Aphrodite:Wide o’er man my realm extends, and proud the name that I, the goddess Cypris, bear, both in heaven’s courts and ’mongst all those who dwell within the limits of the sea and the bounds of Atlas, beholding the sun-god’s light;those that respect my power I advance to honour, but bring to ruin all who vaunt themselves at me. For even in the race of gods this feeling finds a home, even pleasure at the honour men pay them.
Ἀφροδίτη:Πολλὴ μὲν ἐν βροτοῖσι κοὐκ ἀνώνυμος,θεὰ κέκλημαι Κύπρις, οὐρανοῦ τ’ ἔσω·ὅσοι τε Πόντου τερμόνων τ’ Ἀτλαντικῶνναίουσιν εἴσω φῶς ὁρῶντες ἡλίου,τοὺς μὲν σέβοντας τἀμὰ πρεσβεύω κράτη,σφάλλω δ’ ὅσοι φρονοῦσιν εἰς ἡμᾶς μέγα.ἔνεστι γὰρ δὴ κἀν θεῶν γένει τόδε·τιμώμενοι χαίρουσιν ἀνθρώπων ὕπο.
And the truth of this I soon will show;
δείξω δὲ μύθων τῶνδ’ ἀλήθειαν τάχα·
for that son of Theseus, born of the Amazon, Hippolytus, whom holy Pittheus taught, alone of all the dwellers in this land of Troezen, calls me vilest of the deities. Love he scorns, and, as for marriage, will none of it;
ὁ γάρ με Θησέως παῖς, Ἀμαζόνος τόκος,Ἱππόλυτος, ἁγνοῦ Πιτθέως παιδεύματα,μόνος πολιτῶν τῆσδε γῆς Τροζηνίαςλέγει κακίστην δαιμόνων πεφυκέναι,ἀναίνεται δὲ λέκτρα κοὐ ψαύει γάμων·
but Artemis, daughter of Zeus, sister of Phoebus, he doth honour, counting her the chief of goddesses, and ever through the greenwood, attendant on his virgin goddess, he dears the earth of wild beasts with his fleet hounds, enjoying the comradeship of one too high for mortal ken.
Φοίβου δ’ ἀδελφὴν Ἄρτεμιν, Διὸς κόρην,τιμᾷ, μεγίστην δαιμόνων ἡγούμενος·χλωρὰν δ’ ἀν’ ὕλην παρθένῳ ξυνὼν ἀεὶκυσὶν ταχείαις θῆρας ἐξαιρεῖ χθονός,μείζω βροτείας προσπεσὼν ὁμιλίας.
’Tis not this I grudge him, no! why should I? But for his sins against me, I will this very day take vengeance on Hippolytus; for long ago I cleared the ground of many obstacles, so it needs but trifling toil.
τούτοισι μέν νυν οὐ φθονῶ· τί γάρ με δεῖ;ἃ δ’ εἰς ἔμ’ ἡμάρτηκε, τιμωρήσομαιἹππόλυτον ἐν τῇδ’ ἡμέρᾳ· τὰ πολλὰ δὲπάλαι προκόψασ’ — οὐ πόνου πολλοῦ με δεῖ.
For as he came one day from the home of Pittheusto witness the solemn mystic rites and be initiated therein in Pandion’s land, Phaedra, his father’s noble wife, caught sight of him, and by my designs she found her heart was seized with wild desire.
ἐλθόντα γάρ νιν Πιτθέως ποτ’ ἐκ δόμωνσεμνῶν ἐς ὄψιν καὶ τέλη μυστηρίωνΠανδίονος γῆν, πατρὸς εὐγενὴς δάμαρἰδοῦσα Φαίδρα καρδίαν κατέσχετοἔρωτι δεινῷ τοῖς ἐμοῖς βουλεύμασιν.
And ere she came to this Troezenian realm,a temple did she rear to Cypris hard by the rock of Pallas where it o’erlooks this country, for love of the youth in another land; and to win his love in days to come she called after his name the temple she had founded for the goddess.
καὶ πρὶν μὲν ἐλθεῖν τήνδε γῆν Τροζηνίαν,πέτραν παρ’ αὐτὴν Παλλάδος, κατόψιονγῆς τῆσδε, ναὸν Κύπριδος ἐγκαθίσατο,ἐρῶσ’ ἔρωτ’ ἔκδημον· Ἱππολύτῳ δ’ ἔπιτὸ λοιπὸν ὠνόμαζ’ ἐνιδρῦσθαι θεάν.
Now, when Theseus left the land of Cecrops,flying the pollution of the blood of Pallas’ sons, and with his wife sailed to this shore, content to suffer exile for a year, then began the wretched wife to pine away in silence, moaning ’neath love’s cruel scourge,and none of her servants knows what ails her. But this passion of hers must not fail thus. No, I will discover the matter to Theseus, and all shall be laid bare. Then will the father slay his child, my bitter foe, by curses,for the lord Poseidon granted this boon to Theseus; three wishes of the god to ask, nor ever ask in vain. So Phaedra is to die, an honoured death ’tis true, but still to die; for I will not let her suffering outweigh the payment of such forfeit by my foesas shall satisfy my honour.
ἐπεὶ δὲ Θησεὺς Κεκροπίαν λείπει χθόνα,μίασμα φεύγων αἵματος Παλλαντιδῶν,καὶ τήνδε σὺν δάμαρτι ναυστολεῖ χθόνα,ἐνιαυσίαν ἔκδημον αἰνέσας φυγήν,ἐνταῦθα δὴ στένουσα κἀκπεπληγμένηκέντροις ἔρωτος ἡ τάλαιν’ ἀπόλλυταισιγῇ· ξύνοιδε δ’ οὔτις οἰκετῶν νόσον.ἀλλ’ οὔτι ταύτῃ τόνδ’ ἔρωτα χρὴ πεσεῖν·δείξω δὲ Θησεῖ πρᾶγμα, κἀκφανήσεται.καὶ τὸν μὲν ἡμῖν πολέμιον νεανίανκτενεῖ πατὴρ ἀραῖσιν, ἃς ὁ πόντιοςἄναξ Ποσειδῶν ὤπασεν Θησεῖ γέρας,μηδὲν μάταιον ἐς τρὶς εὔξασθαι θεῷ.ἣ δ’ εὐκλεὴς μέν, ἀλλ’ ὅμως ἀπόλλυται,Φαίδρα· τὸ γὰρ τῆσδ’ οὐ προτιμήσω κακὸντὸ μὴ οὐ παρασχεῖν τοὺς ἐμοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἐμοὶδίκην τοσαύτην ὥστ’ ἐμοὶ καλῶς ἔχειν.
But lo! I see the son of Theseus coming hither—Hippolytus, fresh from the labours of the chase. I will get me hence. At his back follows a long trainof retainers, in joyous cries of revelry uniting and hymns of praise to Artemis, his goddess; for little he recks that Death hath oped his gates for him, and that this is his last look upon the light.
ἀλλ’, εἰσορῶ γὰρ τόνδε παῖδα Θησέωςστείχοντα, θήρας μόχθον ἐκλελοιπότα,Ἱππόλυτον, ἔξω τῶνδε βήσομαι τόπων.πολὺς δ’ ἅμ’ αὐτῷ προσπόλων ὀπισθόπουςκῶμος λέλακεν, Ἄρτεμιν τιμῶν θεὰνὕμνοισιν· οὐ γὰρ οἶδ’ ἀνεῳγμένας πύλαςἍιδου, φάος δὲ λοίσθιον βλέπων τόδε.
Hippolytus:Come follow, friends, singing to Artemis, daughter of Zeus, throned in the sky,whose votaries we are.
Ἱππόλυτος:ἕπεσθ’ ἀείδοντες ἕπεσθετὰν Διὸς οὐρανίανἌρτεμιν, ᾇ μελόμεσθα.
Attendants of Hippolytus:Lady goddess, awful queen, daughter of Zeus, all hail! hail! child ofLatona and of Zeus, peerless mid the virgin choir, who hast thy dwelling in heaven’s wide mansions at thy noble father’s court, in the golden house of Zeus.
