There's something dreadful in the house; there is
Indeed, dear husband!" He arose at this;
And seized his noble sword, which overhead
Was always hanging at the cedar-bed:
The hilt he grasped in one hand, and the sheath
In t'other ; and drew forth the blade of death. ;
All in an instant, like a stroke of doom, Returning midnight smote upon the room.
Amphitryon called; and woke from heavy sleep His household, who lay breathing hard and deep;
Ἔσι τί μοι κατὰ δῶμα νεώτερον, ἔτι, φίλ' ἀνδρῶν.
Ως φάθ', ὁ δ ̓ ἐξ ἐυνᾶς ἀλόχῳ κατέβαινε πιθήσας
Δαιδάλεον δ' ὥρμησε μετὰ ξίφος, ὅῤῥ ̓ οἱ ὕπερθε
Κλιντῆρος κεδρίνω περὶ πασσάλῳ αἰὲν ἄωρτο.
Ἤτοι ὅγ ̓ ὠριγνατο νεοκλώσω τελαμώνος,
Κουφίζων ἑτέρα κολεὸν, μέγα λώτινον ἔργον.
̓Αμφιλαφὴς δ' ἄρα πατὰς ἐνεπλήθη πάλιν ὄρφνης.
Δμῶας δὴ τότ' ἄϋσεν ὕπνον βαρὺν ἐκφυσῶντας
Bring lights here from the hearth! lights, lights;
The doorways ; rise, ye ready labourers hard !
He said; and lights came pouring in, and all
The busy house was up, in bower and hall ;
But when they saw the little suckler, how
He grasped the monsters, and with earnest brow
Kept beating them together, plaything-wise,
They shrieked aloud ; but he, with laughing eyes,
Οἴσετε πῦρ ὅτι θάσσον ἀπ' ἐσχαρεῶνος ἑλόντες,
Αμῶες ἐμοὶ, σιβαρὼς δὲ θυρᾶν ἀνακόψατ ̓ ὀχῆας
*Αντατε δμώες ταλασίφρονες. αυτὸς ἀντεῖ.
Οἱ δ' αἶψα προγένοντο λύχνοις ἅμα δαιομένοισι
Δμώες· ἐνεπλήσθη δὲ δόμος σπένδοντος ἑκάσου.
Ητοι ἄρ ὡς εἴδοντ ̓ ἐπιτίτθιον Ἡρακλῆα
Θῆρε δύω χείρεσσιν ἀπρὶξ ἁπαλαῖσιν ἔχοντα,
Συμπλήγδην ἰάχησαν· ὁ δ ̓ ἐς πατέρ Αμφιτρύωνα
Soon as he saw Amphitryon, leaped and sprung
Childlike, and at his feet the dead disturbers flung.
Then did Alcmena to her bosom take
Her feebler boy, who could not cease to shake.
The other son Amphitryon took and laid
Beneath a fleece; and so returned to bed.
Soon as the cock, with his thrice-echoing cheer, Told that the gladness of the day was near,
Ερπετὰ δεικανάεσκεν· ἐπάλλετο δ' ὑψόθι χαίρων
Κωροσύνα γελάσας δὲ, πάρος κατέθηκε ποδοῖν
Πατρὸς ἑοῦ θανάτῳ κεκαρωμένα δεινὰ πέλωρα.
Αλκμήνα μὲν ἔπειτα ποτὶ σφέτερον βάλε κόλπον
Ξηρὸν ὑπαὶ δείους ἀκράχολον Ιφικλῆα
̓Αμφιτρύων δὲ τὸν ἄλλον ὑπ ̓ ἀμνείαν θέτο χλαῖναν
Παῖδα· πάλιν δ' ἐς λέκτρον ἰὼν ἐμνάσατο κοίτου.
Ορνιθες τρίτον ἄρτι τὸν ἔσχατον ὄρθρον ἄειδον,
Alcmena sent for old, truth-uttering
Tiresias; and she told him all this thing,
And bade him say what she might think and do ;
"Nor do thou fear," said she, "to let me know,
Although the mighty gods should meditate
Aught ill; for man can never fly from Fate.
And thus thou seest" (and here her smiling eyes
Looked through a blush) "how well I teach the wise."
So spoke the queen. Then he, with glad old tone; "Be of good heart, thou blessed bearing one,
Τειρεσίαν τόκα μάντιν, ἀλαθέα πάντα λέγοντα,
Αλκμήνα καλέσασα, χρέος κατέλεξε νεοχμὸν,
Και νιν ὑποκρίνεσθαι, ὅπως τελέεσθαι ἔμελλεν,
Ηνώγει Μηδ', εἴ τι θεοὶ νοέοντι πονηρὸν,
Αἰδόμενός ἐμε κρύπτε. καὶ ὡς οὐκ ἔσιν ἀλύξαι
Ανθρώποις ὅ, τι μοῖρα κατὰ κλωτῆρος ἐπείγει,
Μάντι Εὐηρείδα, μάλα σε φρονέοντα διδάσκω.
Τὼς ἔλεγεν βασίλεια· ὁ δ ̓ ἀνταμείβετο τοίως
Θάρσει ἀριςοτόκεια γύναι, Περσήϊον αἷμα.
True blood of Perseus; for by my sweet sight,
Which once divided these poor lids with light,
Many Greek women, as they sit and weave
The gentle thread across their knees at eve,
Shall sing of thee and thy beloved name;
Thou shalt be blest by every Argive dame :
For unto this thy son it shall be given,
With his broad heart to win his way to heaven;
Twelve labours shall he work; and all accurst
And brutal things o'erthrow, brute men the worst ;
Ναὶ γὰρ ἐμὸν γλυκὺ φέγγος ἀποιχόμενον πάλαι ὄσσων,
Πολλαὶ Αχαιϊάδων μαλακὸν περὶ γούνατι νᾶμα
Χειρὶ κατατρίψοντι, ἀκρέσπερον ἀείδοισαι
Αλκμήναν ὀνομασί· σέβας δ' ἔσῃ ̓Αργείαισι.
Τοῖος ἀνὴρ ὅδε μέλλει ἐς οὐρανὸν ἄτρα φέροντα
̓Αμβαίνειν, τεὸς ὑιὸς, ἀπὸ σέρνων πλατὺς ἥρως·
Οὗ καὶ θηρία πάντα καὶ ἀνέρες ἥσσονες ἄλλοι.
Δώδεκά οἱ τελέσαντι πεπρωμένον ἐν Διὸς οἰκῇν
Μόχθους· θνητὰ δὲ πάντα πυρὰ Τραχίνιος ἑξεῖ.
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