Bacchae 453-459 (Carson)
Anna Muh /
- Created on 2023-04-27 05:14:11
- Modified on 2023-07-26 03:08:03
- Translated by Anne Carson
- Aligned by Anna Muh
Ἑλληνική Transliterate
English
Πενθεύς
ἀτὰρ τὸ μὲν σῶμʼ οὐκ ἄμορφος εἶ , ξένε ,
ὡς ἐς γυναῖκας , ἐφʼ ὅπερ ἐς Θήβας πάρει ·
πλόκαμός τε γάρ σου ταναός , οὐ πάλης ὕπο ,
γένυν παρʼ αὐτὴν κεχυμένος , πόθου πλέως ·
λευκὴν δὲ χροιὰν ἐκ παρασκευῆς ἔχεις ,
οὐχ ἡλίου βολαῖσιν , ἀλλʼ ὑπὸ σκιᾶς ,
τὴν Ἀφροδίτην καλλονῇ θηρώμενος .
ἀτὰρ τὸ μὲν σῶμʼ οὐκ ἄμορφος εἶ , ξένε ,
ὡς ἐς γυναῖκας , ἐφʼ ὅπερ ἐς Θήβας πάρει ·
πλόκαμός τε γάρ σου ταναός , οὐ πάλης ὕπο ,
γένυν παρʼ αὐτὴν κεχυμένος , πόθου πλέως ·
λευκὴν δὲ χροιὰν ἐκ παρασκευῆς ἔχεις ,
οὐχ ἡλίου βολαῖσιν , ἀλλʼ ὑπὸ σκιᾶς ,
τὴν Ἀφροδίτην καλλονῇ θηρώμενος .
Pentheus
Well ,
stranger ,
you ' re not bad-looking .
Obvious why you appeal to women –– and that ' s
your main demographic in Thebes , am I right ?
With that long flowing hair I can see you ' re no wrestler !
Indoor man , am I right ?
Like to keep
your skin white ,
out of the daylight ,
soft to the touch –– whose touch is it you dream of
in those long afternoons , those dim back bedrooms ?
Well ,
stranger ,
you ' re not bad-looking .
Obvious why you appeal to women –– and that ' s
your main demographic in Thebes , am I right ?
With that long flowing hair I can see you ' re no wrestler !
Indoor man , am I right ?
Like to keep
your skin white ,
out of the daylight ,
soft to the touch –– whose touch is it you dream of
in those long afternoons , those dim back bedrooms ?