Χορὸς Κυνηγῶν:πότνια πότνια σεμνοτάτα,Ζανὸς γένεθλον,χαῖρε, χαῖρέ μοι, ὦ κόραΛατοῦς Ἄρτεμι καὶ Διός,καλλίστα πολὺ παρθένων,ἃ μέγαν κατ’ οὐρανὸνναίεις εὐπατέρειαν αὐ-λάν, Ζηνὸς πολύχρυσον οἶκον.
All hail! most beauteous Artemis, lovelier far than all the daughters of Olympus!
χαῖρέ μοι, ὦ καλλίστα καλ-λίστα τῶν κατ’ Ὄλυμπον.[παρθένων, Ἄρτεμι.]
Hippolytus:For thee, O mistress mine, I bring this woven wreath, culled from a virgin meadow,where nor shepherd dares to herd his flock nor ever scythe hath mown, but o’er the mead unshorn the bee doth wing its way in spring; and with the dew from rivers drawn purity that garden tends. Such as know no cunning lore, yet in whose natureself-control, made perfect, hath a home, these may pluck the flowers, but not the wicked world. Accept, I pray, dear mistress, mine this chaplet from my holy hand to crown thy locks of gold; for I, and none other of mortals, have this high guerdon,to be with thee, with thee converse, hearing thy voice, though not thy face beholding. So be it mine to end my life as I began.
Ἱππόλυτος:σοὶ τόνδε πλεκτὸν στέφανον ἐξ ἀκηράτουλειμῶνος, ὦ δέσποινα, κοσμήσας φέρω,ἔνθ’ οὔτε ποιμὴν ἀξιοῖ φέρβειν βοτὰοὔτ’ ἦλθέ πω σίδαρος, ἀλλ’ ἀκήρατονμέλισσα λειμῶν’ ἠρινὴ διέρχεται,Αἰδὼς δὲ ποταμίαισι κηπεύει δρόσοις·ὅσοις διδακτὸν μηδέν, ἀλλ’ ἐν τῇ φύσειτὸ σωφρονεῖν εἴληχεν ἐς τὰ πάνθ’ ὁμῶς,τούτοις δρέπεσθαι, τοῖς κακοῖσι δ’ οὐ θέμις.ἀλλ’, ὦ φίλη δέσποινα, χρυσέας κόμηςἀνάδημα δέξαι χειρὸς εὐσεβοῦς ἄπο.μόνῳ γάρ ἐστι τοῦτ’ ἐμοὶ γέρας βροτῶν·σοὶ καὶ ξύνειμι καὶ λόγοις ἀμείβομαι,κλύων μὲν αὐδήν, ὄμμα δ’ οὐχ ὁρῶν τὸ σόν.τέλος δὲ κάμψαιμ’ ὥσπερ ἠρξάμην βίου.
Attendants:My prince! we needs must call upon the gods, our lords, so wilt thou listen to a friendly word from me?
Θεράπων:ἄναξ — θεοὺς γὰρ δεσπότας καλεῖν χρεών —ἆρ’ ἄν τί μου δέξαιο βουλεύσαντος εὖ;
Hippolytus:Why, that will I! else were I proved a fool.
Ἱππόλυτος:καὶ κάρτα γ’· ἦ γὰρ οὐ σοφοὶ φαινοίμεθ’ ἄν.
Attendants:Dost know, then, the way of the world?
Θεράπων:οἶσθ’ οὖν βροτοῖσιν ὃς καθέστηκεν νόμος …
Hippolytus:Not I; but wherefore such a question?
Ἱππόλυτος:οὐκ οἶδα· τοῦ δὲ καί μ’ ἀνιστορεῖς πέρι;
Attendants:It hates reserve which careth not for all men’s love.
Θεράπων:μισεῖν τὸ σεμνὸν καὶ τὸ μὴ πᾶσιν φίλον.
Hippolytus:And rightly too; reserve in man is ever galling.
Ἱππόλυτος:ὀρθῶς γε· τίς δ’ οὐ σεμνὸς ἀχθεινὸς βροτῶν;
Attendants:But there’s a charm in courteous affability?
Θεράπων:ἐν δ’ εὐπροσηγόροισιν ἔστι τις χάρις;
Hippolytus:The greatest surely; aye, and profit, too, at trifling cost.
Ἱππόλυτος:πλείστη γε, καὶ κέρδος γε σὺν μόχθῳ βραχεῖ.
Attendants:Dost think the same law holds in heaven as well?
Θεράπων:ἦ κἀν θεοῖσι ταὐτὸν ἐλπίζεις τόδε;
Hippolytus:I trow it doth, since all our laws we men from heaven draw.
Ἱππόλυτος:εἴπερ γε θνητοὶ θεῶν νόμοισι χρώμεθα.
Attendants:Why, then, dost thou neglect to greet an august goddess?
Θεράπων:πῶς οὖν σὺ σεμνός, δαίμον’ οὐ προσεννέπων …
Hippolytus:Whom speak’st thou of? Keep watch upon thy tongue lest it some mischief cause.
Ἱππόλυτος:τίν’; εὐλαβοῦ δὲ μή τί σου σφαλῇ στόμα.
Attendants:Cypris I mean, whose image is stationed o’er thy gate.
Θεράπων:τήνδ’, ἣ πύλαισι σαῖς ἐφέστηκεν Κύπρις.
Hippolytus:I greet her from afar, preserving still my chastity.
Ἱππόλυτος:πρόσωθεν αὐτὴν ἁγνὸς ὢν ἀσπάζομαι.
Att:Yet is she an august goddess, far renowned on earth.
Θεράπων:σεμνός γε μέντοι κἀπίσημος ἐν βροτοῖς.
Hippolytus:’Mongst gods as well as men we have our several preferences.
Ἱππόλυτος:ἄλλοισιν ἄλλος θεῶν τε κἀνθρώπων μέλει.
Attendants:I wish thee luck, and wisdom too, so far as thou dost need it.
Θεράπων:εὐδαιμονοίης νοῦν ἔχων ὅσον σε δεῖ.
Hippolytus:No god, whose worship craves the night, hath charms for me.
Ἱππόλυτος:οὐδείς μ’ ἀρέσκει νυκτὶ θαυμαστὸς θεῶν.
Attendants:My son, we should avail us of the gifts that gods confer.
Θεράπων:τιμαῖσιν, ὦ παῖ, δαιμόνων χρῆσθαι χρεών.
Hippolytus:Go in, my faithful followers, and make ready food within the house; a well-filled board hath charms after the chase is o’er.Rub down my steeds ye must, that when I have had my all I may yoke them to the chariot and give them proper exercise.
Ἱππόλυτος:χωρεῖτ’, ὀπαδοί, καὶ παρελθόντες δόμουςσίτων μέλεσθε· τερπνὸν ἐκ κυναγίαςτράπεζα πλήρης· καὶ καταψήχειν χρεὼνἵππους, ὅπως ἂν ἅρμασιν ζεύξας ὕποβορᾶς κορεσθεὶς γυμνάσω τὰ πρόσφορα.
As for thy Queen of Love, a long farewell to her.[Exit Hippolytus.
τὴν σὴν δὲ Κύπριν πόλλ’ ἐγὼ χαίρειν λέγω.
Attendants:Meantime I with sober mind, for I must not copy my young master,do offer up my prayer to thy image, lady Cypris, in such words as it becomes a slave to use. But thou should’st pardon all, who, in youth’s impetuous heat, speak idle words of thee; make as though thou hearest not,for gods must needs be wiser than the sons of men.
Θεράπων:ἡμεῖς δέ — τοὺς νέους γὰρ οὐ μιμητέον,φρονοῦντας οὕτως — ὡς πρέπει δούλοις λέγειν,προσευξόμεσθα τοῖσι σοῖς ἀγάλμασιν,δέσποινα Κύπρι. χρὴ δὲ συγγνώμην ἔχειν,εἴ τίς σ’ ὑφ’ ἥβης σπλάγχνον ἔντονον φέρωνμάταια βάζει· μὴ δόκει τούτων κλύειν·σοφωτέρους γὰρ χρὴ βροτῶν εἶναι θεούς.
