Plays of Sophocles: Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus; Antigone — Page 1
The Oedipus Trilogy
La Trilogie d'Œdipe
by Sophocles
par Sophocle
Contents
Table des matières
OEDIPUS THE KING
ŒDIPE ROI
OEDIPUS AT COLONUS
ŒDIPE À COLONE
ANTIGONE
ANTIGONE
Translation by F. Storr, BA
Traduction par F. Storr, BA
Formerly Scholar of Trinity College, Cambridge
Ancien boursier du Trinity College, Cambridge
From the Loeb Library Edition
D'après l'édition de la Loeb Library
Originally published by
Publié à l'origine par
Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA
Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA
and
et
William Heinemann Ltd, London
William Heinemann Ltd, Londres
First published in 1912
Première publication en 1912
ARGUMENT
ARGUMENT
To Laius, King of Thebes, an oracle foretold that the child born to him by his queen Jocasta would slay his father and wed his mother.
Un oracle prédit à Laïos, roi de Thèbes, que l'enfant qui lui naîtrait de sa reine Jocaste tuerait son père et épouserait sa mère.
So when in time a son was born the infant's feet were riveted together and he was left to die on Mount Cithaeron.
Ainsi, lorsqu'en temps voulu un fils naquit, les pieds du nourrisson furent attachés ensemble et il fut abandonné pour mourir sur le mont Cithéron.
But a shepherd found the babe and tended him, and delivered him to another shepherd who took him to his master, the King of Corinth.
Mais un berger trouva l'enfant et en prit soin, puis le remit à un autre berger qui l'emmena à son maître, le roi de Corinthe.
Polybus being childless adopted the boy, who grew up believing that he was indeed the King's son.
Polybus, n'ayant pas d'enfants, adopta le garçon, qui grandit en croyant qu'il était bien le fils du roi.
Afterwards doubting his parentage he inquired of the Delphic god and heard himself the word declared before to Laius.
Doutant par la suite de sa filiation, il consulta le dieu de Delphes et entendit lui-même la prophétie jadis annoncée à Laïos.
Wherefore he fled from what he deemed his father's house and in his flight he encountered and unwillingly slew his father Laius.
C'est pourquoi il s'enfuit de ce qu'il croyait être la maison de son père, et dans sa fuite il rencontra et tua malgré lui son père Laïos.
Arriving at Thebes he answered the riddle of the Sphinx and the grateful Thebans made their deliverer king.
Arrivant à Thèbes, il résolut l'énigme du Sphinx et les Thébains reconnaissants firent roi leur libérateur.
So he reigned in the room of Laius, and espoused the widowed queen.
Ainsi il régna à la place de Laïos et épousa la reine veuve.
Children were born to them and Thebes prospered under his rule, but again a grievous plague fell upon the city.
Des enfants leur naquirent et Thèbes prospéra sous son règne, mais une nouvelle et terrible peste s'abattit sur la cité.
Again the oracle was consulted and it bade them purge themselves of blood-guiltiness.
L'oracle fut de nouveau consulté et il leur ordonna de se purger de leur souillure de sang.
Vocabulary
- Trilogie
- A set of three related literary or artistic works
- Table
- Used in 'table des matières' meaning table of contents
- matières
- Subjects or topics; used in 'table of contents'
- ROI
- King; male monarch ruling a kingdom
- Traduction
- A translation of a text into another language
- Ancien
- Former or ancient; describes past status or era
- boursier
- A scholarship holder or fellow at a university
- après
- Preposition meaning 'after' or 'according to'
- édition
- A published version or print run of a book
- Publié
- Past participle of 'publier', meaning 'published'
- origine
- The starting point or original source of something
- Londres
- The French name for London, capital of England
- Première
- First; feminine form of 'premier'
- publication
- The act of publishing or a published work
- ARGUMENT
- A summary or synopsis of a literary work's plot
- oracle
- A divine prophecy or the source delivering it
- prédit
- Third person singular past of 'prédire', to predict
- roi
- King; male ruler of a kingdom
- enfant
- A child; a young human being
- naîtrait
- Conditional of 'naître'; would be born
- reine
- A queen; female monarch or king's consort
- tuerait
- Conditional of 'tuer'; would kill someone
- père
- Father; male parent of a child
- épouserait
- Conditional of 'épouser'; would marry someone
- mère
