγγέλλουσί μοι
τλῆναι καθ᾽ ἡμῶν ὧδ᾽ ἀνοιμωκτὶ χανεῖν;
Σέ τοι , τὸν ἐκ τῆς αἰχμαλωτίδος λέγω ,
ἦ που τραφεὶς ἂν μητρὸς εὐγενοῦς ἄπο
ὑψήλ᾽ ἐκόμπεις κἀπ᾽ ἄκρων ὡδοιπόρεις ,
ὅτ᾽ οὐδὲν ὢν τοῦ μηδὲν ἀντέστης ὕπερ ,
κοὔτε στρατηγοὺς οὔτε ναυάρχους μολεῖν
ἡμᾶς Ἀχαιῶν οὐδὲ σοῦ διωμόσω
ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὸς ἄρχων , ὡς σὺ φής , Αἴας ἔπλει .
Ταῦτ᾽ οὐκ ἀκούειν μεγάλα πρὸς δούλων κακά;
ποίου κέκραγας ἀνδρὸς ὧδ᾽ ὑπέρφρονα;
ποῖ βάντος ἢ ποῦ στάντος οὗπερ οὐκ ἐγώ;
Οὐκ ἆρ᾽ Ἀχαιοῖς ἄνδρες εἰσὶ πλὴν ὅδε;
πικροὺς ἔοιγμεν τῶν Ἀχιλλείων ὅπλων
ἀγῶνας Ἀργείοισι κηρῦξαι τότε ,
εἰ πανταχοῦ φανούμεθ᾽ ἐκ Τεύκρου κακοί ,
κοὐκ ἀρκέσει ποθ᾽ ὑμὶν οὐδ᾽ ἡσσημένοις
εἴκειν ἃ τοῖς πολλοῖσιν ἤρεσκεν κριταῖς ,
ἀλλ᾽ αἰὲν ἡμᾶς ἢ κακοῖς βαλεῖτέ που
ἢ σὺν δόλῳ κεντήσεθ᾽ οἱ λελειμμένοι .
Ἐκ τῶνδε μέντοι τῶν τρόπων οὐκ ἄν ποτε
κατάστασις γένοιτ᾽ ἂν οὐδενὸς νόμου ,
εἰ τοὺς δίκῃ νικῶντας ἐξωθήσομεν
καὶ τοὺς ὄπισθεν εἰς τὸ πρόσθεν ἄξομεν .
Ἀλλ᾽ εἰρκτέον τάδ᾽ ἐστίν · οὐ γὰρ οἱ πλατεῖς
οὐδ᾽ εὐρύνωτοι φῶτες ἀσφαλέστατοι ,
ἀλλ᾽ οἱ φρονοῦντες εὖ κρατοῦσι πανταχοῦ .
Μέγας δὲ πλευρὰ βοῦς ὑπὸ σμικρᾶς ὅμως
μάστιγος ὀρθὸς εἰς ὁδὸν πορεύεται .
Καὶ σοὶ προσέρπον τοῦτ᾽ ἐγὼ τὸ φάρμακον
ὁρῶ τάχ᾽ , εἰ μὴ νοῦν κατακτήσει τινά ·
ὃς ἀνδρὸς οὐκέτ᾽ ὄντος , ἀλλ᾽ ἤδη σκιᾶς ,
θαρσῶν ὑβρίζεις κἀξελευθεροστομεῖς .
Οὐ σωφρονήσεις; οὐ μαθὼν ὃς εἶ φύσιν
ἄλλον τιν᾽ ἄξεις ἄνδρα δεῦρ᾽ ἐλεύθερον ,
ὅστις πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀντὶ σοῦ λέξει τὰ σά;
Σοῦ γὰρ λέγοντος οὐκέτ᾽ ἂν μάθοιμ᾽ ἐγώ ·
τὴν βάρβαρον γὰρ γλῶσσαν οὐκ ἐπαΐω .
Χορός
Εἴθ᾽ ὑμὶν ἀμφοῖν νοῦς γένοιτο σωφρονεῖν ·
τούτου γὰρ οὐδὲν σφῷν ἔχω λῷον φράσαι .
Τεύκρος
Φεῦ · τοῦ θανόντος ὡς ταχεῖά τις βροτοῖς
χάρις διαρρεῖ καὶ προδοῦσ᾽ ἁλίσκεται ,
εἰ σοῦ γ᾽ ὅδ᾽ ἁνὴρ οὐδ᾽ ἐπὶ σμικρῶν λόγων ,
Αἴας , ἔτ᾽ ἴσχει μνῆστιν , οὗ σὺ πολλάκις
τὴν σὴν προτείνων προύκαμες ψυχὴν δόρει .
Ἀλλ᾽ οἴχεται δὴ πάντα ταῦτ᾽ ἐρριμμένα .