Chorus:A rock there is, where, as they say, the ocean dew distils, and from its beetling brow it pours a copious stream for pitchers to be dipped therein;
Χορός:Ὠκεανοῦ τις ὕδωρ στάζουσα πέτρα λέγεται,βαπτὰν κάλπισι ῥυτὰν πα-γὰν προιεῖσα κρημνῶν·
’twas here I had a friend washing robes of purple in the trickling stream, and she was spreading them out on the face of a warm sunny rock; from herI had the tidings, first of all, that my mistressChorus:she was wasting on the bed of sickness, pent within her house, a thin veil o’ershadowing her head of golden hair.
ὅθι μοί τις ἦν φίλαπορφύρεα φάρεαποταμίᾳ δρόσῳτέγγουσα, θερ-μᾶς δ’ ἐπὶ νῶτα πέτρας εὐ-αλίου κατέβαλλ’· ὅθενμοι πρώτα φάτις ἦλθε δεσποίνας·Χορός:τειρομέναν νοσερᾷ κοίτᾳ δέμας ἐντὸς ἔχεινοἴκων, λεπτὰ δὲ φάρη ξάν-θαν κεφαλὰν σκιάζειν·
And this is the third day I hear that she hath closed her lovely lips and denied her chaste body all sustenance, eager to hide her sufferingand reach death’s cheerless bourn.
τριτάταν δέ νιν κλύωτάνδ’ ἀβρωσίᾳστόματος ἁμέρανΔάματρος ἀ-κτᾶς δέμας ἁγνὸν ἴσχειν, κρυ-πτῷ πένθει θανάτου θέλου-σαν κέλσαι ποτὶ τέρμα δύστανον.
Chorus:Maiden, thou must be possessed, by Pan made frantic or by Hecate, or by the Corybantes dread, and Cybele the mountain mother.
Χορός:— ἦ σὺ γ’ ἔνθεος, ὦ κούρα,εἴτ’ ἐκ Πανὸς εἴθ’ Ἑκάταςἢ σεμνῶν Κορυβάντων φοι-τᾷς ἢ ματρὸς ὀρείας;
Or maybe thou hast sinned against Dictynna, huntress-queen, and art wasting for thy guilt in sacrifice unoffered. For she doth range o’er lakes’ expanse and past the bounds of earthupon the ocean’s tossing billows.
— σὺ δ’ ἀμφὶ τὰν πολύθηρον Δί-κτυνναν ἀμπλακίαις ἀνίε-ρος ἀθύτων πελάνων τρύχῃ;φοιτᾷ γὰρ καὶ διὰ λίμναςχέρσον θ’ ὑπὲρ πελάγουςδίναις ἐν νοτίαις ἅλμας.
Chorus:Or doth some rival in thy house beguile thy lord, the captain of Erechtheus’ sons, that hero nobly bom, to secret amours hid from thee?
Χορός:— ἢ πόσιν, τὸν Ἐρεχθειδᾶνἀρχαγόν, τὸν εὐπατρίδαν,ποιμαίνει τις ἐν οἴκοις κρυ-πτὰ κοίτα λεχέων σῶν;
Or hath some mariner sailing hither from Crete reached this port that sailors love, with evil tidings for our queen, and she with sorrow for her grievous fateis to her bed confined?
— ἢ ναυβάτας τις ἔπλευσεν Κρή-τας ἔξορμος ἀνὴρ λιμένατὸν εὐξεινότατον ναύταις,φήμαν πέμπων βασιλείᾳ,λύπᾳ δ’ ὑπὲρ παθέωνεὐναία δέδεται ψυχά;
Chorus:Yea, and oft o’er woman’s wayward nature settles a feeling of miserable perplexity, arising from labour-pains or passionate desire.
Χορός:— φιλεῖ δὲ τᾷ δυστρόπῳ γυναικῶνἁρμονίᾳ κακὰ δύστανος ἀμηχανία συνοικεῖν,ὠδινῶν τε καὶ ἀφροσύνας.
I, too, have felt at times this sharp thrill shoot through me, but I would cry to Artemis, queen of archery, who comes from heaven to aid us in our travail, and thanks to heaven’s grace she ever comes at my call with welcome help.
δι’ ἐμᾶς ᾖξέν ποτε νηδύος ἅδ’αὔρα. τὰν δ’ εὔλοχον οὐρανίαντόξων μεδέουσαν ἀύτευνἌρτεμιν, καί μοι πολυζήλωτος αἰεὶσὺν θεοῖσι φοιτᾷ.
Chorus:Look! where the aged nurse is bringing her forth from the house before the door, while on her brow the cloud of gloom is deepening. My soul longs to learn what is her grief, the canker that iswasting our queen’s fading charms.
Χορός:— ἀλλ’ ἥδε τροφὸς γεραιὰ πρὸ θυρῶντήνδε κομίζουσ’ ἔξω μελάθρων·[στυγνὸν δ’ ὀφρύων νέφος αὐξάνεται.]τί ποτ’ ἔστι μαθεῖν ἔραται ψυχή,τί δεδήληταιδέμας ἀλλόχροον βασιλείας.
Nurse:O, the ills of mortal men! the cruel diseases they endure! What can I do for thee? from what refrain? Here is the bright sun-light, here the azure sky; lo! we have brought thee on thy bed of sicknesswithout the palace; for all thy talk was of coming hither, but soon back to thy chamber wilt thou hurry. Disappointment follows fast with thee, thou hast no joy in aught for long; the present has no power to please; on something absentnext thy heart is set. Better be sick than tend the sick; the first is but a single ill, the last unites mental grief with manual toil. Man’s whole life is full of anguish;no respite from his woes he finds; but if there is aught to love beyond this life, night’s dark pall doth wrap it round. And so we show our mad love of this life because its light is shed on earth,and because we know no other, and have naught revealed to us of all our earth may hide; and trusting to fables we drift at random.
Τροφός:ὦ κακὰ θνητῶν στυγεραί τε νόσοι.τί σ’ ἐγὼ δράσω; τί δὲ μὴ δράσω;τόδε σοι φέγγος λαμπρόν, ὅδ’ αἰθήρ·ἔξω δὲ δόμων ἤδη νοσερᾶςδέμνια κοίτης.δεῦρο γὰρ ἐλθεῖν πᾶν ἔπος ἦν σοι·τάχα δ’ ἐς θαλάμους σπεύσεις τὸ πάλιν.ταχὺ γὰρ σφάλλῃ κοὐδενὶ χαίρεις,οὐδέ σ’ ἀρέσκει τὸ παρόν, τὸ δ’ ἀπὸνφίλτερον ἡγῇ.κρεῖσσον δὲ νοσεῖν ἢ θεραπεύειν·τὸ μέν ἐστιν ἁπλοῦν, τῷ δὲ συνάπτειλύπη τε φρενῶν χερσίν τε πόνος.πᾶς δ’ ὀδυνηρὸς βίος ἀνθρώπων,κοὐκ ἔστι πόνων ἀνάπαυσις.ἀλλ’ ὅ τι τοῦ ζῆν φίλτερον ἄλλοσκότος ἀμπίσχων κρύπτει νεφέλαις.τοῦ δ’ ὅ τι τοῦτο στίλβει κατὰ γῆνδυσέρωτες δὴ φαινόμεθ’ ὄντες,δι’ ἀπειροσύνην ἄλλου βιότουκοὐκ ἀπόδειξιν τῶν ὑπὸ γαίας·μύθοις δ’ ἄλλως φερόμεσθα.
Phaedra:Lift my body, raise my head! My limbs are all unstrung, kind friends.
Φαίδρα:ἄρατέ μου δέμας, ὀρθοῦτε κάρα·λέλυμαι μελέων σύνδεσμα φίλων.
