Jason:But why so rashly rob thyself of these gifts?
Ἰάσων:τί δ’, ὦ ματαία, τῶνδε σὰς κενοῖς χέρας;
Dost think a royal palace wants for robes or gold? Keep them, nor give them to another. For well I know that if my lady hold me in esteem, she will set my price above all wealth.
δοκεῖς σπανίζειν δῶμα βασίλειον πέπλων,δοκεῖς δὲ χρυσοῦ; σῷζε, μὴ δίδου τάδε.εἴπερ γὰρ ἡμᾶς ἀξιοῖ λόγου τινὸςγυνή, προθήσει χρημάτων, σάφ’ οἶδ’ ἐγώ.
Medea:Say not so;’tis said that gifts tempt even gods;
Μήδεια:μή μοι σύ· πείθειν δῶρα καὶ θεοὺς λόγος·
and o’er men’s minds gold holds more potent sway than countless words. Fortune smiles upon thy bride, and heaven now doth swell her triumph; youth is hers and princely power; yet to save my children from exile I would barter life, not dross alone. Children, when ye are come to the rich palace,pray your father’s new bride, my mistress, with suppliant voice to save you from exile, offering her these ornaments the while; for it is most needful that she receive the gifts in her own hand. Now go and linger not; may ye succeed and to your mother bring backthe glad tidings she fain would hear!
χρυσὸς δὲ κρείσσων μυρίων λόγων βροτοῖς.κείνης ὁ δαίμων, κεῖνα νῦν αὔξει θεός,νέα τυραννεῖ· τῶν δ’ ἐμῶν παίδων φυγὰςψυχῆς ἂν ἀλλαξαίμεθ’, οὐ χρυσοῦ μόνον.ἀλλ’, ὦ τέκν’, εἰσελθόντε πλουσίους δόμουςπατρὸς νέαν γυναῖκα, δεσπότιν δ’ ἐμήν,ἱκετεύετ’, ἐξαιτεῖσθε μὴ φυγεῖν χθόνα,κόσμον διδόντες—τοῦδε γὰρ μάλιστα δεῖ—ἐς χεῖρ’ ἐκείνης δῶρα δέξασθαι τάδε.ἴθ’ ὡς τάχιστα· μητρὶ δ’ ὧν ἐρᾷ τυχεῖνεὐάγγελοι γένοισθε πράξαντες καλῶς.
Chorus:Gone, gone is every hope I had that the children yet might live; forth to their doom they now proceed. The hapless bride will take, ay, take the golden crown that is to be her ruin;
Χορός:νῦν ἐλπίδες οὐκέτι μοι παίδων ζόας,οὐκέτι· στείχουσι γὰρ ἐς φόνον ἤδη.δέξεται νύμφα χρυσέων ἀναδεσμῶνδέξεται δύστανος ἄταν·
with her own hand will she lift and place upon her golden locks the garniture of death.
ξανθᾷ δ’ ἀμφὶ κόμᾳ θήσει τὸν Ἅιδακόσμον αὐτὰ χεροῖν. [λαβοῦσα.]
Chorus:Its grace and sheen divine will tempt her to put on the robe and crown of gold,and in that act will she deck herself to be a bride amid the dead. Such is the snare whereinto she will fall, such is the deadly doom that waits the hapless maid, nor shall she from the curse escape.
Χορός:πείσει χάρις ἀμβρόσιός τ’ αὐγὰ πέπλωνχρυσέων τευκτὸν στέφανον περιθέσθαι·νερτέροις δ’ ἤδη πάρα νυμφοκομήσει.τοῖον εἰς ἕρκος πεσεῖταικαὶ μοῖραν θανάτου δύστανος· ἄταν δ’οὐχ ὑπεκφεύξεται.
Chorus:And thou, poor wretch, who to thy sorrow art wedding a king’s daughter, little thinkest of the doom thou art bringing on thy children’s life, or of the cruel death that waits thy bride.
Χορός:σὺ δ’, ὦ τάλαν, ὦ κακόνυμφε κηδεμὼν τυράννων,παισὶν οὐ κατειδὼςὄλεθρον βιοτᾷ προσάγεις ἀλόχῳ τεσᾷ στυγερὸν θάνατον.
Woe is thee! how art thou fallen from thy high estate!
δύστανε μοίρας ὅσον παροίχῃ.
Chorus:Next do I bewail thy sorrows, O mother hapless in thy children, thou who wilt slay thy babes because thou hast a rival, the babesthy husband hath deserted impiously to join him to another bride.
Χορός:μεταστένομαι δὲ σὸν ἄλγος, ὦ τάλαινα παίδωνμᾶτερ, ἃ φονεύσειςτέκνα νυμφιδίων ἕνεκεν λεχέων, ἅσοι προλιπὼν ἀνόμωςἄλλᾳ ξυνοικεῖ πόσις συνεύνῳ.
Attendant:Thy children, lady, are from exile freed, and gladly did the royal bride accept thy gifts in her own hands, and so thy children made their peace with her.
Παιδαγωγός:δέσποιν’, ἀφεῖνται παῖδες οἵδε σοὶ φυγῆς,καὶ δῶρα νύμφη βασιλὶς ἀσμένη χεροῖνἐδέξατ’· εἰρήνη δὲ τἀκεῖθεν τέκνοις.
Medea:Ah!Attendant:Why art so disquieted in thy prosperous hour? Why turnest thou thy cheek away, and hast no welcome for my glad news?
ἔα.τί συγχυθεῖσ’ ἕστηκας ἡνίκ’ εὐτυχεῖς;[τί σὴν ἔστρεψας ἔμπαλιν παρηίδα][κοὐκ ἀσμένη τόνδ’ ἐξ ἐμοῦ δέχῃ λόγον;]
Attendant:These groans but ill accord with the news I bring.
Παιδαγωγός:τάδ’ οὐ ξυνῳδὰ τοῖσιν ἐξηγγελμένοις.
Medea:Ah me! once more I say.Attendant:Have I unwittingly announced some evil tidings?Have I erred in thinking my news was good?
Μήδεια:αἰαῖ μάλ’ αὖθις.Παιδαγωγός.:μῶν τιν’ ἀγγέλλων τύχηνοὐκ οἶδα, δόξης δ’ ἐσφάλην εὐαγγέλου;
Medea:Thy news is as it is; I blame thee not.
Μήδεια:ἤγγειλας οἷ’ ἤγγειλας· οὐ σὲ μέμφομαι.·
Attendant:Then why this downcast eye, these floods of tears?
Παιδαγωγός:τί δαὶ κατηφεῖς ὄμμα καὶ δακρυρροεῖς;
Medea:Old friend, needs must I weep; for the gods and I with fell intent devised these schemes.
Μήδεια:πολλή μ’ ἀνάγκη, πρέσβυ· ταῦτα γὰρ θεοὶκἀγὼ κακῶς φρονοῦσ’ ἐμηχανησάμην.
Attendant:Be of good cheer; thou too of a surety shalt by thy sons yet be brought home again.
Παιδαγωγός:θάρσει· κάτει τοι καὶ σὺ πρὸς τέκνων ἔτι.
Medea:Ere that shall I bring others to their home, ah! woe is me!
Μήδεια:ἄλλους κατάξω πρόσθεν ἡ τάλαιν’ ἐγώ.
Attendant:Thou art not the only mother from thy children reft. Bear patiently thy troubles as a mortal must.
Παιδαγωγός:οὔτοι μόνη σὺ σῶν ἀπεζύγης τέκνων·κούφως φέρειν χρὴ θνητὸν ὄντα συμφοράς.