Καὶ μὴν ἰδὼν ἔσπευσα τὸν στρατηλάτην
Ἀγαμέμνον᾽ ἡμῖν δεῦρο τόνδ᾽ ὁρμώμενον ·
δῆλος δέ μοὐστὶ σκαιὸν ἐκλύσων στόμα .
Ἀγαμέμνων
Σὲ δὴ τὰ δεινὰ ῥήματ᾽ ἀγγέλλουσί μοι
τλῆναι καθ᾽ ἡμῶν ὧδ᾽ ἀνοιμωκτὶ χανεῖν;
Σέ τοι , τὸν ἐκ τῆς αἰχμαλωτίδος λέγω ,
ἦ που τραφεὶς ἂν μητρὸς εὐγενοῦς ἄπο
ὑψήλ᾽ ἐκόμπεις κἀπ᾽ ἄκρων ὡδοιπόρεις ,
ὅτ᾽ οὐδὲν ὢν τοῦ μηδὲν ἀντέστης ὕπερ ,
κοὔτε στρατηγοὺς οὔτε ναυάρχους μολεῖν
ἡμᾶς Ἀχαιῶν οὐδὲ σοῦ διωμόσω
ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὸς ἄρχων , ὡς σὺ φής , Αἴας ἔπλει .
Ταῦτ᾽ οὐκ ἀκούειν μεγάλα πρὸς δούλων κακά;
ποίου κέκραγας ἀνδρὸς ὧδ᾽ ὑπέρφρονα;
ποῖ βάντος ἢ ποῦ στάντος οὗπερ οὐκ ἐγώ;
Οὐκ ἆρ᾽ Ἀχαιοῖς ἄνδρες εἰσὶ πλὴν ὅδε;
πικροὺς ἔοιγμεν τῶν Ἀχιλλείων ὅπλων
ἀγῶνας Ἀργείοισι κηρῦξαι τότε ,
εἰ πανταχοῦ φανούμεθ᾽ ἐκ Τεύκρου κακοί ,
κοὐκ ἀρκέσει ποθ᾽ ὑμὶν οὐδ᾽ ἡσσημένοις
εἴκειν ἃ τοῖς πολλοῖσιν ἤρεσκεν κριταῖς ,
ἀλλ᾽ αἰὲν ἡμᾶς ἢ κακοῖς βαλεῖτέ που
ἢ σὺν δόλῳ κεντήσεθ᾽ οἱ λελειμμένοι .
Ἐκ τῶνδε μέντοι τῶν τρόπων οὐκ ἄν ποτε
κατάστασις γένοιτ᾽ ἂν οὐδενὸς νόμου ,
εἰ τοὺς δίκῃ νικῶντας ἐξωθήσομεν
καὶ τοὺς ὄπισθεν εἰς τὸ πρόσθεν ἄξομεν .
Ἀλλ᾽ εἰρκτέον τάδ᾽ ἐστίν · οὐ γὰρ οἱ πλατεῖς
οὐδ᾽ εὐρύνωτοι φῶτες ἀσφαλέστατοι ,
ἀλλ᾽ οἱ φρονοῦντες εὖ κρατοῦσι πανταχοῦ .
Μέγας δὲ πλευρὰ βοῦς ὑπὸ σμικρᾶς ὅμως
μάστιγος ὀρθὸς εἰς ὁδὸν πορεύεται .
Καὶ σοὶ προσέρπον τοῦτ᾽ ἐγὼ τὸ φάρμακον
ὁρῶ τάχ᾽ , εἰ μὴ νοῦν κατακτήσει τινά ·
ὃς ἀνδρὸς οὐκέτ᾽ ὄντος , ἀλλ᾽ ἤδη σκιᾶς ,
θαρσῶν ὑβρίζεις κἀξελευθεροστομεῖς .
Οὐ σωφρονήσεις; οὐ μαθὼν ὃς εἶ φύσιν
ἄλλον τιν᾽ ἄξεις ἄνδρα δεῦρ᾽ ἐλεύθερον ,
ὅστις πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀντὶ σοῦ λέξει τὰ σά;
Σοῦ γὰρ λέγοντος οὐκέτ᾽ ἂν μάθοιμ᾽ ἐγώ ·
τὴν βάρβαρον γὰρ γλῶσσαν οὐκ ἐπαΐω .
Χορός
Εἴθ᾽ ὑμὶν ἀμφοῖν νοῦς γένοιτο σωφρονεῖν ·
τούτου γὰρ οὐδὲν σφῷν ἔχω λῷον φράσαι .