- Mother; female parent of a child
- Ainsi
- Adverb meaning 'thus', 'so', or 'therefore'
- lorsqu'
- Conjunction meaning 'when', used before a vowel
- temps
- Time or weather; a key French noun
- voulu
- Past participle of 'vouloir'; wanted or intended
- fils
- Son; male offspring of a parent
- naquit
- Simple past of 'naître'; was born
- pieds
- Feet; the lower extremities of the body
- nourrisson
- An infant or newborn baby still nursing
- furent
- Simple past of 'être'; were (third person plural)
- attachés
- Past participle of 'attacher'; tied or fastened together
- ensemble
- Together; at the same time or place
- fut
- Simple past of 'être'; was (third person singular)
- abandonné
- Past participle of 'abandonner'; left behind, deserted
- mourir
- To die; to cease living
- mont
- A mountain or elevated landmass
- berger
- A shepherd who tends a flock of sheep
- trouva
- Simple past of 'trouver'; found something or someone
- prit
- Simple past of 'prendre'; took someone or something
- soin
- Care; attention given to someone or something
- puis
- Adverb meaning 'then' or 'next' in a sequence
- remit
- Simple past of 'remettre'; handed over to someone
- autre
- Adjective or pronoun meaning 'other' or 'another'
- emmena
- Simple past of 'emmener'; took someone away somewhere
- maître
- A master, owner, or person in charge
- ayant
- Present participle of 'avoir'; having something
- enfants
- Children; plural of 'enfant'
- adopta
- Simple past of 'adopter'; adopted a child legally
- garçon
- A boy or young male person
- grandit
- Simple past of 'grandir'; grew up or got bigger
- croyant
- Present participle of 'croire'; believing something
- était
- Imperfect of 'être'; was (third person singular)
- bien
- Adverb meaning 'well'; adjective meaning 'good'
- Doutant
- Present participle of 'douter'; doubting something
- suite
- A sequence or following; 'par la suite' means afterwards
- filiation
- Lineage or parentage; the relationship between parent and child
- consulta
- Simple past of 'consulter'; consulted an authority
- dieu
- God; a divine or supreme being
- entendit
- Simple past of 'entendre'; heard something said
- même
- Adjective or pronoun meaning 'same' or 'even'
- prophétie
- A prophecy; a divine prediction of future events
- jadis
- Adverb meaning 'formerly' or 'in times past'
- annoncée
- Past participle of 'annoncer'; announced or foretold
- pourquoi
- Adverb meaning 'why'; also used as a noun
- enfuit
- Simple past of 's'enfuir'; fled or ran away
- croyait
- Imperfect of 'croire'; believed (third person singular)
- être
- Infinitive of the verb 'to be'
- maison
- A house or home where someone lives
- fuite
- A flight or escape; the act of fleeing
- rencontra
- Simple past of 'rencontrer'; met or encountered someone
- tua
- Simple past of 'tuer'; killed someone
- malgré
- Preposition meaning 'despite' or 'in spite of'
- Arrivant
- Present participle of 'arriver'; arriving at a place
- résolut
- Simple past of 'résoudre'; solved a problem or riddle
- énigme
- A riddle or enigma; a puzzling question
- reconnaissants
- Grateful; feeling or showing thankfulness
- firent
- Simple past of 'faire'; made or did (plural)
- libérateur
- A liberator; someone who frees others from oppression
- régna
- Simple past of 'régner'; reigned over a kingdom
- place
- Place or position; here meaning 'in his stead'
- épousa
- Simple past of 'épouser'; married someone
- veuve
- A widow; a woman whose husband has died
- naquirent
- Simple past of 'naître'; were born (third person plural)
- prospéra
- Simple past of 'prospérer'; thrived or flourished
- sous
- Preposition meaning 'under' or 'beneath'
- règne
- A reign; the period a monarch rules a kingdom
- nouvelle
- New (feminine) or a short story; piece of news
- terrible
- Adjective meaning terrible, dreadful, or horrible
- peste
- A plague or pestilence; a deadly epidemic disease
- abattit
- Simple past of 'abattre'; struck down or overwhelmed
- cité
- A city or city-state; an urban community
- nouveau
- New (masculine); something recent or different
- consulté
- Past participle of 'consulter'; consulted for advice
- ordonna
- Simple past of 'ordonner'; ordered or commanded
- purger
- To purge or cleanse from guilt or impurity
- souillure
- A stain, pollution, or moral defilement
- sang
- Blood; the red fluid flowing through the body
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