Plays of Sophocles: Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus; Antigone — Page 12
My liege, if any man sees eye to eye
Mio signore, se vi è un uomo che vede con gli stessi occhi
With our lord Phoebus, 'tis our prophet, lord
Del nostro signore Febo, è il nostro profeta, signore
Teiresias; he of all men best might guide
Tiresia; egli tra tutti gli uomini meglio potrebbe guidare
A searcher of this matter to the light.
Chi indaga su questa faccenda verso la luce.
OEDIPUS. Here too my zeal has nothing lagged, for twice
EDIPO. Anche qui il mio zelo non ha tardato, poiché due volte
At Creon's instance have I sent to fetch him,
Su richiesta di Creonte l'ho mandato a chiamare,
And long I marvel why he is not here.
E a lungo mi meraviglio del perché non sia qui.
CHORUS. I mind me too of rumors long ago—
CORO. Anch'io ricordo voci di molto tempo fa—
Mere gossip.
Semplici pettegolezzi.
OEDIPUS. Tell them, I would fain know all.
EDIPO. Dille, vorrei sapere tutto.
CHORUS. 'Twas said he fell by travelers.
CORO. Si diceva che cadde per mano di viandanti.
OEDIPUS. So I heard,
EDIPO. Così ho sentito,
But none has seen the man who saw him fall.
Ma nessuno ha visto l'uomo che lo vide cadere.
CHORUS. Well, if he knows what fear is, he will quail
CORO. Ebbene, se sa cos'è la paura, si scoraggerà
And flee before the terror of thy curse.
E fuggirà dinanzi al terrore della tua maledizione.
OEDIPUS. Words scare not him who blenches not at deeds.
EDIPO. Le parole non spaventano colui che non impallidisce dinanzi ai fatti.
CHORUS. But here is one to arraign him. Lo, at length
CORO. Ma ecco qualcuno per accusarlo. Ecco, finalmente
They bring the god-inspired seer in whom
Portano l'indovino ispirato dagli dèi in cui
Above all other men is truth inborn.
Più che in ogni altro uomo la verità è innata.
[Enter TEIRESIAS, led by a boy.]
[Entra TIRESIA, condotto da un fanciullo.]
OEDIPUS. Teiresias, seer who comprehendest all,
EDIPO. Tiresia, indovino che comprendi tutto,
Lore of the wise and hidden mysteries,
Sapienza dei saggi e misteri nascosti,
High things of heaven and low things of the earth,
Le cose alte del cielo e le basse della terra,
Thou knowest, though thy blinded eyes see naught,
Tu sai, benché i tuoi occhi ciechi non vedano nulla,
What plague infects our city; and we turn
Quale peste infetta la nostra città; e ci rivolgiamo
To thee, O seer, our one defense and shield.
A te, o indovino, nostra unica difesa e scudo.
