Medea 1040-1080

Question 1

Medea
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 βουλεύματα
1045τὰ πρόσθεν· ἄξω παῖδας ἐκ γαίας ἐμούς.
τί δεῖ με πατέρα τῶνδε τοῖς τούτων κακοῖς
λυποῦσαν αὐτὴν δὶς τόσα κτᾶσθαι κακά;
οὐ δῆτ᾿ ἔγωγε· χαιρέτω βουλεύματα.
καίτοι τί πάσχω; βούλομαι γέλωτ᾿ ὀφλεῖν
1050ἐχθροὺς μεθεῖσα τοὺς ἐμοὺς ἀζημίους;
τολμητέον τάδ᾿; ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐμῆς κάκης
τὸ καὶ προσέσθαι μαλθακοὺς λόγους φρενί.
χωρεῖτε, παῖδες, ἐς δόμους. ὅτῳ δὲ μὴ
θέμις παρεῖναι τοῖς ἐμοῖσι θύμασιν,
1055αὐτῷ 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.

Answer 1

Medea
Alas alas, why do look closely at me with eyes, children? why do you smile with a final smile? alas, what will I do? for my heart is gone, women, when I saw the bright eyes of my children. I would not be able, farewell my previous plan, I will lead my children from this land. why is it nec for me, causing grief to their father by these bad things of them, to acquire twice the pain for myself. I won’t! farewell plan! what do I suffer? Do I want to bring mockery from my enemies freeing them unpunished? do I dare this? but oh my cowardice, to let in soft words to my heart. Farewell children, into the house. for whoever it is not right to be present at my sacrifice, let it be his own concern. I won’t destroy/weaken my hand. do not, heart, don’t accomplish this. allow them, oh wretched, spare the children. living happily with me there.

ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐμῆς κάκης- gen of exclamation

Question 2

Medea
μὰ τοὺς παρ᾿ Ἅιδῃ νερτέρους ἀλάστορας,
1060οὔτοι ποτ᾿ ἔσται τοῦθ᾿ ὅπως ἐχθροῖς ἐγὼ
παῖδας παρήσω τοὺς ἐμοὺς καθυβρίσαι.
πάντως σφ᾿ ἀνάγκη κατθανεῖν· ἐπεὶ δὲ χρή,
ἡμεῖς κτενοῦμεν οἵπερ ἐξεφύσαμεν.
πάντως πέπρακται ταῦτα κοὐκ ἐκφεύξεται.]
1065καὶ δὴ ᾿πὶ κρατὶ στέφανος, ἐν πέπλοισι δὲ
νύμφη τύραννος ὄλλυται, σάφ᾿ οἶδ᾿ ἐγώ.
ἀλλ᾿, εἶμι γὰρ δὴ τλημονεστάτην ὁδὸν
καὶ τούσδε πέμψω τλημονεστέραν ἔτι,
παῖδας προσειπεῖν βούλομαι· δότ᾿, ὦ τέκνα,
1070δότ᾿ ἀσπάσασθαι μητρὶ δεξιὰν χέρα

Answer 2

Medea
by the avenging spirits of lower Hades, it will never happen that I will give up the children to my enemies to treat badly. it is nec in all ways for them to die, since it is nec, i will kill the very things I bore. in all ways, these things are done and can’t be undone.
and indeed the crown on her head, the royal bride destroyed in a cloak, I know well. but, I will go the boldest path and I will send the boldest of this yet, I want to speak to my children. give, oh children, give your right hand to you mother to kiss.

Question 3

Medea
ὦ φιλτάτη χείρ, φίλτατον δέ μοι στόμα
καὶ σχῆμα καὶ πρόσωπον εὐγενὲς τέκνων.
εὐδαιμονοῖτον, ἀλλ᾿ ἐκεῖ· τὰ δ᾿ ἐνθάδε
πατὴρ ἀφείλετ᾿. ὦ γλυκεῖα προσβολή,
1075ὦ μαλθακὸς χρὼς πνεῦμά θ᾿ ἥδιστον τέκνων.
χωρεῖτε χωρεῖτ᾿· οὐκέτ᾿ εἰμὶ προσβλέπειν
οἵα τε †πρὸς ὑμᾶς† ἀλλὰ νικῶμαι κακοῖς καὶ μανθάνω μὲν οἷα τολμήσω κακά,
θυμὸς δὲ κρείσσων τῶν ἐμῶν βουλευμάτων,
1080ὅσπερ μεγίστων αἴτιος κακῶν βροτοῖς.

Answer 3

Medea
oh most beloved hand, most beloved bodies to me and figures and noble faces of children. be happy but over there. these things here you father has taken away. oh sweet embrace, oh soft skin and most pleasant breath of children.
farewell, farewell, I am no longer able to embrace you but I am overwhelmed by evil and I learn what kind of evil/pain I will dare, heart stronger than my plan the very thing which is responsible of the greatest ills/sufferings to mortals.