1. TRITON: Poseidon, there’s a girl who comes to Lerna for water every day—ever such a pretty little thing. I don’t know that I ever saw a prettier girl.
1. ΤΡΙΤΩΝ: Ἐπὶ τὴν Λέρναν, ὦ Πόσειδον, παραγίνεται καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ὑδρευσομένη παρθένος, πάγκαλόν τι χρῆμα· οὐκ οἶδα ἔγωγε καλλίω παῖδα ἰδών.
POSEIDON: Free, do you say, Triton, or a serving water-girl?
ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ: Ἐλευθέραν τινά, ὦ Τρίτων, λέγεις, ἢ θεράπαινά τις ὑδροφόρος ἐστίν;
TRITON: No servant, but a daughter of that Egyptian. She’s another of those fifty sisters, and is called Amymone. I asked after her name and family. Danaus brings up his daughters the hard way, and teaches them to fend for themselves, sending them for water and training them not to shirk hard work.
ΤΡΙΤΩΝ: Οὐ μὲν οὖν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ Αἰγυπτίου ἐκείνου θυγάτηρ, μία τῶν πεντήκοντα καὶ αὐτή, Ἀμυμώνη τοὔνομα· ἐπυθόμην γὰρ ἥτις καλεῖται καὶ τὸ γένος. ὁ Δαναὸς δὲ σκληραγωγεῖ τὰς θυγατέρας καὶ αὐτουργεῖν διδάσκει καὶ πέμπει ὕδωρ τε ἀρυσομένας καὶ πρὸς τὰ ἄλλα παιδεύει ἀόκνους εἶναι αὐτάς.
2. POSEIDON: Does she come all that long way from Argos to Lerna alone?
2. ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ: Μόνη δὲ παραγίνεται μακρὰν οὕτω τὴν ὁδὸν ἐξ Ἄργους εἰς Λέρναν;
TRITON: Indeed she does, and Argos is a pretty thirsty place, as you know, so that she must for ever be carrying water.
ΤΡΙΤΩΝ: Μόνη· πολυδίψιον δὲ τὸ Ἄργος, ὡς οἶσθα· ὥστε ἀνάγκη ἀεὶ ὑδροφορεῖν.
POSEIDON: My dear fellow, I’m really excited at what you’ve told me about her. Let’s go and find her.
ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ: Ὦ Τρίτων, οὐ μετρίως με διετάραξας περὶ τῆς παιδὸς εἰπών· ὥστε ἴωμεν ἐπ' αὐτήν.
TRITON: Let’s do that. It’s just the time for her to be getting her water. She must be about halfway to Lerna by now.
ΤΡΙΤΩΝ: Ἴωμεν· ἤδη γὰρ καιρὸς τῆς ὑδροφορίας· καὶ σχεδόν που κατὰ μέσην τὴν ὁδόν ἐστιν ἰοῦσα ἐς τὴν Λέρναν.
POSEIDON: Then get the horses into my chariot, or rather, since it takes too long harnessing the horses and getting the chariot ready, fetch me a quick dolphin. Riding on that, I’ll be able to get away most quickly.
ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ: Οὐκοῦν ζεῦξον τὸ ἅρμα· ἢ τοῦτο μὲν πολλὴν ἔχει τὴν διατριβὴν ὑπάγειν τοὺς ἵππους τῇ ζεύγλῃ καὶ τὸ ἅρμα ἐπισκευάζειν, σὺ δὲ ἀλλὰ δελφῖνά μοί τινα τῶν ὠκέων παράστησον· ἀφιππάσομαι γὰρ ἐπ' αὐτοῦ τάχιστα.
TRITON: Look, here’s the fastest dolphin you have.
ΤΡΙΤΩΝ: Ἰδού σοι οὑτοσὶ δελφίνων ὁ ὠκύτατος.
POSEIDON: Capital. Let’s be on our way; you can swim alongside, my good fellow.... Well, now that we’re at Lerna, I’ll lie in wait here somewhere, and you’ll have to keep a look-out, and when you see her coming— TRITON: Here she is now, not far off.
ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ: Εὖ γε· ἀπελαύνωμεν· σὺ δὲ παρανήχου, ὦ Τρίτων. κἀπειδὴ πάρεσμεν εἰς τὴν Λέρναν, ἐγὼ μὲν λοχήσω ἐνταῦθά που, σὺ δὲ ἀποσκόπει· ὁπόταν αἴσθῃ προσιοῦσαν αὐτὴν— ΤΡΙΤΩΝ: Αὕτη σοι πλησίον.
3. POSEIDON: She is pretty, my dear fellow, a real beauty. We must get hold of her. AMYMONE: Where are you carrying me off to, fellow? You’re a kidnapper, that’s what you are. I’ve an idea Uncle Egyptus sent you. I’m going to scream for my father.
3. ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ: Καλή, ὦ Τρίτων, καὶ ὡραία παρθένος· ἀλλὰ συλληπτέα ἡμῖν ἐστιν. ΑΜΥΜΩΝΗ: Ἄνθρωπε, ποῖ με συναρπάσας ἄγεις; ἀνδραποδιστὴς εἶ, καὶ ἔοικας ἡμῖν ὑπ' Αἰγύπτου τοῦ θείου ἐπιπεμφθῆναι· ὥστε βοήσομαι τὸν πατέρα.
TRITON: Silence, Amymone, it’s Poseidon. AMYMONE: Why do you say Poseidon? Why this force, fellow? Why are you dragging me into the sea? Oh, dear me, I’ll drown if I go under.
ΤΡΙΤΩΝ: Σιώπησον, ὦ Ἀμυμώνη· Ποσειδῶν ἐστι. ΑΜΥΜΩΝΗ: Τί Ποσειδῶν λέγεις; τί βιάζῃ με, ὦ ἄνθρωπε, καὶ εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν καθέλκεις; ἐγὼ δὲ ἀποπνιγήσομαι ἡ ἀθλία καταδῦσα.
POSEIDON: Don’t worry, you’re in no danger. I’ll give the rock a tap with my trident near the beach, and start a fountain that will have your name. You’ll be happy, and, unlike any of your sisters, you won’t have to carry water after death.
ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ: Θάρρει, οὐδὲν δεινὸν μὴ πάθῃς· ἀλλὰ καὶ πηγὴν ἐπώνυμον ἀναδοθῆναί σοι ποιήσω ἐνταῦθα πατάξας τῇ τριαίνῃ τὴν πέτραν πλησίον τοῦ κλύσματος, καὶ σὺ εὐδαίμων ἔσῃ καὶ μόνη τῶν ἀδελφῶν οὐχ ὑδροφορήσεις ἀποθανοῦσα.