Plays of Sophocles: Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus; Antigone — Page 6
King Phoebus bids us straitly extirpate
El rey Febo nos ordena extirpar sin demora
A fell pollution that infests the land,
Una funesta mancha que infesta la tierra,
And no more harbor an inveterate sore.
Y no albergar más una llaga inveterada.
OEDIPUS.
EDIPO.
What expiation means he? What's amiss?
¿Qué expiación ordena? ¿Qué mal nos aqueja?
CREON.
CREÓN.
Banishment, or the shedding blood for blood.
El destierro, o derramar sangre por sangre.
This stain of blood makes shipwreck of our state.
Esta mancha de sangre causa el naufragio de nuestro estado.
OEDIPUS.
EDIPO.
Whom can he mean, the miscreant thus denounced?
¿A quién puede referirse, el malhechor así denunciado?
CREON.
CREÓN.
Before thou didst assume the helm of State,
Antes de que tomaras las riendas del Estado,
The sovereign of this land was Laius.
El soberano de esta tierra era Layo.
OEDIPUS.
EDIPO.
I heard as much, but never saw the man.
Algo oí al respecto, pero nunca vi al hombre.
CREON.
CREÓN.
He fell; and now the god's command is plain:
Él cayó; y ahora el mandato del dios es claro:
Punish his takers-off, whoe'er they be.
Castigar a sus asesinos, quienesquiera que sean.
OEDIPUS.
EDIPO.
Where are they? Where in the wide world to find
¿Dónde están? ¿Dónde en el vasto mundo encontrar
The far, faint traces of a bygone crime?
Las lejanas y tenues huellas de un crimen pasado?
CREON.
CREÓN.
In this land, said the god; "who seeks shall find;
En esta tierra, dijo el dios; «quien busca hallará;
Who sits with folded hands or sleeps is blind."
Quien se sienta con los brazos cruzados o duerme está ciego.»
OEDIPUS.
EDIPO.
Was he within his palace, or afield,
¿Estaba en su palacio, o en el campo,
Or traveling, when Laius met his fate?
O de viaje, cuando Layo encontró su destino?
CREON.
CREÓN.
Abroad; he started, so he told us, bound
Fuera; partió, según nos dijo, con destino
For Delphi, but he never thence returned.
A Delfos, pero nunca regresó de allí.
OEDIPUS.
EDIPO.
Came there no news, no fellow-traveler
¿No llegaron noticias, ningún compañero de viaje
To give some clue that might be followed up?
Que pudiera dar alguna pista que pudiera seguirse?
CREON.
CREÓN.
But one escape, who flying for dear life,
Solo uno escapó, quien huyendo por salvar su vida,
Could tell of all he saw but one thing sure.
Pudo contar de todo lo que vio solo una cosa con certeza.
OEDIPUS.
EDIPO.
And what was that? One clue might lead us far,
¿Y qué fue eso? Una pista podría llevarnos lejos,
With but a spark of hope to guide our quest.
Con tan solo una chispa de esperanza que guíe nuestra búsqueda.
CREON.
CREÓN.
Robbers, he told us, not one bandit but
Ladrones, nos dijo, no un solo bandido sino
A troop of knaves, attacked and murdered him.
Una banda de malhechores, lo atacaron y asesinaron.
OEDIPUS.
EDIPO.
Vocabulary
- rey
- A male monarch who rules a kingdom.
- nos
- First person plural object pronoun meaning 'us'.
- ordena
- Commands or instructs someone to do something.
- extirpar
- To eradicate or completely remove something harmful.
- sin
- Preposition meaning 'without' indicating absence.
- demora
- A delay or postponement of something expected.
- funesta
- Disastrous, fatal, or bringing terrible misfortune.
- mancha
- A stain, spot, or mark that defiles something.
- infesta
- Infests or contaminates a place with something harmful.
- tierra
- The earth, land, or ground beneath one's feet.
- albergar
- To harbor, shelter, or give refuge to someone.
- más
- Adverb meaning 'more' or 'longer' indicating addition.
- llaga
- A wound, sore, or festering ulcer on the body.
- inveterada
- Deep-rooted, long-established, and difficult to change.
- expiación
- Atonement or act of making amends for wrongdoing.
- mal
- Evil, harm, or illness affecting someone negatively.
- aqueja
- Afflicts or troubles someone with pain or distress.
- destierro
- Exile or banishment from one's homeland as punishment.
- derramar
- To spill or shed a liquid such as blood.
- sangre
- Blood, the red fluid circulating in living bodies.
- causa
- A reason, motive, or origin behind an event.
- naufragio
- A shipwreck; metaphorically, a complete ruin or disaster.
- nuestro
- Possessive adjective meaning 'our' for masculine nouns.
- estado
- A state, nation, or the condition of something.
- puede
- Third person singular of 'poder', meaning 'can'.
- referirse
- To refer to or relate to a specific person.
- malhechor
- A wrongdoer or criminal who commits harmful acts.
- así
- Adverb meaning 'thus', 'so', or 'in this way'.
- denunciado
- Denounced or officially accused of a crime.
- Antes
- Adverb meaning 'before' or 'previously' in time.
- riendas
- Reins used to guide a horse; metaphor for control.
- Estado
- The State or government as a political institution.
