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ΦΥΛΑΞ
Θεοὺς μὲν αἰτῶ τῶνδ᾿ ἀπαλλαγὴν πόνων,
φρουρᾶς ἐτείας μῆκος, ἣν κοιμώμενος
στέγαις Ἀτρειδῶν ἄγκαθεν, κυνὸς δίκην,
ἄστρων κάτοιδα νυκτέρων ὁμήγυριν,
5καὶ τοὺς φέροντας χεῖμα καὶ θέρος βροτοῖς
λαμπροὺς δυνάστας ἐμπρέποντας αἰθέρι,
†ἀστέρας† ὅταν φθίνωσιν ἀντολάς τε τῶν.
καὶ νῦν φυλάσσω λαμπάδος τὸ ξύμβολον,
αὐγὴν πυρὸς φέρουσαν ἐκ Τροίας φάτιν
10ἁλώσιμόν τε βάξιν· ὧδε γὰρ κρατεῖ
γυναικὸς ἀνδρόβουλον ἐλπίζον κέαρ.
εὖτ᾿ ἂν δὲ νυκτίπλαγκτον ἔνδροσόν τ᾿ ἔχω
εὐνὴν ὀνείροις οὐκ ἐπισκοπουμένην
ἐμήν—φόβος γὰρ ἀνθ᾿ ὕπνου παραστατεῖ,
15τὸ μὴ βεβαίως βλέφαρα συμβαλεῖν ὕπνῳ—ὅταν
δ᾿ ἀείδειν ἢ μινύρεσθαι δοκῶ,
ὕπνου τόδ᾿ ἀντίμολπον ἐντέμνων ἄκος,
κλαίω τότ᾿ οἴκου τοῦδε συμφορὰν στένων,
οὐχ ὡς τὰ πρόσθ᾿ ἄριστα διαπονουμένου.
20νῦν δ᾿ εὐτυχὴς γένοιτ᾿ ἀπαλλαγὴ πόνων
εὐαγγέλου φανέντος ὀρφναίου πυρός.
ὦ χαῖρε, λαμπτήρ, νυκτὸς ἡμερήσιον
φάος πιφαύσκων καὶ χορῶν κατάστασιν
πολλῶν ἐν Ἄργει τῆσδε συμφορᾶς χάριν.
ἰοὺ ἰού·
Ἀγαμέμνονος γυναικὶ σημαίνων τορῶς
εὐνῆς ἐπαντείλασαν ὡς τάχος δόμοις
ὀλολυγμὸν εὐφημοῦντα τῇδε λαμπάδι
ἐπορθιάζειν, εἴπερ Ἰλίου πόλις
30ἑάλωκεν, ὡς ὁ φρυκτὸς ἀγγέλλων πρέπει·
αὐτός τ᾿ ἔγωγε φροίμιον χορεύσομαι·
τὰ δεσποτῶν γὰρ εὖ πεσόντα θήσομαι,
τρὶς ἓξ βαλούσης τῆσδέ μοι φρυκτωρίας.
γένοιτο δ᾿ οὖν μολόντος εὐφιλῆ χέρα
35ἄνακτος οἴκων τῇδε βαστάσαι χερί.
τά δ᾿ ἄλλα σιγῶ· βοῦς ἐπὶ γλώσσῃ μέγας
βέβηκεν. οἶκος δ᾿ αὐτός, εἰ φθογγὴν λάβοι,
σαφέστατ᾿ ἂν λέξειεν· ὡς ἑκὼν ἐγὼ
μαθοῦσιν αὐδῶ κοὐ μαθοῦσι λήθομαι.
Θεοὺς μὲν αἰτῶ τῶνδ᾿ ἀπαλλαγὴν πόνων,
φρουρᾶς ἐτείας μῆκος, ἣν κοιμώμενος
στέγαις Ἀτρειδῶν ἄγκαθεν, κυνὸς δίκην,
ἄστρων κάτοιδα νυκτέρων ὁμήγυριν,
5καὶ τοὺς φέροντας χεῖμα καὶ θέρος βροτοῖς
λαμπροὺς δυνάστας ἐμπρέποντας αἰθέρι,
†ἀστέρας† ὅταν φθίνωσιν ἀντολάς τε τῶν.
καὶ νῦν φυλάσσω λαμπάδος τὸ ξύμβολον,
αὐγὴν πυρὸς φέρουσαν ἐκ Τροίας φάτιν
10ἁλώσιμόν τε βάξιν· ὧδε γὰρ κρατεῖ
γυναικὸς ἀνδρόβουλον ἐλπίζον κέαρ.