Τεύκρος
Φεῦ · τοῦ θανόντος ὡς ταχεῖά τις βροτοῖς
χάρις διαρρεῖ καὶ προδοῦσ᾽ ἁλίσκεται ,
εἰ σοῦ γ᾽ ὅδ᾽ ἁνὴρ οὐδ᾽ ἐπὶ σμικρῶν λόγων ,
Αἴας , ἔτ᾽ ἴσχει μνῆστιν , οὗ σὺ πολλάκις
τὴν σὴν προτείνων προύκαμες ψυχὴν δόρει .
Ἀλλ᾽ οἴχεται δὴ πάντα ταῦτ᾽ ἐρριμμένα .
Teucer
And I hastened seeing this general
Agamemnon rushing headlong hither to us :
but it is clear to me he will let loose his ill-omened mouth .
Agamemnon
They then report to me that you thus dare to utter these terrible sayings
against us with impunity
You , I say , the one from the captive woman ,
indeed , having been born perhaps from a well-born mother
you would be boasting loftily and would be walking from the highest places
when being nothing you stood in defense of one who is nothing
you declared an oath that we came not as leaders nor admirals of the fleet
of the Greeks nor of you
But , as you say , Ajax sailed , himself being the leader .
Are these things not greatly wicked to hear from slaves ?
Of what sort of man do you thus arrogantly croak ?
Having gone whereto or having stood where I did not ?
Are there then no Greek men except this one ?
Then we thought it fitting to herald bitter contests
for Achilles ' arms among the Greeks ,
if , by Teucer , we will appear at every step wicked ,
you will not be satisfied , when you are defeated ,
to give way to what was pleasing to many judges ,
but always you will strike us somewhere with wicked things
or you having been left behind will stab us with treachery .
From these ways , however ,
a settlement of no law could ever be ,
if we will thrust back those winning by right
and we will lead those in the back into the front .
But these things ought to be prevented : for it is not the wide
nor broad-backed men who are steadfast ,
But the well-minded at every point are quite the strongest .
And oxen great with respect to their ribs , nevertheless ,
are brought into a straight path by a small whip .
And I see this remedy quickly creeping upon you ,
if you will not gain possession of some sense :
you who , with a man no longer being , but already a shade ,
Being overly-bold commit outrages and are free of speech .
Will you not be of sound mind ? Not learning who you are with respect to your nature
will you lead some other free man hither ,
who before us will speak these things of yours in your place ?
For when you speak I could no longer learn :
for I will not mourn over your alien tongue .
Chorus
If only there were sense for you both to come to your right minds !
for I have no better thing to tell to you two .
Teucer
Alas ! How quickly any favor of the dead wastes away
and is taken as having betrayed ,
if this man does not still have a recollection of you ,
Ajax , even in small matters , for whom you many times ,
holding out your life , toiled with your spear .
But all these thrown away things are gone .
And I hastened seeing this general
Agamemnon rushing headlong hither to us :
but it is clear to me he will let loose his ill-omened mouth .
Agamemnon
They then report to me that you thus dare to utter these terrible sayings
against us with impunity
You , I say , the one from the captive woman ,
indeed , having been born perhaps from a well-born mother
you would be boasting loftily and would be walking from the highest places
when being nothing you stood in defense of one who is nothing
you declared an oath that we came not as leaders nor admirals of the fleet
of the Greeks nor of you
But , as you say , Ajax sailed , himself being the leader .
Are these things not greatly wicked to hear from slaves ?
Of what sort of man do you thus arrogantly croak ?
Having gone whereto or having stood where I did not ?
Are there then no Greek men except this one ?
Then we thought it fitting to herald bitter contests
for Achilles ' arms among the Greeks ,
if , by Teucer , we will appear at every step wicked ,
you will not be satisfied , when you are defeated ,
to give way to what was pleasing to many judges ,
but always you will strike us somewhere with wicked things
or you having been left behind will stab us with treachery .
From these ways , however ,
a settlement of no law could ever be ,
if we will thrust back those winning by right
and we will lead those in the back into the front .
But these things ought to be prevented : for it is not the wide
nor broad-backed men who are steadfast ,
But the well-minded at every point are quite the strongest .
And oxen great with respect to their ribs , nevertheless ,
are brought into a straight path by a small whip .
And I see this remedy quickly creeping upon you ,
if you will not gain possession of some sense :
you who , with a man no longer being , but already a shade ,
Being overly-bold commit outrages and are free of speech .
Will you not be of sound mind ? Not learning who you are with respect to your nature
will you lead some other free man hither ,
who before us will speak these things of yours in your place ?
For when you speak I could no longer learn :
for I will not mourn over your alien tongue .
Chorus
If only there were sense for you both to come to your right minds !
for I have no better thing to tell to you two .
Teucer
Alas ! How quickly any favor of the dead wastes away
and is taken as having betrayed ,
if this man does not still have a recollection of you ,
Ajax , even in small matters , for whom you many times ,
holding out your life , toiled with your spear .
But all these thrown away things are gone .