- Source
- Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 1. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1906.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0019.tlg005.humanitext-grc2:746-845
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-27
The coryphaeus praises Aristophanes' achievements in elevating the comic art and resisting the monster Cleon, calling upon the spectators for support, while criticizing his rivals' awkward dancing and poor singing. Following this, Trygaeus returns from heaven, reunites with his servant, discusses his celestial observations including how dead souls become stars, and orders preparations for his wedding with Opora.
ὦ κακόδαιμον τί τὸ δέρμʼ ἔπαθες;1 μῶν ὑστριχὶς εἰσέβαλέν σοιἐς τὰς πλευρὰς πολλῇ στρατιᾷ κἀδενδροτόμησε τὸ νῶτον;
O wretched man, what happened to your hide? Has a whip indeed fallen upon your flanks with a great army and deforested your back?
τοιαῦτʼ ἀφελὼν κακὰ καὶ φόρτον καὶ βωμολοχεύματʼ ἀγεννῆ
Having removed such evils, rubbish, and vulgar buffooneries,
ἐποίησε τέχνην μεγάλην ἡμῖν κἀπύργωσʼ οἰκοδομήσας
he built up a great art for us, raising a tower
ἔπεσιν μεγάλοις καὶ διανοίαις καὶ σκώμμασιν οὐκ ἀγοραίοις,
with grand words, thoughts, and non-vulgar jokes,
οὐκ ἰδιώτας ἀνθρωπίσκους κωμῳδῶν οὐδὲ γυναῖκας,
not lampooning ordinary little men or women,
ἀλλʼ Ἡρακλέους ὀργήν τινʼ ἔχων τοῖσι μεγίστοις ἐπεχείρει,
but with a certain Heracles-like wrath, he attacked the greatest things,
διαβὰς2 βυρσῶν ὀσμὰς δεινὰς κἀπειλὰς βορβοροθύμους,
wading through dread smells of hides and mud-spirited threats;
καὶ πρῶτον μὲν μάχομαι πάντων αὐτῷ τῷ καρχαρόδοντι,
and first of all, I fought with the jagged-toothed monster himself,
οὗ δεινόταται μὲν ἀπʼ ὀφθαλμῶν Κύννης ἀκτῖνες ἔλαμπον,
from whose eyes shone the most terrible rays of Cynna,
ἑκατὸν δὲ κύκλῳ κεφαλαὶ κολάκων οἰμωξομένων ἐλιχμῶντο
and around its head a hundred heads of flatterers-destined-to-wail licked in a circle,
περὶ τὴν κεφαλήν, φωνὴν δʼ εἶχεν χαράδρας ὄλεθρον τετοκυίας,
and it had a voice like a torrent that has spawned destruction,
φώκης δʼ ὀσμήν, Λαμίας ὄρχεις ἀπλύτους, πρωκτὸν δὲ καμήλου.
and the smell of a seal, the unwashed testicles of Lamia, and the anus of a camel.
τοιοῦτον ἰδὼν τέρας οὐ κατέδεισʼ, ἀλλʼ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν πολεμίζων
Seeing such a monster I did not fear, but fighting on your behalf
ἀντεῖχον ἀεὶ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων νήσων. ὧν οὕνεκα νυνὶ
I always held out, and for the other islands too. For which reasons now
ἀποδοῦναί μοι τὴν χάριν ὑμᾶς εἰκὸς καὶ μνήμονας εἶναι.
it is right that you return the favor to me and be mindful of it.
καὶ γὰρ πρότερον πράξας κατὰ νοῦν3 οὐχὶ παλαίστρας περινοστῶν
For indeed formerly, having succeeded to my mind, I did not go around the palaestras
παῖδας ἐπείρων, ἀλλʼ ἀράμενος τὴν σκευὴν εὐθὺς ἐχώρουν,
trying to seduce boys, but packing up my gear I went straight on my way,
παῦρʼ ἀνιάσας, πόλλʼ εὐφράνας, πάντα παρασχὼν τὰ δέοντα.
having vexed but few, having delighted many, and having provided all that was necessary.
πρὸς ταῦτα χρεὼν εἶναι μετʼ ἐμοῦ
Therefore, it is necessary to be with me,
καὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας καὶ τοὺς παῖδας·
both the men and the boys;
καὶ τοῖς φαλακροῖσι παραινοῦμεν
and we advise the bald
ξυσπουδάζειν περὶ τῆς νίκης.
to strive together for victory.
