Sophocles' ELECTRA Complete

Translated by R. Jebb.

Sophocles Bilingual Anthology  Studies  Sophocles in Print

71 Pages

Page 13

Leader: I ask thee, then, what sayest thou of thy brother? Will he
come soon, or is he delaying? I fain would know.

Electra: He promises to come; but he never fulfils the promise.

Leader: Yea, a man will pause on the verge of a great work.

Electra: And yet I saved him without pausing.

Leader: Courage; he is too noble to fail his friends.

Electra: I believe it; or I should not have lived so long.

Leader: Say no more now; for I see thy sister coming from the house,
Chrysothemis, daughter of the same sire and mother, with sepulchral
gifts in her hands, such as are given to those in the world below.
(Chrysothemis enters from the palace. She is richly dressed.)

Chrysothemis: Why, sister, hast thou come forth once more to declaim
thus at the public doors? Why wilt thou not learn with any lapse of
time to desist from vain indulgence of idle wrath? Yet this I know,-
that I myself am- grieved at our plight; indeed, could I find the
strength, I would show what love I bear them. But now, in these troubled
waters, 'tis best, methinks, to shorten sail; I care not to seem active,
without the power to hurt. And would that thine own conduct were the
same! Nevertheless, right is on the side of thy choice, not of that
which I advise; but if I am to live in freedom, our rulers must be
obeyed in all things.

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