Plays of Sophocles: Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus; Antigone — Page 7
Did any bandit dare so bold a stroke,
Hat je ein Räuber einen so kühnen Streich gewagt,
Unless indeed he were suborned from Thebes?
Es sei denn, er wäre von Theben aus bestochen worden?
So 'twas surmised, but none was found to avenge
So wurde vermutet, doch fand sich niemand, um
His murder mid the trouble that ensued.
Seinen Mord inmitten der darauf folgenden Wirren zu rächen.
What trouble can have hindered a full quest,
Welche Schwierigkeit kann eine vollständige Untersuchung verhindert haben,
When royalty had fallen thus miserably?
Da das Königshaus so jämmerlich gefallen war?
The riddling Sphinx compelled us to let slide
Die rätselhafte Sphinx zwang uns, beiseite zu schieben
The dim past and attend to instant needs.
Die dunkle Vergangenheit und uns um dringende Bedürfnisse zu kümmern.
Well, _I_ will start afresh and once again
Nun, _ich_ werde von vorn beginnen und abermals
Make dark things clear.
Dunkle Dinge ans Licht bringen.
Right worthy the concern
Wahrhaft würdig die Sorge
Of Phoebus, worthy thine too, for the dead;
Des Phoebus, würdig auch die deine, für den Toten;
I also, as is meet, will lend my aid
Auch ich werde, wie es sich geziemt, meinen Beistand leisten,
To avenge this wrong to Thebes and to the god.
Um dieses Unrecht an Theben und an dem Gott zu rächen.
Not for some far-off kinsman, but myself,
Nicht für irgendeinen fernen Verwandten, sondern für mich selbst,
Shall I expel this poison in the blood;
Werde ich dieses Gift im Blut vertreiben;
For whoso slew that king might have a mind
Denn wer auch immer jenen König erschlug, könnte sinnen,
To strike me too with his assassin hand.
Auch mich mit seiner Mörderhand zu treffen.
Therefore in righting him I serve myself.
Daher diene ich mir selbst, indem ich ihm Recht verschaffe.
Up, children, haste ye, quit these altar stairs,
Auf, Kinder, beeilt euch, verlasst diese Altarstufen,
Take hence your suppliant wands, go summon hither
Nehmt eure Bittstellerstäbe von hinnen, geht und beruft hierher
The Theban commons.
Das thebanische Volk.
With the god's good help
Mit des Gottes gnädiger Hilfe
Success is sure; 'tis ruin if we fail.
Ist Erfolg gewiss; Verderben, wenn wir scheitern.
[Exeunt OEDIPUS and CREON]
[Abgang ÖDIPUS und KREON]
Come, children, let us hence; these gracious words
Kommt, Kinder, lasst uns gehen; diese gnädigen Worte
Forestall the very purpose of our suit.
Kommen dem eigentlichen Zweck unseres Anliegens zuvor.
And may the god who sent this oracle
Und möge der Gott, der dieses Orakel sandte,
Save us withal and rid us of this pest.
Uns zugleich retten und uns von dieser Seuche befreien.
[Exeunt PRIEST and SUPPLIANTS]
[Abgang PRIESTER und BITTSTELLER]
Sweet-voiced daughter of Zeus from thy gold-paved Pythian shrine
Süßstimmige Tochter des Zeus aus deinem goldgepflasterten pythischen Heiligtum
Wafted to Thebes divine,
Dem göttlichen Theben zugeweht,
What dost thou bring me? My soul is racked and shivers with fear.
Was bringst du mir? Meine Seele wird gemartert und zittert vor Angst.
