Bacchae 810-861 (Murray)

Anna Muh / Transphobia in Bacchae
  • Created on 2023-07-03 16:54:38
  • Modified on 2023-07-05 03:13:09
  • Translated by George Gilbert Aimé Murray
  • Aligned by Anna Muh
Ἑλληνική Transliterate
English
Διόνυσος
.
βούλῃ σφʼ ἐν ὄρεσι συγκαθημένας ἰδεῖν ;

Πενθεύς
μάλιστα , μυρίον γε δοὺς χρυσοῦ σταθμόν .

Διόνυσος
τί δʼ εἰς ἔρωτα τοῦδε πέπτωκας μέγαν ;

Πενθεύς
λυπρῶς νιν εἰσίδοιμʼ ἂν ἐξῳνωμένας .

Διόνυσος
ὅμως δʼ ἴδοις ἂν ἡδέως σοι πικρά ;

Πενθεύς
σάφʼ ἴσθι , σιγῇ γʼ ὑπʼ ἐλάταις καθήμενος .

Διόνυσος
ἀλλʼ ἐξιχνεύσουσίν σε , κἂν ἔλθῃς λάθρᾳ .

Πενθεύς
ἀλλʼ ἐμφανῶς · καλῶς γὰρ ἐξεῖπας τάδε .

Διόνυσος
ἄγωμεν οὖν σε κἀπιχειρήσεις ὁδῷ ;

Πενθεύς
ἄγʼ ὡς τάχιστα , τοῦ χρόνου δέ σοι φθονῶ .

Διόνυσος
στεῖλαί νυν ἀμφὶ χρωτὶ βυσσίνους πέπλους .

Πενθεύς
τί δὴ τόδʼ ; ἐς γυναῖκας ἐξ ἀνδρὸς τελῶ ;

Διόνυσος
μή σε κτάνωσιν , ἢν ἀνὴρ ὀφθῇς ἐκεῖ .

Πενθεύς
εὖ γʼ εἶπας αὖ τόδʼ · ὥς τις εἶ πάλαι σοφός .

Διόνυσος
Διόνυσος ἡμᾶς ἐξεμούσωσεν τάδε .

Πενθεύς
πῶς οὖν γένοιτʼ ἂν σύ με νουθετεῖς καλῶς ;

Διόνυσος
ἐγὼ στελῶ σε δωμάτων ἔσω μολών .

Πενθεύς
τίνα στολήν ; θῆλυν ; ἀλλʼ αἰδώς μʼ ἔχει .

Διόνυσος
οὐκέτι θεατὴς μαινάδων πρόθυμος εἶ .

Πενθεύς
στολὴν δὲ τίνα φῂς ἀμφὶ χρῶτʼ ἐμὸν βαλεῖν ;

Διόνυσος
κόμην μὲν ἐπὶ σῷ κρατὶ ταναὸν ἐκτενῶ .

Πενθεύς
τὸ δεύτερον δὲ σχῆμα τοῦ κόσμου τί μοι ;

Διόνυσος
πέπλοι ποδήρεις · ἐπὶ κάρᾳ δʼ ἔσται μίτρα .

Πενθεύς
καί τι πρὸς τοῖσδʼ ἄλλο προσθήσεις ἐμοί ;

Διόνυσος
θύρσον γε χειρὶ καὶ νεβροῦ στικτὸν δέρας .

Πενθεύς
οὐκ ἂν δυναίμην θῆλυν ἐνδῦναι στολήν .

Διόνυσος
ἀλλʼ αἷμα θήσεις συμβαλὼν βάκχαις μάχην .

Πενθεύς
ὀρθῶς · μολεῖν χρὴ πρῶτον εἰς κατασκοπήν .

Διόνυσος
σοφώτερον γοῦν κακοῖς θηρᾶν κακά .

Πενθεύς
καὶ πῶς διʼ ἄστεως εἶμι Καδμείους λαθών ;

Διόνυσος
ὁδοὺς ἐρήμους ἴμεν · ἐγὼ δʼ ἡγήσομαι .

Πενθεύς
πᾶν κρεῖσσον ὥστε μὴ ʼγγελᾶν βάκχας ἐμοί .
ἐλθόντʼ ἐς οἴκους ἃν δοκῇ βουλεύσομαι .

Διόνυσος
ἔξεστι · πάντῃ τό γʼ ἐμὸν εὐτρεπὲς πάρα .

Πενθεύς
στείχοιμʼ ἄν · γὰρ ὅπλʼ ἔχων πορεύσομαι
τοῖσι σοῖσι πείσομαι βουλεύμασιν .

