1 Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus Introduced and Translated by ...

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I did, and I will tell you all that I remember, and what the poor woman suffered. 1240 She was beside herself and rushed inside right to her bridal bed. She ripped at her hair with both her hands. She called on the long dead Laius, remembering the lovemaking of long ago which resulted in his death at the hands of a child, who was cursed because of him. She wailed over the bed for her double misery: that she had given birth to a husband from a husband, and children from a child. 1250 I don’t know the details of her death, because Oedipus broke into the room, screaming, and I couldn’t see clearly as he moved around. He wandered about asking us for a sword, and where he could find his wife, no wife, but that field that bore a double harvest of himself and his children. Some god guided him, not us men who were standing near. He shouted furiously and burst against the double doors, 1260 twisting the bolts from their sockets, and he lurched into the room. We saw his wife hanging there, from a noose of knotted rope. When he saw her, he let out a terrible howl, and slashed through the rope. When she lay on the ground, what followed then was horrible. Oedipus took from her dress the long golden pins that held it together; he pierced his eyes and screamed that they 1270 would not see what he suffered, or the terrible things that he had done. What ought not be seen would be covered in darkness for all time, and his eyes would not recognize even those whom he longed to see. Chanting, he repeated things like this, and struck his eyes again and again. His bleeding eyeballs wet his cheeks and the bloody rain did not let up. A dark storm of clotted blood dripped down like hail. 62
Terrible horror for both husband and wife. 1280 Yes, they were once happy, truly happy, but now today only moans, destruction, death, shame and all the evils that man can name attend them CHORUS Can that suffering man find any relief from his pain MESENGER (2) He cries out for someone to open the gates and show to all the citizens of the city the man who slew both his father and his mother. He said unholy things, which I won’t repeat. He refuses to remain in the house, But wants to be exiled out of this land. 1290 He says he is cursed, and he put that curse on himself. He needs the strength of a guide, because his sickness is more than he can bear. He’ll show you himself. The gates are opening. You will see someone you will pity, even if you now loathe him. CHORUS Oh, suffering terrible for men to see, The most terrible I have ever known. What madness came over you, miserable man 1300 What god leapt the longest leap of all, Pouncing on you from the heavens, to bring you down You poor, poor man, I can’t bear to look at you. I want to ask you so much, Learn so much, And see so much; Such is the horror you cause me to feel. Enter OEDIPUS. OEDIPUS Aiai aiai, such pain! Where can I go What breeze carries my voice, and where 1310 63
Page 1 and 2:
Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus Intro
Page 3 and 4:
Sophocles was born at Colonus near
Page 5 and 6:
his own destruction. There is the s
Page 7 and 8:
First Performance: 6 th at Penn The
Page 9 and 10:
A crowd led by Zeus’ PRIEST gathe
Page 11 and 12: PRIEST The news must be good; other
Page 13 and 14: CREON All those with the king died,
Page 15 and 16: And protect me from all harm. Just
Page 17 and 18: I forbid any citizen of this land o
Page 19 and 20: A man who’s not afraid to commit
Page 21 and 22: OEDIPUS But shouldn’t you tell me
Page 23 and 24: OEDIPUS You live in perpetual night
Page 25 and 26: TIRESIAS Nonsense Your parents thou
Page 27 and 28: I have nothing to say, Either to ag
Page 29 and 30: OEDIPUS It’s not wise to think yo
Page 31 and 32: OEDIPUS I don’t deny it. CREON Yo
Page 33 and 34: OEDIPUS All the same, I have to rul
Page 35 and 36: Anger hurts the angry man most of a
Page 37 and 38: death at his son’s hands. So much
Page 39 and 40: OEDIPUS Is he here now In the palac
Page 41 and 42: and killing my father Polybus, who
Page 43 and 44: Or touches what must not be touched
Page 45 and 46: JOCASTA What are you saying Oedipus
Page 47 and 48: OEDIPUS That would all be fine, if
Page 49 and 50: Yes. That’s what frightens me. ME
Page 51 and 52: That’s how you got your name, Oed
Page 53 and 54: Please. Listen to me. I beg you. Do
Page 55 and 56: CHORUS Yes. I recognize the man. Al
Page 57 and 58: OEDIPUS Don’t hit him! He doesn
Page 59 and 60: OEDIPUS And I, to hear it. But it m
Page 61: Time, the all-seeing, Has found you
Page 65 and 66: OEDIPUS What is left for me to see,
Page 67 and 68: yes, you engendered the most shamef
Page 69 and 70: from sickness or anything else: I w
Page 71 and 72: CREON Tell me. I’ll listen. OEDIP
Page 73 and 74: GLOSSARY Abae (A, as in add, -bee),
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