Ajax Final Exam 2
Noah Kulak /
- Created on 2018-05-07 05:27:29
- Modified on 2018-05-07 06:47:12
- Aligned by Noah Kulak
Ἑλληνική Transliterate
English
Greek (Ajax 134-193)
English (Johnston Translation)
Τελαμώνιε παῖ , τῆς ἀμφιρύτου
Σαλαμῖνος ἔχων βάθρον ἀγχιάλου ,
σὲ μὲν εὖ πράσσοντ᾽ ἐπιχαίρω :
σὲ δ᾽ ὅταν πληγὴ Διὸς ἢ ζαμενὴς
λόγος ἐκ Δαναῶν κακόθρους ἐπιβῇ ,
μέγαν ὄκνον ἔχω καὶ πεφόβημαι
πτηνῆς ὡς ὄμμα πελείας .
ὡς καὶ τῆς νῦν φθιμένης νυκτὸς
μεγάλοι θόρυβοι κατέχουσ᾽ ἡμᾶς
ἐπὶ δυσκλείᾳ , σὲ τὸν ἱππομανῆ
λειμῶν᾽ ἐπιβάντ᾽ ὀλέσαι Δαναῶν
βοτὰ καὶ λείαν ,
ἥπερ δορίληπτος ἔτ᾽ ἦν λοιπή ,
κτείνοντ᾽ αἴθωνι σιδήρῳ .
τοιούσδε λόγους ψιθύρους πλάσσων
εἰς ὦτα φέρει πᾶσιν Ὀδυσσεύς ,
καὶ σφόδρα πείθει : περὶ γὰρ σοῦ νῦν
εὔπειστα λέγει , καὶ πᾶς ὁ κλύων
τοῦ λέξαντος χαίρει μᾶλλον
τοῖς σοῖς ἄχεσιν καθυβρίζων .
τῶν γὰρ μεγάλων ψυχῶν ἱεὶς
οὐκ ἂν ἁμάρτοις : κατὰ δ᾽ ἄν τις ἐμοῦ
τοιαῦτα λέγων οὐκ ἂν πείθοι :
πρὸς γὰρ τὸν ἔχονθ᾽ ὁ φθόνος ἕρπει .
καίτοι σμικροὶ μεγάλων χωρὶς
σφαλερὸν πύργου ῥῦμα πέλονται :
μετὰ γὰρ μεγάλων βαιὸς ἄριστ᾽ ἂν
καὶ μέγας ὀρθοῖθ᾽ ὑπὸ μικροτέρων .
ἀλλ᾽ οὐ δυνατὸν τοὺς ἀνοήτους
τούτων γνώμας προδιδάσκειν .
ὑπὸ τοιούτων ἀνδρῶν θορυβεῖ
χἠμεῖς οὐδὲν σθένομεν πρὸς ταῦτ᾽
ἀπαλέξασθαι σοῦ χωρίς , ἄναξ .
ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε γὰρ δὴ τὸ σὸν ὄμμ᾽ ἀπέδραν ,
παταγοῦσιν ἅπερ πτηνῶν ἀγέλαι :
μέγαν αἰγυπιὸν δ᾽ ὑποδείσαντες
τάχ᾽ ἂν ἐξαίφνης , εἰ σὺ φανείης ,
σιγῇ πτήξειαν ἄφωνοι .
ἦ ῥά σε Ταυροπόλα Διὸς Ἄρτεμις—
ὦ μεγάλα φάτις , ὦ
μᾶτερ αἰσχύνας ἐμᾶς—
ὥρμασε πανδάμους ἐπὶ βοῦς ἀγελαίας ,
ἦ πού τινος νίκας ἀκάρπωτον χάριν ,
ἤ ῥα κλυτῶν ἐνάρων
ψευσθεῖσ᾽ , ἀδώροις , εἴτ᾽ ἐλαφαβολίας ;
ἢ χαλκοθώραξ μή τιν᾽ Ἐνυάλιος
μομφὰν ἔχων ξυνοῦ δορὸς ἐννυχίοις
μαχαναῖς ἐτίσατο λώβαν ;
οὔ ποτε γὰρ φρενόθεν γ᾽ ἐπ᾽ ἀριστερά ,
παῖ Τελαμῶνος , ἔβας
τόσσον , ἐν ποίμναις πίτνων :
ἥκοι γὰρ ἂν θεία νόσος : ἀλλ᾽ ἀπερύκοι
καὶ Ζεὺς κακὰν καὶ Φοῖβος Ἀργείων φάτιν .
εἰ δ᾽ ὑποβαλλόμενοι
κλέπτουσι μύθους οἱ μεγάλοι βασιλῆς
ἢ τᾶς ἀσώτου Σισυφιδᾶν γενεᾶς ,
μὴ μή , ἄναξ , ἔθ᾽ ὧδ᾽ ἐφάλοις κλισίαις
ὄμμ᾽ ἔχων κακὰν φάτιν ἄρῃ .
