Antigone Ode to Man
Grace Duisberg /
- Created on 2021-05-14 01:55:31
- Aligned by Grace Duisberg
Ἑλληνική Transliterate
English
πολλὰ τὰ δεινὰ κοὐδὲν ἀνθρώπου δεινότερον πέλει .
τοῦτο καὶ πολιοῦ πέραν πόντου χειμερίῳ νότῳ
χωρεῖ , περιβρυχίοισιν
περῶν ὑπ᾽ οἴδμασιν .
θεῶν τε τὰν ὑπερτάταν , Γᾶν
ἄφθιτον , ἀκαμάταν , ἀποτρύεται
ἰλλομένων ἀρότρων ἔτος εἰς ἔτος
ἱππείῳ γένει πολεύων .
κουφονόων τε φῦλον ὀρνίθων ἀμφιβαλὼν ἄγει
καὶ θηρῶν ἀγρίων ἔθνη πόντου τ᾽ εἰναλίαν φύσιν
σπείραισι δικτυοκλώστοις ,
περιφραδὴς ἀνήρ :
κρατεῖ δὲ μηχαναῖς ἀγραύλου
θηρὸς ὀρεσσιβάτα , λασιαύχενά θ᾽
ἵππον ὀχμάζεται ἀμφὶ λόφον ζυγῶν
οὔρειόν τ᾽ ἀκμῆτα ταῦρον .
καὶ φθέγμα καὶ ἀνεμόεν φρόνημα καὶ ἀστυνόμους
ὀργὰς ἐδιδάξατο καὶ δυσαύλων
πάγων ὑπαίθρεια καὶ δύσομβρα φεύγειν βέλη
παντοπόρος : ἄπορος ἐπ᾽ οὐδὲν ἔρχεται
τὸ μέλλον : Ἅιδα μόνον φεῦξιν οὐκ ἐπάξεται :
νόσων δ᾽ ἀμηχάνων φυγὰς ξυμπέφρασται .
σοφόν τι τὸ μηχανόεν τέχνας ὑπὲρ ἐλπίδ᾽ ἔχων
τοτὲ μὲν κακόν , ἄλλοτ᾽ ἐπ᾽ ἐσθλὸν ἕρπει ,
νόμους γεραίρων χθονὸς θεῶν τ᾽ ἔνορκον δίκαν ,
ὑψίπολις : ἄπολις ὅτῳ τὸ μὴ καλὸν
ξύνεστι τόλμας χάριν . μήτ᾽ ἐμοὶ παρέστιος
γένοιτο μήτ᾽ ἴσον φρονῶν ὃς τάδ᾽ ἔρδει .
τοῦτο καὶ πολιοῦ πέραν πόντου χειμερίῳ νότῳ
χωρεῖ , περιβρυχίοισιν
περῶν ὑπ᾽ οἴδμασιν .
θεῶν τε τὰν ὑπερτάταν , Γᾶν
ἄφθιτον , ἀκαμάταν , ἀποτρύεται
ἰλλομένων ἀρότρων ἔτος εἰς ἔτος
ἱππείῳ γένει πολεύων .
κουφονόων τε φῦλον ὀρνίθων ἀμφιβαλὼν ἄγει
καὶ θηρῶν ἀγρίων ἔθνη πόντου τ᾽ εἰναλίαν φύσιν
σπείραισι δικτυοκλώστοις ,
περιφραδὴς ἀνήρ :
κρατεῖ δὲ μηχαναῖς ἀγραύλου
θηρὸς ὀρεσσιβάτα , λασιαύχενά θ᾽
ἵππον ὀχμάζεται ἀμφὶ λόφον ζυγῶν
οὔρειόν τ᾽ ἀκμῆτα ταῦρον .
καὶ φθέγμα καὶ ἀνεμόεν φρόνημα καὶ ἀστυνόμους
ὀργὰς ἐδιδάξατο καὶ δυσαύλων
πάγων ὑπαίθρεια καὶ δύσομβρα φεύγειν βέλη
παντοπόρος : ἄπορος ἐπ᾽ οὐδὲν ἔρχεται
τὸ μέλλον : Ἅιδα μόνον φεῦξιν οὐκ ἐπάξεται :
νόσων δ᾽ ἀμηχάνων φυγὰς ξυμπέφρασται .
σοφόν τι τὸ μηχανόεν τέχνας ὑπὲρ ἐλπίδ᾽ ἔχων
τοτὲ μὲν κακόν , ἄλλοτ᾽ ἐπ᾽ ἐσθλὸν ἕρπει ,
νόμους γεραίρων χθονὸς θεῶν τ᾽ ἔνορκον δίκαν ,
ὑψίπολις : ἄπολις ὅτῳ τὸ μὴ καλὸν
ξύνεστι τόλμας χάριν . μήτ᾽ ἐμοὶ παρέστιος
γένοιτο μήτ᾽ ἴσον φρονῶν ὃς τάδ᾽ ἔρδει .
Many
the
wonders
but
nothing
is
stranger
than
man
.
This thing crosses the sea in the winter’s storm ,
making his path through the roaring waves .
And she , the greatest of gods , the Earth—
ageless she is , and unwearied—he wears her away
as the ploughs go up and down from year to year
and his mules turn up the soil .
Lighthearted nations of birds he snares and leads ,
wild beast tribes and the salty brood of the sea ,
with the twisted mesh of his nets , this clever man .
He controls with craft the beasts of the open air ,
walkers on hills . The horse with his shaggy mane
he holds and harnesses , yoked about the neck ,
and the strong bull of the mountain .
Language , and thought like the wind
and the feelings that govern a city ,
he has taught himself , and shelter against the cold ,
refuge from rain . He can always help himself .
He faces no future helpless . There’s only death
that he cannot find an escape from . He has contrived
refuge from illnesses once beyond all cure .
Clever beyond all dreams
the inventive craft that he has
which may drive him one time to good or another to evil .
When he honors the laws of the land and the gods’ sworn right
high indeed is his city ; but cityless the man
who dares to dwell with dishonor . Not by my fireside ,
never to share my thoughts , who does these things .
This thing crosses the sea in the winter’s storm ,
making his path through the roaring waves .
And she , the greatest of gods , the Earth—
ageless she is , and unwearied—he wears her away
as the ploughs go up and down from year to year
and his mules turn up the soil .
Lighthearted nations of birds he snares and leads ,
wild beast tribes and the salty brood of the sea ,
with the twisted mesh of his nets , this clever man .
He controls with craft the beasts of the open air ,
walkers on hills . The horse with his shaggy mane
he holds and harnesses , yoked about the neck ,
and the strong bull of the mountain .
Language , and thought like the wind
and the feelings that govern a city ,
he has taught himself , and shelter against the cold ,
refuge from rain . He can always help himself .
He faces no future helpless . There’s only death
that he cannot find an escape from . He has contrived
refuge from illnesses once beyond all cure .
Clever beyond all dreams
the inventive craft that he has
which may drive him one time to good or another to evil .
When he honors the laws of the land and the gods’ sworn right
high indeed is his city ; but cityless the man
who dares to dwell with dishonor . Not by my fireside ,
never to share my thoughts , who does these things .