Euripides, Bacchae 434-450 (Theodoridis)
Josh Kemp /
- Created on 2023-02-04 17:51:09
- Modified on 2023-02-06 18:22:23
- Translated by George Theodoridis
- Aligned by Josh Kemp
The soldier's report to Pentheus.
Ἑλληνική Transliterate
English
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 .
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 .
Pentheus
,
my
Lord
,
here
we
are
with
the
prey
you’ve
asked
us
to
hunt
for
.
We’ve
sat
and
we’ve
waited
and
,
true
enough
,
we’ve
caught
him
.
Our
watch
was
not
wasted
.
Now this… " beast " was quite tame with me , my Lord . Never shook his legs or anything , trying to escape , like , but gave his hands to me without the slightest hesitation . He didn’t become pale or lose the deep blush of his cheeks . He just let himself be taken easily , laughed even and wondered where we’d be taking him . Towards me , in any case , this man was a proper gentleman and I felt a bit ashamed about tying him up , see , so I said to him , " Stranger , " I said , " I ain’t doin’ this out of my own accord , it’s ‘cause of Pentheus’ orders . He sent us to do it , " I said .
And as for all them women , me Lord , them that follow that god , my Lord , the Bacchants , those whom you grabbed and locked up with chains and all in all the city’s buildings , well , sir , they’re all loose , sir . Running about all over the countryside , sir , all ready for their orgiasums sir , and they’re all calling out for their Bellowing God , Dionysos . All their chains fell apart all by themselves , letting their legs free . So did all the padlocks of the gates . They’ve all gone and opened themselves right up without even one human hand touching them ! This man here has a great many tricks up his sneaky sleeves .
It’s your call now , my Lord .
Now this… " beast " was quite tame with me , my Lord . Never shook his legs or anything , trying to escape , like , but gave his hands to me without the slightest hesitation . He didn’t become pale or lose the deep blush of his cheeks . He just let himself be taken easily , laughed even and wondered where we’d be taking him . Towards me , in any case , this man was a proper gentleman and I felt a bit ashamed about tying him up , see , so I said to him , " Stranger , " I said , " I ain’t doin’ this out of my own accord , it’s ‘cause of Pentheus’ orders . He sent us to do it , " I said .
And as for all them women , me Lord , them that follow that god , my Lord , the Bacchants , those whom you grabbed and locked up with chains and all in all the city’s buildings , well , sir , they’re all loose , sir . Running about all over the countryside , sir , all ready for their orgiasums sir , and they’re all calling out for their Bellowing God , Dionysos . All their chains fell apart all by themselves , letting their legs free . So did all the padlocks of the gates . They’ve all gone and opened themselves right up without even one human hand touching them ! This man here has a great many tricks up his sneaky sleeves .
It’s your call now , my Lord .