Medea page 11-14

πολλὰς δ᾽ ἔχουσα θανασίμους αὐτοῖς ὁδούς,

And possessing many fatal methods for them,

οὐκ οἶδ᾽ ὁποίᾳ πρῶτον ἐγχειρῶ, φίλαι·

I don’t know which kind I should attempt first friends.

πότερον ὑφάψω δῶμα νυμφικὸν πυρί,

Whether I should set the bridle house alight with fire,

ἢ θηκτὸν ὤσω φάσγανον δι᾽ ἥπατος,

or push a sharpened dagger through their livers,

σιγῇ δόμους ἐσβᾶσ᾽, ἵν᾽ ἔστρωται λέχος.

going into their house in silence where the marriage bed is being made.

ἀλλ᾽ ἕν τί μοι πρόσαντες·

But one thing is against me:

εἰ ληφθήσομαι δόμους ὑπερβαίνουσα καὶ τεχνωμένη,

if I am caught entering the house and plotting,

θανοῦσα θήσω τοῖς ἐμοῖς ἐχθροῖς γέλων.

I will bring joy to my enemies with my death.

κράτιστα τὴν εὐθεῖαν, ᾗ πεφύκαμεν σοφαὶ μάλιστα,

It is best to take the direct method in which I am most skilled by nature,

φαρμάκοις αὐτοὺς ἑλεῖν.

to defeat them with poison.

εἶἑν· καὶ δὴ τεθνᾶσι· ίς με δέξεται πόλις;

Very well: now suppose they are dead: what city will receive me?

τίς γῆν ἄσυλον καὶ δόμους ἐχεγγύους ξένος παρασχὼν ῥύσεται τοὐμὸν δέμας;

What friend will keep my person safe, providing a safe land and secure lodgings?

οὐκ ἔστι. μείνασ᾽ οὖν ἔτι σμικρὸν χρόνον,

There is no one. Therefore, waiting a short time yet,

ἢν μέν τις ἡμῖν πύργος ἀσφαλὴς φανῇ,

If on the one hand some safe fortress appears for us,

δόλῳ μέτειμι τόνδε καὶ σιγῇ φόνον·

I will carry out this deceit and murder in silence.

ἢν δ᾽ ἐξελαύνῃ ξυμφορά μ᾽ ἀμήχανος,

If on the other hand, unavoidable misfortune should drive me out,

αὐτὴ ξίφος λαβοῦσα, κεἰ μέλλω θανεῖν,

taking the sword, even if I am about to die,

κτενῶ σφε, τόλμης δ᾽ εἶμι πρὸς τὸ καρτερόν.

I will kill them and I will go to the ultimate act of daring.

οὐ γὰρ μὰ τὴν δέσποιναν ἣν ἐγὼ σέβω μάλιστα πάντων

So, by the mistress whom I revere above all

καὶ ξυνεργὸν εἱλόμην,

and whom I have chosen as my accomplice,

Ἑκάτην, μυχοῖς ναίουσαν ἑστίας ἐμῆς,

Hecate, who lives in the innermost parts of my home,

χαίρων τις αὐτῶν τοὐμὸν ἀλγυνεῖ κέαρ.

none of them should hurt my heart and get away with it.

πικροὺς δ᾽ ἐγώ σφιν καὶ λυγροὺς θήσω γάμους,

I will make marriage bitter and painful for them,

πικρὸν δὲ κῆδος καὶ φυγὰς ἐμὰς χθονός.

and bitter the marriage alliance and my exile from the Earth.

ἀλλ᾽ εἶα· φείδου μηδὲν ὧν ἐπίστασαι,

Come now, spare none of these things that you know,

Μήδεια, βουλεύουσα καὶ τεχνωμένη·

Medea, making plans and plotting:

ἕρπ᾽ ἐς τὸ δεινόν· νῦν ἀγὼν εὐψυχίας.

go to the terrible act: now is the test of your courage.

ὁρᾷς ἃ πάσχεις·

Do you see the things you suffer?

οὐ γέλωτα δεῖ σ᾽ ὀφλεῖν

It is necessary for you to not incur the laughter

τοῖς Σισυφείοις τοῖς τ᾽ Ἰάσονος γάμοις,

in this Sisyphean marriage of Jason,

γεγῶσαν ἐσθλοῦ πατρὸς Ἡλίου τ᾽ ἄπο.

you who are born from a noble father and from Helios.

ἐπίστασαι δέ·

But you know it.

πρὸς δὲ καὶ πεφύκαμεν γυναῖκες,

In addition we are by nature women,

ἐς μὲν ἔσθλ᾽ ἀμηχανώταται,

on the one hand most powerless when it comes to noble deeds,

κακῶν δὲ πάντων τέκτονες σοφώταται.

but on the other hand most cunning craftsmen of all evils.