The myth of Jason, Medea, and the Golden Fleece - Iseult Gillespie

Reviewer: Reno Kanti Riananda

In the center of Colchis in an enchanted garden,

Di tengah kota Colchis, di dalam sebuah taman ajaib,

the hide of a mystical flying ram hung from the tallest oak,

bulu dari sosok mistis domba terbang tergantung di pohon ek tertinggi,

guarded by a dragon who never slept.

dijaga seekor naga yang tidak pernah tidur.

Jason would have to tread carefully to pry it from King Aeetes’ clutches

Jason harus berhati-hati saat merebutnya dari cengkraman Raja Aeetes,

and win back his promised throne.

dan memenangkan kembali takhta yang dijanjikan untuknya.

But diplomacy was hardly one of the Argonauts’ strengths.

Namun, diplomasi bukanlah kekuatan para Argonaut.

Jason would have to navigate this difficult task alone.

Jason harus mengerjakan tugas sulit ini sendirian.

Or so he thought.

Ternyata tidak demikian.

Leaving most of his bedraggled crew to rest,

Meninggalkan sebagian besar krunya yang basah kuyup untuk beristirahat,

Jason made for the palace with some of his more even-tempered men.

Jason pergi ke istana dengan beberapa orang kru yang berwatak tenang.

His first instinct was to simply ask the king for his prized possession.

Insting pertamanya adalah meminta bulu domba emas dari sang raja.

But Aeetes was enraged at the hero’s presumption.

Namun, Aeetes murka terhadap kelancangan sang pahlawan.

If this outsider wanted his treasure,

Apabila orang asing ini menginginkan hartanya,

he would have to prove his worth by facing three perilous tasks.

maka dia harus membuktikan kelayakannya dengan menunaikan tiga tugas berbahaya.

The trials would begin the following day, and Jason was dismissed to prepare.

Tugas itu akan dimulai esok hari, dan Jason harus mempersiapkan diri.

But another member of the royal family was also plotting something.

Namun, anggota keluarga kerajaan ternyata juga memiliki rencana lain.

Thanks to the encouragement of Jason’s guardians on Mount Olympus,

Berkat dukungan penjaga Jason di Gunung Olimpus,

Medea, princess of Colchis and priestess of the witch goddess Hecate,

Medea, putri kerajaan Colchis dan pendeta Dewi Hecate,

had fallen in love with the challenger.

telah jatuh cinta pada si penantang.

She intended to protect her beloved from her father’s tricks — at any cost.

Dia berniat melindungi kekasihnya dari trik ayahnya dengan segala cara.

After a sleepless night, Jason somberly marched to the castle—

Setelah berjaga semalaman, Jason berangkat menuju istana,

but was intercepted.

tetapi dicegat.

The princess armed him with strange vials and trinkets,

Sang putri mempersenjatainya dengan botol kecil dan pernak-pernik aneh,

in exchange for a promise of eternal devotion.

dengan syarat berjanji untuk setia selamanya.

As they whispered and planned their victory,

Saat asyik berbisik merencanakan kemenangan mereka,

both hero and princess fell deeply under each other’s spell.

sang pahlawan dan putri saling jatuh cinta.

Unaware of his daughter’s scheming,

Tidak sadar akan rencana putrinya,

the king confidently led Jason to face his first task.

sang raja dengan yakin meminta Jason menghadapi tugas pertamanya.

The hero was brought to a huge field of oxen

Sang pahlawan dibawa ke lapangan luas dipenuhi sekawanan lembu

that lay between him and the fleece,

yang memisahkan bulu domba dengan dirinya.

and told that he had to plough the land around the crowds of oxen.

Dia diperintahkan untuk membajak tanah di sekitar kawanan lembu.

A simple task— or so Jason thought.

“Tugas sederhana”, pikir Jason.

But Medea had concocted a fire-proof ointment,

Namun, Medea telah membuat salep anti api,

and so he plowed the flickering fields unscathed.

sehingga Jason dapat membajak tanah yang membara itu tanpa cedera.

For the second task,

Untuk tugas kedua,

he was given a box of serpent’s teeth to plant into the scorched earth.