O handmaids, lift my arms, my shapely arms. The tire on my head is too heavy for me to wear; away with it, and let my tresses o’er my shoulders fall.
λάβετ’ εὐπήχεις χεῖρας, πρόπολοι.βαρύ μοι κεφαλᾶς ἐπίκρανον ἔχειν·ἄφελ’, ἀμπέτασον βόστρυχον ὤμοις.
Nurse:Be of good heart, dear child; toss not so wildly to and fro.
Τροφός:θάρσει, τέκνον, καὶ μὴ χαλεπῶςμετάβαλλε δέμας.
Lie still, be brave, so wilt thou find thy sickness easier to bear; suffering for mortals is nature’s iron law.
ῥᾷον δὲ νόσον μετά θ’ ἡσυχίαςκαὶ γενναίου λήματος οἴσεις·μοχθεῖν δὲ βροτοῖσιν ἀνάγκη.
Phaedra:Ah! would I could draw a draught of water pure from some dew-fed spring, and lay me down to rest in the grassy meadow ’neath the poplar’s shade!
Φαίδρα:αἰαῖ·πῶς ἂν δροσερᾶς ἀπὸ κρηνῖδοςκαθαρῶν ὑδάτων πῶμ’ ἀρυσαίμαν,ὑπό τ’ αἰγείροις ἔν τε κομήτῃλειμῶνι κλιθεῖσ’ ἀναπαυσαίμαν;
Nurse:My child, what wild speech is this? O say not such things in public, wild whirling words of frenzy bred!
Τροφός:ὦ παῖ, τί θροεῖς;οὐ μὴ παρ’ ὄχλῳ τάδε γηρύσῃμανίας ἔποχον ῥίπτουσα λόγον;
Phaedra:Away to the mountain take me! to the wood, to the pine-trees I will go, where hounds pursue the prey, hard on the scent of dappled fawns. Ye gods! what joy to hark them on,to grasp the barbed dart, to poise Thessalian hunting-spears close to my golden hair, then let them fly.
Φαίδρα:πέμπετέ μ’ εἰς ὄρος· εἶμι πρὸς ὕλανκαὶ παρὰ πεύκας, ἵνα θηροφόνοιστείβουσι κύνεςβαλιαῖς ἐλάφοις ἐγχριμπτόμεναι·πρὸς θεῶν, ἔραμαι κυσὶ θωΰξαικαὶ παρὰ χαίταν ξανθὰν ῥῖψαιΘεσσαλὸν ὅρπακ’, ἐπίλογχον ἔχουσ’ἐν χειρὶ βέλος.
Nurse:Why, why, my child, these anxious cares? What hast thou to do with the chase?
Τροφός:τί ποτ’, ὦ τέκνον, τάδε κηραίνεις;τί κυνηγεσίων καὶ σοὶ μελέτη;
Why so eager for the flowing spring, when hard by these towers stands a hill well watered, whence thou may’st freely draw?
τί δὲ κρηναίων νασμῶν ἔρασαι;πάρα γὰρ δροσερὰ πύργοις συνεχὴςκλιτύς, ὅθεν σοι πῶμα γένοιτ’ ἄν.
Phaedra:O Artemis, who watchest o’er sea-beat Limna and the race-course thundering to the horse’s hoofs,would I were upon thy plains curbing Venetian steeds!
Φαίδρα:δέσποιν’ ἁλίας Ἄρτεμι Λίμναςκαὶ γυμνασίων τῶν ἱπποκρότων,εἴθε γενοίμαν ἐν σοῖς δαπέδοις,πώλους Ἐνέτας δαμαλιζομένα.
Nurse:Why betray thy frenzy in these wild whirling words? Now thou wert for hasting hence to the hills away to hunt wild beasts, and nowthy yearning is to drive the steed over the waveless sands. This needs a cunning seer to say what god it is that reins thee from the course, distracting thy senses, child.
Τροφός:τί τόδ’ αὖ παράφρων ἔρριψας ἔπος;νῦν δὴ μὲν ὄρος βᾶσ’ ἐπὶ θήραςπόθον ἐστέλλου, νῦν δ’ αὖ ψαμάθοιςἐπ’ ἀκυμάντοις πώλων ἔρασαι.τάδε μαντείας ἄξια πολλῆς,ὅστις σε θεῶν ἀνασειράζεικαὶ παρακόπτει φρένας, ὦ παῖ.
Phaedra:Ah me! alas! what have I done?
Φαίδρα:δύστηνος ἐγώ, τί ποτ’ εἰργασάμην;
Whither have I strayed, my senses leaving? Mad, mad! stricken by some demon’s curse! Woe is me! Cover my head again, nurse. Shame fills me for the words I have spoken.
ποῖ παρεπλάγχθην γνώμης ἀγαθῆς;ἐμάνην, ἔπεσον δαίμονος ἄτῃ.φεῦ φεῦ, τλήμων.μαῖα, πάλιν μου κρύψον κεφαλήν,αἰδούμεθα γὰρ τὰ λελεγμένα μοι.
Hide me then; from my eyes the tear-drops stream, and for very shame I turn them away. Tis painful coming to one’s senses again, and madness, evil though it be, has this advantage, that one has no knowledge of reason’s overthrow.
κρύπτε· κατ’ ὄσσων δάκρυ μοι βαίνει,καὶ ἐπ’ αἰσχύνην ὄμμα τέτραπται.τὸ γὰρ ὀρθοῦσθαι γνώμην ὀδυνᾷ·τὸ δὲ μαινόμενον κακόν· ἀλλὰ κρατεῖμὴ γιγνώσκοντ’ ἀπολέσθαι.
Nurse:There then I cover thee; but when will death hide my body in the grave? Many a lesson length of days is teaching me. Yea, mortal men should pledge themselvesto moderate friendships only, not to such as reach the very heart’s core; affection’s ties should be light upon them to let them slip or draw them tight. For one poor heart to grieve for twain, as I dofor my mistress, is a burden sore to bear. Men say that too engrossing pursuits in life more oft cause disappointment than pleasure,and too oft are foes to health. Wherefore I do not praise excess so much as moderation, and with me wise men will agree.
Τροφός:κρύπτω· τὸ δ’ ἐμὸν πότε δὴ θάνατοςσῶμα καλύψει;πολλὰ διδάσκει μ’ ὁ πολὺς βίοτος.χρῆν γὰρ μετρίας εἰς ἀλλήλουςφιλίας θνητοὺς ἀνακίρνασθαικαὶ μὴ πρὸς ἄκρον μυελὸν ψυχῆς,εὔλυτα δ’ εἶναι στέργηθρα φρενῶνἀπό τ’ ὤσασθαι καὶ ξυντεῖναι.τὸ δ’ ὑπὲρ δισσῶν μίαν ὠδίνεινψυχὴν χαλεπὸν βάρος, ὡς κἀγὼτῆσδ’ ὑπεραλγῶ.βιότου δ’ ἀτρεκεῖς ἐπιτηδεύσειςφασὶ σφάλλειν πλέον ἢ τέρπειντῇ θ’ ὑγιείᾳ μᾶλλον πολεμεῖν.οὕτω τὸ λίαν ἧσσον ἐπαινῶτοῦ μηδὲν ἄγαν·καὶ ξυμφήσουσι σοφοί μοι.
Chorus:O aged dame, faithful nurse of Phaedra, our queen, we see her sorry plight; but what it is that ails her we cannot discern,so fain would learn of thee and hear thy opinion.
Χορός:γύναι γεραιά, βασιλίδος πιστὴ τροφὲΦαίδρας, ὁρῶμεν τάσδε δυστήνους τύχας,ἄσημα δ’ ἡμῖν ἥτις ἐστὶν ἡ νόσος·σοῦ δ’ ἂν πυθέσθαι καὶ κλύειν βουλοίμεθ’ ἄν.
Nurse:I question her, but am no wiser, for she will not answer.