Vocabulary
- Mio
- My; first-person singular possessive adjective
- signore
- Sir, lord, or mister; formal title for a man
- se
- If; conditional conjunction introducing a hypothesis
- vi
- There; locative pronoun or second-person plural pronoun
- è
- Is; third-person singular present of essere
- un
- A, an; masculine indefinite article
- uomo
- Man; adult male human being
- che
- Who, that, which; relative or subordinating conjunction
- vede
- Sees; third-person singular present of vedere
- con
- With; preposition indicating accompaniment or means
- gli
- The; masculine plural definite article
- stessi
- Same; masculine plural adjective indicating identity
- occhi
- Eyes; plural of occhio, organs of sight
- Del
- Of the; masculine singular contraction of di + il
- nostro
- Our; first-person plural possessive adjective
- il
- The; masculine singular definite article
- profeta
- Prophet; one who foretells or reveals divine messages
- egli
- He; third-person masculine singular subject pronoun
- tra
- Among, between; preposition indicating position or relation
- tutti
- All, every; masculine plural adjective or pronoun
- uomini
- Men; plural of uomo, adult male human beings
- meglio
- Better, best; comparative adverb of bene
- potrebbe
- Could, might; third-person singular conditional of potere
- guidare
- To guide, lead; infinitive verb indicating direction
- Chi
- Who, whoever; interrogative or relative pronoun
- indaga
- Investigates; third-person singular present of indagare
- su
- On, about; preposition indicating surface or topic
- questa
- This; feminine singular demonstrative adjective or pronoun
- faccenda
- Matter, affair; a business or concern to handle
- verso
- Toward; preposition indicating direction or movement
- la
- The; feminine singular definite article
- luce
- Light; illumination or metaphor for truth
- Anche
- Also, too, even; additive adverb
- qui
- Here; adverb indicating this place or location
- mio
- My; first-person singular masculine possessive adjective
- zelo
- Zeal, diligence; eager and earnest effort
- non
- Not; negation adverb
- ha
- Has; third-person singular present of avere
- tardato
- Delayed, been late; past participle of tardare
- poiché
- Since, because; causal subordinating conjunction
- due
- Two; cardinal number
- volte
- Times; plural of volta, indicating frequency
- Su
- On, upon; preposition or adverb of position
- richiesta
- Request; a formal or informal asking for something
- di
- Of, from; very common Italian preposition
- l'
- Him or her; elided definite article or pronoun
- ho
- I have; first-person singular present of avere
- mandato
- Sent; past participle of mandare, to send
- a
- To, at; very common Italian preposition
- chiamare
- To call, summon; infinitive verb for calling someone
- E
- And; basic coordinating conjunction
- lungo
- Long; adjective describing extended duration or length
- mi
- Me, myself; first-person singular object pronoun
- meraviglio
- I wonder, marvel; first-person singular of meravigliarsi
- del
- Of the; masculine singular contraction of di + il
- perché
- Why, because; interrogative adverb or conjunction
- sia
- Is, be; third-person singular present subjunctive of essere
- Anch'
- Also, too; elided form of anche before vowel
- io
- I; first-person singular subject pronoun
- ricordo
- I remember; first-person singular present of ricordare
- voci
- Voices, rumors; plural of voce
- molto
- Very, much, a lot; adverb or adjective of quantity
- tempo
- Time, weather; noun indicating duration or period
- fa
- Ago; used with time expressions to indicate past
- Semplici
- Simple, mere; masculine or feminine plural adjective
- pettegolezzi
- Gossip, rumors; idle or malicious talk about others
- Dille
- Tell her; imperative of dire with indirect pronoun
- vorrei
- I would like; first-person singular conditional of volere
- sapere
- To know; infinitive verb for having knowledge
- tutto
- Everything, all; masculine singular adjective or pronoun
- Si
- One, they, itself; reflexive or impersonal pronoun
- diceva
- Said, used to say; third-person singular imperfect of dire
- cadde
- Fell; third-person singular past remote of cadere
- per
- For, by, through; common Italian preposition
- mano
- Hand; body part or figurative means of action
- viandanti
- Travelers, wayfarers; people journeying on foot
- Così
- So, thus, like this; adverb of manner
- sentito
- Heard; past participle of sentire, to hear
- Ma
- But; adversative coordinating conjunction
- nessuno
- Nobody, no one; negative indefinite pronoun
- visto
- Seen; past participle of vedere, to see
- lo
- Him, it; masculine singular direct object pronoun