Jason medapat sekotak gigi ular untuk ditanam di tanah yang membara.

As soon as Jason scattered them, each seed sprouted into a bloodthirsty warrior.

Setelah Jason menebarnya, setiap benih tumbuh menjadi prajurit haus darah.

Mereka bermunculan di sekeliling Jason, menghalangi jalannya.

They burst up around him, barricading his way forward,

but Medea had prepared him for this task as well.

Namun, Medea sudah mempersiapkannya untuk tugas ini juga.

Hurling a heavy stone she had given him into their midst,

Dengan melemparkan batu berat yang diberikan Medea ke tengah prajurit,

the fighters turned on themselves as they scrabbled for it,

mereka saling berkelahi untuk merebutnya,

letting him slip by the fray.

sehingga Jason dapat meloloskan diri.

For the third task,

Untuk tugas ke tiga,

Jason was finally face to face with the guardian of the Fleece.

Jason akhirnya berhadapan dengan sang penjaga bulu domba.

Dodging sharp claws and singeing breath,

Menghindari cakar tajam dan nafas yang menghanguskan,

Jason scrambled up the tree and sprinkled a sweet-smelling concoction

Jason naik ke atas pohon dan menaburkan ramuan beraroma manis

over the dragon.

ke arah sang naga.

As the strains of Medea’s incantations reached its ears

Saat sepercik mantera Medea mencapai telinga naga

and the potion settled in its eyes, the dragon sank into a deep sleep.

dan ramuan memasuki matanya, sang naga sontak terlelap.

Elated, Jason climbed to the top of the tallest oak,

Jason memanjat ke atas pohon ek tertinggi dengan girang,

where he slipped the gleaming fleece off its branch.

dan mengambil bulu domba berkilau dari tempatnya tergantung.

When the king saw the hero sprinting away—

Ketika sang raja melihat si pahlawan berlari menjauh

not only with the fleece, but his daughter in tow—

dengan bulu domba dan juga putrinya,

he realized he had been betrayed.

dia sadar bahwa dirinya telah dikhianati.

Furious, he sent an army led by his son Absyrtus

Raja yang murka mengirimkan tentara yang dipimpin anaknya, Absyrtus,

to bring the ill-gotten prize and his conniving daughter home.

untuk membawa pulang hadiah yang direbut dengan curang serta putrinya yang licik.

But all the players in this tale had underestimated the viciousness

Namun, semua tokoh dalam cerita ini telah meremehkan kekejaman

of these disgraced lovers.

dari pasangan yang memalukan ini.

To the horror of the Gods, Jason ran his sword through Absyrtus in cold blood.

Para dewa terkesiap saat Jason membunuh Absyrtus dengan kejam.

Medea then helped him scatter pieces of the body along the shore,

Medea kemudian membantu menebarkan potongan tubuhnya di sepanjang pantai,

distracting her grieving father while the Argonauts escaped.

mengalihkan perhatian ayahnya yang berduka dari para Argonaut yang melarikan diri.

As Colchis and their pursuers grew smaller on the horizon,

Ketika Colchis dan pengejar sudah semakin jauh,

a solemn silence fell aboard the Argo.

keheningan meliputi seisi kapal Argo.

Jason could now return to Thessaly victorious—

Jason kembali ke Thessaly membawa kemenangan.

but his terrible act had tarnished his crew’s honor,

Namun, aksi kejamnya telah menodai kehormatan krunya,

and turned the Gods against them.

dan membuat para Dewa mengecam mereka.

Buffeted by hostile winds,

Diterpa angin keras,

the wretched crew washed up on the island of Circe the sorceress.

kru yang karam terdampar di pulau Circe si penyihir.

Medea begged her aunt to absolve them of wrongdoing—

Medea memohon bibinya untuk memaafkan perbuatan mereka,

but bloody deeds are not so easily forgotten,

tetapi utang darah tidak dapat dilupakan dengan mudah,

and fallen heroes not so rapidly redeemed.

dan pahlawan yang tersesat tidak mudah dimaafkan.