Sophocles, Philoctetes
Robert Torrance, Ed.

Philoctetes
1170 Again, again you have brought
to my mind my ancient pain,
O kindest of men to visit me:
why will you kill me, what have you done?

chorus
What can you mean?

Philoctetes
1175 You wished to take me
back to that hated land of Troy.

chorus
I think it is best.

Philoctetes
Then leave me alone!

chorus
What you have spoken is welcome to me
1180and joyfully will I perform it!
Let us go, let us go,
each to his place on our ship.

Philoctetes
By Zeus who is god of curses, I pray you, stay!

chorus
Be calm!

Philoctetes
1185 Strangers, remain for God's sake!

chorus
Why do you scream?

Philoctetes
Ah ah ah ah!
O God, I am dying, wretchedly dying!
My foot, my foot, how will I ever
1190take care of you in the time to come?
Strangers, come back to me now again!

chorus
But what can we do for you now
more than what you have told us before?

Philoctetes
You must not blame me, for I
1195am distraught with tempestuous pain,
and my screams are beyond my control.

chorus
Come with us then, poor man, as we bid you.

Philoctetes
Never, oh never: be certain of that!
Not though the god of the fiery lightning
1200came to envelop me in his flame!
May Troy soon perish with all of those
who cast me off because of my foot!
But strangers, grant me, I beg you, one prayer.

chorus
What are you asking?

Philoctetes
1205 Give me a sword,
or an axe or whatever weapon you have.

chorus
What will you do? what terrible thing?

Philoctetes
I will cut up my flesh and my limbs with my hands,
for all of my thoughts are of blood!

chorus
1210 What?

Philoctetes
I will go to seek my father.

chorus
Where?

Philoctetes
In the land of the dead,
for he is no longer alive!
1215O my country, home of my fathers,
would that I might behold you: how foolish I was
to leave your sacred river and go
to assist those hated Greeks.
And now I am nothing, nothing at all.
Philoctetes withdraws into his cave.