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Plays of Sophocles: Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus; Antigone — Page 8

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(Healer of Delos, hear!)

(Guaritore di Delo, ascolta!)

Hast thou some pain unknown before,

Hai forse qualche dolore mai conosciuto prima,

Or with the circling years renewest a penance of yore?

O con gli anni che scorrono rinnovi una penitenza d'un tempo?

Offspring of golden Hope, thou voice immortal, O tell me.

Figlio della dorata Speranza, tu voce immortale, oh dimmi.

(Ant. 1)

First on Athene I call; O Zeus-born goddess, defend!

Prima invoco Atena; o dea nata da Zeus, difendici!

Goddess and sister, befriend,

Dea e sorella, soccorrici,

Artemis, Lady of Thebes, high-throned in the midst of our mart!

Artemide, Signora di Tebe, assisa in alto nel mezzo della nostra piazza!

Lord of the death-winged dart!

Signore del dardo dalle ali di morte!

Your threefold aid I crave

Il vostro triplice aiuto imploro

From death and ruin our city to save.

Per salvare la nostra città dalla morte e dalla rovina.

If in the days of old when we nigh had perished, ye drave

Se nei giorni antichi, quando eravamo sul punto di perire, voi scacciaste

From our land the fiery plague, be near us now and defend us!

Dalla nostra terra la peste ardente, siate ora vicini a noi e difendeteci!

(Str. 2)

Ah me, what countless woes are mine!

Ahimè, quanti innumerevoli mali sono i miei!

All our host is in decline;

Tutto il nostro popolo è in declino;

Weaponless my spirit lies.

Il mio spirito giace disarmato.

Earth her gracious fruits denies;

La terra nega i suoi generosi frutti;

Women wail in barren throes;

Le donne gemono in vani travagli;

Life on life downstriken goes,

Vita su vita cade abbattuta,

Swifter than the wind bird's flight,

Più veloce del volo dell'uccello del vento,

Swifter than the Fire-God's might,

Più veloce della potenza del Dio del Fuoco,

To the westering shores of Night.

Verso le rive occidentali della Notte.

(Ant. 2)

Wasted thus by death on death

Così consumata da morte su morte

All our city perisheth.

Tutta la nostra città perisce.

Corpses spread infection round;

I cadaveri diffondono intorno il contagio;

None to tend or mourn is found.

Nessuno si trova a curarli o a piangerli.

Wailing on the altar stair

Gemendo sui gradini dell'altare

Wives and grandams rend the air—

Mogli e nonne squarciano l'aria—

Long-drawn moans and piercing cries

Lunghi gemiti e grida strazianti

Blent with prayers and litanies.

Mescolati a preghiere e litanie.

Golden child of Zeus, O hear

Figlio d'oro di Zeus, oh ascolta

Let thine angel face appear!

Lascia che il tuo volto angelico appaia!

(Str. 3)

And grant that Ares whose hot breath I feel,

E fa' che Ares, il cui ardente respiro sento,

Though without targe or steel

Sebbene senza scudo o acciaio

He stalks, whose voice is as the battle shout,

Si aggiri furtivo, la cui voce è come il grido di battaglia,

May turn in sudden rout,

Possa volgersi in improvvisa rotta,

To the unharbored Thracian waters sped,

Spinto verso le inospitali acque tracie,

Or Amphitrite's bed.

O nel letto di Anfitrite.

Vocabulary

Guaritore: Healer; one who cures or restores health.
di: Of; preposition indicating possession or relationship.
ascolta: Listen; imperative form of ascoltare.
Hai: Have; second person singular present of avere.
forse: Perhaps; maybe; expressing uncertainty or doubt.
qualche: Some; a few; expressing indefinite quantity.
dolore: Pain; suffering; physical or emotional distress.
mai: Never; at no time; expressing negation.
conosciuto: Known; past participle of conoscere.
prima: Before; previously; in earlier time.
con: With; preposition indicating accompaniment or association.
gli: Him; the; masculine singular indirect object pronoun.
anni: Years; plural of anno.
che: That; which; relative pronoun or conjunction.
scorrono: Flow; pass; third person plural present of scorrere.
rinnovi: Renew; restore; second person singular present subjunctive.
una: A; one; feminine singular indefinite article.
penitenza: Penance; atonement; religious act of repentance.
un: A; one; masculine singular indefinite article.
tempo: Time; period; era or season.
Figlio: Son; male child or offspring.
della: Of the; feminine singular contraction of di+la.
dorata: Golden; gilded; adjective meaning made of gold.
Speranza: Hope; expectation of future good fortune.
tu: You; second person singular subject pronoun.
voce: Voice; sound; speech or utterance.
immortale: Immortal; eternal; never dying or ceasing.
dimmi: Tell me; imperative of dire with pronoun.
Ant: Ant; small insect; part of choral exchange.
Prima: Before; earlier; maiden or first part.
invoco: Invoke; call upon; first person singular present.
dea: Goddess; female divine being or deity.
nata: Born; past participle feminine of nascere.
da: From; by; preposition indicating origin or agent.
difendici: Defend us; imperative of difendere with pronoun.
Dea: Goddess; divine female being or deity.
sorella: Sister; female sibling or related female.
soccorrici: Help us; aid us; imperative with pronoun.
Signora: Lady; woman; title of respect.
assisa: Seated; sitting; past participle feminine of assidere.
in: In; inside; preposition indicating location.
alto: High; tall; elevated position or altitude.
nel: In the; masculine singular contraction of in+il.
mezzo: Middle; center; midst or midpoint.
nostra: Our; feminine singular possessive adjective.
piazza: Square; public open space in town.
Signore: Lord; sir; title of respect for man.
del: Of the; masculine singular contraction of di+il.
dardo: Arrow; dart; projectile weapon of war.
dalle: From the; feminine plural contraction of da+le.
ali: Wings; plural of ala.
morte: Death; end of life; mortality.
Il: The; masculine singular definite article.
vostro: Your; masculine singular possessive adjective.
triplice: Triple; threefold; consisting of three parts.
aiuto: Help; aid; assistance or support.
imploro: Implore; beg; first person singular present.
Per: For; in order to; preposition of purpose.
salvare: Save; rescue; preserve from harm or danger.
la: The; her; feminine singular article or pronoun.
città: City; town; urban settlement.
dalla: From the; feminine singular contraction of da+la.
rovina: Ruin; destruction; collapse or downfall.
Se: If; conditional conjunction.
nei: In the; masculine plural contraction of in+i.
giorni: Days; plural of giorno.
antichi: Ancient; old; from earlier time periods.
quando: When; at what time; temporal conjunction.
eravamo: Were; first person plural imperfect of essere.
sul: On the; masculine singular contraction of su+il.
punto: Point; verge; moment or instance in time.
perire: Perish; die; come to an end.
voi: You; second person plural subject pronoun.
scacciaste: Drove away; expelled; second person plural past.

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