Vocabulary
- Hat
- Third person singular present of 'haben' (to have)
- je
- Ever, at any time
- ein
- A, an (indefinite article, masculine/neuter nominative)
- Räuber
- Robber, bandit, thief
- einen
- A, an (indefinite article, masculine accusative)
- so
- So, thus, in this way
- kühnen
- Bold, daring, audacious (adjective, inflected)
- Streich
- Prank, trick, or bold stroke of action
- gewagt
- Dared, ventured, risked (past participle of wagen)
- Es
- It (third person singular neuter pronoun)
- sei
- Be (subjunctive form of sein, expressing doubt/condition)
- denn
- Unless, for, because, then
- er
- He (third person singular masculine pronoun)
- wäre
- Would be (subjunctive past of sein)
- von
- From, by, of (preposition)
- aus
- Out of, from (preposition indicating origin)
- bestochen
- Bribed, corrupted (past participle of bestechen)
- worden
- Been (past participle auxiliary in passive constructions)
- So
- So, thus, therefore (adverb)
- wurde
- Was, became (simple past of werden)
- vermutet
- Suspected, assumed, presumed
- doch
- Yet, but, however, indeed
- fand
- Found (simple past of finden)
- sich
- Himself, herself, itself (reflexive pronoun)
- niemand
- Nobody, no one, not anyone
- um
- Around, at, in order to (preposition/conjunction)
- Seinen
- His (possessive pronoun, accusative masculine)
- Mord
- Murder, homicide
- inmitten
- In the middle of, amid (preposition)
- der
- The (definite article, various cases)
- darauf
- Thereupon, after that, on it
- folgenden
- Following, subsequent (adjective, inflected)
- Wirren
- Turmoil, confusion, chaos (plural noun)
- zu
- To, at, too (preposition/adverb)
- rächen
- To avenge, to take revenge
- Welche
- Which, what (interrogative/relative pronoun)
- Schwierigkeit
- Difficulty, obstacle, trouble
- kann
- Can, is able to (modal verb)
- eine
- A, an (indefinite article, feminine nominative/accusative)
- vollständige
- Complete, thorough, full (adjective, inflected)
- Untersuchung
- Investigation, examination, inquiry
- verhindert
- Prevented, hindered, obstructed
- haben
- To have (infinitive auxiliary verb)
- Da
- Since, because, there, as (conjunction/adverb)
- das
- The (definite article, neuter nominative/accusative)
- Königshaus
- Royal house, dynasty, ruling family
- jämmerlich
- Miserably, pitifully, wretchedly
- gefallen
- Fallen (past participle of fallen)
- war
- Was (simple past of sein)
- Die
- The (definite article, feminine or plural)
- rätselhafte
- Mysterious, enigmatic, puzzling (adjective, inflected)
- zwang
- Forced, compelled (simple past of zwingen)
- uns
- Us (first person plural accusative/dative pronoun)
- beiseite
- Aside, to the side
- schieben
- To push, shove, or set aside
- dunkle
- Dark, obscure (adjective, inflected)
- Vergangenheit
- Past, history, former times
- und
- And (coordinating conjunction)
- dringende
- Urgent, pressing (adjective, inflected)
- Bedürfnisse
- Needs, necessities, requirements (plural)
- kümmern
- To care for, attend to, concern oneself with
- Nun
- Now, well (adverb/discourse marker)
- werde
- Will (future auxiliary, first person singular)
- vorn
- From the front, at the beginning
- beginnen
- To begin, start, commence
- abermals
- Once again, anew, once more
- Dunkle
- Dark things, obscurity (nominalized adjective)
- Dinge
- Things, matters (plural of Ding)
- ans
- To the (contraction of an + das)
- Licht
- Light; bring to light means to reveal
- bringen
- To bring, carry, deliver
- Wahrhaft
- Truly, genuinely, veritably (adverb)
- würdig
- Worthy, dignified, deserving
- die
- The (definite article, feminine/plural)
- Sorge
- Care, concern, worry
- Des
- Of the (definite article, genitive masculine/neuter)
- auch
- Also, too, even (adverb)
- deine
- Your (possessive pronoun, feminine/plural)
- für
- For (preposition)
- den
- The (definite article, masculine accusative)
- Toten
- Dead person, the deceased (nominalized adjective)
- Auch
- Also, likewise, too (adverb)
- ich
- I (first person singular nominative pronoun)
- wie
- How, as, like (conjunction/adverb)
- es
- It (third person singular neuter pronoun)
- geziemt
- Befits, is proper, is appropriate (from geziemen)
- meinen
- My (possessive pronoun, masculine/neuter accusative)
- Beistand
- Support, assistance, aid
- leisten
- To render, provide, accomplish (aid or service)
- Um
- In order to, around, at (conjunction/preposition)
- dieses
- This (demonstrative pronoun/adjective, genitive)
- Unrecht
- Injustice, wrong, wrongdoing
- an
- At, on, to (preposition)
- dem
- The (definite article, dative masculine/neuter)
- Gott
- God, deity
- Nicht
