The tragic myth of the Sun God's son - Iseult Gillespie

Translator: Aulia Putri Nugrahani Reviewer: Reno Kanti Riananda

Every morning, Helios harnessed his winged horses,

Setiap pagi, Helios memasang tali kekang pada kuda-kuda bersayapnya,

unleashed his golden chariot, and set out across the sky.

mengeluarkan kereta emasnya, lantas terbang melintasi angkasa.

As the Sun God transformed the rosy dawn into the golden blooms of day,

Saat sang Dewa Matahari mengubah fajar menjadi hari yang cerah,

he thought of those far below.

ia memikirkan orang-orang jauh di bumi.

Years ago, he fell in love with a water nymph named Clymene.

Beberapa tahun lalu, ia jatuh cinta dengan peri air bernama Clymene.

Together, they had seven daughters and one son named Phaethon.

Mereka berdua memiliki tujuh putri dan satu putra bernama Phaethon.

But Helios had a wandering eye.

Namun, Helios mata keranjang.

Clymene eventually left him, taking their children with her

Pada akhirnya, Clymene meninggalkannya, membawa anak-anak mereka

and marrying King Merops of Ethiopia.

dan menikahi King Merops dari Ethiopia.

When Phaethon was little, Clymene told him tales of his divine father.

Saat Phaethon masih kecil, Clymene berkisah tentang ayah kandungnya.

As he grew into a young man,

Ketika Phaethon beranjak dewasa,

he took a special pride in knowing he was the Sun God’s child.

dia senang membanggakan fakta bahwa dirinya adalah putra Dewa Matahari.

However, one day, Epaphus, Phaethon’s peer who was himself the son of Zeus,

Namun suatu hari, Epaphus, teman Phaethon yang merupakan putra Zeus,

sought to temper Phaethon’s arrogance,

mencoba meredam kesombongan Phaethon,

taunting that Helios wasn’t his father after all.

mengejek bahwa Helios bukanlah ayahnya.

With no absolute proof to the contrary, the possibility bore into Phaethon’s mind.

Tanpa bukti yang mutlak, kemungkinan itu merongrong benak Phaethon.

He feared that his mother had lied.

Dia takut jika ibunya telah berbohong.

And who was he if not Helios’ son?

Dan siapalah dia jika ternyata bukan putra dari Helios?

When Phaethon confronted Clymene,

Ketika Phaethon bertanya pada Clymene,

she insisted that his father was the powerful Sun God.

Clymene bersikeras bahwa ayahnya adalah sang Dewa Matahari.

Nevertheless, Phaethon was seized by doubt.

Namun, Phaethon tetap meragukannya.

So, Clymene sent him off to ask Helios directly.

Oleh karena itu, Clymene menyuruhnya bertanya pada Helios secara langsung.

Walking eastward, Phaethon entered the Sun God’s gleaming palace at last.

Berjalan ke arah timur, Phaethon akhirnya memasuki istana berkilauan Dewa Matahari.

Once his eyes adjusted to the brightness,

Setelah matanya berhasil beradaptasi,

he saw Helios’ radiant smile and open arms.

dia melihat senyum cerah dan keramahan Helios.

When Phaethon expressed his skepticism that Helios was truly his father,

Ketika Phaethon mengungkapkan keraguan bahwa Helios adalah ayahnya,

the Sun God only beamed.

sang Dewa Matahari hanya tersenyum.

To dispel all doubt, he would grant Phaethon anything he wanted.

Untuk melepas semua keraguan, ia akan mengabulkan semua keinginan Phaethon.

Basking in Helios’ glow,

Di bawah kehangatan sinar Helios,

Phaethon felt there was but one way to prove their connection to the world—

Phaethon merasa hanya ada satu cara

untuk membuktikan hubungan mereka ke dunia,

and himself.

dan ke dirinya sendiri.

He needed to drive Helios’ chariot for a day.

Dia harus mengendarai kereta Helios selama satu hari.

The Sun God’s smile dimmed.

Senyuman sang Dewa Matahari meredup.

In his daily journey,

Setiap hari, ia mengendarai kudanya yang mengembuskan api

he steered his fire-breathing horses through space at top speeds.

melintasi angkasa dengan kecepatan tinggi.