πᾶς γάρ τις ἐρεῖ νικῶντος ἐμοῦ
For everyone will say, when I win,
κἀπὶ τραπέζῃ καὶ ξυμποσίοις,
both at table and at banquets:
φέρε τῷ φαλακρῷ, δὸς τῷ φαλακρῷ
’Bring to the bald man, give to the bald man
τῶν τρωγαλίων, καὶ μἀφαίρει
some of the sweetmeats, and do not take away
γενναιοτάτου τῶν ποιητῶν
from the most noble of poets,
ἀνδρὸς τὸ μέτωπον ἔχοντος .
the man who has that forehead.’
Μοῦσα σὺ μὲν πολέμους ἀπωσαμένη μετʼ ἐμοῦ
O Muse, thrusting away wars, with me,
τοῦ φίλου χόρευσον,
your friend, dance,
κλείουσα θεῶν τε γάμους ἀνδρῶν τε δαῖτας
celebrating the marriages of gods and banquets of men
καὶ θαλίας μακάρων· σοὶ γὰρ τάδʼ ἐξ ἀρχῆς μέλει.
and the festivities of the blessed; for these have been your care from the beginning.
ἢν δέ σε Καρκίνος ἐλθὼν
But if Carcinus should come
ἀντιβολῇ μετὰ τῶν παίδων χορεῦσαι,4
and entreat you to dance with his sons,
μήθʼ ὑπάκουε μήτʼ ἔλθῃς
neither listen to him nor go
συνέριθος αὐτοῖς,
to be a helper to them,
ἀλλὰ νόμιζε πάντας
but consider them all
ὄρτυγας οἰκογενεῖς γυλιαύχενας ὀρχηστὰς
domestic quails, wry-necked dancers,
ναννοφυεῖς σφυράδων ἀποκνίσματα μηχανοδίφας.
dwarfish, scrapings of sheep-droppings, seekers of stage-machinery.
καὶ γὰρ ἔφασχʼ ὁ πατὴρ ὃ παρʼ ἐλπίδας
For indeed their father said that, contrary to expectation,
εἶχε τὸ δρᾶμα γαλῆν τῆς ἑσπέρας ἀπάγξαι.
a marten had strangled his play in the evening.
τοιάδε χρὴ Χαρίτων δαμώματα καλλικόμων
Such songs of the beautiful-haired Graces
τὸν σοφὸν ποιητὴν
the wise poet ought
ὑμνεῖν, ὅταν ἠρινὰ μὲν φωνῇ χελιδὼν
to sing, when in spring the swallow
ἑζομένη κελαδῇ, χορὸν δὲ μὴ ʼχῃ Μόρσιμος
perched sings aloud, and Morsimus has no chorus
μηδὲ Μελάνθιος, οὗ δὴ
nor Melanthius, whose indeed
πικροτάτην ὄπα γηρύσαντος ἤκουσʼ
most bitter voice I heard singing,
ἡνίκα τῶν τραγῳδῶν
when of the tragic poets
τὸν χορὸν εἶχον ἁδελφός
his brother and he himself had the chorus,
τε και αὐτός, ἄμφω
both of them,
Γοργόνες ὀψοφάγοι βατιδοσκόποι Ἅρπυιαι,
fish-devouring Gorgons, ray-spying Harpies,
γραοσόβαι μιαροὶ τραγομάσχαλοι ἰχθυολῦμαι·
scaring old women, defiled, goat-smelling, fish-destroyers;
ὧν καταχρεμψαμένη μέγα καὶ πλατὺ
spitting upon them greatly and broadly,
Μοῦσα θεὰ μετʼ ἐμοῦ ξύμπαιζε τὴν ἑορτήν.
O divine Muse, play with me in the feast.
ὡς χαλεπὸν ἐλθεῖν ἦν ἄρʼ εὐθὺ τῶν θεῶν.
How difficult indeed it was to go straight to the gods!
ἔγωγέ τοι πεπόνηκα κομιδῇ τὼ σκέλει.
Indeed, my two legs are completely exhausted.
μικροὶ δʼ ὁρᾶν ἄνωθεν ἦστʼ. ἔμοιγέ τοι
You were small to look at from above. To me indeed
ἀπὸ τοὐρανοῦ ʼφαίνεσθε κακοήθεις πάνυ,
from heaven you appeared very ill-disposed,
ἐντευθενὶ δὲ πολύ τι κακοηθέστεροι.
but from here, much more ill-disposed still.
