Hecuba 1024–1055: Fourth choral song

Euripides, Hecuba 1024–1055: Fourth choral song; Polymestor is blinded inside the tent

The Chorus says that Polymestor will pay the penalty, like one who slips and falls into the surge. Polymestor's cries are heard from within, and Hecuba says that he will be seen blind, with the bodies of his two children, whom she and her women have killed.

Chorus

1024–1024

1024οὔπω δέδωκας, ἀλλʼ ἴσως δώσεις δίκην·

Not yet have you paid the penalty, but perhaps you will.

1025–1055

Χορός 1025ἀλίμενόν τις ὡς εἰς ἄντλον πεσὼν λέχριος ἐκπεσῇ φίλας καρδίας, ἀμέρσας βίοτον. τὸ γὰρ ὑπέγγυον Δίκᾳ καὶ θεοῖσιν οὐ συμπίτνει· 1030ὀλέθριον ὀλέθριον κακόν. ψεύσει σʼ ὁδοῦ τῆσδʼ ἐλπὶς ἥ σʼ ἐπήγαγεν θανάσιμον πρὸς Ἅιδαν, ἰὼ τάλας· ἀπολέμῳ δὲ χειρὶ λείψεις βίον. Πολυμήστωρ ἔσωθεν 1035ὤμοι, τυφλοῦμαι φέγγος ὀμμάτων τάλας. Χορός — ἠκούσατʼ ἀνδρὸς Θρῃκὸς οἰμωγήν, φίλαι; Πολυμήστωρ ὤμοι μάλʼ αὖθις, τέκνα, δυστήνου σφαγῆς. Χορός — φίλαι, πέπρακται καίνʼ ἔσω δόμων κακά. Πολυμήστωρ ἀλλʼ οὔτι μὴ φύγητε λαιψηρῷ ποδί· 1040βάλλων γὰρ οἴκων τῶνδʼ ἀναρρήξω μυχούς. Χορός — ἰδού, βαρείας χειρὸς ὁρμᾶται βέλος. — βούλεσθʼ ἐπεσπέσωμεν; ὡς ἀκμὴ καλεῖ Ἑκάβῃ παρεῖναι Τρῳάσιν τε συμμάχους. Ἑκάβη ἄρασσε, φείδου μηδέν, ἐκβάλλων πύλας· 1045οὐ γάρ ποτʼ ὄμμα λαμπρὸν ἐνθήσεις κόραις, οὐ παῖδας ὄψῃ ζῶντας οὓς ἔκτεινʼ ἐγώ. Χορός ἦ γὰρ καθεῖλες Θρῇκα, καὶ κρατεῖς, ξένον, δέσποινα, καὶ δέδρακας οἷάπερ λέγεις; Ἑκάβη ὄψῃ νιν αὐτίκʼ ὄντα δωμάτων πάρος 1050τυφλὸν τυφλῷ στείχοντα παραφόρῳ ποδί, παίδων τε δισσῶν σώμαθʼ, οὓς ἔκτεινʼ ἐγὼ σὺν ταῖς ἀρίσταις Τρῳάσιν· δίκην δέ μοι δέδωκε. χωρεῖ δʼ, ὡς ὁρᾷς, ὅδʼ ἐκ δόμων. ἀλλʼ ἐκποδὼν ἄπειμι κἀποστήσομαι 1055θυμῷ ῥέοντι Θρῃκὶ δυσμαχωτάτῳ.

Chorus Like one who slips and falls into the surge with no haven near, so shall you lose your own life for the life you have taken. For where liability to justice coincides with heaven’s law; there is ruin full of death and doom. Your hopes of this journey shall cheat you, for it has led you, unhappy wretch! to the halls of death; and to no warrior’s hand shall you resign your life.

Polymestor O horror! I am blinded of the light of my eyes, ah me!

Chorus Leader Did you hear, friends, that Thracian’s cry of woe?

Polymestor O horror! horror! my children! O the cruel blow.

Chorus Leader Friends, there is strange mischief afoot in yo.

Polymestor No, you shall never escape for all your hurried flight; for with a blow I will burst open the inmost recesses of this building.

Chorus Leader Hark! how he launches a bolt with weighty hand! Shall we force an entry? The crisis calls on us to aid Hecuba and the Trojan women.

Hecuba Strike on, spare not, burst the doors! you shall never replace bright vision in your eyes or see your children, whom I have slain, alive again.

Chorus Leader What! have you foiled the Thracian stranger and is he in your power, mistress? Is all your threat now brought to pass?

Hecuba A moment, and you shall see him before the tent, blind, advancing with blind random step; and the bodies of his two children whom I with my brave women of Troy killed; he has paid me the penalty; here he comes from the tent, as you see. I will withdraw out of his path and stand aside from the hot fury of the Thracian, my deadly foe.

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Hecuba 58

English translation by Edward P. Coleridge (1891). Original text: Greek text: Gilbert Murray (ed.), Euripidis Fabulae, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1902, as digitised by Perseus. English: Edward P. Coleridge, The Plays of Euripides, London: George Bell and Sons, first published 1891 (Bohn's Classical Library; the Perseus header records a later printing).

Greek text and translation from the Perseus Digital Library, Tufts University, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Perseus Digital Library); translation public domain. Introductions, summaries and notes © GreekMythology.com.

Euripides, Hecuba 1024–1055: Fourth choral song; Polymestor is blinded inside the tent

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