It is slow to stir, but nonetheless
it never fails, the strength
of gods.

[ὁρμᾶται μόλις, ἀλλ᾽ ὅμως
πιστόν τι τὸ θεῖον
σθένος]

Euripides (485?-406? BC) Greek tragic dramatist
Bacchæ [Βάκχαι], l. 882ff (Stasimon 3 (Ode 4), Antistrophe 1) [Chorus/Χορός] (405 BC) [tr. Kirk (1970)]
    (Source)

(Source (Greek)). Alternate translations:

The tardy God arrives at length
His steadfast promise to fulfil,
Exulting in immortal strength.
Tremble, ye ministers of ill!
[tr. Wodhull (1809)]

Divine strength is roused with difficulty, but still is sure.
[tr. Buckley (1850)]

Slow come, but come at length,
In their majestic strength
Faithful and true, the avenging deities.
[tr. Milman (1865)]

Although he slowly shews his might,
God ever steadfast is and sure.
[tr. Rogers (1872), ll. 844-45]

Though slow be its advance, yet surely moves the power of the gods.
[tr. Coleridge (1891)]

Slowly on-sweepeth, but unerringly,
The might of Heaven.
[tr. Way (1898)]

O Strength of God, slow art thou and still,
Yet failest never!
[tr. Murray (1902)]

Slow but unmistakable
the might of the gods moves on.
[tr. Arrowsmith (1960)]

Slow, yet unfailing, move the Powers
of heaven with the moving hours
[tr. Vellacott (1973)]

Scarcely speeding, but all the same
the strength of the gods is certain.
[tr. Neuburg (1988)]

Slowly but implacably,
divine power moves.
[tr. Cacoyannis (1982)]

Scarcely it has started,
Yet still god's might is trust-
Worthy.
[tr. Blessington (1993)]

It starts out slowly
but still the strength of the gods
is trustworthy.
[tr. Esposito (1998)]

Never hurried, never
failing, a god's
fist.
[tr. Woodruff (1999)]

The unremitting power
Of the divine begins only
Slowly to move, but
Always moves.
[tr. Gibbons/Segal (2000)]

Slowly does heaven move, but still
its strength is [something] sure.
[tr. Kovacs (2002)]

Slow but unerring move the gods
Against the heedless man.
[tr. Teevan (2002)]

God’s justice might be late arriving but it does arrive.
[tr. Theodoridis (2005)]

Th'heavens might is scarcely set in
Motion, but it is not to be
doubted, a beacon to humans.
[tr. Valerie (2005)]

The power of the gods is difficult to stir -- but it's a power we can count on.
[tr. Johnston (2008)]

The might of heaven moves slowly, inexorably.
[tr. Robertson (2014)]

The strength of a god is not roused without need,
But when it is roused, it comes down.
Implacably.
[tr. Pauly (2019)]

Slowly they begin, but always the powers of heaven punish ....
[tr. Behr/Foster (2019)]

Divine strength is roused with difficulty, but is trustworthy nevertheless.
[tr. Buckley/Sens/Nagy (2020)]

Slow but sure moves the might of the gods.
[Bartlett's]


 
Added on 16-May-23 | Last updated 11-Jul-23
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