Now, dear Ismene, my own blood sister,

do you have any sense of all the troubles

Zeus keeps bringing on the two of us,

as long as we’re alive? All that misery

which stems from Oedipus? There’s no suffering,

no shame, no ruin—not one dishonour—

which I have not seen in all the troubles

you and I go through. What’s this they’re saying now,

something our general has had proclaimed

throughout the city? Do you know of it?                                                 10

Have you heard? Or have you just missed the news?

Dishonours which better fit our enemies

are now being piled up on the ones we love.                                                         [10]

I’ve had no word at all, Antigone,

nothing good or bad about our family,

not since we two lost both our brothers,

killed on the same day by a double blow.

And since the Argive army, just last night,

has gone away, I don’t know any more

if I’ve been lucky or face total ruin.                                                           20

What is it? The way you look makes it seem                                                         [20]

you’re thinking of some dark and gloomy news.

Look—what’s Creon doing with our two brothers?

He’s honouring one with a full funeral

and treating the other one disgracefully!

Eteocles, they say, has had his burial

according to our customary rites,

to win him honour with the dead below.                                                     30

But as for Polyneices, who perished

so miserably, an order has gone out

throughout the city—that’s what people say.

He’s to have no funeral or lament,

but to be left unburied and unwept,

a sweet treasure for the birds to look at,

for them to feed on to their heart’s content.                                                             [30]

That’s what people say the noble Creon

has announced to you and me—I mean to me—

and now he’s coming to proclaim the fact,                                                 40

to state it clearly to those who have not heard.

For Creon this matter’s really serious.

Anyone who acts against the order

will be stoned to death before the city.

Now you know, and you’ll quickly demonstrate

whether you are nobly born, or else

a girl unworthy of her splendid ancestors.

Oh my poor sister, if that’s what’s happening,

what can I say that would be any help

to ease the situation or resolve it?                                                              50           [40]

ANTIGONE

Think whether you will work with me in this

and act together.

                                    You’re too rash.

Has Creon not expressly banned that act?                                                 60

O dear. Think, Antigone. Consider

how our father died, hated and disgraced,                                                                [50]

when those mistakes which his own search revealed

forced him to turn his hand against himself

and stab out both his eyes. Then that woman,

his mother and his wife—her double role—

destroyed her own life in a twisted noose.

Then there’s our own two brothers, both butchered

in a single day—that ill-fated pair                                                                 70

with their own hands slaughtered one another

and brought about their common doom.

Now, the two of us are left here quite alone.

Think how we’ll die far worse than all the rest,

if we defy the law and move against                                                                         [60]

the king’s decree, against his royal power.

We must remember that by birth we’re women,

and, as such, we shouldn’t fight with men.

Since those who rule are much more powerful,

we must obey in this and in events                                                             80

which bring us even harsher agonies.

So I’ll ask those underground for pardon—

since I’m being compelled, I will obey

those in control. That’s what I’m forced to do.

It makes no sense to try to do too much.

I wouldn’t urge you to. No. Not even

if you were keen to act. Doing this with you

would bring me no joy. So be what you want.                                                         [70]

I’ll still bury him. It would be fine to die

while doing that. I’ll lie there with him,                                                         90

with a man I love, pure and innocent,

for all my crime. My honours for the dead

must last much longer than for those up here.

I’ll lie down there forever. As for you,

well, if you wish, you can show contempt

for those laws the gods all hold in honour.

I’m not disrespecting them. But I can’t act

against the state. That’s not in my nature.

ANTIGONE

Let that be your excuse. I’m going now                                                                    [80]

to make a burial mound for my dear brother.                                             100

All right then, go, if that’s what you think right.

But remember this—even though your mission                                     120

makes no sense, your friends do truly love you.

O ray of sunlight,                                                                                                         [100]

most beautiful that ever shone

on Thebes, city of the seven gates,

you’ve appeared at last,

you glowing eye of golden day,

moving above the streams of Dirce,

driving into headlong flight

the white-shield warrior from Argos,

who marched here fully armed,                                                                 130

now forced back by your sharper power.¹

Against our land he marched,                                                                                   [110]

sent here by the warring claims

of Polyneices, with piercing screams,

an eagle flying above our land,

covered wings as white as snow,

and hordes of warriors in arms,

helmets topped with horsehair crests.

Standing above our homes,

he ranged around our seven gates,                                                         140

with threats to swallow us

and spears thirsting to kill.

Before his jaws had had their fill                                                                             [120]

and gorged themselves on Theban blood,

before Hephaistos’ pine-torch flames

had seized our towers, our fortress crown,

he went back, driven in retreat.²

Behind him rings the din of war—

his enemy, the Theban dragon-snake,

too difficult for him to overcome.