Medea:I will obey; go thou within the houseand make the day’s provision for the children. O my babes, my babes, ye have still a city and a home, where far from me and my sad lot you will live your lives, reft of your mother for ever; while I must to another land in banishment,or ever I have had my joy of you, or lived to see you happy, or ever I have graced your marriage couch, your bride, your bridal bower, or lifted high the wedding torch. Ah me! a victim of my own self-will. So it was all in vain I reared you, O my sons;in vain did suffer, racked with anguish, enduring the cruel pangs of childbirth.’Fore Heaven I once had hope, poor me! high hope of ye that you would nurse me in my age and deck my corpse with loving hands,a boon we mortals covet; but now is my sweet fancy dead and gone; for I must lose you both and in bitterness and sorrow drag through life. And ye shall never with fond eyes see your mother more, for o’er your life there comes a change.
Μήδεια:δράσω τάδ’. ἀλλὰ βαῖνε δωμάτων ἔσωκαὶ παισὶ πόρσυν’ οἷα χρὴ καθ’ ἡμέραν.ὦ τέκνα τέκνα, σφῷν μὲν ἔστι δὴ πόλιςκαὶ δῶμ’, ἐν ᾧ, λιπόντες ἀθλίαν ἐμέ,οἰκήσετ’ αἰεὶ μητρὸς ἐστερημένοι·ἐγὼ δ’ ἐς ἄλλην γαῖαν εἶμι δὴ φυγάς,πρὶν σφῷν ὀνάσθαι κἀπιδεῖν εὐδαίμονας,πρὶν λέκτρα καὶ γυναῖκα καὶ γαμηλίουςεὐνὰς ἀγῆλαι λαμπάδας τ’ ἀνασχεθεῖν.ὦ δυστάλαινα τῆς ἐμῆς αὐθαδίας.ἄλλως ἄρ’ ὑμᾶς, ὦ τέκν’, ἐξεθρεψάμην,ἄλλως δ’ ἐμόχθουν καὶ κατεξάνθην πόνοις,στερρὰς ἐνεγκοῦσ’ ἐν τόκοις ἀλγηδόνας.ἦ μήν ποθ’ ἡ δύστηνος εἶχον ἐλπίδαςπολλὰς ἐν ὑμῖν, γηροβοσκήσειν τ’ ἐμὲκαὶ κατθανοῦσαν χερσὶν εὖ περιστελεῖν,ζηλωτὸν ἀνθρώποισι· νῦν δ’ ὄλωλε δὴγλυκεῖα φροντίς. σφῷν γὰρ ἐστερημένηλυπρὸν διάξω βίοτον ἀλγεινόν τ’ ἐμοί.ὑμεῖς δὲ μητέρ’ οὐκέτ’ ὄμμασιν φίλοιςὄψεσθ’, ἐς ἄλλο σχῆμ’ ἀποστάντες βίου.
Ah me! ah me! why do ye look at me so, my children? why smile that last sweet smile? Ah me! what am I to do? My heart gives way when I behold my children’s laughing eyes. Ο, I cannot; farewell to all my former schemes;I will take the children from the land, the babes I bore. Why should I wound their sire by wounding them, and get me a twofold measure of sorrow? No, no, I will not do it. Farewell my scheming!
φεῦ φεῦ· τί προσδέρκεσθέ μ’ ὄμμασιν, τέκνα;τί προσγελᾶτε τὸν πανύστατον γέλων;αἰαῖ· τί δράσω; καρδία γὰρ οἴχεται,γυναῖκες, ὄμμα φαιδρὸν ὡς εἶδον τέκνων.οὐκ ἂν δυναίμην· χαιρέτω βουλεύματατὰ πρόσθεν· ἄξω παῖδας ἐκ γαίας ἐμούς.τί δεῖ με πατέρα τῶνδε τοῖς τούτων κακοῖςλυποῦσαν αὐτὴν δὶς τόσα κτᾶσθαι κακά;οὐ δῆτ’ ἔγωγε. χαιρέτω βουλεύματα.
And yet what am I coming to? Can I consentto let those foes of mine escape from punishment, and incur their mockery? I must face this deed. Out upon my craven heart! to think that I should even have let the soft words escape my soul. Into the house, children! and whoso feels he must not be present at my sacrifice,must see to it himself; I will not spoil my handiwork. Ah! ah! do not, my heart, O do not do this deed! Let the children go, unhappy one, spare the babes! For if they live, they will cheer thee in our exile there. Nay, by the fiends of hell’s abyss,never, never will I hand my children over to their foes to mock and flout. Die they must in any case, and since ’tis so, why I, the mother who bore them, will give the fatal blow. In any case their doom is fixed and there is no escape.
καίτοι τί πάσχω; βούλομαι γέλωτ’ ὀφλεῖνἐχθροὺς μεθεῖσα τοὺς ἐμοὺς ἀζημίους;τολμητέον τάδ’. ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐμῆς κάκης,τὸ καὶ προσέσθαι μαλθακοὺς λόγους φρενί.χωρεῖτε, παῖδες, ἐς δόμους. ὅτῳ δὲ μὴθέμις παρεῖναι τοῖς ἐμοῖσι θύμασιν,αὐτῷ μελήσει· χεῖρα δ’ οὐ διαφθερῶ.ἆ ἆ.μὴ δῆτα, θυμέ, μὴ σύ γ’ ἐργάσῃ τάδε·ἔασον αὐτούς, ὦ τάλαν, φεῖσαι τέκνων·ἐκεῖ μεθ’ ἡμῶν ζῶντες εὐφρανοῦσί σε.μὰ τοὺς παρ’ Ἅιδῃ νερτέρους ἀλάστορας,οὔτοι ποτ’ ἔσται τοῦθ’ ὅπως ἐχθροῖς ἐγὼπαῖδας παρήσω τοὺς ἐμοὺς καθυβρίσαι.[πάντως σφ’ ἀνάγκη κατθανεῖν· ἐπεὶ δὲ χρή,][ἡμεῖς κτενοῦμεν οἵπερ ἐξεφύσαμεν.]πάντως πέπρακται ταῦτα κοὐκ ἐκφεύξεται.
Already the crown is on her head, the robe is round her, and she is dying, the royal bride; that do I know full well. But now since I have a piteous path to tread, and yet more piteous still the path I send my children on, fain would I say farewell to them. O my babes,my babes, let your mother kiss your hands. Ah! hands I love so well, O lips most dear to me! O noble form and features of my children, I wish ye joy, but in that other land, for here your father robs you of your home. O the sweet embrace,the soft young cheek, the fragrant breath! my children! Go, leave me; I cannot bear to longer look upon ye; my sorrow wins the day. At last I understand the awful deed I am to do; but passion, that cause of direst woes to mortal man,hath triumphed o’er my sober thoughts.
καὶ δὴ ’πὶ κρατὶ στέφανος, ἐν πέπλοισι δὲνύμφη τύραννος ὄλλυται, σάφ’ οἶδ’ ἐγώ.ἀλλ’, εἶμι γὰρ δὴ τλημονεστάτην ὁδόν,καὶ τούσδε πέμψω τλημονεστέραν ἔτι,παῖδας προσειπεῖν βούλομαι.—δότ’, ὦ τέκνα,δότ’ ἀσπάσασθαι μητρὶ δεξιὰν χέρα.ὦ φιλτάτη χείρ, φίλτατον δέ μοι στόμακαὶ σχῆμα καὶ πρόσωπον εὐγενὲς τέκνων,εὐδαιμονοῖτον, ἀλλ’ ἐκεῖ· τὰ δ’ ἐνθάδεπατὴρ ἀφείλετ’. ὦ γλυκεῖα προσβολή,ὦ μαλθακὸς χρὼς πνεῦμά θ’ ἥδιστον τέκνων.χωρεῖτε χωρεῖτ’· οὐκέτ’ εἰμὶ προσβλέπεινοἵα τε πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ἀλλὰ νικῶμαι κακοῖς.καὶ μανθάνω μὲν οἷα δρᾶν μέλλω κακά,θυμὸς δὲ κρείσσων τῶν ἐμῶν βουλευμάτων,ὅσπερ μεγίστων αἴτιος κακῶν βροτοῖς.
