Comatas: "My goats, flee from that shepherd there, from Lacon, Sibyrtas's man; he stole my sheepskin yesterday." Lacon: "Will you not get away from the spring?
§5.3οὐκ ἀπὸ τᾶς κράνας; σίττʼ ἀμνίδες.
Shoo, lambs!
οὐκ ἐσορῆτε §5.4τόν μευ τὰν σύριγγα πρόαν κλέψαντα Κομάταν;
Do you not see Comatas, who stole my panpipe the other day?" Comatas: "What panpipe?
For when, you slave of Sibyrtas, did you ever own a panpipe?
τί δʼ οὐκέτι σὺν Κορύδωνι §5.7ἀρκεῖ τοι καλάμας αὐλὸν ποππύσδεν ἔχοντι; §5.8τάν μοι ἔδωκε Λύκων ὦλεύθερε.
And why is it no longer enough for you to whistle on a pipe of straw?" Lacon: "Lycon gave it to me, my free gentleman.
τὶν δὲ τὸ ποῖον §5.9Λάκων ἀγκλέψας πόκʼ ἔβα νάκος;
But what kind of sheepskin did Lacon steal and go off with?
εἰπὲ Κομάτα· §5.10οὐδὲ γὰρ Εὐμάρᾳ τῷ δεσπότᾳ ἦς τι ἐνεύδειν. §5.11τὸ Κροκύλος μοι ἔδωκε, τὸ ποικίλον, ἁνίκʼ ἔθυσε §5.12ταῖς Νύμφαις τὰν αἶγα· τὺ δʼ ὦ κακὲ καὶ τόκʼ ἐτάκευ §5.13βασκαίνων, καὶ νῦν με τὰ λοίσθια γυμνὸν ἔθηκας. §5.14οὐκ αὐτὸν τὸν Πᾶνα τὸν ἄκτιον, οὐ τέ γε Λάκων §5.15τὰν βαίταν ἀπέδυσʼ ὁ Καλαιθίδος, ἢ κατὰ τήνας §5.16τᾶς πέτρας ὤνθρωπε μανεὶς ἐς Κρᾶθιν ἁλοίμαν. §5.17οὐ μὰν οὐκ αὐτὰς τὰς λιμνάδας ὦγαθὲ Νύμφας, §5.18αἵτέ μοι ἵλαοί τε καὶ εὐμενέες τελέθοιεν, §5.19οὔ τευ τὰν σύριγγα λαθὼν ἔκλεψε Κομάτας. §5.20αἴ τοι πιστεύσαιμι, τὰ Δάφνιδος ἄλγεʼ ἀροίμαν. §5.21ἀλλʼ ὦν αἴκα λῇς ἔριφον θέμεν—ἔστι μὲν οὐδὲν §5.22ἱερόν—ἀλλά γε τοι διαείσομαι, ἕστέ κʼ ἀπείπῃς. §5.23ὗς ποτʼ Ἀθαναίαν ἔριν ἤρισεν.
Tell me, Comatas; for not even your master Eumaras had anything to sleep on." Comatas: "Crocylus gave it to me, the dappled one, when he sacrificed the goat to the Nymphs; but you, wicked wretch, were wasting away even then with envy, and now you have stripped me and left me naked at last." Lacon: "No, by Pan of the shore, Lacon, the son of Calaethis, did not strip you of your coat; or else, my man, may I run mad and leap from that rock into the Crathis." Comatas: "No, indeed, by those water-Nymphs of the lake, and may they be gracious and kind to me, Comatas did not steal your panpipe by stealth." Lacon: "If I believe you, may I inherit the sufferings of Daphnis." Comatas: "But if you care to stake a kid—it is indeed nothing sacred—yet I will sing against you until you give up." Lacon: "A sow once contended with Athena!
ἠνίδε κεῖται §5.24ὥριφος· ἀλλά γε καὶ τὺ τὸν εὔβοτον ἀμνὸν ἔρισδε.
Look, here lies the kid; but you, stake a well-fed lamb and contend." Comatas: "And how, you fox, shall this be fair between us?
Who shears hair instead of wool?
τίς δὲ παρεύσας §5.27αἰγὸς πρατοτόκοιο κακὰν κύνα δήλετʼ ἀμέλγειν;
And who, with a first-kidding goat ready, chooses to milk a wretched dog?" Lacon: "The man who is confident of beating his neighbor, like you, a horsefly buzzing against a cicada.
§5.28ὅστις νικασεῖν τὸν πλατίον ὡς τὺ πεποίθεις, §5.29σφὰξ βομβέων τέττιγος ἐναντίον. ἀλλὰ γὰρ οὔ τοι §5.30ὥριφος ἰσοπαλής, τυῖδʼ ὁ τράγος οὗτος.
But since the kid is not a match for you, here is this buck goat.
ἔρισδε. §5.31μὴ σπεῦδʼ· οὐ γάρ τοι πυρὶ θάλπεαι.
Contend." Comatas: "Do not hurry; for you are not burning with fire.
ἅδιον ᾀσῇ §5.32τεῖδʼ ὑπὸ τὰν κότινον καὶ τἄλσεα ταῦτα καθίξας.
You will sing sweeter if you sit down here under the wild olive and these groves.
§5.33ψυχρὸν ὕδωρ τουτεῖ καταλείβεται· ὧδε πεφύκει §5.34ποία χἁ στιβὰς ἅδε, καὶ ἀκρίδες ὧδε λαλεῦντι.
Cold water flows down here; here grows grass and this bed of leaves, and the grasshoppers chatter here." Lacon: "I am in no hurry; but I am deeply vexed that you dare to look me in the face with steady eyes—you, whom when you were still a boy I used to teach.
