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

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

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from sickness or anything else:<br />

I was saved from death<br />

for something terrible <strong>and</strong> evil.<br />

Let my fate lead where it will.<br />

Don’t worry about my boys, Creon; 1460<br />

they are men <strong>and</strong> can earn their own living wherever they are.<br />

But take care of my two little girls,<br />

who always shared food at my table,<br />

<strong>and</strong> shared in all that I touched. Please do this for me.<br />

You, my lord, noble from birth, please let me touch them<br />

<strong>and</strong> weep with them over all that I have suffered.<br />

Touching them would be as good as seeing them.<br />

Enter daughters.<br />

But why do I say this<br />

Don’t I hear my dear ones crying now 1470<br />

Creon has pitied me,<br />

<strong>and</strong> sent me my dearest beloved daughters<br />

Is this so<br />

CREON<br />

You are right. I gave you this.<br />

I knew that they would bring you a moment of joy,<br />

as they always did in the past.<br />

OEDIPUS<br />

I wish you good fortune,<br />

<strong>and</strong> may God lead you on a better path than he led me.<br />

Children, where are you 1480<br />

Come here, children, come to your brother’s <strong>and</strong> father’s h<strong>and</strong>s:<br />

they have become his eyes, which used to be bright.<br />

Not seeing, not knowing,<br />

he became your father through her<br />

from whom he also was born.<br />

I cannot see you, but I weep for you.<br />

I know how bitter your life will be,<br />

the one that you now will be forced to lead.<br />

What assembly, what feast, what parties 1490<br />

will you not leave in tears, rather than in joy<br />

69

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