Sophocles' TRACHINIAE Complete

Translated by R. Jebb.

Sophocles Bilingual Anthology  Studies  Sophocles in Print

57 Pages

Page 21

Deianeira: Nay, I implore thee by Zeus whose lightnings go forth over
the high glens of Oeta, do not cheat me of the truth! For she to whom
thou wilt speak is not ungenerous, nor hath she yet to learn that
the human heart is inconstant to its joys. They are not wise, then,
who stand forth to buffet against Love; for Love rules the gods as
he will, and me; and why not another woman, such as I am? So I am
mad indeed, if I blame my husband, because that distemper hath seized
him; or this woman, his partner in a thing which is no shame to them,
and no wrong to me. Impossible! No; if he taught thee to speak falsely,
'tis not a noble lesson that thou art learning; or if thou art thine
own teacher in this, thou wilt be found cruel when it is thy wish
to prove kind. Nay, tell me the whole truth. To a free-born man, the
name of liar cleaves as a deadly brand. If thy hope is to escape detection,
that, too, is vain; there are many to whom thou hast spoken, who will
tell me.

And if thou art afraid, thy fear is mistaken. Not to learn the truth,-that,
indeed, would pain me; but to know it- what is there terrible in that?
Hath not Heracles wedded others ere now,- ay, more than living man,-
and no one of them hath bad harsh word or taunt from me; nor shall
this girl, though her whole being should be absorbed in her passion;
for indeed I felt a profound pity when I beheld her, because her beauty
hath wrecked her life, and she, hapless one, all innocent, hath brought
her fatherland to ruin and to bondage.

Well, those things must go with wind and stream.- To thee I say,-deceive
whom thou wilt, but ever speak the truth to me.

Previous Page / First / Next Page of Trachiniae

Sophocles Home Page ||| Elpenor's Free Greek Lessons
Aeschylus ||| Euripides

Reference address : https://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/ancient-greece/sophocles/trachiniae.asp?pg=21