Chorus:Oft ere now have I pursued subtler themes and have faced graver issues than woman’s sex should seek to probe;
Χορός:πολλάκις ἤδηδιὰ λεπτοτέρων μύθων ἔμολονκαὶ πρὸς ἁμίλλας ἦλθον μείζουςἢ χρὴ γενεὰν θῆλυν ἐρευνᾶν·
but then e’en we aspire to culture, which dwells with us to teach us wisdom; I say not all; for small is the class amongst women—(one maybe shalt thou find ’mid many)— that is not incapable of culture.
ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἔστιν μοῦσα καὶ ἡμῖν,ἣ προσομιλεῖ σοφίας ἕνεκεν·πάσαισι μὲν οὔ· παῦρον δὲ δὴγένος ἐν πολλαῖς εὕροις ἂν ἴσωςκοὐκ ἀπόμουσον τὸ γυναικῶν.
And amongst mortals I do assert that they who are wholly without experience and have never had children far surpass in happiness those who are parents. The childless, because they have never provedwhether children grow up to be a blessing or curse to men are removed from all share in many troubles; whilst those who have a sweet race of children growing up in their houses do wear away, as I perceive,their whole life through; first with the thought how they may train them up in virtue, next how they shall leave their sons the means to live; and after all this ’tis far from clear whether on good or bad children they bestow their toil.
καί φημι βροτῶν οἵτινές εἰσινπάμπαν ἄπειροι μηδ’ ἐφύτευσανπαῖδας, προφέρειν εἰς εὐτυχίαντῶν γειναμένων.οἱ μὲν ἄτεκνοι δι’ ἀπειροσύνηνεἴθ’ ἡδὺ βροτοῖς εἴτ’ ἀνιαρὸνπαῖδες τελέθουσ’ οὐχὶ τυχόντεςπολλῶν μόχθων ἀπέχονται·οἷσι δὲ τέκνων ἔστιν ἐν οἴκοιςγλυκερὸν βλάστημ’, ὁρῶ μελέτῃκατατρυχομένους τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον,πρῶτον μὲν ὅπως θρέψουσι καλῶςβίοτόν θ’ ὁπόθεν λείψουσι τέκνοις·ἔτι δ’ ἐκ τούτων εἴτ’ ἐπὶ φλαύροιςεἴτ’ ἐπὶ χρηστοῖςμοχθοῦσι, τόδ’ ἐστὶν ἄδηλον.
But one last crowning woe for every mortal man I now will name; suppose that they have found sufficient means to live, and seen their children grow to man’s estate and walk in virtue’s path, still iffortune so befall, comes Death and bears the children’s bodies off to Hades. Can it be any profit to the gods to heap upon us mortal men beside our other woes this further grief for children lost,a grief surpassing all?
ἓν δὲ τὸ πάντων λοίσθιον ἤδηπᾶσιν κατερῶ θνητοῖσι κακόν·καὶ δὴ γὰρ ἅλις βίοτόν θ’ ηὗρονσῶμά τ’ ἐς ἥβην ἤλυθε τέκνωνχρηστοί τ’ ἐγένοντ’· εἰ δὲ κυρήσαιδαίμων οὕτως, φροῦδος ἐς Ἅιδηνθάνατος προφέρων σώματα τέκνων.πῶς οὖν λύει πρὸς τοῖς ἄλλοιςτήνδ’ ἔτι λύπην ἀνιαροτάτηνπαίδων ἕνεκενθνητοῖσι θεοὺς ἐπιβάλλειν;
Medea:Kind friends, long have I waited expectantly to know how things would at the palace chance. And lo! I see one of Jason’s servants coming hither, whose hurried gasps for breathproclaim him the bearer of some fresh tidings.
Μήδεια:φίλαι, πάλαι τοι προσμένουσα τὴν τύχηνκαραδοκῶ τἀκεῖθεν οἷ προβήσεται.καὶ δὴ δέδορκα τόνδε τῶν Ἰάσονοςστείχοντ’ ὀπαδῶν· πνεῦμα δ’ ἠρεθισμένονδείκνυσιν ὥς τι καινὸν ἀγγελεῖ κακόν.
Messenger:Fly, fly, Medea! who hast wrought an awful deed, transgressing every law; nor leave behind or sea-borne bark or car that scours the plain.
Ἄγγελος:ὦ δεινὸν ἔργον παρανόμως εἰργασμένη,Μήδεια, φεῦγε φεῦγε, μήτε ναΐανλιποῦσ’ ἀπήνην μήτ’ ὄχον πεδοστιβῆ.
Medea:Why, what hath chanced that calls for such a flight of mine?
Μήδεια:τί δ’ ἄξιόν μοι τῆσδε τυγχάνει φυγῆς;
Messenger:The princess is dead, a moment gone, and Creon too, her sire, slain by those drugs of thine.
Ἄγγελος:ὄλωλεν ἡ τύραννος ἀρτίως κόρηΚρέων θ’ ὁ φύσας φαρμάκων τῶν σῶν ὕπο.
Medea:Tidings most fair are thine! Henceforth shalt thou be ranked amongst my friends and benefactors.
Μήδεια:κάλλιστον εἶπας μῦθον, ἐν δ’ εὐεργέταιςτὸ λοιπὸν ἤδη καὶ φίλοις ἐμοῖς ἔσῃ.
Messenger:Ha! What? Art sane? Art not distraught, lady,who hearest with joy the outrage to our royal house done, and art not at the horrid tale afraid?
Ἄγγελος:τί φῄς; φρονεῖς μὲν ὀρθὰ κοὐ μαίνῃ, γύναι,ἥτις, τυράννων ἑστίαν ᾐκισμένη,χαίρεις κλύουσα κοὐ φοβῇ τὰ τοιάδε;
Medea:Somewhat have I, too, to say in answer to thy words. Be not so hasty, friend, but tell the manner of their death, for thou wouldst give me double joy,if so they perished miserably.
Μήδεια:ἔχω τι κἀγὼ τοῖς γε σοῖς ἐναντίονλόγοισιν εἰπεῖν· ἀλλὰ μὴ σπέρχου, φίλος,λέξον δέ· πῶς ὤλοντο; δὶς τόσον γὰρ ἂντέρψειας ἡμᾶς, εἰ τεθνᾶσι παγκάκως.
