Sophocles, Oedipus Rex, tr. D. Mulroy Excerpts I. PRIEST ... - Library

<strong>Sophocles</strong>, <strong>Oedipus</strong> <strong>Rex</strong>, tr. D. MulroyExcerptsI. PRIEST OF ZEUSMy country’s lord and master, <strong>Oedipus</strong>,you see that we before your altars areof different ages: some of us too youngto fly away, some weighted down by years.I’m Zeus’s priest and these selected youthsattend me. Others wreath their heads and sitin agoras, Athena’s double shrinesor where Isménus skirts prophetic ash,and you yourself can plainly see the cause.The city’s drowning now. She lacks the strengthto keep her head above the bloody surge.She’s failing fast. The fruitful buds of earthare failing, herds are failing, women beartheir labor pains in vain, and plague attacks,the hateful fire-bringing god. He leapsand leaves Cadmeia empty. Tears and groanshave made dark Death the “wealthy one” indeed.II. CREONWe have to drive a killer out or payfor death with death. The city’s drenched in blood.OEDIPUSDid he reveal the murder victim’s name?CREONBefore you set the city straight, my lord,another leader, Laius, ruled the land.OEDIPUSI know by hearsay. Never saw him though.CREONOur orders are in no uncertain termsto punish his cold-blooded murderers.OEDIPUSBut where to look? How can the faded tracksof ancient crime be rediscovered now?CREONThis land has answers, so he said. You catchwhat’s sought. The disregarded thing escapes.III. CHORUSO Zeus’s dulcet voice, what’s this divinecommand you bring from Pytho’s golden shrineto splendid Thebes? My mind is wracked with horror.

my limbs are trembling. God that Delos bore,Ah aah! Paean! I stand in awe of you.Will you accomplish something strange and new?or will the years as they unfoldreveal what they revealed of old?Shall I lament? Shall I rejoiceTell me now, immortal voice,O child of golden hope.O Zeus’s child, immortal patroness,divine Athena, fair-famed Artemis,who occupies the market’s beveled throneand guards the land as though it were your own,and Phoebus striking from afar, you three,allies in mortal danger, come to me.If ever in some former yearwith deadly ruin drawing near,the three of you did not disdainto drive away the burning pain,then come again, I pray.Alas, my pains are infinite,all the host is ill.And there’s no weapon in my wit.I’ve no defender’s skill.Our famous land is barren earthits ample harvests fail.Women labor, giving birth,but all to no avail.In every quarter it’s the same,you see a spirit soar,a bird in flight, a rampant flame,against the western shore.Countlessly, the city dies.Ruthless deaths abound.A deadly generation liesunpitied on the groundWives and mothers, young and old,lament by altar’s shorepains and sufferings untold.Their mournful voices soar.Their brilliant hymn and cries combine.Zeus’s daughter, please,Golden girl, O send benignEncouragement to these.IV. OEDIPUSTiresias, omniscient mastermindof mystery and science, earth and sky,although you cannot see, you’re well awarethe city’s visited by plague. In youalone our only hope for safety lies.Phoebus B in case you didn’t hear the news --sent this reply to questions sent by us.To end the plague we must discover whoLaius’ killers were and either taketheir lives or send them fleeing to other lands.So don’t begrudge the knowledge birds impart. 310Use every mantic power you possessand save the city! Save yourself and me!Deliver us from murder’s ugly stain.

We’re in your hands. No work is fairer thanusing your gifts to help your fellow man.TEIRESIAS (aside)How dreadful wisdom is when wisdom bringsno gain! I knew these matters well but Idestroyed them. Otherwise I hadn’t come.V. CHORUS (463 -- 512)Who is the man of whom we heardin rocky Delphi’s mantic song,whose bloody hands were not deterredfrom crimes unutterably wrong?It’s time he use his feet to flee,out-galloping a windy horse.Apollo’s arms are fiery.and he’ll arrive in force.Unerring Keres follow him,demons mortals dread.The snowy peak flashed its command!All must chase the fleeing knave,a bull frequenting rocky land,savage wood and sunless cave.Wretched, sorrowful, and glum,lame of foot and all alone,he flees decrees that issue fromGaia’s navel stone,but they’re forevermore aliveand flutter overhead.The wise bird-seer causes fear.He leaves my thought in disarray.Agree? Deny? The truth’s unclear.I don’t know what to say.Hopes release my soaring mind,but though I look I cannot seewhat’s present now or lies behind.If there’s some historybetween Labdacids and the childOf Polybus I cannot claimTo know of it and won’t defile<strong>Oedipus</strong>’s famejust to help Labdacids solvesome murder dim with time.Though Zeus and Phoebus know and seeeverything that mortals do,saying the priest knows more than mesimply isn’t true.Human beings compete in skill.Wisdom isn’t his alone.I won’t believe the charge untilthe truth is clearly known.The winged maid attacked him thenby day before our very eyes.He proved a loyal citizenand obviously wise.I’d never want to think that hecommitted such a crime.VI. JOCASTANo human being possesses mantic skill.I’ve brief but cogent evidence of that.An oracle once came to Laios from Blet’s say -- Apollo’s servants, not the god --declaring that whatever child was bornto him and me would cause Laios’ death;but he was killed by strangers, so we’re told,some robbers, where a wagon trail divides.