Τροφός:οὐκ οἶδ’ ἐλέγχους· οὐ γὰρ ἐννέπειν θέλει.
Chorus:Nor tell what source these sorrows have?
Χορός:οὐδ’ ἥτις ἀρχὴ τῶνδε πημάτων ἔφυ;
Nurse:The same answer thou must take, for she is dumb on every point.
Τροφός:ἐς ταὐτὸν ἥκεις· πάντα γὰρ σιγᾷ τάδε.
Chorus:How weak and wasted is her body!
Χορός:ὡς ἀσθενεῖ τε καὶ κατέξανται δέμας.
Nurse:What marvel?’tis three days now since she has tasted food.
Τροφός:πῶς δ’ οὔ, τριταίαν γ’ οὖσ’ ἄσιτος ἡμέραν;
Chorus:Is this infatuation, or an attempt to die?
Χορός:πότερον ὑπ’ ἄτης ἢ θανεῖν πειρωμένη;
Nurse:’Tis death she courts; such fasting aims at ending life.
Τροφός:θανεῖν; ἀσιτεῖ γ’ εἰς ἀπόστασιν βίου.
Chorus:A strange story! is her husband satisfied?
Χορός:θαυμαστὸν εἶπας, εἰ τάδ’ ἐξαρκεῖ πόσει.
Nurse:She hides from him her sorrow, and vows she is not ill.
Τροφός:κρύπτει γὰρ ἥδε πῆμα κοὔ φησιν νοσεῖν.
Chorus:Can he not guess it from her face?
Χορός:ὃ δ’ ἐς πρόσωπον οὐ τεκμαίρεται βλέπων;
Nurse:He is not now in his own country.
Τροφός:ἔκδημος ὢν γὰρ τῆσδε τυγχάνει χθονός.
Chorus:But dost not thou insist in thy endeavour to find out her complaint, her crazy mind?
Χορός:σὺ δ’ οὐκ ἀνάγκην προσφέρεις, πειρωμένηνόσον πυθέσθαι τῆσδε καὶ πλάνον φρενῶν;
Nurse:I have tried every plan, and all in vain;
Τροφός:ἐς πάντ’ ἀφῖγμαι κοὐδὲν εἴργασμαι πλέον·
yet not even now will I relax my zeal, that thou too, if thou stayest, mayst witness my devotion to my unhappy mistress.
οὐ μὴν ἀνήσω γ’ οὐδὲ νῦν προθυμίας,ὡς ἂν παροῦσα καὶ σύ μοι ξυμμαρτυρῇςοἵα πέφυκα δυστυχοῦσι δεσπόταις.
Come, come, my darling child, let us forget, the twain of us, our former words; be thou more mild,smoothing that sullen brow and changing the current of thy thought, and I, if in aught before I failed in humouring thee, will let that be and find some better course. If thou art sick with ills thou canst not name, there be women here to help to set thee right;
ἄγ’, ὦ φίλη παῖ, τῶν πάροιθε μὲν λόγωνλαθώμεθ’ ἄμφω, καὶ σύ θ’ ἡδίων γενοῦστυγνὴν ὀφρὺν λύσασα καὶ γνώμης ὁδόν,ἐγώ θ’ ὅπῃ σοι μὴ καλῶς τόθ’ εἱπόμηνμεθεῖσ’ ἐπ’ ἄλλον εἶμι βελτίω λόγον.κεἰ μὲν νοσεῖς τι τῶν ἀπορρήτων κακῶν,γυναῖκες αἵδε συγκαθιστάναι νόσον·
but if thy trouble can to men’s ears be divulged, speak, that physicians may pronounce on it.
εἰ δ’ ἔκφορός σοι συμφορὰ πρὸς ἄρσενας,λέγ’, ὡς ἰατροῖς πρᾶγμα μηνυθῇ τόδε.
Come, then, why so dumb? Thou shouldst not so remain, my child, but scold me if I speak amiss, or, if I give good counsel, yield assent.
εἶἑν· τί σιγᾷς; οὐκ ἐχρῆν σιγᾶν, τέκνον,ἀλλ’ ἤ μ’ ἐλέγχειν, εἴ τι μὴ καλῶς λέγω,ἢ τοῖσιν εὖ λεχθεῖσι συγχωρεῖν λόγοις.
One word, one look this way! Ah me! Friends, we waste our toil to no purpose; we are as far away as ever; she would not relent to my arguments then, nor is she yielding now.Well, grow more stubborn than the sea, yet be assured of this,that if thou diest thou art a traitress to thy children, for they will ne’er inherit their father’s halls, nay, by that knightly queen the Amazon who bore a son to lord it over thine, a bastard born but not a bastard bred, whom well thou knowest,e’en Hippolytus.Phaedra:Oh! oh!
φθέγξαι τι, δεῦρ’ ἄθρησον. — ὦ τάλαιν’ ἐγώ,γυναῖκες, ἄλλως τούσδε μοχθοῦμεν πόνους,ἴσον δ’ ἄπεσμεν τῷ πρίν· οὔτε γὰρ τότελόγοις ἐτέγγεθ’ ἥδε νῦν τ’ οὐ πείθεται. —ἀλλ’ ἴσθι μέντοι — πρὸς τάδ’ αὐθαδεστέραγίγνου θαλάσσης — εἰ θανῇ, προδοῦσα σοὺςπαῖδας πατρῴων μὴ μεθέξοντας δόμων,μὰ τὴν ἄνασσαν ἱππίαν Ἀμαζόνα,ἣ σοῖς τέκνοισι δεσπότην ἐγείνατονόθον φρονοῦντα γνήσι’, οἶσθά νιν καλῶς,ἹππόλυτονΦαίδρα:οἴμοι.
Nurse:Ha! doth that touch the quick?
Τροφός:θιγγάνει σέθεν τόδε;
Phaedra:Thou hast undone me, nurse; I do adjure by the gods, mention that man no more.
Φαίδρα:ἀπώλεσάς με, μαῖα, καί σε πρὸς θεῶντοῦδ’ ἀνδρὸς αὖθις λίσσομαι σιγᾶν πέρι.
Nurse:There now! thou art thyself again, but e’en yet refusest to aid thy children and preserve thy life.
Τροφός:ὁρᾷς; φρονεῖς μὲν εὖ, φρονοῦσα δ’ οὐ θέλειςπαῖδάς τ’ ὀνῆσαι καὶ σὸν ἐκσῶσαι βίον.
Phaedra:My babes I love, but there is another storm that buffets me.
Φαίδρα:φιλῶ τέκν’· ἄλλῃ δ’ ἐν τύχῃ χειμάζομαι.
Nurse:Daughter, are thy hands from bloodshed pure?
Τροφός:ἁγνὰς μέν, ὦ παῖ, χεῖρας αἵματος φορεῖς;
Phaedra:My hands are pure, but on my soul there rests a stain.
Φαίδρα:χεῖρες μὲν ἁγναί, φρὴν δ’ ἔχει μίασμά τι.
Nurse:The issue of some enemy’s secret witchery?
Τροφός:μῶν ἐξ ἐπακτοῦ πημονῆς ἐχθρῶν τινος;
Phaedra:A friend is my destroyer, one unwilling as myself.
Φαίδρα:φίλος μ’ ἀπόλλυσ’ οὐχ ἑκοῦσαν οὐχ ἑκών.
Nurse:Hath Theseus wronged thee in any wise?
Τροφός:Θησεύς τιν’ ἡμάρτηκεν ἐς σ’ ἁμαρτίαν;
Phaedra:Never may I prove untrue to him
Φαίδρα:μὴ δρῶσ’ ἔγωγ’ ἐκεῖνον ὀφθείην κακῶς.
Nurse:Then what strange mystery is there that drives thee on to die?
Τροφός:τί γὰρ τὸ δεινὸν τοῦθ’ ὅ σ’ ἐξαίρει θανεῖν;
Phaedra:O, let my sin and me alone!’tis not ’gainst thee I sin.