εὖτ᾿ ἂν δὲ νυκτίπλαγκτον ἔνδροσόν τ᾿ ἔχω
εὐνὴν ὀνείροις οὐκ ἐπισκοπουμένην
ἐμήν—φόβος γὰρ ἀνθ᾿ ὕπνου παραστατεῖ,
15τὸ μὴ βεβαίως βλέφαρα συμβαλεῖν ὕπνῳ—ὅταν
δ᾿ ἀείδειν ἢ μινύρεσθαι δοκῶ,
ὕπνου τόδ᾿ ἀντίμολπον ἐντέμνων ἄκος,
κλαίω τότ᾿ οἴκου τοῦδε συμφορὰν στένων,
οὐχ ὡς τὰ πρόσθ᾿ ἄριστα διαπονουμένου.
20νῦν δ᾿ εὐτυχὴς γένοιτ᾿ ἀπαλλαγὴ πόνων
εὐαγγέλου φανέντος ὀρφναίου πυρός.
ὦ χαῖρε, λαμπτήρ, νυκτὸς ἡμερήσιον
φάος πιφαύσκων καὶ χορῶν κατάστασιν
πολλῶν ἐν Ἄργει τῆσδε συμφορᾶς χάριν.
ἰοὺ ἰού·
Ἀγαμέμνονος γυναικὶ σημαίνων τορῶς
εὐνῆς ἐπαντείλασαν ὡς τάχος δόμοις
ὀλολυγμὸν εὐφημοῦντα τῇδε λαμπάδι
ἐπορθιάζειν, εἴπερ Ἰλίου πόλις
30ἑάλωκεν, ὡς ὁ φρυκτὸς ἀγγέλλων πρέπει·
αὐτός τ᾿ ἔγωγε φροίμιον χορεύσομαι·
τὰ δεσποτῶν γὰρ εὖ πεσόντα θήσομαι,
τρὶς ἓξ βαλούσης τῆσδέ μοι φρυκτωρίας.
γένοιτο δ᾿ οὖν μολόντος εὐφιλῆ χέρα
35ἄνακτος οἴκων τῇδε βαστάσαι χερί.
τά δ᾿ ἄλλα σιγῶ· βοῦς ἐπὶ γλώσσῃ μέγας
βέβηκεν. οἶκος δ᾿ αὐτός, εἰ φθογγὴν λάβοι,
σαφέστατ᾿ ἂν λέξειεν· ὡς ἑκὼν ἐγὼ
μαθοῦσιν αὐδῶ κοὐ μαθοῦσι λήθομαι.
WatchmanI beg the gods to give me release from this misery—from my long year of watch-keeping, during which I’ve spent my nights on the Atreidae’s roof, resting on my elbows like a dog, 1 and come to know thoroughly the throng of stars of the night, and also those bright potentates, conspicuous in the sky, which bring winter and summer to mortals, 2 them as some set and others rise. And now I’m looking out for the agreed beacon-signal, the gleam of fire bringing from Troy the word and news of its capture; for such is the ruling of a woman’s hopeful heart, which plans like a man. But while I keep this night-walker’s bed, wet with dew, this bed of mine not watched over by dreams 3 —for it is Fear instead of Sleep that stands beside me, preventing me from closing my eyes firmly in sleep—but when I decide to sing or hum, applying 4 this remedy to charm away sleep, then I weep, grieving over the fortunes of this house, which is not now admirably managed as it used to be. But now may there be a happy release from misery, by the appearance in the darkness of the fire that brings good news. He suddenly leaps up in joy.O welcome, beacon, bringing to us by night a message of light bright as day, a message that will be the cause of many choral dances in Argos in response to this good fortune! Ahoy, ahoy! I proclaim plainly to the wife of Agamemnon that she should raise herself from her bed, as quickly as may be, and on behalf of the house raise a shrill, auspicious cry of triumph 5 over this beacon, if indeed the city of Ilium has been taken as the fire-signal vividly declares. And I will dance a prelude myself [skipping about in delight]: I shall take advantage of 6 the dice that have fallen well for my masters—this beacon-watch has thrown me a triple six! Well, anyway, may it come to pass that the master of the house comes home and that I clasp his well-loved hand in this hand of mine. About other matters I say nothing; a great ox has stepped upon my tongue. The house itself, were it to find voice, might speak very plainly; as far as I am concerned, I am deliberately speaking to those who know—and for those who do not, I am deliberately forgetting. 7
He descends into the house, and out of sight. A woman’s cry of triumph is heard within. 8 A servant comes out of the palace, kindles incense on the altar in front of its door, and departs towards the city centre. 9 Then enter, from the same side, the chorus of Argive elders.