- vide
- Saw; third-person singular past remote of vedere
- cadere
- To fall; infinitive verb indicating descent or collapse
- Ebbene
- Well then, so; interjection introducing a consequence
- sa
- Knows; third-person singular present of sapere
- cos'
- What; elided form of cosa before vowel
- paura
- Fear, fright; strong feeling of being afraid
- si
- Himself, herself, oneself; reflexive pronoun
- scoraggerà
- Will be discouraged; third-person singular future of scoraggiarsi
- fuggirà
- Will flee; third-person singular future of fuggire
- dinanzi
- Before, in front of; preposition of position
- al
- To the; masculine singular contraction of a + il
- terrore
- Terror, dread; extreme fear or horror
- della
- Of the; feminine singular contraction of di + la
- tua
- Your; second-person singular feminine possessive adjective
- maledizione
- Curse, malediction; a solemn wish of harm on someone
- Le
- The; feminine plural definite article
- parole
- Words; plural of parola, units of language
- spaventano
- Frighten, scare; third-person plural present of spaventare
- colui
- He who, that one; masculine demonstrative pronoun
- impallidisce
- Turns pale; third-person singular present of impallidire
- ai
- At the, to the; masculine plural contraction of a + i
- fatti
- Facts, deeds; plural of fatto, things that occurred
- ecco
- Here is, there is; exclamation drawing attention
- qualcuno
- Someone, somebody; indefinite pronoun
- accusarlo
- To accuse him; infinitive with direct object pronoun
- Ecco
- Here, look; exclamation presenting something or someone
- finalmente
- Finally, at last; adverb indicating long-awaited event
- Portano
- They bring; third-person plural present of portare
- indovino
- Seer, soothsayer; one who predicts the future
- ispirato
- Inspired; past participle of ispirare, divinely moved
- dagli
- By the; masculine plural contraction of da + gli
- dèi
- Gods; plural of dio, divine beings
- in
- In, into; common Italian preposition of place
- cui
- Whom, which; relative pronoun used after preposition
- Più
- More, most; comparative or superlative adverb
- ogni
- Every, each; invariable adjective of totality
- altro
- Other, another; adjective or pronoun of distinction
- verità
- Truth; conformity of statement to fact or reality
- innata
- Innate, inborn; naturally present from birth
- Entra
- Enters; third-person singular present of entrare
- condotto
- Led, conducted; past participle of condurre
- da
- By, from; preposition of agent or origin
- fanciullo
- Boy, young child; a male child or youth
- comprendi
- You understand; second-person singular present of comprendere
- Sapienza
- Wisdom, knowledge; deep understanding and insight
- dei
- Of the; masculine plural contraction of di + i
- saggi
- Wise men, sages; plural of saggio, wise person
- e
- And; basic coordinating conjunction
- misteri
- Mysteries; plural of mistero, hidden or secret things
- nascosti
- Hidden, concealed; masculine plural past participle of nascondere
- cose
- Things; plural of cosa, general noun for objects or matters
- alte
- High, lofty; feminine plural adjective of elevation
- cielo
- Sky, heaven; expanse above the earth
- le
- The; feminine plural definite article
- basse
- Low; feminine plural adjective indicating low position
- terra
- Earth, ground, land; the soil or planet
- Tu
- You; second-person singular subject pronoun
- sai
- You know; second-person singular present of sapere
- benché
- Although, even though; concessive conjunction
- i
- The; masculine plural definite article
- tuoi
- Your; second-person singular masculine plural possessive
- ciechi
- Blind; masculine plural adjective lacking sight
- vedano
- See; third-person plural present subjunctive of vedere
- nulla
- Nothing; negative indefinite pronoun or adjective
- Quale
- Which, what kind of; interrogative or relative adjective
- peste
- Plague, pestilence; deadly epidemic disease
- infetta
- Infects; third-person singular present of infettare
- nostra
- Our; first-person plural feminine possessive adjective
- città
- City; an urban settlement or municipality
- ci
- Us, ourselves, there; first-person plural pronoun
- rivolgiamo
- We turn to; first-person plural present of rivolgersi
- A
- To, at; common Italian preposition
- te
- You; second-person singular stressed object pronoun
- o
- O, oh; vocative interjection addressing someone
- unica
- Only, unique; feminine singular adjective of singularity
- difesa
- Defense, protection; act of defending or shielding
- scudo
- Shield; protective armor or figurative protection
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