Wednesday, January 15, 2025
Rejuvenation
Aristophanes, Frogs 341-353 (my translation):
‹Older
Raising flaming torches in your hands you have come,Critical apparatus from N.G. Wilson's Oxford Classical Text edition:
Iacchus, o Iacchus,
Light-bearing star of nocturnal rite.
The meadow gleams with light.
Old men's knees leap.
They shake off pains
And lengthy lapses of old years
By sacred worship.
But you, shining with a torch,
As you advance, lead forth to the flowering marshy
Ground, o blessed one, the dancing youthful band.
ἐγείρων φλογέας λαμπάδας ἐν χερσὶ προσήκεις, 340
Ἴακχ᾽ ὦ Ἴακχε,
νυκτέρου τελετῆς φωσφόρος ἀστήρ.
φλογὶ φέγγεται δὲ λειμών·
γόνυ πάλλεται γερόντων· 345
ἀποσείονται δὲ λύπας
χρονίους τ᾽ ἐτῶν παλαιῶν ἐνιαυτοὺς
ἱερᾶς ὑπὸ τιμῆς.
σὺ δὲ λαμπάδι φέγγων 350
προβάδην ἔξαγ᾽ ἐπ᾽ ἀνθηρὸν ἕλειον
δάπεδον χοροποιόν, μάκαρ, ἥβην.
