Aeschylus Suppliants 1ff
Mischa Hooker /
- Created on 2024-02-06 01:09:05
- Modified on 2024-02-06 20:40:59
- Translated by Johnston / Sommerstein
- Aligned by Mischa Hooker
English
English
I pray that Zeus who cares for suppliants
will look with kindness on our company ,
whose ship has travelled here across the sea
from the fine-grained sandy estuary
of river Nile . We fled that sacred land ,
whose pastures border Syria , and come
as fugitives , not exiled by decree
of public banishment for shedding blood ,
but acting on our own , because we wished
to flee a marriage we could not accept ,
a hateful and sacrilegious match
with Aegyptus’s sons . For Danaus ,
our father , who is our counsellor
and leads our group , debated what to do
and of our painful options chose the best —
to rush away as quickly as we could ,
sailing across the ocean seas to Argos .
We can claim with pride our family line
comes from this land , for it sprang up
from the hand and breath of Zeus , who touched
that cow tormented by a gadfly’s sting .
will look with kindness on our company ,
whose ship has travelled here across the sea
from the fine-grained sandy estuary
of river Nile . We fled that sacred land ,
whose pastures border Syria , and come
as fugitives , not exiled by decree
of public banishment for shedding blood ,
but acting on our own , because we wished
to flee a marriage we could not accept ,
a hateful and sacrilegious match
with Aegyptus’s sons . For Danaus ,
our father , who is our counsellor
and leads our group , debated what to do
and of our painful options chose the best —
to rush away as quickly as we could ,
sailing across the ocean seas to Argos .
We can claim with pride our family line
comes from this land , for it sprang up
from the hand and breath of Zeus , who touched
that cow tormented by a gadfly’s sting .
May
Zeus
,
god
of
suppliants
,
look
graciously
upon
our band , which set forth by ship
from the fine sands at the mouth
of the Nile . We have left the land of Zeus ,
which borders on Syria , as fugitives ,
not through public banishment for bloodshed
after condemnation by state decree ,
but of our own accord , in flight from men ,
abhorring marriage with the sons of Aegyptus
and their impious « thoughts » .
Danaus , our father , the originator of our plan ,
the leader of our band , surveying the situation like a gameboard ,
ordained this as the most honourable of painful options ,
to flee headlong over the waves of the sea
and put in to the land of Argos , from whence
originates our race , which claims to derive
from the touch and breath of Zeus
on the gadfly-driven heifer .
our band , which set forth by ship
from the fine sands at the mouth
of the Nile . We have left the land of Zeus ,
which borders on Syria , as fugitives ,
not through public banishment for bloodshed
after condemnation by state decree ,
but of our own accord , in flight from men ,
abhorring marriage with the sons of Aegyptus
and their impious « thoughts » .
Danaus , our father , the originator of our plan ,
the leader of our band , surveying the situation like a gameboard ,
ordained this as the most honourable of painful options ,
to flee headlong over the waves of the sea
and put in to the land of Argos , from whence
originates our race , which claims to derive
from the touch and breath of Zeus
on the gadfly-driven heifer .