Messenger:When the children twain whom thou didst bear came with their father and entered the palace of the bride, right glad were we thralls who had shared thy griefs, for instantly from ear to ear a rumour spreadthat thou and thy lord had made up your former quarrel. One kissed thy children’s hands, another their golden hair, while I for very joy went with them in person to the women’s chambers. Our mistress, whom now we do revere in thy room,cast a longing glance at Jason, ere she saw thy children twain; but then she veiled her eyes and turned her blanching cheek away, disgusted at their coming; but thy husbandtried to check his young bride’s angry humour with these words: “O, be not angered ’gainst thy friends; cease from wrath and turn once more thy face this way, counting as friends whomso thy husband counts, and accept these gifts, and for my sake crave thy sire ”“to remit these children’s exile.” Soon as she saw the ornaments, no longer she held out, but yielded to her lord in all; and ere the father and his sons were far from the palace gone, she took the broidered robe and put it on,and set the golden crown about her tresses, arranging her hair at her bright mirror, with many a happy smile at her breathless counterfeit. Then rising from her seat she passed across the chamber, tripping lightly on her fair white foot,exulting in the gift, with many a glance at her uplifted ankle. When lo! a scene of awful horror did ensue. In a moment she turned pale, reeled backwards, trembling in every limb,and sinks upon a seat scarce soon enough to save herself from falling to the ground. An aged dame, one of her company, thinking belike it was a fit from Pan or some god sent, raised a cry of prayer, till from her mouth she saw the foam-flakes issue, her eyeballsrolling in their sockets, and all the blood her face desert; then did she raise a loud scream far different fiom her former cry. Forthwith one handmaid rushed to her father’s house, another to her new bridegroom to tell his bride’s sad fate,and the whole house echoed with their running to and fro.
Ἄγγελος:ἐπεὶ τέκνων σῶν ἦλθε δίπτυχος γονὴσὺν πατρί, καὶ παρῆλθε νυμφικοὺς δόμους,ἥσθημεν οἵπερ σοῖς ἐκάμνομεν κακοῖςδμῶες· δι’ ὤτων δ’ εὐθὺς ἦν πολὺς λόγοςσὲ καὶ πόσιν σὸν νεῖκος ἐσπεῖσθαι τὸ πρίν.κυνεῖ δ’ ὃ μέν τις χεῖρ’, ὃ δὲ ξανθὸν κάραπαίδων· ἐγὼ δὲ καὐτὸς ἡδονῆς ὕποστέγας γυναικῶν σὺν τέκνοις ἅμ’ ἑσπόμην.δέσποινα δ’ ἣν νῦν ἀντὶ σοῦ θαυμάζομεν,πρὶν μὲν τέκνων σῶν εἰσιδεῖν ξυνωρίδα,πρόθυμον εἶχ’ ὀφθαλμὸν εἰς Ἰάσονα·ἔπειτα μέντοι προὐκαλύψατ’ ὄμματαλευκήν τ’ ἀπέστρεψ’ ἔμπαλιν παρηίδα,παίδων μυσαχθεῖσ’ εἰσόδους· πόσις δὲ σὸςὀργάς τ’ ἀφῄρει καὶ χόλον νεάνιδοςλέγων τάδ’· Οὐ μὴ δυσμενὴς ἔσῃ φίλοις,παύσῃ δὲ θυμοῦ καὶ πάλιν στρέψεις κάρα,φίλους νομίζουσ’ οὕσπερ ἂν πόσις σέθεν,δέξῃ δὲ δῶρα καὶ παραιτήσῃ πατρὸςφυγὰς ἀφεῖναι παισὶ τοῖσδ’, ἐμὴν χάριν;ἣ δ’ ὡς ἐσεῖδε κόσμον, οὐκ ἠνέσχετο,ἀλλ’ ᾔνεσ’ ἀνδρὶ πάντα, καὶ πρὶν ἐκ δόμωνμακρὰν ἀπεῖναι πατέρα καὶ παῖδας, [σέθεν]λαβοῦσα πέπλους ποικίλους ἠμπέσχετο,χρυσοῦν τε θεῖσα στέφανον ἀμφὶ βοστρύχοιςλαμπρῷ κατόπτρῳ σχηματίζεται κόμην,ἄψυχον εἰκὼ προσγελῶσα σώματος.κἄπειτ’ ἀναστᾶσ’ ἐκ θρόνων διέρχεταιστέγας, ἁβρὸν βαίνουσα παλλεύκῳ ποδί,δώροις ὑπερχαίρουσα, πολλὰ πολλάκιςτένοντ’ ἐς ὀρθὸν ὄμμασι σκοπουμένη.τοὐνθένδε μέντοι δεινὸν ἦν θέαμ’ ἰδεῖν·χροιὰν γὰρ ἀλλάξασα λεχρία πάλινχωρεῖ τρέμουσα κῶλα καὶ μόλις φθάνειθρόνοισιν ἐμπεσοῦσα μὴ χαμαὶ πεσεῖν.καί τις γεραιὰ προσπόλων, δόξασά πουἢ Πανὸς ὀργὰς ἢ τινὸς θεῶν μολεῖν,ἀνωλόλυξε, πρίν γ’ ὁρᾷ διὰ στόμαχωροῦντα λευκὸν ἀφρόν, ὀμμάτων τ’ ἄποκόρας στρέφουσαν, αἷμά τ’ οὐκ ἐνὸν χροΐ·εἶτ’ ἀντίμολπον ἧκεν ὀλολυγῆς μέγανκωκυτόν. εὐθὺς δ’ ἣ μὲν ἐς πατρὸς δόμουςὥρμησεν, ἣ δὲ πρὸς τὸν ἀρτίως πόσινφράσουσα νύμφης συμφοράν· ἅπασα δὲστέγη πυκνοῖσιν ἐκτύπει δρομήμασιν.
By this time would a quick walker have made the turn in a course of six plethra and reached the goal, when she with one awful shriek awoke, poor sufferer, from her speechless trance and oped her closed eyes,for against her a twofold anguish was warring. The chaplet of gold about her head was sending forth a wondrous stream of ravening flame, while the fine raiment, thy children’s gift, was preying on the hapless maiden’s fair white flesh;
ἤδη δ’ ἀνέλκων κῶλον ἔκπλεθρον δρόμουταχὺς βαδιστὴς τερμόνων ἂν ἥπτετο,ἣ δ’ ἐξ ἀναύδου καὶ μύσαντος ὄμματοςδεινὸν στενάξασ’ ἡ τάλαιν’ ἠγείρετο.διπλοῦν γὰρ αὐτῇ πῆμ’ ἐπεστρατεύετο·χρυσοῦς μὲν ἀμφὶ κρατὶ κείμενος πλόκοςθαυμαστὸν ἵει νᾶμα παμφάγου πυρός,πέπλοι δὲ λεπτοί, σῶν τέκνων δωρήματα,λεπτὴν ἔδαπτον σάρκα τῆς δυσδαίμονος.
and she starts from her seat in a blaze and seeks to fly, shaking her hair and head this way and that, to cast the crown therefrom; but the gold held firm to its fastenings, and the flame, as she shook her locks, blazed forth the more with double fury.
φεύγει δ’ ἀναστᾶσ’ ἐκ θρόνων πυρουμένη,σείουσα χαίτην κρᾶτά τ’ ἄλλοτ’ ἄλλοσε,ῥῖψαι θέλουσα στέφανον· ἀλλ’ ἀραρότωςσύνδεσμα χρυσὸς εἶχε, πῦρ δ’, ἐπεὶ κόμηνἔσεισε, μᾶλλον δὶς τόσως ἐλάμπετο.
Then to the earth she sinks, by the cruel blow o’ercome, past all recognition now save to a father’s eye; for her eyes had lost their tranquil gaze, her face no more its natural look preserved, and from the crown of her head blood and fire in mingled stream ran down;and from her bones the flesh kept peeling off beneath the gnawing of those secret drugs, e’en as when the pine-tree weeps its tears of pitch, a fearsome sight to see. And all were afraid to touch the corpse, for we were warned by what had chanced. Anon came her hapless fatherunto the house, all unwitting of her doom, and stumbles o’er the dead, and loud he cried, and folding his arms about her kissed her, with words like these the while, “O my poor, poor child, which of the gods hath destroyed thee thus foully? Who is robbing me of thee, old as I am and ”“ripe for death? O my child, alas! would I could die with thee!” He ceased his sad lament, and would have raised his aged frame, but found himself held fast by the finespun robe as ivy that clings to the branches of the bay, and then ensued a fearful struggle.