The task required masterful control

Tugas itu membutuhkan kemampuan ahli

to ensure that the chariot raced along its precise celestial trajectory,

untuk memastikan kereta melaju di lintasan yang tepat,

with a thin margin separating stability from catastrophe.

dengan batas yang sangat tipis antara stabilitas dengan bencana.

Even Zeus wasn’t confident in driving his chariot.

Bahkan Zeus pun tidak percaya diri untuk mengendarai kereta Helios.

Helios begged his son to reconsider,

Helios memohon putranya untuk memikirkannya lagi,

but Phaethon was steadfast, so the god prepared him for the journey.

tetapi Phaethon bergeming.

Sang Dewa lantas mempersiapkan Phaethon untuk perjalanannya.

With a crack of the reins, he was off.

Dengan hentakan tali kekang, ia pun melaju.

In flight, Phaethon’s mortal insecurities fell away.

Saat terbang, Phaethon merasakan semua keresahannya menghilang.

But soon, the reins slackened in his hands.

Tiba-tiba, tali kekang yang ia pegang mulai mengendur.

Unaccustomed to the feathery weight of a mortal,

Karena tidak terbiasa dengan berat badan manusia biasa,

the radiant horses climbed higher and higher.

kuda-kuda bercahaya itu terbang semakin tinggi.

The chariot whirled past constellations,

Kereta itu terbang melewati konstelasi bintang,

narrowly missing the pincers of Scorpio and the arrow of Sagittarius.

hampir saja mengenai capit Scorpio dan panah Sagitarius.

With the Sun so far away, the Earth darkened,

Karena Matahari menjauh, Bumi menjadi gelap,

and the seas began to crackle and freeze.

lautan pun mulai berderak dan membeku.

Startled, Phaethon sharply pulled the reins.

Karena terkejut, Phaethon menarik tali kekang dengan kencang.

The horses lurched and the chariot plunged towards the Earth's surface.

Kuda-kuda pun berhenti mendadak dan kereta jatuh menuju permukaan bumi.

Lakes boiled and forests burned as Phaethon struggled to pull the chariot up,

Danau mendidih dan hutan terbakar saat Phaethon berusaha menarik kereta keatas,

leaving deserts in his wake.

meninggalkan gurun-gurun dibelakangnya.

Back on Mount Olympus, the Gods were panicking.

Di Gunung Olympus, para Dewa panik.

Zeus saw that Phaethon was destined for a crash that would set the Earth ablaze.

Zeus melihat bahwa Phaethon ditakdirkan untuk jatuh dan membakar Bumi.

So, he hurled one of his mighty thunderbolts at the boy.

Jadi, ia melemparkan salah satu petirnya pada anak itu.

The horses tore away,

Kuda-kuda pun berhamburan,

leaving Phaethon suspended in the heavens for just one moment,

meninggalkan Phaethon terdampar sesaat di surga,

before he plummeted to the Earth, into the river Eridanus,

sebelum jatuh ke Bumi, ke sungai Eridanus,

never to resurface.

dan tidak pernah muncul kembali.

Phaethon’s sisters gathered on the riverbank to weep,

Saudara perempuan Phaethon berkumpul di tepi sungai untuk menangis,

gradually metamorphosing into poplar trees that leaked precious amber into the water.

perlahan berubah menjadi pohon poplar yang memberi nuansa jingga ke air sungai.

Zeus repaired the Earth and created an everlasting memorial,

Zeus memperbaiki bumi, dan membuat monumen peringatan abadi

strewing Phaethon’s likeness in the stars.

menaburkan potret Phaethon di bintang-bintang

Overcome by grief, Helios had hidden himself from the sky.

Dipenuhi dengan duka, Helios menyembunyikan dirinya dari langit.

But he soon returned, and every day from then on,

Namun, tak lama ia kembali.

Dan sejak saat itu,

as he raced through the heavens, he greeted his son.

saat ia melintasi surga, ia menyapa putranya.

The constellation, known as “Auriga,” or “the charioteer,”

Rasi bintang tersebut, yang dikenal sebagai “Auriga” atau ”sang kusir”

stands as a reminder of a lost young man,

menjadi pengingat atas gugurnya seorang pemuda,

and his bid to harness powers far greater than himself.

dan keinginannya untuk memiliki kekuatan yang jauh lebih hebat dari dirinya.