Διόνυσος
γυναῖκες , ἁνὴρ ἐς βόλον καθίσταται ,
ἥξει δὲ βάκχας , οὗ θανὼν δώσει δίκην .
Διόνυσε , νῦν σὸν ἔργον · οὐ γὰρ εἶ πρόσω ·
τεισώμεθʼ αὐτόν . πρῶτα δʼ ἔκστησον φρενῶν ,
ἐνεὶς ἐλαφρὰν λύσσαν · ὡς φρονῶν μὲν εὖ
οὐ μὴ θελήσῃ θῆλυν ἐνδῦναι στολήν ,
ἔξω δʼ ἐλαύνων τοῦ φρονεῖν ἐνδύσεται .
χρῄζω δέ νιν γέλωτα Θηβαίοις ὀφλεῖν
γυναικόμορφον ἀγόμενον διʼ ἄστεως
ἐκ τῶν ἀπειλῶν τῶν πρίν , αἷσι δεινὸς ἦν .
ἀλλʼ εἶμι κόσμον ὅνπερ εἰς Ἅιδου λαβὼν
ἄπεισι μητρὸς ἐκ χεροῖν κατασφαγείς ,
Πενθεῖ προσάψων · γνώσεται δὲ τὸν Διὸς
Διόνυσον , ὃς πέφυκεν ἐν τέλει θεός ,
δεινότατος , ἀνθρώποισι δʼ ἠπιώτατος .
Dionysus
Ah ! Have then thy will !
Man , thou wouldst fain behold them on the hill
Praying !

Pentheus
That would I , though it cost me all
The gold of Thebes !

Dionysus .
So much ? Thou art quick to fall
To such great longing .

Pentheus
Aye ; ' twould grieve me much
To see them flown with wine .

Dionysus .
Yet cravest thou such
A sight as would much grieve thee ?

Pentheus .
Yes ; I fain
Would watch , ambushed among the pines .

Dionysus .
' Twere vain
To hide . They soon will track thee out .

Pentheus .
Well said !
' Twere best done openly .

Dionysus .
Wilt thou be led
By me , and try the venture ?

Pentheus .
Aye , indeed !
Lead on . Why should we tarry ?

Dionysus .
First we need
A rich and trailing robe of fine-linen
To gird thee .

Pentheus .
Nay ; am I a woman , then ,
And no man more ?

Dionysus .
Wouldst have them slay thee dead ?
No man may see their mysteries .

Pentheus .
Well said !
I marked thy subtle temper long ere now .

Dionysus .
' Tis Dionyse that prompteth me .

Pentheus .
And how
Mean ' st thou the further plan ?

Dionysus .
First take thy way
Within . I will array thee .

Pentheus .
What array ?
The woman ' s ? Nay , I will not .

Dionysus .
Doth it change
So soon , all thy desire to see this strange
Adoring ?

Pentheus .
Wait ! What garb wilt thou bestow
About me ?

Dionysus .
First a long tress dangling low
Beneath thy shoulders .

Pentheus .
Aye , and next ?

Dionysus .
The said
Robe , falling to thy feet ; and on thine head
A snood .

Pentheus .
And after ? Hast thou aught beyond ?

Dionysus .
Surely ; the dappled fawn-skin and the wand .

Pentheus .
Enough ! I cannot wear a robe and snood .

Dionysus .
Wouldst liefer draw the sword and spill men ' s blood ?

Pentheus .
True , that were evil . Aye ; ' tis best to go
First to some place of watch .

Dionysus .
Far wiser so ,
Than seek by wrath wrath ' s bitter recompense .

Pentheus .
What of the city streets ? Canst lead me hence
Unseen of any ?

Dionysus .
Lonely and untried
Thy path from hence shall be , and I thy guide !

Pentheus .
I care for nothing , so these Bacchanals
Triumph not against me ! . . . Forward to my halls
Within ! I will ordain what seemeth best .

Dionysus .
So be it , O King ! ' Tis mine to obey thine hest ,
Whate ' er it be .

Pentheus
Well , I will go perchance
To march and scatter them with serried lance ,
Perchance to take thy plan . . . . I know not yet .

Dionysus .
Damsels , the lion walketh to the net !
He finds his Bacchae now , and sees and dies ,
And pays for all his sin ! O Dionyse ,
This is thine hour and thou not far away .
Grant us our vengeance ! First , O Master , stay
The course of reason in him , and instil
A foam of madness . Let his seeing will ,
Which ne ' er had stooped to put thy vesture on ,
Be darkened , till the deed is lightly done .
Grant likewise that he find through all his streets
Loud scorn , this man of wrath and bitter threats
That made Thebes tremble , led in woman ' s guise .
I go to fold that robe of sacrifice
On Pentheus , that shall deck him to the dark ,
His mother ' s gift ! So shall he learn and mark
God ' s true Son , Dionyse , in fulness God ,
Most fearful , yet to man most soft of mood .

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