πίτνει δ’ ἐς οὖδας συμφορᾷ νικωμένη,πλὴν τῷ τεκόντι κάρτα δυσμαθὴς ἰδεῖν·οὔτ’ ὀμμάτων γὰρ δῆλος ἦν κατάστασιςοὔτ’ εὐφυὲς πρόσωπον, αἷμα δ’ ἐξ ἄκρουἔσταζε κρατὸς συμπεφυρμένον πυρί,σάρκες δ’ ἀπ’ ὀστέων ὥστε πεύκινον δάκρυγναθμοῖς ἀδήλοις φαρμάκων ἀπέρρεον,δεινὸν θέαμα· πᾶσι δ’ ἦν φόβος θιγεῖννεκροῦ· τύχην γὰρ εἴχομεν διδάσκαλον.πατὴρ δ’ ὁ τλήμων συμφορᾶς ἀγνωσίᾳἄφνω προσελθὼν δῶμα προσπίτνει νεκρῷ·ᾤμωξε δ’ εὐθύς, καὶ περιπτύξας χέραςκυνεῖ προσαυδῶν τοιάδ’· Ὦ δύστηνε παῖ,τίς σ’ ὧδ’ ἀτίμως δαιμόνων ἀπώλεσε;τίς τὸν γέροντα τύμβον ὀρφανὸν σέθεντίθησιν; οἴμοι, συνθάνοιμί σοι, τέκνον.ἐπεὶ δὲ θρήνων καὶ γόων ἐπαύσατο,χρῄζων γεραιὸν ἐξαναστῆσαι δέμαςπροσείχεθ’ ὥστε κισσὸς ἔρνεσιν δάφνηςλεπτοῖσι πέπλοις, δεινὰ δ’ ἦν παλαίσματα·
He strove to rise, but she still held him back; and if ever he pulled with all his might, from off his bones his aged flesh he tore. At last he gave it up, and breathed forth his soul in awful suffering; for he could no longer master the pain.
ὃ μὲν γὰρ ἤθελ’ ἐξαναστῆσαι γόνυ,ἣ δ’ ἀντελάζυτ’. εἰ δὲ πρὸς βίαν ἄγοι,σάρκας γεραιὰς ἐσπάρασσ’ ἀπ’ ὀστέων.χρόνῳ δ’ ἀπέσβη καὶ μεθῆχ’ ὁ δύσμοροςψυχήν· κακοῦ γὰρ οὐκέτ’ ἦν ὑπέρτερος.
So there they lie, daughter and aged sire, dead side by side, a grievous sight that calls for tears. And as for thee, I leave thee out of my consideration, for thyself must discover a means to escape punishment. Not now for the first time I think this human life a shadow;yea, and without shrinking I will say that they amongst men who pretend to wisdom and expend deep thought on words do incur a serious charge of folly; for amongst mortals no man is happy; wealth may pour in and makeone luckier than another, but none can happy be.
κεῖνται δὲ νεκροὶ παῖς τε καὶ γέρων πατὴρπέλας, ποθεινὴ δακρύοισι συμφορά.καί μοι τὸ μὲν σὸν ἐκποδὼν ἔστω λόγου·γνώσῃ γὰρ αὐτὴ ζημίας ἀποστροφήν.τὰ θνητὰ δ’ οὐ νῦν πρῶτον ἡγοῦμαι σκιάν,οὐδ’ ἂν τρέσας εἴποιμι τοὺς σοφοὺς βροτῶνδοκοῦντας εἶναι καὶ μεριμνητὰς λόγωντούτους μεγίστην ζημίαν ὀφλισκάνειν.θνητῶν γὰρ οὐδείς ἐστιν εὐδαίμων ἀνήρ·ὄλβου δ’ ἐπιρρυέντος εὐτυχέστεροςἄλλου γένοιτ’ ἂν ἄλλος, εὐδαίμων δ’ ἂν οὔ.
Chorus:This day the deity, it seems, will mass on Jason, as he well deserves, a heavy load of evils. Woe is thee, daughter of Creon! We pity thy sad fate, gone as thou art to Hades’ hallsas the price of thy marriage with Jason.
Χορός:ἔοιχ’ ὁ δαίμων πολλὰ τῇδ’ ἐν ἡμέρᾳκακὰ ξυνάπτειν ἐνδίκως Ἰάσονι.ὦ τλῆμον, ὥς σου συμφορὰς οἰκτίρομεν,κόρη Κρέοντος, ἥτις εἰς Ἅιδου δόμουςοἴχῃ γάμων ἕκατι τῶν Ἰάσονος.
Medea:My friends, I am resolved upon the deed; at once will I slay my children and then leave this land, without delaying long enough to hand them over to some more savage hand to butcher.
Μήδεια:φίλαι, δέδοκται τοὔργον ὡς τάχιστά μοιπαῖδας κτανούσῃ τῆσδ’ ἀφορμᾶσθαι χθονός,καὶ μὴ σχολὴν ἄγουσαν ἐκδοῦναι τέκναἄλλῃ φονεῦσαι δυσμενεστέρᾳ χερί.
Needs must they die in any case; and since they must, I will slay them—I, the mother that bare them. O heart of mine, steel thyself! Why do I hesitate to do the awful deed that must be done? Come, take the sword, thou wretched hand of mine!Take it, and advance to the post whence starts thy life of sorrow! Away with cowardice! Give not one thought to thy babes, how dear they are or how thou art their mother This one brief day forget thy children dear, and after that lament; for though thou wilt slay them yetthey were thy darlings still, and am a lady of sorrows.
πάντως σφ’ ἀνάγκη κατθανεῖν· ἐπεὶ δὲ χρή,ἡμεῖς κτενοῦμεν, οἵπερ ἐξεφύσαμεν.ἀλλ’ εἶ’ ὁπλίζου, καρδία. τί μέλλομεντὰ δεινὰ κἀναγκαῖα μὴ πράσσειν κακά;ἄγ’, ὦ τάλαινα χεὶρ ἐμή, λαβὲ ξίφος,λάβ’, ἕρπε πρὸς βαλβῖδα λυπηρὰν βίου,καὶ μὴ κακισθῇς μηδ’ ἀναμνησθῇς τέκνων,ὡς φίλταθ’, ὡς ἔτικτες· ἀλλὰ τήνδε γελαθοῦ βραχεῖαν ἡμέραν παίδων σέθεν,κἄπειτα θρήνει· καὶ γὰρ εἰ κτενεῖς σφ’, ὅμωςφίλοι γ’ ἔφυσαν—δυστυχὴς δ’ ἐγὼ γυνή.
Chorus:O earth, O sun whose beam illumines all, look, look upon this lost woman, ere she stretch forth, her murderous hand upon her sons for blood;
Χορός:ἰὼ Γᾶ τε καὶ παμφαὴςἀκτὶς Ἀελίου, κατίδετ’ ἴδετε τὰνὀλομέναν γυναῖκα, πρὶν φοινίαντέκνοις προσβαλεῖν χέρ’ αὐτοκτόνον·
for lo! these are scions of thy own golden seed, and the blood of gods is in danger of being shed by man. O light, from Zeus proceeding, stay her, hold her hand, forth from the housechase this fell bloody fiend by demons led.
