Sofocles lived in 496-406 B.C. (see info below)
The poem in Ancient Greek:
Ἔρως ἀνίκατε μάχαν,
Ἔρως, ὃς ἐν κτήμασιν πίπτεις,
ὃς ἐν μαλακαῖς παρειαῖς
νεάνιδος ἐννυχεύεις,
φοιτᾷς δ᾽ ὑπερπόντιος ἔν τ᾽
ἀγρονόμοις αὐλαῖς·
καί σ᾽ οὔτ᾽ ἀθανάτων φύξιμος οὐδεὶς
οὔθ᾽ ἁμερίων σέ γ᾽ ἀνθρώ-
πων, ὁ δ᾽ ἔχων μέμηνεν.
σὺ καὶ δικαίων ἀδίκους
φρένας παρασπᾷς ἐπὶ λώβᾳ·
Lyrics in contemporary Greek and their English translation:
Έρωτα στη μάχη ανίκητε
Έρωτα που όσους στοχεύεις
σκλάβους σου κάνεις για παντοτινά.
Εσύ που στα τρυφερά μάγουλα
ξαγρυπνάς των κοριτσιών τη νύχτα
και πάνω από το πέλαγος και τις
αυλές των χωρικών στριφογυρίζεις.
Κανένας να διαφύγει κάπου
από εσένα δεν μπορεί, ούτε θεός
ούτε απ᾽ τους θνητούς κανένας
κι᾽ όποιον κατέχεις καταντάει τρελός.
Συ και των δικαίων τον λογισμό
στην αδικία παρασέρνεις
για το χαμό τους τον ολέθριο.
Eros invincible in battles
Eros that you enslave forever
all those you target.
You stay awake at nights,
over the tender cheeks
of the young women,
and over the seas and the
courtyards of the villagers, you swing.
Nobody can escape from you
neither god, nor mortal, nobody
and whoever you possess becomes mad.
You lead the minds of righteous people into unrighteousness
For their pernicious destruction.
Please note that we provide above translation of the lyrics (from contemporary Greek to English). You may also visit “links” for sources translating the ancient text to English.
Brief info about the poet and the poem:
Sophocles: The great tragedian was born in 496 and died in 406 BC. The testimonies that exist about his life and his character are highly laudatory. He was quite popular and held various public offices. The above chorus from the third stanza of “Antigone” is a praise of Eros, an ode to his omnipotence. The poet, taking the occasion of the events, sings almost heartbreakingly about this unquenchable demon of the universe.
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