Φαίδρα:ἔα μ’ ἁμαρτεῖν· οὐ γὰρ ἐς σὲ ἁμαρτάνω.
Nurse:Never willingly! and, if I fail,’twill rest at thy door.
Τροφός:οὐ δῆθ’ ἑκοῦσά γ’, ἐν δὲ σοὶ λελείψομαι.
Phaedra:How now? thou usest force in clinging to my hand.
Φαίδρα:τί δρᾷς; βιάζῃ χειρὸς ἐξαρτωμένη;
Nurse:Yea, and I will never loose my hold upon thy knees.
Τροφός:καὶ σῶν γε γονάτων, κοὐ μεθήσομαί ποτε.
Phaedra:Alas for thee! my sorrows, shouldst thou learn them, would recoil on thee.
Φαίδρα:κάκ’, ὦ τάλαινα, σοὶ τάδ’, εἰ πεύσῃ, κακά.
Nurse:What keener grief for me than failing to win thee?
Τροφός:μεῖζον γὰρ ἢ σοῦ μὴ τυχεῖν τί μοι κακόν;
Phaedra:’Twill be death to thee; though to me that brings renown.
Φαίδρα:ὀλεῖς· τὸ μέντοι πρᾶγμ’ ἐμοὶ τιμὴν φέρει.
Nurse:And dost thou then conceal this boon despite my prayers?
Τροφός:κἄπειτα κρύπτεις χρήσθ’ ἱκνουμένης ἐμοῦ;
Phaedra:I do, for ’tis out of shame I am planning an honourable escape.
Φαίδρα:ἐκ τῶν γὰρ αἰσχρῶν ἐσθλὰ μηχανώμεθα.
Nurse:Tell it, and thine honour shall the brighter shine.
Τροφός:οὐκοῦν λέγουσα τιμιωτέρα φανῇ.
Phaedra:Away, I do conjure thee; loose my hand.
Φαίδρα:ἄπελθε πρὸς θεῶν δεξιᾶς τ’ ἐμῆς μέθες.
Nurse:I will not, for the boon thou shouldst have granted me is denied.
Τροφός:οὐ δῆτ’, ἐπεί μοι δῶρον οὐ δίδως ὃ χρῆν.
Phaedra:I will grant it out of reverence for thy holy sup- pliant touch.
Φαίδρα:δώσω· σέβας γὰρ χειρὸς αἰδοῦμαι τὸ σόν.
Nurse:Henceforth I hold my peace;’tis thine to speak from now.
Τροφός:σιγῷμ’ ἂν ἤδη· σὸς γὰρ οὑντεῦθεν λόγος.
Phaedra:Ah! hapless mother, what a love was thine!
Φαίδρα:ὦ τλῆμον, οἷον, μῆτερ, ἠράσθης ἔρον,
Nurse:Her love for the bull? daughter, or what meanest thou?
Τροφός:ὃν ἔσχε Ταύρου, τέκνον, ἢ τί φῂς τόδε;
Phaedra:And woe to thee! my sister, bride of Dionysus.
Φαίδρα:σύ τ’, ὦ τάλαιν’ ὅμαιμε, Διονύσου δάμαρ,
Nurse:What ails thee, child? speaking ill of kith and kin.
Τροφός:τέκνον, τί πάσχεις; συγγόνους κακορροθεῖς;
Phaedra:Myself the third to suffer! how am I undone!
Φαίδρα:τρίτη δ’ ἐγὼ δύστηνος ὡς ἀπόλλυμαι.
Nurse:Thou strik’st me dumb! Where will this history end?
Τροφός:ἔκ τοι πέπληγμαι· ποῖ προβήσεται λόγος;
Phaedra:That “love” has been our curse from time long past.
Φαίδρα:ἐκεῖθεν ἡμεῖς, οὐ νεωστί, δυστυχεῖς.
Nurse:I know no more of what I fain would learn.
Τροφός:οὐδέν τι μᾶλλον οἶδ’ ἃ βούλομαι κλύειν.
Phaedra:Ah! would thou couldst say for me what I have to tell.
Φαίδρα:φεῦ·πῶς ἂν σύ μοι λέξειας ἁμὲ χρὴ λέγειν;
Nurse:I am no prophetess to unriddle secrets.
Τροφός:οὐ μάντις εἰμὶ τἀφανῆ γνῶναι σαφῶς.
Phaedra:What is it they mean when they talk of people being in “love?”
Φαίδρα:τί τοῦθ’, ὃ δὴ λέγουσιν ἀνθρώπους, ἐρᾶν;
Nurse:At once the sweetest and the bitterest thing, my child.
Τροφός:ἥδιστον, ὦ παῖ, ταὐτὸν ἀλγεινόν θ’ ἅμα.
Phaedra:I shall only find the latter half.
Φαίδρα:ἡμεῖς ἂν εἶμεν θατέρῳ κεχρημένοι.
Nurse:Ha! my child, art thou in love?
Τροφός:τί φῄς; ἐρᾷς, ὦ τέκνον; ἀνθρώπων τίνος;
Phaedra:The Amazon’s son, whoever he may be,—
Φαίδρα:ὅστις ποθ’ οὗτός ἐσθ’, ὁ τῆς Ἀμαζόνος …
Nurse:Mean’st thou Hippolytus?Phaedra:’Twas thou, not I, that spoke his name.
Τροφός:Ἱππόλυτον αὐδᾷς;Φαίδρα:σοῦ τάδ’, οὐκ ἐμοῦ κλύεις.
Nurse:O heavens! what is this, my child? Thou hast ruined me. Outrageous! friends; I will not live and bear it;hateful is life, hateful to mine eyes the light. This body I resign, will cast it off, and rid me of existence by my death. Farewell, my life is o’er. Yea, for the chaste have wicked passions,’gainst their will maybe, but still they have. Cypris, it seems, is not a goddess after all,but something greater far, for she hath been the ruin of my lady and of me and our whole family.
Τροφός:οἴμοι, τί λέξεις, τέκνον; ὥς μ’ ἀπώλεσας.γυναῖκες, οὐκ ἀνασχέτ’· οὐκ ἀνέξομαιζῶσ’· ἐχθρὸν ἦμαρ, ἐχθρὸν εἰσορῶ φάος.ῥίψω μεθήσω σῶμ’, ἀπαλλαχθήσομαιβίου θανοῦσα· χαίρετ’· οὐκέτ’ εἴμ’ ἐγώ.οἱ σώφρονες γὰρ οὐχ ἑκόντες, ἀλλ’ ὅμωςκακῶν ἐρῶσι. Κύπρις οὐκ ἄρ’ ἦν θεός,ἀλλ’ εἴ τι μεῖζον ἄλλο γίγνεται θεοῦ,ἣ τήνδε κἀμὲ καὶ δόμους ἀπώλεσεν.
Chorus:O, too clearly didst thou hear our queen uplift her voice to tell her startling tale of piteous suffering. Come death ere I reach thy state of feeling, loved mistress.O horrible! woe, for these miseries! woe, for the sorrows on which mortals feed! Thou art undone! thou hast disclosed thy sin to heaven’s light. What hath each passing day and every hour in store for thee?
Χορός:ἄιες ὤ, ἔκλυες ὤ,ἀνήκουστα τᾶςτυράννου πάθεα μέλεα θρεομένας;— ὀλοίμαν ἔγωγε, πρὶν σὰν φιλίανκατανύσαι φρενῶν. ἰώ μοι, φεῦ φεῦ.— ὦ τάλαινα τῶνδ’ ἀλγέων·— ὦ πόνοι τρέφοντες βροτούς.— ὄλωλας, ἐξέφηνας ἐς φάος κακά.— τίς σε παναμέριος ὅδε χρόνος μένει;
Some strange event will come to pass in this house. For it is no longer uncertain where the star of thy love is setting, thou hapless daughter of Crete.
— τελευτάσεταί τι καινὸν δόμοις.— ἄσημα δ’ οὐκέτ’ ἐστὶν οἷ φθίνει τύχαΚύπριδος, ὦ τάλαινα παῖ Κρησία.