τεᾶς γὰρ ἀπὸ χρυσέας γονᾶςἔβλαστεν, θεοῦ δ’ αἷμά τι πίτνεινφόβος ὑπ’ ἀνέρων.ἀλλά νιν, ὦ φάος διογενές, κάτειρ-γε κατάπαυσον, ἔξελ’ οἴκων φονίαντάλαινάν τ’ Ἐρινὺν ὑπ’ ἀλαστόρων.
Chorus:Vainly wasted were the throes thy children cost thee; vainly hast thou born, it seems, sweet babes, O thou who hast left behind thee that passage through the blue Symplegades, that strangers justly hate.
Χορός:μάταν μόχθος ἔρρει τέκνων,ἆρα μάταν γένος φίλιον ἔτεκες, ὦκυανεᾶν λιποῦσα Συμπληγάδωνπετρᾶν ἀξενωτάταν ἐσβολάν;
Ah! hapless one, why doth fierce anger thy soul assail? Why in its place is fell murder growing up? For grievous unto mortal men are pollutions that come of kindred blood poured on the earth,woes to suit each crime hurled from heaven on the murderer’s house.Sons: withinAh!
δειλαία, τί σοι φρενῶν βαρὺςχόλος προσπίτνει καὶ δυσμενὴςφόνος; ἀμείβεταιχαλεπὰ γὰρ βροτοῖς ὁμογενῆ μιά-σματα ἐπὶ γαῖαν αὐτοφόνταις ξυνῳ-δὰ θεόθεν πίτνοντ’ ἐπὶ δόμοις ἄχη.⟨⟩ ⟨Παῖδες: ἔνδοθεν.⟩⟨αἰαῖ.⟩
Chorus:Didst hear, didst hear the children’s cry? O lady, born to sorrow, victim of an evil fate!
Χορός:—ἀκούεις βοὰν ἀκούεις τέκνων;—ἰὼ τλᾶμον, ὦ κακοτυχὲς γύναι.
1st Son:(within). Ah, me; what can I do? Whither fly to escape my mother’s blows?
Παῖδες:—οἴμοι, τί δράσω; ποῖ φύγω μητρὸς χέρας;
2nd Son:(within). I know not, sweet brother mine; we are undone.
—οὐκ οἶδ’, ἄδελφε φίλτατ’· ὀλλύμεσθα γάρ.
Chorus:Shall I enter the house? For the children’s sake I am resolved to ward off the murder.
Χορός:παρέλθω δόμους; ἀρῆξαι φόνονδοκεῖ μοι τέκνοις.
1st Son:(within). Yea, by heaven I adjure you; help, your aid is needed.
Παῖδες:—ναί, πρὸς θεῶν, ἀρήξατ’· ἐν δέοντι γάρ.
2nd Son:(within). Even now the toils of the sword are closing round us.
—ὡς ἐγγὺς ἤδη γ’ ἐσμὲν ἀρκύων ξίφους.
Chorus:O hapless mother, surely thou hast a heart of stone or steelto slay the offspring of thy womb by such a murderous doom.
Χορός:—τάλαιν’, ὡς ἄρ’ ἦσθα πέτρος ἢ σίδα-ρος, ἅτις τέκνωνὃν ἔτεκες ἄροτον αὐτόχειρι μοίρᾳ κτενεῖς.
Chorus:Of all the wives of yore I know but one who laid her hand upon her children dear, even Ino, whom the gods did madden in the daythat the wife of Zeus drove her wandering from her home. But she, poor sufferer, flung herself into the sea because of the foul murder of her children, leaping o’er the wave-beat cliff, and in her death was she united to her children twain.
Χορός:—μίαν δὴ κλύω μίαν τῶν πάροςγυναῖκ’ ἐν φίλοις χέρα βαλεῖν τέκνοις·Ἰνὼ μανεῖσαν ἐκ θεῶν, ὅθ’ ἡ Διὸςδάμαρ νιν ἐξέπεμψε δωμάτων ἄλῃ·πίτνει δ’ ἁ τάλαιν’ ἐς ἅλμαν φόνῳτέκνων δυσσεβεῖ,ἀκτῆς ὑπερτείνασα ποντίας πόδα,δυοῖν τε παίδοιν συνθανοῦσ’ ἀπόλλυται.
Can there be any deed of horror left to follow this? Woe for the wooing of women fraught with disaster! What sorrows hast thou caused for men ere now!
τί δῆτ’ οὖν γένοιτ’ ἂν ἔτι δεινόν; ὦγυναικῶν λέχοςπολύπονον, ὅσα βροτοῖς ἔρεξας ἤδη κακά.
Jason:Ladies, stationed near this house, pray tell me is the author of these hideous deeds,Medea, still within, or hath she fled from hence? For she must hide beneath the earth or soar on wings towards heaven’s vault, if she would avoid the vengeance of the royal house. Is she so sure she will escape herself unpunished from this house,when she hath slain the rulers of the land? But enough of this! I am forgetting her children. As for her, those whom she hath wronged will do the like by her; but I am come to save the children’s life, lest the victim’s kin visit their wrath on me, in vengeance for the murder foul,wrought by my children’s mother.
Ἰάσων:γυναῖκες, αἳ τῆσδ’ ἐγγὺς ἕστατε στέγης,ἆρ’ ἐν δόμοισιν ἡ τὰ δείν’ εἰργασμένηΜήδεια τοῖσδ’ ἔτ’, ἢ μεθέστηκεν φυγῇ;δεῖ γάρ νιν ἤτοι γῆς γε κρυφθῆναι κάτω,ἢ πτηνὸν ἆραι σῶμ’ ἐς αἰθέρος βάθος,εἰ μὴ τυράννων δώμασιν δώσει δίκην·πέποιθ’ ἀποκτείνασα κοιράνους χθονὸςἀθῷος αὐτὴ τῶνδε φεύξεσθαι δόμων;ἀλλ’ οὐ γὰρ αὐτῆς φροντίδ’ ὡς τέκνων ἔχω·κείνην μὲν οὓς ἔδρασεν ἔρξουσιν κακῶς,ἐμῶν δὲ παίδων ἦλθον ἐκσῴσων βίον,μή μοί τι δράσωσ’ οἱ προσήκοντες γένει,μητρῷον ἐκπράσσοντες ἀνόσιον φόνον.
Chorus:Unhappy man, thou knowest not the full extent of thy misery, else had thou never said those words.
Χορός:ὦ τλῆμον, οὐκ οἶσθ’ οἷ κακῶν ἐλήλυθας,Ἰᾶσον· οὐ γὰρ τούσδ’ ἂν ἐφθέγξω λόγους.
Jason:How now? Can she want to kill me too?
Ἰάσων:τί δ’ ἔστιν; ἦ που κἄμ’ ἀποκτεῖναι θέλει;
Chorus:Thy sons are dead; slain by their own mother’s hand.
Χορός:παῖδες τεθνᾶσι χειρὶ μητρῴᾳ σέθεν.
Jason:O God! what sayest thou? Woman, thou hast sealed my doom.
Ἰάσων:οἴμοι τί λέξεις; ὥς μ’ ἀπώλεσας, γύναι.
Chorus:Thy children are no more; be sure of this.
Χορός:ὡς οὐκέτ’ ὄντων σῶν τέκνων φρόντιζε δή.
Jason:Where slew she them; within the palace or outside?
Ἰάσων:ποῦ γάρ νιν ἔκτειν’; ἐντὸς ἢ ἔξωθεν δόμων;
Chorus:Throw wide the doors and see thy children’s murdered corpses.
Χορός:πύλας ἀνοίξας σῶν τέκνων ὄψῃ φόνον.