ὦ δέσποθʼ ἥκεις;
O master, have you come back?
ὡς ἐγὼ ʼπυθόμην τινός.5
As I heard from someone.
τί δʼ ἔπαθες;
What happened to you?
ἤλγουν τὼ σκέλει μακρὰν ὁδὸν
My two legs were aching, having traversed a long road.
διεληλυθώς.
Having traversed a long road.
ἴθι νυν κάτειπέ μοι—
Come then, tell me—
τὸ τί;
What?
ἄλλον τινʼ εἶδες ἄνδρα κατὰ τὸν ἀέρα
did you see any other man in the air
πλανώμενον πλὴν σαυτόν;
wandering, except yourself?
οὔκ, εἰ μή γέ που
No, unless perhaps
ψυχὰς δύʼ ἢ τρεῖς διθυραμβοδιδασκάλων.
two or three souls of dithyrambic teachers.
τί δʼ ἔδρων;
What were they doing?
ξυνελέγοντʼ ἀναβολὰς ποτώμεναι
Flying about, they were collecting preludes,
τὰς ἐνδιαεριαυερινηχέτους τινάς.
some of those floating-in-the-misty-air sort of things.
οὐκ ἦν ἄρʼ οὐδʼ ἃ λέγουσι, κατὰ τὸν ἀέρα
Was it not then even as they say, that in the air
ὡς ἀστέρες γιγνόμεθʼ, ὅταν τις ἀποθάνῃ;
we become stars, when someone dies?
μάλιστα.
Absolutely.
καὶ τίς ἐστιν ἀστὴρ νῦν ἐκεῖ;
And who is a star there now?
Ἴων ὁ Χῖος, ὅσπερ ἐποίησεν πάλαι
Ion of Chios, who long ago composed
ἐνθάδε τὸν ἀοῖόν ποθʼ· ὡς δʼ ἦλθʼ, εὐθέως
here the ‘Morning Song’ once; and when he came, immediately
ἀοῖον αὐτὸν πάντες ἐκάλουν ἀστέρα.
everyone called him the ‘Morning Star’.
τίνες γάρ εἰσʼ οἱ διατρέχοντες ἀστέρες,
For who are those running stars
οἳ καόμενοι θέουσιν;
that run while burning?
ἀπὸ δείπνου τινὲς
Some of the wealthy stars
τῶν πλουσίων οὗτοι βαδίζουσʼ ἀστέρων,
are walking back from dinner,
ἰπνοὺς ἔχοντες, ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἰπνοῖσι πῦρ.
carrying lanterns, and in the lanterns, fire.
ἀλλʼ εἴσαγʼ ὡς τάχιστα ταυτηνὶ λαβών,
But take this woman and lead her in as quickly as possible,
καὶ τὴν πύελον κατάκλυζε καὶ θέρμαινʼ ὕδωρ,
and wash the tub and heat the water,
στόρνυ τʼ ἐμοὶ καὶ τῇδε κουρίδιον λέχος.
and spread for me and her the bridal bed.
καὶ ταῦτα δράσας ἧκε δεῦρʼ αὖθις πάλιν·
And having done this, come back here again;
- 746τί τὸ δέρμʼ ἔπαθες
tò dérma is an accusative of specification (or respect), literally meaning "what did you suffer in respect to your skin?"
- 753διαβὰς
The participle diabàs (aorist active participle of diabainō) is used here in the sense of "striding through" or "overcoming," depicting the poet's courage in braving the offensive smell of leather (associated with Cleon) and his threats.
- 762πράξας κατὰ νοῦν
The participle práxas, combined with katà noûn ("according to one's mind/desire"), functions temporally or conditionally: "when I had succeeded according to my wish" or "having fared according to my mind."
- 782ἀντιβολῇ ... χορεῦσαι
The subjunctive antibolêi is the main verb of the conditional clause introduced by ên dé, and it takes the infinitive choreûsai as its complement.
- 824bὡς ἐγὼ ʼπυθόμην τινός
The hōs clause serves as a humorous, indirect affirmation: "as I myself heard from someone (namely, that I have returned)." The verb eputhómēn takes the genitive tinós to indicate the source of information.