Σαλαμῖνος ἔχων βάθρον ἀγχιάλου ,
σὲ μὲν εὖ πράσσοντ᾽ ἐπιχαίρω :
σὲ δ᾽ ὅταν πληγὴ Διὸς ἢ ζαμενὴς
λόγος ἐκ Δαναῶν κακόθρους ἐπιβῇ ,
μέγαν ὄκνον ἔχω καὶ πεφόβημαι
πτηνῆς ὡς ὄμμα πελείας .
ὡς καὶ τῆς νῦν φθιμένης νυκτὸς
μεγάλοι θόρυβοι κατέχουσ᾽ ἡμᾶς
ἐπὶ δυσκλείᾳ , σὲ τὸν ἱππομανῆ
λειμῶν᾽ ἐπιβάντ᾽ ὀλέσαι Δαναῶν
βοτὰ καὶ λείαν ,
ἥπερ δορίληπτος ἔτ᾽ ἦν λοιπή ,
κτείνοντ᾽ αἴθωνι σιδήρῳ .
τοιούσδε λόγους ψιθύρους πλάσσων
εἰς ὦτα φέρει πᾶσιν Ὀδυσσεύς ,
καὶ σφόδρα πείθει : περὶ γὰρ σοῦ νῦν
εὔπειστα λέγει , καὶ πᾶς ὁ κλύων
τοῦ λέξαντος χαίρει μᾶλλον
τοῖς σοῖς ἄχεσιν καθυβρίζων .
τῶν γὰρ μεγάλων ψυχῶν ἱεὶς
οὐκ ἂν ἁμάρτοις : κατὰ δ᾽ ἄν τις ἐμοῦ
τοιαῦτα λέγων οὐκ ἂν πείθοι :
πρὸς γὰρ τὸν ἔχονθ᾽ ὁ φθόνος ἕρπει .
καίτοι σμικροὶ μεγάλων χωρὶς
σφαλερὸν πύργου ῥῦμα πέλονται :
μετὰ γὰρ μεγάλων βαιὸς ἄριστ᾽ ἂν
καὶ μέγας ὀρθοῖθ᾽ ὑπὸ μικροτέρων .
ἀλλ᾽ οὐ δυνατὸν τοὺς ἀνοήτους
τούτων γνώμας προδιδάσκειν .
ὑπὸ τοιούτων ἀνδρῶν θορυβεῖ
χἠμεῖς οὐδὲν σθένομεν πρὸς ταῦτ᾽
ἀπαλέξασθαι σοῦ χωρίς , ἄναξ .
ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε γὰρ δὴ τὸ σὸν ὄμμ᾽ ἀπέδραν ,
παταγοῦσιν ἅπερ πτηνῶν ἀγέλαι :
μέγαν αἰγυπιὸν δ᾽ ὑποδείσαντες
τάχ᾽ ἂν ἐξαίφνης , εἰ σὺ φανείης ,
σιγῇ πτήξειαν ἄφωνοι .
ἦ ῥά σε Ταυροπόλα Διὸς Ἄρτεμις—
ὦ μεγάλα φάτις , ὦ
μᾶτερ αἰσχύνας ἐμᾶς—
ὥρμασε πανδάμους ἐπὶ βοῦς ἀγελαίας ,
ἦ πού τινος νίκας ἀκάρπωτον χάριν ,
ἤ ῥα κλυτῶν ἐνάρων
ψευσθεῖσ᾽ , ἀδώροις , εἴτ᾽ ἐλαφαβολίας ;
ἢ χαλκοθώραξ μή τιν᾽ Ἐνυάλιος
μομφὰν ἔχων ξυνοῦ δορὸς ἐννυχίοις
μαχαναῖς ἐτίσατο λώβαν ;
οὔ ποτε γὰρ φρενόθεν γ᾽ ἐπ᾽ ἀριστερά ,
παῖ Τελαμῶνος , ἔβας
τόσσον , ἐν ποίμναις πίτνων :
ἥκοι γὰρ ἂν θεία νόσος : ἀλλ᾽ ἀπερύκοι
καὶ Ζεὺς κακὰν καὶ Φοῖβος Ἀργείων φάτιν .
εἰ δ᾽ ὑποβαλλόμενοι
κλέπτουσι μύθους οἱ μεγάλοι βασιλῆς
ἢ τᾶς ἀσώτου Σισυφιδᾶν γενεᾶς ,
μὴ μή , ἄναξ , ἔθ᾽ ὧδ᾽ ἐφάλοις κλισίαις
ὄμμ᾽ ἔχων κακὰν φάτιν ἄρῃ .