Phaedra:Ladies of Troezen, who dwell here upon the frontier edge of Pelops’ land,oft ere now in heedless mood through the long hours of night have I wondered why man’s life is spoiled; and it seems to me their evil case is not due to any natural fault of judgment, for there be many dowered with sense, but we must view the matter in this light;
Φαίδρα:Τροζήνιαι γυναῖκες, αἳ τόδ’ ἔσχατονοἰκεῖτε χώρας Πελοπίας προνώπιον,ἤδη ποτ’ ἄλλως νυκτὸς ἐν μακρῷ χρόνῳθνητῶν ἐφρόντισ’ ᾗ διέφθαρται βίος.καί μοι δοκοῦσιν οὐ κατὰ γνώμης φύσινπράσσειν κάκιον· ἔστι γὰρ τό γ’ εὖ φρονεῖνπολλοῖσιν· ἀλλὰ τῇδ’ ἀθρητέον τόδε·
by teaching and experience we learn the right but neglect it in practice, some from sloth, others from preferring pleasure of some kind or other to duty. Now life has many pleasures, protracted talk, and leisure, that seductive evil;likewise there is shame which is of two kinds, one a noble quality, the other a curse to families; but if for each its proper time were clearly known, these twain could not have had the selfsame letters to denote them.
τὰ χρήστ’ ἐπιστάμεσθα καὶ γιγνώσκομεν,οὐκ ἐκπονοῦμεν δ’, οἳ μὲν ἀργίας ὕπο,οἳ δ’ ἡδονὴν προθέντες ἀντὶ τοῦ καλοῦἄλλην τιν’. εἰσὶ δ’ ἡδοναὶ πολλαὶ βίου,μακραί τε λέσχαι καὶ σχολή, τερπνὸν κακόν,αἰδώς τε. δισσαὶ δ’ εἰσίν, ἣ μὲν οὐ κακή,ἣ δ’ ἄχθος οἴκων. εἰ δ’ ὁ καιρὸς ἦν σαφής,οὐκ ἂν δύ’ ἤστην ταὔτ’ ἔχοντε γράμματα.
So then since I had made up my mind on these points,’twas not likely any drug would alter itand make me think the contrary. And I will tell thee too the way my judgment went. When love wounded me, I bethought me how I best might bear the smart. So from that day forth I began to hide in silence what I suffered.
ταῦτ’ οὖν ἐπειδὴ τυγχάνω φρονοῦσ’ ἐγώ,οὐκ ἔσθ’ ὁποίῳ φαρμάκῳ διαφθερεῖνἔμελλον, ὥστε τοὔμπαλιν πεσεῖν φρενῶν.λέξω δὲ καὶ σοὶ τῆς ἐμῆς γνώμης ὁδόν·ἐπεί μ’ ἔρως ἔτρωσεν, ἐσκόπουν ὅπωςκάλλιστ’ ἐνέγκαιμ’ αὐτόν. ἠρξάμην μὲν οὖνἐκ τοῦδε, σιγᾶν τήνδε καὶ κρύπτειν νόσον.
For I put no faith in counsellors, who know well to lecture others for presumption, yet themselves have countless troubles of their own. Next I did devise noble endurance of these wanton thoughts, striving by continence for victory.
γλώσσῃ γὰρ οὐδὲν πιστόν, ἣ θυραῖα μὲνφρονήματ’ ἀνδρῶν νουθετεῖν ἐπίσταται,αὐτὴ δ’ ὑφ’ αὑτῆς πλεῖστα κέκτηται κακά.τὸ δεύτερον δὲ τὴν ἄνοιαν εὖ φέρειντῷ σωφρονεῖν νικῶσα προυνοησάμην.
And last when I could not succeed in mastering love hereby, methought it best to die; and none can gainsay my purpose. For fain I would my virtue should to all appear, my shame have few to witness it.
τρίτον δ’, ἐπειδὴ τοισίδ’ οὐκ ἐξήνυτονΚύπριν κρατῆσαι, κατθανεῖν ἔδοξέ μοι,κράτιστον — οὐδεὶς ἀντερεῖ — βουλευμάτων.ἐμοὶ γὰρ εἴη μήτε λανθάνειν καλὰμήτ’ αἰσχρὰ δρώσῃ μάρτυρας πολλοὺς ἔχειν.
I knew my sickly passion now; to yield to it I saw how infamous; and more, I learnt to know so well that I was but a woman, a thing the world detests. Curses, hideous curses on that wife, who first did shame her marriage-vow for lovers other than her lord!’Twas from noble familiesthis curse began to spread among our sex. For when the noble countenance disgrace, poor folk of course will think that it is right. Those too I hate who make profession of purity, though in secret reckless sinners.
τὸ δ’ ἔργον ᾔδη τὴν νόσον τε δυσκλεᾶ,γυνή τε πρὸς τοῖσδ’ οὖσ’ ἐγίγνωσκον καλῶς,μίσημα πᾶσιν. ὡς ὄλοιτο παγκάκωςἥτις πρὸς ἄνδρας ἤρξατ’ αἰσχύνειν λέχηπρώτη θυραίους. ἐκ δὲ γενναίων δόμωντόδ’ ἦρξε θηλείαισι γίγνεσθαι κακόν.ὅταν γὰρ αἰσχρὰ τοῖσιν ἐσθλοῖσιν δοκῇ,ἦ κάρτα δόξει τοῖς κακοῖς γ’ εἶναι καλά.μισῶ δὲ καὶ τὰς σώφρονας μὲν ἐν λόγοις,λάθρᾳ δὲ τόλμας οὐ καλὰς κεκτημένας.
How can these, queen Cypris, ocean’s child, e’er look their husbands in the face? do they never feel one guilty thrill that their accomplice, night, or the chambers of their house will find a voice and speak?
αἳ πῶς ποτ’, ὦ δέσποινα ποντία Κύπρι,βλέπουσιν ἐς πρόσωπα τῶν ξυνευνετῶνοὐδὲ σκότον φρίσσουσι τὸν ξυνεργάτηντέραμνά τ’ οἴκων μή ποτε φθογγὴν ἀφῇ;
This it is that calls on me to die, kind friends,that so I may ne’er be found to have disgraced my lord, or the children I have born; no! may they grow up and dwell in glorious Athens, free to speak and act, heirs to such fair fame as a mother can bequeath. For to know that father or mother have sinned doth turnthe stoutest heart to slavishness. This alone, men say, can stand the buffets of life’s battle, a just and virtuous soul in whomsoever found. For time unmasks the villain sooner or later, holding up to them a mirror as to some blooming maid.’Mongst such may I be never seen!
ἡμᾶς γὰρ αὐτὸ τοῦτ’ ἀποκτείνει, φίλαι,ὡς μήποτ’ ἄνδρα τὸν ἐμὸν αἰσχύνασ’ ἁλῶ,μὴ παῖδας οὓς ἔτικτον· ἀλλ’ ἐλεύθεροιπαρρησίᾳ θάλλοντες οἰκοῖεν πόλινκλεινῶν Ἀθηνῶν, μητρὸς οὕνεκ’ εὐκλεεῖς.δουλοῖ γὰρ ἄνδρα, κἂν θρασύσπλαγχνός τις ᾖ,ὅταν ξυνειδῇ μητρὸς ἢ πατρὸς κακά.μόνον δὲ τοῦτό φασ’ ἁμιλλᾶσθαι βίῳ,γνώμην δικαίαν κἀγαθήν, ὅτῳ παρῇ.κακοὺς δὲ θνητῶν ἐξέφην’, ὅταν τύχῃ,προθεὶς κάτοπτρον ὥστε παρθένῳ νέᾳχρόνος· παρ’ οἷσι μήποτ’ ὀφθείην ἐγώ.
Chorus:Now look! how fair is chastity however viewed, whose fruit is good repute amongst men.
Χορός:φεῦ φεῦ· τὸ σῶφρον ὡς ἁπανταχοῦ καλὸνκαὶ δόξαν ἐσθλὴν ἐν βροτοῖς καρπίζεται.