Jason:Haste, ye slaves, loose the bolts,undo the fastenings, that I may see the sight of twofold woe, my murdered sons and her, whose blood in vengeance I will shed. [Medea in mid air, on a chariot drawn by dragons; the children’s corpses by her.
Ἰάσων:χαλᾶτε κλῇδας ὡς τάχιστα, πρόσπολοι,ἐκλύεθ’ ἁρμούς, ὡς ἴδω διπλοῦν κακόν,τοὺς μὲν θανόντας—τὴν δὲ τείσωμαι δίκην.
Medea:Why shake those doors and attempt to loose their bolts, in quest of the dead and me their murderess? From such toil desist. If thou wouldst aught with me,say on, if so thou wilt; but never shalt thou lay hand on me, so swift the steeds the sun, my father’s sire, to me doth give to save me from the hand of my foes.
Μήδεια:τί τάσδε κινεῖς κἀναμοχλεύεις πύλας,νεκροὺς ἐρευνῶν κἀμὲ τὴν εἰργασμένην;παῦσαι πόνου τοῦδ’. εἰ δ’ ἐμοῦ χρείαν ἔχεις,λέγ’, εἴ τι βούλῃ, χειρὶ δ’ οὐ ψαύσεις ποτέ.τοιόνδ’ ὄχημα πατρὸς Ἥλιος πατὴρδίδωσιν ἡμῖν, ἔρυμα πολεμίας χερός.
Jason:Accursed woman! by gods, by me and all mankind abhorred as never woman was,who hadst the heart to stab thy babes, thou their mother, leaving me undone and childless; this hast thou done and still dost gaze upon the sun and earth after this deed most impious. Curses on thee! I now perceive what then I missedin the day I brought thee, fraught with doom, from thy home in a barbarian land to dwell in Hellas, traitress to thy sire and to the land that nurtured thee. On me the gods have hurled the curse that dogged thy steps, for thou didst slay thy brother at his hearthere thou cam’st aboard our fair ship “Argo.” Such was the outset of thy life of crime; then didst thou wed with me, and having born me sons to glut thy passion’s lust, thou now hast slain them. Not one amongst the wives of Hellas e’er had daredthis deed; yet before them all I chose thee for my wife, wedding a foe to be my doom, no woman, but a lioness fiercer than Tyrrhene Scylla in nature. But with reproaches heaped a thousandfoldI cannot wound thee, so brazen is thy nature. Perish, vile sorceress, murderess of thy babes! Whilst I must mourn my luckless fate, for I shall ne’er enjoy my new-found bride, nor shall I have the children,whom I bred and reared, alive to say the last farewell to me; nay, I have lost them.
Ἰάσων:ὦ μῖσος, ὦ μέγιστον ἐχθίστη γύναιθεοῖς τε κἀμοὶ παντί τ’ ἀνθρώπων γένει,ἥτις τέκνοισι σοῖσιν ἐμβαλεῖν ξίφοςἔτλης τεκοῦσα, κἄμ’ ἄπαιδ’ ἀπώλεσας·καὶ ταῦτα δράσασ’ ἥλιόν τε προσβλέπειςκαὶ γαῖαν, ἔργον τλᾶσα δυσσεβέστατον·ὄλοι’· ἐγὼ δὲ νῦν φρονῶ, τότ’ οὐ φρονῶν,ὅτ’ ἐκ δόμων σε βαρβάρου τ’ ἀπὸ χθονὸςἝλλην’ ἐς οἶκον ἠγόμην, κακὸν μέγα,πατρός τε καὶ γῆς προδότιν ἥ σ’ ἐθρέψατο.τὸν σὸν δ’ ἀλάστορ’ εἰς ἔμ’ ἔσκηψαν θεοί·κτανοῦσα γὰρ δὴ σὸν κάσιν παρέστιοντὸ καλλίπρῳρον εἰσέβης Ἀργοῦς σκάφος.ἤρξω μὲν ἐκ τοιῶνδε· νυμφευθεῖσα δὲπαρ’ ἀνδρὶ τῷδε καὶ τεκοῦσά μοι τέκνα,εὐνῆς ἕκατι καὶ λέχους σφ’ ἀπώλεσας.οὐκ ἔστιν ἥτις τοῦτ’ ἂν Ἑλληνὶς γυνὴἔτλη ποθ’, ὧν γε πρόσθεν ἠξίουν ἐγὼγῆμαι σέ, κῆδος ἐχθρὸν ὀλέθριόν τ’ ἐμοί,λέαιναν, οὐ γυναῖκα, τῆς ΤυρσηνίδοςΣκύλλης ἔχουσαν ἀγριωτέραν φύσιν.ἀλλ’ οὐ γὰρ ἄν σε μυρίοις ὀνείδεσιδάκοιμι· τοιόνδ’ ἐμπέφυκέ σοι θράσος·ἔρρ’, αἰσχροποιὲ καὶ τέκνων μιαιφόνε·ἐμοὶ δὲ τὸν ἐμὸν δαίμον’ αἰάζειν πάρα,ὃς οὔτε λέκτρων νεογάμων ὀνήσομαι,οὐ παῖδας οὓς ἔφυσα κἀξεθρεψάμηνἕξω προσειπεῖν ζῶντας, ἀλλ’ ἀπώλεσα.
Medea:To this thy speech I could have made a long retort, but Father Zeus knows well all I have done for thee, and the treatment thou hast given me. Yet thou wert not ordained to scorn my loveand lead a life of joy in mockery of me, nor was thy royal bride nor Creon, who gave thee a second wife, to thrust me from this land and rue it not. Wherefore, if thou wilt, call me e’en a lioness, and Scylla, whose home is in the Tyrrhene land;
Μήδεια:μακρὰν ἂν ἐξέτεινα τοῖσδ’ ἐναντίονλόγοισιν, εἰ μὴ Ζεὺς πατὴρ ἠπίστατοοἷ’ ἐξ ἐμοῦ πέπονθας οἷά τ’ εἰργάσω·σὺ δ’ οὐκ ἔμελλες τἄμ’ ἀτιμάσας λέχητερπνὸν διάξειν βίοτον ἐγγελῶν ἐμοί·οὐδ’ ἡ τύραννος, οὐδ’ ὁ σοὶ προσθεὶς γάμουςΚρέων ἀνατεὶ τῆσδέ μ’ ἐκβαλεῖν χθονός.πρὸς ταῦτα καὶ λέαιναν, εἰ βούλῃ, κάλεικαὶ Σκύλλαν ἣ Τυρσηνὸν ᾤκησεν πέδον·
for I in turn have wrung thy heart, as well I might.
τῆς σῆς γὰρ ὡς χρὴ καρδίας ἀνθηψάμην.
Jason:Thou, too, art grieved thyself, and sharest in my sorrow.
Ἰάσων:καὐτή γε λυπῇ καὶ κακῶν κοινωνὸς εἶ.
Medea:Be well assured I am; but it relieves my pain to know thou canst not mock at me.
Μήδεια:σάφ’ ἴσθι· λύει δ’ ἄλγος, ἢν σὺ μὴ ’γγελᾷς.
Jason:O my children, how vile a mother ye have found!
Ἰάσων:ὦ τέκνα, μητρὸς ὡς κακῆς ἐκύρσατε.
Medea:My sons, your father’s feeble lust has been your ruin!
Μήδεια:ὦ παῖδες, ὡς ὤλεσθε πατρῴᾳ νόσῳ.
Jason:’Twas not my hand, at any rate, that slew them.
Ἰάσων:οὔτοι νυν ἡμὴ δεξιά σφ’ ἀπώλεσεν.