He descends into the house, and out of sight. A woman’s cry of triumph is heard within. 8 A servant comes out of the palace, kindles incense on the altar in front of its door, and departs towards the city centre. 9 Then enter, from the same side, the chorus of Argive elders.
ἄγκαθεν in the arms,
ἀείδω sing
ἄκος cure, remedy
ἁλίσκομαι to be taken, conquered, fall into an enemy's hand
ἀνατολή rising
ἀνδρόβουλος of manly counsel, man-minded,
ἀστήρ star
αὐτός self
βαίνω walk, step,
βάλλω throw
βάξιςsaying,
βλέφαρον eyelids
γάρ for
γίγνομαι come into a new state of being
γυνή woman,
δέbut
διαπονέω work out with labour, elaborate,
ἐγώ I at least, for my part, indeed, for myself
ἐκ from out of,
ἑκών willing
ἐλπίζω hope for
ἐμπρέπω to be conspicuous in
ἐπανατέλλω raise,
ἐπορθιάζω set upright,
ἔτειος yearly, annual,
εὖ well
εὐφημέω use words of good omen
ἡμερήσιος of the day
θεός God, the Deity
θέρος summer
κοιμάω lull, put to sleep
λαμπάς torch-lit
λαμπρός bright, radiant
λαμπτήρ stand
μανθάνω learn
νύκτερος by night,
νυκτίπλαγκτος causing to wander by night,
ὅδε this,
οἶκος house,
ὀλολυγμός loud cry,
ὁμήγυρις assembly, meeting,
ὄνειρος dream
ὅταν whenever
οὖν certainly, in fact
πιφαύσκω make manifest, tell of
πόλις city,
πόνος work,
πρέπω to be clearly seen, to be conspicuous
πῦρ fire
σημαίνω show by a sign, indicate, point out
συμβάλλω throw together, dash together
τῇδε here, thus
τίθημι place, put
τίς who? which?
τρίςt hrice, three times,
φαίνω show, appear
φέρω fero,
φροίμιον opening, beginning
φρουρά look-out, watch, guard,
χαίρω rejoice, be glad,
χείρ hand
χορεύω dance a round
χορός dance,
ὡς as, how;
ὧδε in this wise, thus,
ὡς so, thus.
ἀείδω sing
ἄκος cure, remedy
ἁλίσκομαι to be taken, conquered, fall into an enemy's hand
ἀνατολή rising
ἀνδρόβουλος of manly counsel, man-minded,
ἀστήρ star
αὐτός self
βαίνω walk, step,
βάλλω throw
βάξιςsaying,
βλέφαρον eyelids
γάρ for
γίγνομαι come into a new state of being
γυνή woman,
δέbut
διαπονέω work out with labour, elaborate,
ἐγώ I at least, for my part, indeed, for myself
ἐκ from out of,
ἑκών willing
ἐλπίζω hope for
ἐμπρέπω to be conspicuous in
ἐπανατέλλω raise,
ἐπορθιάζω set upright,
ἔτειος yearly, annual,
εὖ well
εὐφημέω use words of good omen
ἡμερήσιος of the day
θεός God, the Deity
θέρος summer
κοιμάω lull, put to sleep
λαμπάς torch-lit
λαμπρός bright, radiant
λαμπτήρ stand
μανθάνω learn
νύκτερος by night,
νυκτίπλαγκτος causing to wander by night,
ὅδε this,
οἶκος house,
ὀλολυγμός loud cry,
ὁμήγυρις assembly, meeting,
ὄνειρος dream
ὅταν whenever
οὖν certainly, in fact
πιφαύσκω make manifest, tell of
πόλις city,
πόνος work,
πρέπω to be clearly seen, to be conspicuous
πῦρ fire
σημαίνω show by a sign, indicate, point out
συμβάλλω throw together, dash together
τῇδε here, thus
τίθημι place, put
τίς who? which?
τρίςt hrice, three times,
φαίνω show, appear
φέρω fero,
φροίμιον opening, beginning
φρουρά look-out, watch, guard,
χαίρω rejoice, be glad,
χείρ hand
χορεύω dance a round
χορός dance,
ὡς as, how;
ὧδε in this wise, thus,
ὡς so, thus.