The days my baby lived were scarcely threewhen Laios yoked his feet and had a manabandon him on Citheron to die.Apollo didn’t make his words come true,the infant didn’t cut his father down,and Laios didn’t suffer what he feared,but that was what prophetic tongues foretold.Don’t let them trouble you, for what a godwants known, he’ll simply bring to light himself..OEDIPUSIn hearing this, confusion overtakesmy thoughts, dear wife. My spirit’s lost its way.JOCASTAWhat caused this sudden, apprehensive mood?OEDIPUSI think I heard you mention Laios beingcut down near some divided wagon trail.VII. OEDIPUSMy father ruled in Corinth, Polybusby name; my mother, Doric Merope;and I was thought the leading citizenbefore an incident B surprising, yes,but hardly worth the anger that it stirred.We had a feast with flowing wine. A man,a drunkard, called me illegitimate.It bothered me all day. I barely keptmyself in check and sought my parents outnext day to question them. They angrilydenounced the man who let the story slip.In that I took some pleasure. Still the thingwas irritating, always cropping up.I made my way to Pytho secretly,but Phoebus didn’t dignify my plea.He spoke instead of horrid, dreadful thingsthe future held in store for wretched me..He said that I would surely couple withmy mother, show to men a horrid brood,and be my natural father’s murderer.At that I fled from Corinth’s land, resolvedto use the stars to measure distancesand find some place where I would never seethe oracle’s appalling words come true.I came in time across the junction where,by your account, that ruler met his end.With you, I’ll be completely honest. Ihad gotten near the triple path on foot.A herald met me there together with

a man aboard a horse-drawn chariot,like you describe. The leader tried to blockmy progress using force. The older mandid too. I hit the driver angrilyfor pushing me away. The older manwithdrew until I crowded past, then tooka double cattle prod and struck my head!He paid no equal price for that. In brief,I swing my walking stick at him. He fallsstraight backwards, leaves the car, and rolls away.And then I slaughter everyone.VIII CHORUSI pray my fate be to succeedat being pure in word and deed,approved by laws that walk on high,the offspring of the azure sky.They were not born of flesh and boneOlympus fathered them alone.They never nod with eyes grown dim,or age, for god is great in them.Hubris sows the tyrant. Whenhubris satisfying its yenfor harmful substances ascendsthe topmost beam to where it ends,there must come next a sharp descentthat skillful feet cannot prevent.God, keep the city in your grip.I’ll always praise your leadership.IX CHORUSWho was your mother, child, disclose.A sprite hill-ranging Pan came near?a bedmate that Apollo chose,to whom the tablelands are dear?Was Cyllene’s lord the one?Maybe Bacchus, holding swayon mountain summits, found a sonamong his bright-eyed nymphs at play.X. OEDIPUSAa-aah! Now everything is coming clear!O light, the last I’ll ever see, I standexposed, all wrong in parents, those with whomI lived, and him I murdered, wrong, all wrong!CHORUSMen of future generations, hear!Your lives are nothing. Who of you can say

his happiness did more than just appearand having done so turned and walked away?If <strong>Oedipus</strong>’ fate’s the test,no human state is truly blest.You shot a lofty arrow, unafraidto gain all that for which a mortal strives,defying her talons slew the mantic maid.A mighty fortress, you preserved our lives.Our highest honors as the lordand king of Thebes were your reward.But now who has a sadder tale to tellof cruel destruction, toil, reverse of lot?.Poor <strong>Oedipus</strong>, one harbor served you wellas child and husband, getting and begot.How could the field your father plowed,when plowed by you, not cry aloud?Time seeing all things, exposing you at last,condemns the monstrous troth of sire-son.I wish I never saw you. I’m aghast.I weep and wail, and yet you are the onewho once enabled me to riseand drifted sleep across my eyes.XI. OEDIPUSI curse the herdsman who untiedcruel bonds and saved my life. No gain.For otherwise I would have diedand spared us all of so much pain.I’d not have killed and married kinand godless shared my parents’ bed.Whatever evil precedes sin<strong>Oedipus</strong> inherited.