Medea:No, but thy foul treatment of me, and thy new marriage.
Μήδεια:ἀλλ’ ὕβρις, οἵ τε σοὶ νεοδμῆτες γάμοι.
Jason:Didst think that marriage cause enough to murder them?
Ἰάσων:λέχους σφε κἠξίωσας οὕνεκα κτανεῖν.
Medea:Dost think a woman counts this a trifling injury?
Μήδεια:σμικρὸν γυναικὶ πῆμα τοῦτ’ εἶναι δοκεῖς;
Jason:So she be self-restrained; but in thy eyes all is evil.
Ἰάσων:ἥτις γε σώφρων· σοὶ δὲ πάντ’ ἐστὶν κακά.
Medea:Thy sons are dead and gone. That will stab thy heart.
Μήδεια:οἵδ’ οὐκέτ’ εἰσί· τοῦτο γάρ σε δήξεται.
Jason:They live, methinks, to bring a curse upon thy head.
Ἰάσων:οἵδ’ εἰσίν, οἴμοι, σῷ κάρᾳ μιάστορες.
Medea:The gods know, whoso of them began this troublous coil.
Μήδεια:ἴσασιν ὅστις ἦρξε πημονῆς θεοί.
Jason:Indeed, they know that hateful heart of thine.
Ἰάσων:ἴσασι δῆτα σήν γ’ ἀπόπτυστον φρένα.
Medea:Thou art as hateful. I am aweary of thy bitter tongue.
Μήδεια:στύγει· πικρὰν δὲ βάξιν ἐχθαίρω σέθεν.
Jason:And I likewise of thine. But parting is easy.
Ἰάσων:καὶ μὴν ἐγὼ σήν· ῥᾴδιον δ’ ἀπαλλαγαί.
Medea:Say how; what am I to do? for I am fain as thou to go.
Μήδεια:πῶς οὖν; τί δράσω; κάρτα γὰρ κἀγὼ θέλω.
Jason:Give up to me those dead, to bury and lament
Ἰάσων:θάψαι νεκρούς μοι τούσδε καὶ κλαῦσαι πάρες.
Medea:No, never! I will bury them myself, bearing them to Hera’s sacred field, who watches o’er the Cape,that none of their foes may insult them by pulling down their tombs; and in this land of Sisyphus I will ordain hereafter a solemn feast and mystic rites to atone for this impious murder. Myself will now to the land of Erechtheus,to dwell with Aegeus, Pandion’s son. But thou, as well thou mayest, shalt die a caitiff’s death, thy head crushed ’neath a shattered relic of Argo, when thou hast seen the bitter ending of my marriage.
Μήδεια:οὐ δῆτ’, ἐπεί σφας τῇδ’ ἐγὼ θάψω χερί,φέρουσ’ ἐς Ἥρας τέμενος Ἀκραίας θεοῦ,ὡς μή τις αὐτοὺς πολεμίων καθυβρίσῃ,τύμβους ἀνασπῶν· γῇ δὲ τῇδε Σισύφουσεμνὴν ἑορτὴν καὶ τέλη προσάψομεντὸ λοιπὸν ἀντὶ τοῦδε δυσσεβοῦς φόνου.αὐτὴ δὲ γαῖαν εἶμι τὴν Ἐρεχθέως,Αἰγεῖ συνοικήσουσα τῷ Πανδίονος.σὺ δ’, ὥσπερ εἰκός, κατθανῇ κακὸς κακῶς,Ἀργοῦς κάρα σὸν λειψάνῳ πεπληγμένος,πικρὰς τελευτὰς τῶν ἐμῶν γάμων ἰδών.
Jason:The curse of our sons’ avenging spirit and of Justice,that calls for blood, be on thee!
Ἰάσων:ἀλλά σ’ Ἐρινὺς ὀλέσειε τέκνωνφονία τε Δίκη.
Medea:What god or power divine hears thee, breaker of oaths and every law of hospitality?
Μήδεια:τίς δὲ κλύει σοῦ θεὸς ἢ δαίμων,τοῦ ψευδόρκου καὶ ξειναπάτου;
Jason:Fie upon thee! cursed witch! child-murderess!
Ἰάσων:φεῦ φεῦ, μυσαρὰ καὶ παιδολέτορ.
Medea:To thy house! go, bury thy wife.
Μήδεια:στεῖχε πρὸς οἴκους καὶ θάπτ’ ἄλοχον.
Jason:I go, bereft of both my sons.
Ἰάσων:στείχω, δισσῶν γ’ ἄμορος τέκνων.
Medea:Thy grief is yet to come; wait till old age is with thee too.
Μήδεια:οὔπω θρηνεῖς· μένε καὶ γῆρας.
Jason:O my dear, dear children!
Ἰάσων:ὦ τέκνα φίλτατα.
Medea:Dear to their mother, not to thee.
Μήδεια:μητρί γε, σοὶ δ’ οὔ.
Jason:And yet thou didst slay them?
Ἰάσων:κἄπειτ’ ἔκανες;
Medea:Yea, to vex thy heart.
Μήδεια:σέ γε πημαίνουσ’.
Jason:One last fond kiss, ah me!I fain would on their lips imprint.
Ἰάσων:ὤμοι, φιλίου χρῄζω στόματοςπαίδων ὁ τάλας προσπτύξασθαι.
Medea:Embraces now, and fond farewells for them; but then a cold repulse!
Μήδεια:νῦν σφε προσαυδᾷς, νῦν ἀσπάζῃ,τότ’ ἀπωσάμενος.
Jason:By heaven I do adjure thee, let me touch their tender skin.
Ἰάσων:δός μοι πρὸς θεῶνμαλακοῦ χρωτὸς ψαῦσαι τέκνων.
Medea:No, no! in vain this word has sped its flight.
Μήδεια:οὐκ ἔστι· μάτην ἔπος ἔρριπται.
Jason:O Zeus, dost hear how I am driven hence; dost mark the treatment I receive from this she-lion, fell murderess of her young? Yet so far as I may and can, I raise for them a dirge,and do adjure the gods to witness how thou hast slain my sons, and wilt not suffer me to embrace or bury their dead bodies. Would I had never begotten them to see thee slay them after all!
Ἰάσων:Ζεῦ, τάδ’ ἀκούεις ὡς ἀπελαυνόμεθ’,οἷά τε πάσχομεν ἐκ τῆς μυσαρᾶςκαὶ παιδοφόνου τῆσδε λεαίνης;ἀλλ’ ὁπόσον γοῦν πάρα καὶ δύναμαιτάδε καὶ θρηνῶ κἀπιθεάζω,μαρτυρόμενος δαίμονας ὥς μοιτέκνα κτείνασ’ ἀποκωλύειςψαῦσαί τε χεροῖν θάψαι τε νεκρούς,οὓς μήποτ’ ἐγὼ φύσας ὄφελονπρὸς σοῦ φθιμένους ἐπιδέσθαι.
Chorus:Many a fate doth Zeus dispense, high on his Olympian throne; oft do the gods bring things to pass beyond man’s expectation; that, which we thought would be, is not fulfilled, while for the unlooked-for god finds out a way; and such hath been the issue of this matter.
Χορός:πολλῶν ταμίας Ζεὺς ἐν Ὀλύμπῳ,πολλὰ δ’ ἀέλπτως κραίνουσι θεοί·καὶ τὰ δοκηθέντ’ οὐκ ἐτελέσθη,τῶν δ’ ἀδοκήτων πόρον ηὗρε θεός.τοιόνδ’ ἀπέβη τόδε πρᾶγμα.