Plays of Sophocles: Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus; Antigone — Page 7
Did any bandit dare so bold a stroke,
Un bandit osa-t-il jamais un coup si audacieux,
Unless indeed he were suborned from Thebes?
À moins qu'il n'ait été suborné depuis Thèbes ?
So 'twas surmised, but none was found to avenge
C'est ce qu'on supposa, mais nul ne fut trouvé pour venger
His murder mid the trouble that ensued.
Son meurtre au milieu des troubles qui s'ensuivirent.
What trouble can have hindered a full quest,
Quel trouble a pu entraver une enquête complète,
When royalty had fallen thus miserably?
Alors que la royauté était tombée si misérablement ?
The riddling Sphinx compelled us to let slide
Le Sphinx aux énigmes nous contraignit à laisser glisser
The dim past and attend to instant needs.
Le passé obscur et à nous occuper des besoins immédiats.
Well, _I_ will start afresh and once again
Eh bien, c'est moi qui reprendrai tout depuis le début et une fois encore
Make dark things clear.
Ferai la lumière sur les choses obscures.
Right worthy the concern
Bien digne de l'intérêt
Of Phoebus, worthy thine too, for the dead;
De Phébus, digne aussi du tien, pour les morts ;
I also, as is meet, will lend my aid
Moi aussi, comme il convient, je prêterai mon aide
To avenge this wrong to Thebes and to the god.
Pour venger ce tort fait à Thèbes et au dieu.
Not for some far-off kinsman, but myself,
Non pour quelque parent éloigné, mais pour moi-même,
Shall I expel this poison in the blood;
Je chasserai ce poison dans le sang ;
For whoso slew that king might have a mind
Car quiconque a tué ce roi pourrait avoir l'intention
To strike me too with his assassin hand.
De me frapper moi aussi de sa main assassine.
Therefore in righting him I serve myself.
Ainsi, en le vengeant, je me sers moi-même.
Up, children, haste ye, quit these altar stairs,
Debout, enfants, hâtez-vous, quittez ces marches d'autel,
Take hence your suppliant wands, go summon hither
Emportez vos rameaux de suppliants, allez convoquer ici
The Theban commons.
Le peuple thébain.
With the god's good help
Avec la bienveillante aide du dieu
Success is sure; 'tis ruin if we fail.
Le succès est assuré ; c'est la ruine si nous échouons.
[Exeunt OEDIPUS and CREON]
[Sortent ŒDIPE et CRÉON]
Come, children, let us hence; these gracious words
Venez, enfants, partons ; ces gracieuses paroles
Forestall the very purpose of our suit.
Devancent le but même de notre démarche.
And may the god who sent this oracle
Et puisse le dieu qui a envoyé cet oracle
Save us withal and rid us of this pest.
Nous sauver par là même et nous délivrer de ce fléau.
[Exeunt PRIEST and SUPPLIANTS]
[Sortent le PRÊTRE et les SUPPLIANTS]
(Str. 1)
(Str. 1)
Sweet-voiced daughter of Zeus from thy gold-paved Pythian shrine
Fille à la douce voix de Zeus, depuis ton sanctuaire pythien aux dalles d'or
Wafted to Thebes divine,
Portée jusqu'à la divine Thèbes,
What dost thou bring me? My soul is racked and shivers with fear.
Que m'apportes-tu ? Mon âme est torturée et frissonne de crainte.
Vocabulary
- bandit
- A criminal or outlaw who commits violent acts.
- osa-t-il
- Did he dare; inverted form of 'oser'.
- jamais
- Never; used to negate or emphasize absence of action.
- coup
- A blow, strike, or bold sudden act.
- audacieux
- Bold, daring, audacious; showing fearless courage.
- À moins qu'il
- Unless he; introduces a conditional exception clause.
- n'ait été
- Has been; subjunctive form used in conditional clauses.
- suborné
- Bribed or corrupted to act dishonestly.
- depuis
- Since or from; indicates origin in time or place.
- supposa
- Supposed or assumed; past tense of 'supposer'.
- nul
- No one, none; indicates total absence of persons.
- fut trouvé
- Was found; passive construction in simple past tense.
- venger
- To avenge or take revenge for a wrong.
- meurtre
- Murder; the unlawful killing of a person.
- troubles
- Disturbances, unrest, or chaotic social upheavals.