- Not (negation adverb)
- irgendeinen
- Some, any (indefinite pronoun, masculine accusative)
- fernen
- Distant, far-off (adjective, inflected)
- Verwandten
- Relative, kinsman (noun, inflected)
- sondern
- But rather, but instead (conjunction)
- mich
- Me (first person singular accusative pronoun)
- selbst
- Myself, himself, itself (intensifying pronoun)
- Werde
- Will (future auxiliary, first person singular)
- Gift
- Poison, venom
- im
- In the (contraction of in + dem)
- Blut
- Blood
- vertreiben
- To drive out, expel, banish
- Denn
- For, because, since (conjunction)
- wer
- Who (interrogative/relative pronoun)
- immer
- Always, ever (adverb)
- jenen
- That, those (demonstrative pronoun, masculine accusative)
- König
- King, monarch
- erschlug
- Slew, killed (simple past of erschlagen)
- könnte
- Could, might (subjunctive of können)
- sinnen
- To scheme, plot, contemplate
- mit
- With (preposition)
- seiner
- His (possessive pronoun, dative masculine/neuter)
- Mörderhand
- Murderer's hand, hand of a killer
- treffen
- To hit, strike, meet, affect
- Daher
- Therefore, hence, for that reason
- diene
- Serve (imperative/subjunctive of dienen)
- mir
- Me, to me (first person singular dative pronoun)
- indem
- By, while, in that (subordinating conjunction)
- ihm
- Him, to him (third person singular dative pronoun)
- Recht
- Justice, right, law
- verschaffe
- Procure, obtain, secure (imperative of verschaffen)
- Auf
- Up, on, open (preposition/interjection)
- Kinder
- Children (plural of Kind)
- beeilt
- Hurry (imperative plural of sich beeilen)
- euch
- You, yourselves (second person plural accusative/dative)
- verlasst
- Leave (imperative plural of verlassen)
- diese
- These, this (demonstrative pronoun/adjective)
- Nehmt
- Take (imperative plural of nehmen)
- eure
- Your (possessive pronoun, second person plural)
- geht
- Go (imperative plural of gehen)
- beruft
- Summon, call together (imperative of berufen)
- hierher
- Here, to this place (directional adverb)
- Das
- The (definite article, neuter nominative/accusative)
- Volk
- People, nation, folk
- Mit
- With (preposition)
- des
- Of the (definite article, genitive masculine/neuter)
- Gottes
- God's, of God (genitive of Gott)
- gnädiger
- Gracious, merciful (adjective, inflected)
- Hilfe
- Help, assistance, aid
- Ist
- Is (third person singular present of sein)
- Erfolg
- Success, achievement
- gewiss
- Certain, sure, definite
- Verderben
- Ruin, destruction, downfall
- wenn
- If, when (conditional/temporal conjunction)
- wir
- We (first person plural nominative pronoun)
- scheitern
- To fail, founder, be wrecked
- Abgang
- Exit, departure (stage direction)
- Kommt
- Come (imperative plural/third person plural of kommen)
- lasst
- Let, allow (imperative plural of lassen)
- gehen
- To go, walk, leave
- gnädigen
- Gracious, merciful (adjective, inflected dative/accusative)
- Worte
- Words (plural of Wort)
- Kommen
- Coming, arrival (nominalized infinitive of kommen)
- eigentlichen
- Actual, real, proper (adjective, inflected)
- Zweck
- Purpose, aim, goal
- unseres
- Our (possessive pronoun, genitive neuter)
- Anliegens
- Of the concern, petition, matter (genitive)
- zuvor
- Before, previously, beforehand
- Und
- And (coordinating conjunction)
- möge
- May (subjunctive of mögen, expressing wish)
- Orakel
- Oracle, divine prophecy or its source
- sandte
- Sent (simple past of senden)
- Uns
- Us (first person plural accusative/dative pronoun)
- zugleich
- At the same time, simultaneously
- retten
- To save, rescue, deliver
- dieser
- This (demonstrative pronoun/adjective, various forms)
- Seuche
- Plague, epidemic, pestilence
- befreien
- To free, liberate, deliver from
- PRIESTER
- Priest (character label in drama)
- BITTSTELLER
- Petitioner, supplicant (character label)
- Tochter
- Daughter
- deinem
- Your (possessive pronoun, dative masculine/neuter)
- Heiligtum
- Sanctuary, shrine, sacred place
- Dem
- The (definite article, dative masculine/neuter)
- göttlichen
- Divine, godly (adjective, inflected)
- Was
- What (interrogative/relative pronoun)
- bringst
- Bring (second person singular present of bringen)
- du
- You (second person singular nominative pronoun)
- Meine
- My (possessive pronoun, feminine nominative)
- Seele
- Soul, spirit, inner self
- wird
- Is, becomes, will (third person singular of werden)
- gemartert
- Tormented, tortured (past participle of martern)
- zittert
- Trembles, shakes (third person singular of zittern)
- vor
- Before, in front of, from (preposition)
- Angst
- Fear, anxiety, dread
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