- soberano
- A sovereign ruler with supreme authority over territory.
- Algo
- Indefinite pronoun meaning 'something' or 'somewhat'.
- oí
- First person singular preterite of 'oír', meaning 'heard'.
- respecto
- Regard or reference with respect to a topic.
- pero
- Conjunction meaning 'but' indicating contrast or exception.
- nunca
- Adverb meaning 'never', indicating something did not occur.
- vi
- First person singular preterite of 'ver', meaning 'saw'.
- hombre
- An adult male human being; a man.
- cayó
- Third person singular preterite of 'caer', meaning 'fell'.
- ahora
- Adverb meaning 'now', referring to the present moment.
- mandato
- A command, order, or official mandate given by authority.
- dios
- God or a divine deity worshipped in religion.
- claro
- Clear, evident, or easy to understand without doubt.
- Castigar
- To punish someone for a wrongdoing or offense.
- asesinos
- Murderers or assassins who kill others unlawfully.
- quienesquiera
- Whoever they may be; an indefinite relative pronoun.
- Dónde
- Interrogative adverb meaning 'where' asking about location.
- vasto
- Vast, immense, or extremely large in size or extent.
- mundo
- The world or earth as a whole inhabited place.
- encontrar
- To find or come across someone or something.
- lejanas
- Distant or faraway, referring to things far removed.
- tenues
- Faint, thin, or barely perceptible traces or signs.
- huellas
- Footprints, tracks, or traces left behind by someone.
- crimen
- A serious offense or crime committed against someone.
- pasado
- The past; something that happened at an earlier time.
- dijo
- Third person singular preterite of 'decir', meaning 'said'.
- quien
- Relative pronoun meaning 'who' or 'whoever'.
- busca
- Searches for or seeks out something with intention.
- hallará
- Future tense of 'hallar'; will find what is sought.
- Quien
- Relative pronoun meaning 'he who' or 'whoever'.
- sienta
- Present subjunctive of 'sentarse'; to sit oneself down.
- brazos
- Arms, the upper limbs of the human body.
- cruzados
- Crossed, as in arms folded across the chest.
- duerme
- Third person singular present of 'dormir'; sleeps.
- ciego
- Blind; unable to see or perceive clearly.
- palacio
- A palace or grand official residence of a ruler.
- campo
- The countryside, field, or rural open land area.
- viaje
- A trip or journey taken to another place.
- cuando
- Conjunction meaning 'when' indicating time or circumstance.
- encontró
- Third person singular preterite of 'encontrar'; found or met.
- destino
- Destiny, fate, or the destination of a journey.
- Fuera
- Outside or away; also imperfect subjunctive of 'ser'.
- partió
- Departed or set out on a journey; left a place.
- según
- Preposition meaning 'according to' indicating source or basis.
- regresó
- Returned or came back to a previous place.
- allí
- Adverb meaning 'there', referring to a distant place.
- llegaron
- Third person plural preterite of 'llegar'; they arrived.
- noticias
- News or information about recent events or happenings.
- ningún
- Adjective meaning 'no' or 'not any' before masculine nouns.
- compañero
- A companion, partner, or fellow traveler beside someone.
- pudiera
- Imperfect subjunctive of 'poder'; could or might be able.
- dar
- To give something to someone or provide information.
- alguna
- Indefinite adjective meaning 'some' or 'any' for feminine.
- pista
- A clue, track, or lead that guides an investigation.
- seguirse
- To be followed up on or pursued as a lead.
- Solo
- Alone, only, or just one without others present.
- escapó
- Escaped or fled from danger to safety.
- huyendo
- Fleeing or running away from a dangerous situation.
- salvar
- To save or rescue someone or something from danger.
- vida
- Life, the state of being alive and living.
- Pudo
- Third person singular preterite of 'poder'; was able.
- contar
- To tell or recount a story or information to someone.
- todo
- Everything or all of something without exception.
- vio
- Third person singular preterite of 'ver'; saw something.
- solo
- Only or just; indicates a single exception or limitation.
- cosa
- A thing or object; something unspecified or general.
- certeza
- Certainty or sureness about the truth of something.
- eso
- Neutral demonstrative pronoun meaning 'that thing'.
- podría
- Conditional of 'poder'; could or would be able to.
- llevarnos
- To take or lead us somewhere; bring us toward.
- lejos
- Far away in distance; not nearby or close.
- tan
- Adverb meaning 'so' or 'such', indicating degree.
- chispa
- A spark; a tiny amount of hope or energy.
- esperanza
- Hope or expectation that something positive will happen.
- guíe
- Present subjunctive of 'guiar'; may it guide or lead.
- nuestra
- Possessive adjective meaning 'our' for feminine nouns.
- búsqueda
- A search or quest for something sought actively.
- Ladrones
- Thieves or robbers who steal from others illegally.
- bandido
- A bandit or outlaw who commits crimes outside the law.
- sino
- Conjunction meaning 'but rather' indicating a correction.
- banda
- A gang or group of people acting together criminally.
- malhechores
- Wrongdoers or criminals who commit harmful illegal acts.
- atacaron
- Third person plural preterite of 'atacar'; they attacked.
- asesinaron
- They murdered or assassinated someone in cold blood.
Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.
Create free account →