- s'ensuivirent
- Followed; reflexive past of 'ensuivre', meaning to ensue.
- entraver
- To hinder, obstruct, or impede progress or action.
- enquête
- An investigation or inquiry into an event.
- royauté
- Royalty or kingship; the institution of monarchy.
- tombée
- Fallen; past participle of 'tomber', to fall.
- misérablement
- Miserably; in a wretched or pitifully poor manner.
- énigmes
- Enigmas or riddles; puzzling and mysterious questions.
- contraignit
- Compelled or forced; simple past of 'contraindre'.
- laisser
- To let, leave, or allow something to happen.
- glisser
- To slide, slip, or glide smoothly away.
- passé obscur
- Dark or obscure past; hidden or unclear history.
- occuper
- To occupy or attend to immediate concerns or needs.
- besoins immédiats
- Immediate needs; urgent or pressing current necessities.
- reprendrai
- Will take up again; future tense of 'reprendre'.
- début
- Beginning or start of something from scratch.
- Ferai lumière
- Will shed light; illuminate or clarify obscure matters.
- obscures
- Obscure, dark, or unclear; difficult to understand.
- digne
- Worthy or deserving of respect or attention.
- convient
- Is fitting or appropriate; third person of 'convenir'.
- prêterai
- Will lend or give; future tense of 'prêter'.
- aide
- Help or assistance offered to someone in need.
- tort
- Wrong or harm done; injustice inflicted on someone.
- éloigné
- Distant or remote; far away in relation or place.
- chasserai
- Will chase away or drive out; future of 'chasser'.
- poison
- Poison or venom; a toxic substance causing harm.
- sang
- Blood; the vital fluid flowing through living bodies.
- quiconque
- Whoever; anyone who performs a particular action.
- tué
- Killed; past participle of 'tuer', to kill.
- l'intention
- The intention or plan to do something specific.
- frapper
- To strike or hit; to deal a blow to someone.
- assassine
- Murderous or assassin-like; describing a killing hand.
- vengeant
- Avenging; present participle of 'venger', to avenge.
- sers
- Serve; first person present tense of 'servir'.
- Debout
- Stand up; upright or on one's feet.
- hâtez-vous
- Hurry up; imperative reflexive form of 'se hâter'.
- quittez
- Leave; imperative form of 'quitter', to leave.
- marches d'autel
- Altar steps; the steps leading up to an altar.
- Emportez
- Take away; imperative of 'emporter', to carry off.
- rameaux
- Branches or boughs, especially olive branches of supplication.
- suppliants
- Suppliants; those humbly begging for help or mercy.
- convoquer
- To summon or call together a group of people.
- bienveillante
- Benevolent or kind; showing goodwill toward others.
- assuré
- Assured or guaranteed; certain to be achieved.
- ruine
- Ruin or destruction; complete collapse of something.
- échouons
- We fail; first person plural of 'échouer', to fail.
- Sortent
- They exit; stage direction indicating characters leaving.
- gracieuses
- Gracious or graceful; pleasant and kindly in manner.
- paroles
- Words or speech; spoken language or utterances.
- Devancent
- Precede or get ahead of; go before a destination.
- démarche
- Approach or course of action; a formal diplomatic step.
- oracle
- Oracle; divine prophetic message from a god.
- sauver
- To save or rescue from danger or destruction.
- délivrer
- To deliver or free someone from a burden or plague.
- fléau
- A plague, scourge, or devastating calamity afflicting people.
- PRÊTRE
- Priest; a religious figure who leads sacred rites.
- SUPPLIANTS
- Suppliants; people kneeling and pleading for divine mercy.
- Fille
- Daughter or girl; female child or young woman.
- douce voix
- Sweet voice; a gentle and pleasing sound or tone.
- sanctuaire
- Sanctuary; a sacred or holy place of worship.
- dalles d'or
- Golden slabs or tiles; richly adorned flooring of sanctuary.
- Portée
- Carried or borne; past participle of 'porter'.
- divine
- Divine; of or relating to a god or deity.
- m'apportes-tu
- What do you bring me; second person inverted question.
- âme
- Soul or spirit; the inner essence of a person.
- torturée
- Tortured or tormented; suffering great anguish or pain.
- frissonne
- Shivers or trembles; quivers from fear or cold.
- crainte
- Fear or apprehension; a feeling of anxious dread.
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