Nurse:My queen,’tis true thy tale of woe, but lately told, did for the moment strike me with wild alarm,but now I do reflect upon my foolishness; second thoughts are often best even with men. Thy fate is no uncommon one nor past one’s calculations; thou art stricken by the passion Cypris sends. Thou art in love; what wonder? so are many more.
Τροφός:δέσποιν’, ἐμοί τοι συμφορὰ μὲν ἀρτίωςἡ σὴ παρέσχε δεινὸν ἐξαίφνης φόβον·νῦν δ’ ἐννοοῦμαι φαῦλος οὖσα· κἀν βροτοῖςαἱ δεύτεραί πως φροντίδες σοφώτεραι.οὐ γὰρ περισσὸν οὐδὲν οὐδ’ ἔξω λόγουπέπονθας· ὀργαὶ δ’ ἐς σ’ ἀπέσκηψαν θεᾶς.ἐρᾷς· τί τοῦτο θαῦμα; σὺν πολλοῖς βροτῶν.
Wilt thou, because thou lov’st, destroy thyself?’Tis little gain, I trow, for those who love or yet may love their fellows, if death must be their end; for though the Love-Queen’s onset in her might is more than man can bear, yet doth she gently visit yielding hearts,and only when she finds a proud unnatural spirit, doth she take and mock it past belief. Her path is in the sky, and mid the ocean’s surge she rides; from her all nature springs; she sows the seeds of love, inspires the warm desireto which we sons of earth all owe our being. They who have aught to do with books of ancient scribes, or themselves engage in studious pursuits, know how Zeus of Semele was enamoured,how the bright-eyed goddess of the Dawn once stole Cephalus to dwell in heaven for the love she bore him; yet these in heaven abide nor shun the gods’ approach, content, I trow, to yield to their misfortune.
κἄπειτ’ ἔρωτος οὕνεκα ψυχὴν ὀλεῖς;οὔ τἄρα λύει τοῖς ἐρῶσι τῶν πέλας,ὅσοι τε μέλλουσ’, εἰ θανεῖν αὐτοὺς χρεών·Κύπρις γὰρ οὐ φορητός, ἢν πολλὴ ῥυῇ·ἣ τὸν μὲν εἴκονθ’ ἡσυχῇ μετέρχεται,ὃν δ’ ἂν περισσὸν καὶ φρονοῦνθ’ εὕρῃ μέγα,τοῦτον λαβοῦσα — πῶς δοκεῖς; — καθύβρισεν.φοιτᾷ δ’ ἀν’ αἰθέρ’, ἔστι δ’ ἐν θαλασσίῳκλύδωνι Κύπρις, πάντα δ’ ἐκ ταύτης ἔφυ·ἥδ’ ἐστὶν ἡ σπείρουσα καὶ διδοῦσ’ ἔρονοὗ πάντες ἐσμὲν οἱ κατὰ χθόν’ ἔγγονοι.ὅσοι μὲν οὖν γραφάς τε τῶν παλαιτέρωνἔχουσιν αὐτοί τ’ εἰσὶν ἐν μούσαις ἀεί,ἴσασι μὲν Ζεὺς ὥς ποτ’ ἠράσθη γάμωνΣεμέλης, ἴσασι δ’ ὡς ἀνήρπασέν ποτεἡ καλλιφεγγὴς Κέφαλον ἐς θεοὺς Ἕωςἔρωτος εἵνεκ’· ἀλλ’ ὅμως ἐν οὐρανῷναίουσι κοὐ φεύγουσιν ἐκποδὼν θεούς,στέργουσι δ’, οἶμαι, ξυμφορᾷ νικώμενοι.
Wilt thou refuse to yield? thy sire, it seems, should have begotten thee on special termsor with different gods for masters, if in these laws thou wilt not acquiesce. How many, prithee, men of sterling sense, when they see their wives unfaithful, make as though they saw it not? How many fathers, when their sons have gone astray,assist them in their amours?’tis part of human wisdom to conceal the deed of shame. Nor should man aim at excessive refinement in his life; for they cannot with exactness finishe’en the roof that covers in a house; and how dost thou, after falling into so deep a pit, think to escape? Nay, if thou hast more of good than bad, thou wilt fare exceeding well, thy human nature considered.
σὺ δ’ οὐκ ἀνέξῃ; χρῆν σ’ ἐπὶ ῥητοῖς ἄραπατέρα φυτεύειν, ἢ ’πὶ δεσπόταις θεοῖςἄλλοισιν, εἰ μὴ τούσδε γε στέρξεις νόμους.πόσους δοκεῖς δὴ κάρτ’ ἔχοντας εὖ φρενῶννοσοῦνθ’ ὁρῶντας λέκτρα μὴ δοκεῖν ὁρᾶν;πόσους δὲ παισὶ πατέρας ἡμαρτηκόσισυνεκκομίζειν Κύπριν; ἐν σοφοῖσι γὰρτάδ’ ἐστὶ θνητῶν, λανθάνειν τὰ μὴ καλά.οὐδ’ ἐκπονεῖν τοι χρὴ βίον λίαν βροτούς·οὐδὲ στέγην γὰρ ἧς κατηρεφεῖς δόμοικαλῶς ἀκριβώσειαν· ἐς δὲ τὴν τύχηνπεσοῦσ’ ὅσην σὺ πῶς ἂν ἐκνεῦσαι δοκεῖς;ἀλλ’, εἰ τὰ πλείω χρηστὰ τῶν κακῶν ἔχεις,ἄνθρωπος οὖσα, κάρτα γ’ εὖ πράξειας ἄν.
O cease, my darling child, from evil thoughts, let wanton pride be gone, for this is naught else,this wish to rival gods in perfectness. Face thy love;’tis heaven’s will thou shouldst. Sick thou art, yet turn thy sickness to some happy issue. For there are charms and spells to soothe the soul; surely some cure for thy disease will be found.
ἀλλ’, ὦ φίλη παῖ, λῆγε μὲν κακῶν φρενῶν,λῆξον δ’ ὑβρίζουσ’· οὐ γὰρ ἄλλο πλὴν ὕβριςτάδ’ ἐστί, κρείσσω δαιμόνων εἶναι θέλειν·τόλμα δ’ ἐρῶσα· θεὸς ἐβουλήθη τάδε.νοσοῦσα δ’ εὖ πως τὴν νόσον καταστρέφου.εἰσὶν δ’ ἐπῳδαὶ καὶ λόγοι θελκτήριοι·φανήσεταί τι τῆσδε φάρμακον νόσου.
Men, no doubt, might seek it long and late if our women’s minds no scheme devise.
ἦ τἄρ’ ἂν ὀψέ γ’ ἄνδρες ἐξεύροιεν ἄν,εἰ μὴ γυναῖκες μηχανὰς εὑρήσομεν.
Chorus:Although she gives thee at thy present need the wiser counsel, Phaedra, yet do I praise thee. Still my praise may sound more harshand jar more cruelly on thy ear than her advice.
Χορός:Φαίδρα, λέγει μὲν ἥδε χρησιμώτεραπρὸς τὴν παροῦσαν ξυμφοράν, αἰνῶ δὲ σέ.ὁ δ’ αἶνος οὗτος δυσχερέστερος λόγωντῶν τῆσδε καὶ σοὶ μᾶλλον ἀλγίων κλύειν.
Phaedra:’Tis even this, too plausible a tongue, that overthrows good governments and homes of men. We should not speak to please the ear but point the path that leads to noble fame.
Φαίδρα:τοῦτ’ ἔσθ’ ὃ θνητῶν εὖ πόλεις οἰκουμέναςδόμους τ’ ἀπόλλυσ’, οἱ καλοὶ λίαν λόγοι.οὐ γὰρ τὰ τοῖσιν ὠσὶ τερπνὰ χρὴ λέγειν,ἀλλ’ ἐξ ὅτου τις εὐκλεὴς γενήσεται.