Son
of
Telamon
,
who
hold
the
throne
on wave-washed Salamis beside the sea ,
I rejoice with you when things go well ,
but when a blow from Zeus or angry words
from slanderous Danaans are aimed at you ,
then I hold back in fear and shake with terror ,
like the fluttering eye on a feathered dove .
I ' m like that now . In the night that ' s passing ,
there were noisy rumours thrown against us ,
against our honour , saying that you went off
into that meadow where our horses range
together with the spoils our spears had captured ,
prizes which had not yet been allotted ,
and butchered them with that bright sword of yours .
Such slanderous report Odysseus shapes
and whispers into every soldier ' s ear .
Many men believe him . for he now speaks
persuasively about you , and everyone
who listens is filled with spite and pleased
that you have come to grief , even mor
than is the man who told them . Throw a spear
at some great soul , and you will never miss ,
but if someone said things like that of me ,
he ' d never be believed . Envy creeps up
against the man of wealth and power .
And yet , without the great , we lesser men
are fragile ramparts in our own defence .
It ' s best for small men to ally themselves
with greatness , and for the powerful
to be supported by the lesser men .
But teaching foolish people such good sense
ahead of time is just not possible .
So men like this are now denouncing you ,
and we do not possess sufficient power
to deflect these charges , not without you ,
not without our king . With you out of their sight ,
they keep on chattering like flocks of birds .
But you unexpectedly appeared ,
they would be terrified , as if they faced
a mighty eagle , and soon would cower down
and hold their tongues in silence .
Was it that goddess Artemis ,
bull-tending child of Zeus ,
who drove you on ,
drove you at the common herd ?
O mighty Rumour , mother of my shame !
Was it perhaps in retribution for a victory
where she received no tribute ,
splendid weapons she was cheated of ?
Or did some hunter kill a stag
and set no gifts aside for her ?
Or has Enyalios , bronze-plated god of war ,
with reason to complain about an armed alliance ,
taken his revenge for such an insult
by a devious stratagem at night ?
For with you own mind , O son of Telamon ,
you ' d never go so far along the path to ruin
as to attach the flocks . But nothing can prevent
a sickness which the gods implant .
I pray that Zeus , that Phoebus Apollo
will stave off this catastrophe ,
this disastrous rumour of the Argives .
And if great kings are slandering you now
with stories full of lies , or it is that man
born from the worthless line of Sisyphus ,
do not , my lord , take on the grievous weight
of a dishonoured reputation by remaining here ,
hiding your presence in this hut beside the sea .
on wave-washed Salamis beside the sea ,
I rejoice with you when things go well ,
but when a blow from Zeus or angry words
from slanderous Danaans are aimed at you ,
then I hold back in fear and shake with terror ,
like the fluttering eye on a feathered dove .
I ' m like that now . In the night that ' s passing ,
there were noisy rumours thrown against us ,
against our honour , saying that you went off
into that meadow where our horses range
together with the spoils our spears had captured ,
prizes which had not yet been allotted ,
and butchered them with that bright sword of yours .
Such slanderous report Odysseus shapes
and whispers into every soldier ' s ear .
Many men believe him . for he now speaks
persuasively about you , and everyone
who listens is filled with spite and pleased
that you have come to grief , even mor
than is the man who told them . Throw a spear
at some great soul , and you will never miss ,
but if someone said things like that of me ,
he ' d never be believed . Envy creeps up
against the man of wealth and power .
And yet , without the great , we lesser men
are fragile ramparts in our own defence .
It ' s best for small men to ally themselves
with greatness , and for the powerful
to be supported by the lesser men .
But teaching foolish people such good sense
ahead of time is just not possible .
So men like this are now denouncing you ,
and we do not possess sufficient power
to deflect these charges , not without you ,
not without our king . With you out of their sight ,
they keep on chattering like flocks of birds .
But you unexpectedly appeared ,
they would be terrified , as if they faced
a mighty eagle , and soon would cower down
and hold their tongues in silence .
Was it that goddess Artemis ,
bull-tending child of Zeus ,
who drove you on ,
drove you at the common herd ?
O mighty Rumour , mother of my shame !
Was it perhaps in retribution for a victory
where she received no tribute ,
splendid weapons she was cheated of ?
Or did some hunter kill a stag
and set no gifts aside for her ?
Or has Enyalios , bronze-plated god of war ,
with reason to complain about an armed alliance ,
taken his revenge for such an insult
by a devious stratagem at night ?
For with you own mind , O son of Telamon ,
you ' d never go so far along the path to ruin
as to attach the flocks . But nothing can prevent
a sickness which the gods implant .
I pray that Zeus , that Phoebus Apollo
will stave off this catastrophe ,
this disastrous rumour of the Argives .
And if great kings are slandering you now
with stories full of lies , or it is that man
born from the worthless line of Sisyphus ,
do not , my lord , take on the grievous weight
of a dishonoured reputation by remaining here ,
hiding your presence in this hut beside the sea .