Euripides, Bacchae 434-450
Abby Russell /
- Created on 2023-02-03 20:07:49
- Modified on 2023-02-06 20:04:11
- Translated by Ian Johnston
- Aligned by Abby Russell
Ἑλληνική Transliterate
English
Θεράπων
Πενθεῦ , πάρεσμεν τήνδʼ ἄγραν ἠγρευκότες
ἐφʼ ἣν ἔπεμψας , οὐδʼ ἄκρανθʼ ὡρμήσαμεν .
ὁ θὴρ δʼ ὅδʼ ἡμῖν πρᾶος οὐδʼ ὑπέσπασεν
φυγῇ πόδʼ , ἀλλʼ ἔδωκεν οὐκ ἄκων χέρας
οὐδʼ ὠχρός , οὐδʼ ἤλλαξεν οἰνωπὸν γένυν ,
γελῶν δὲ καὶ δεῖν κἀπάγειν ἐφίετο
ἔμενέ τε , τοὐμὸν εὐτρεπὲς ποιούμενος .
κἀγὼ διʼ αἰδοῦς εἶπον · Ὦ ξένʼ , οὐχ ἑκὼν
ἄγω σε , Πενθέως δʼ ὅς μʼ ἔπεμψʼ ἐπιστολαῖς .
ἃς δʼ αὖ σὺ βάκχας εἷρξας , ἃς συνήρπασας
κἄδησας ἐν δεσμοῖσι πανδήμου στέγης ,
φροῦδαί γʼ ἐκεῖναι λελυμέναι πρὸς ὀργάδας
σκιρτῶσι Βρόμιον ἀνακαλούμεναι θεόν ·
αὐτόματα δʼ αὐταῖς δεσμὰ διελύθη ποδῶν
κλῇδές τʼ ἀνῆκαν θύρετρʼ ἄνευ θνητῆς χερός .
πολλῶν δʼ ὅδʼ ἁνὴρ θαυμάτων ἥκει πλέως
ἐς τάσδε Θήβας . σοὶ δὲ τἄλλα χρὴ μέλειν .
Πενθεῦ , πάρεσμεν τήνδʼ ἄγραν ἠγρευκότες
ἐφʼ ἣν ἔπεμψας , οὐδʼ ἄκρανθʼ ὡρμήσαμεν .
ὁ θὴρ δʼ ὅδʼ ἡμῖν πρᾶος οὐδʼ ὑπέσπασεν
φυγῇ πόδʼ , ἀλλʼ ἔδωκεν οὐκ ἄκων χέρας
οὐδʼ ὠχρός , οὐδʼ ἤλλαξεν οἰνωπὸν γένυν ,
γελῶν δὲ καὶ δεῖν κἀπάγειν ἐφίετο
ἔμενέ τε , τοὐμὸν εὐτρεπὲς ποιούμενος .
κἀγὼ διʼ αἰδοῦς εἶπον · Ὦ ξένʼ , οὐχ ἑκὼν
ἄγω σε , Πενθέως δʼ ὅς μʼ ἔπεμψʼ ἐπιστολαῖς .
ἃς δʼ αὖ σὺ βάκχας εἷρξας , ἃς συνήρπασας
κἄδησας ἐν δεσμοῖσι πανδήμου στέγης ,
φροῦδαί γʼ ἐκεῖναι λελυμέναι πρὸς ὀργάδας
σκιρτῶσι Βρόμιον ἀνακαλούμεναι θεόν ·
αὐτόματα δʼ αὐταῖς δεσμὰ διελύθη ποδῶν
κλῇδές τʼ ἀνῆκαν θύρετρʼ ἄνευ θνητῆς χερός .
πολλῶν δʼ ὅδʼ ἁνὴρ θαυμάτων ἥκει πλέως
ἐς τάσδε Θήβας . σοὶ δὲ τἄλλα χρὴ μέλειν .
SOLDIER
Pentheus , we’re here because we’ve caught the prey
you sent us out to catch . Yes , our attempts
have proved successful . The beast you see here
was tame with us . He didn’t try to run .
No , he surrendered willingly enough ,
without turning pale or changing colour
on those wine dark cheeks . He even laughed at us ,
inviting us to tie him up and lead him off .
He stood still , making it easier for me
to take him in . It was awkward , so I said ,
" Stranger , I don’t want to lead you off ,
but I’m under orders here from Pentheus ,
who sent me . " And there’s something else —
those Bacchic women you locked up , the ones
you took in chains into the public prison —
they’ve all escaped . They’re gone — playing around
in some meadow , calling out to Bromius ,
summoning their god . Chains fell off their feet ,
just dropping on their own . Keys opened doors
not turned by human hands . This man here
has come to Thebes full of amazing tricks .
But now the rest of this affair is up to you .
Pentheus , we’re here because we’ve caught the prey
you sent us out to catch . Yes , our attempts
have proved successful . The beast you see here
was tame with us . He didn’t try to run .
No , he surrendered willingly enough ,
without turning pale or changing colour
on those wine dark cheeks . He even laughed at us ,
inviting us to tie him up and lead him off .
He stood still , making it easier for me
to take him in . It was awkward , so I said ,
" Stranger , I don’t want to lead you off ,
but I’m under orders here from Pentheus ,
who sent me . " And there’s something else —
those Bacchic women you locked up , the ones
you took in chains into the public prison —
they’ve all escaped . They’re gone — playing around
in some meadow , calling out to Bromius ,
summoning their god . Chains fell off their feet ,
just dropping on their own . Keys opened doors
not turned by human hands . This man here
has come to Thebes full of amazing tricks .
But now the rest of this affair is up to you .