Medea

Euripides

Euripides. The Plays of Euripides, Translated into English Prose from the Text of Paley. Vol. I. Coleridge, Edward P., translator. London: George Bell and Sons, 1906.

  1. I yield and do confess that I was wrong then, but now have I come to a better mind. Come hither, my children, come, leave the house,
  2. step forth, and with me greet and bid farewell to your father, be reconciled from all past bitterness unto your friends, as now your mother is; for we have made a truce and anger is no more. Enter the Children. Take his right hand; ah me! my sad fate!
  3. when I reflect, as now, upon the hidden future. O my children, since there awaits you even thus a long, long life, stretch forth the hand to take a fond farewell. Ah me! how new[*](ἀρτίδακρυς. The Schol. explains this word as ready to shed tears, but ἄρτι, as Mr. Evelyn Abbott points out, can scarcely bear such a meaning. (Cf., in Heberden’s edition of the Medea, his note.)) to tears am I, how full of fear! For now that I have at last released me from my quarrel with your father,
  4. I let the tear-drops stream adown my tender cheek.
Chorus
  1. From my eyes too bursts forth the copious tear; O, may no greater ill than the present e’er befall!
Jason
  1. Lady, I praise this conduct, not that I blame what is past; for it is but natural to the female sex to vent their spleen against a husband
  2. when he trafficks in other marriages
    besides his own.[*](i.e., ἀλλοίους. This word is not elsewhere used in tragedy, and has therefore been suspected. Heimsoethius conjectures παρεμπολῶντι δευτέρους, Dindorf δώμασιν.) But thy heart is changed to wiser schemes and thou art determined on the better course, late though it be; this is acting like a woman of sober sense. And for you, my sons, hath your father provided
  3. with all good heed a sure refuge, by God’s grace; for ye, I trow, shall with your brothers share hereafter the foremost rank in this Corinthian realm. Only grow up, for all the rest your sire and whoso of the gods is kind to us is bringing to pass.
  4. May I see you reach man’s full estate, high o’er the heads of those I hate! But thou, lady, why with fresh tears dost thou thine eyelids wet, turning away thy wan cheek, with no welcome for these my happy tidings?
Medea
  1. ’Tis naught; upon these children my thoughts were turned.
Jason
  1. Then take heart; for I will see that it is well with them.
Medea
  1. I will do so; nor will I doubt thy word; woman is a weak creature, ever given to tears.
Jason
  1. Why prithee, unhappy one, dost moan o’er these children?
Medea
  1. I gave them birth; and when thou didst pray long life for them, pity entered into my soul to think that these things must be. But the reason of thy coming hither to speak with me is partly told, the rest will I now mention. Since it is the pleasure of the rulers of the land to banish me,
  2. and well I know ’twere best for me to stand not in the way of thee or of the rulers by dwelling here, enemy as I am thought unto their house, forth from this land in exile am I going, but these children,—that they may know thy fostering hand,
  3. beg Creon to remit their banishment
Jason
  1. I doubt whether I can persuade him, yet must I attempt it.
Medea
  1. At least do thou bid thy wife ask her sire this boon, to remit the exile of the children from this land.
Jason
  1. Yea, that will I; and her methinks I shall persuade,
  2. since she is a woman like the rest.