§5.35ἀλλʼ οὔ τι σπεύδω· μέγα δʼ ἄχθομαι, εἰ τύ με τολμῇς §5.36ὄμμασι τοῖς ὀρθοῖσι ποτιβλέπεν, ὅν ποκʼ ἐόντα §5.37παῖδʼ ἔτʼ ἐγὼν ἐδίδασκον. ἴδʼ ἁ χάρις ἐς τί ποθʼ ἕρπει.
Look where gratitude ends!
§5.38θρέψαι καὶ λυκιδεῖς, θρέψαι κύνας, ὥς τυ φάγωντι.
Rear wolf-cubs, rear dogs, so that they may eat you." Comatas: "And when do I remember learning or hearing anything good from you?
§5.39καὶ πόκʼ ἐγὼ παρὰ τεῦς τι μαθὼν καλὸν ἢ καὶ ἀκούσας §5.40μέμναμʼ; ὦ φθονερὸν τὺ καὶ ἀπρεπὲς ἀνδρίον αὔτως. §5.41_43……
O envious and utterly worthless little man!"......
Lacon: "Well, come here, come, and you shall sing your last pastoral song." Comatas: "I am not going there.
τουτεῖ δρύες, ὧδε κύπειρος, §5.46ὧδε καλὸν βομβεῦντι ποτὶ σμήνεσσι μέλισσαι· §5.47ἔνθʼ ὕδατος ψυχρῶ κρᾶναι δύο· ταὶ δʼ ἐπὶ δένδρει §5.48ὄρνιχες λαλαγεῦντι· καὶ ἁ σκιὰ οὐδὲν ὁμοία §5.49τᾷ παρὰ τίν· βάλλει δὲ καὶ ἁ πίτυς ὑψόθε κώνοις. §5.50ἦ μὰν ἀρνακίδας τε καὶ εἴρια τεῖδε πατησεῖς, §5.51αἴκʼ ἔνθῃς, ὕπνω μαλακώτερα· ταὶ δὲ τραγεῖαι §5.52ταὶ παρὰ τὶν ὄσδοντι κακώτερον ἢ τύ περ ὄσδεις. §5.53στασῶ δὲ κρατῆρα μέγαν λευκοῖο γάλακτος §5.54ταῖς Νύμφαις, στασῶ δὲ καὶ ἁδέος ἄλλον ἐλαίω. §5.55αἰ δέ κε καὶ τὺ μόλῃς, ἁπαλὰν πτέριν ὧδε πατησεῖς §5.56καὶ γλάχωνʼ ἀνθεῦσαν· ὑπεσσεῖται δὲ χιμαιρᾶν §5.57δέρματα τῶν παρὰ τὶν μαλακώτερα τετράκις ἀρνῶν. §5.58στασῶ δʼ ὀκτὼ μὲν γαυλὼς τῷ Πανὶ γάλακτος, §5.59ὀκτὼ δὲ σκαφίδας μέλιτος πλέα κηρίʼ ἐχοίσας.
Here are oaks, here is galingale, here bees hum sweetly near the hives; here are two springs of cold water, and on the trees birds chatter; and the shade is not to be compared to that of yours; and the pine also drops its cones from on high." Lacon: "Indeed, if you come here, you shall tread on sheepskins and wool softer than sleep; but those goat-skins near you smell worse than you do yourself." Lacon: "And I will set up a great bowl of white milk for the Nymphs, and another of sweet olive oil." Comatas: "And if you too come, you shall tread on soft fern and flowering pennyroyal; and beneath you shall be skins of kids four times softer than those lambs of yours." Comatas: "And I will set up for Pan eight pails of milk, and eight bowls full of honeycombs." Lacon: "Contend with me from there, and sing your pastoral song there; keep to your own place and enjoy your oaks.
§5.60αὐτόθε μοι ποτέρισδε καὶ αὐτόθε βουκολιάσδευ· §5.61τὰν σαυτῶ πατέων ἔχε τὰς δρύας. ἀλλὰ τίς ἄμμε
But who shall judge us?
§5.62τίς κρινεῖ;
Who?
αἴθʼ ἔνθοι πόθʼ ὁ βουκόλος ὧδʼ ὁ Λυκώπας. §5.63οὐδὲν ἐγὼ τήνω ποτιδεύομαι· ἀλλὰ τὸν ἄνδρα, §5.64αἰ λῇς, τὸν δρυτόμον βωστρήσομες, ὃς τὰς ἐρείκας §5.65τήνας τὰς παρὰ τὶν ξυλοχίζεται· ἔστι δὲ Μόρσων.
I wish the herdsman Lycopas would come this way." Comatas: "I want nothing to do with him; but if you like, we will call the woodcutter who is cutting those heaths near you.
§5.66βωστρέωμες. §5.66bτὺ κάλει νιν. §5.66cἴθʼ ὦ ξένε μικκὸν ἄκουσον §5.67τεῖδʼ ἐνθών· ἄμμες γὰρ ἐρίσδομες, ὅστις ἀρείων §5.68βουκολιαστάς ἐστι.
It is Morson." Lacon: "Let us call him." Comatas: "Do you call him." Lacon: "Come here, stranger, listen a little while; for we are contending as to which is the better pastoral singer.
τὺ δʼ ὦ φίλε μήτʼ ἐμὲ Μόρσων §5.69ἐν χάριτι κρίνῃς, μήτʼ ὦν τύγα τοῦτον ὀνάσῃς. §5.70ναὶ ποτὶ τᾶν Νυμφᾶν Μόρσων φίλε μήτε Κομάτᾳ §5.71τὸ πλέον ἰθύνῃς, μήτʼ ὦν τύγα τῷδε χαρίξῃ. §5.72ἅδέ τοι ἁ ποίμνα τῶ Θουρίω ἐστὶ Σιβύρτα, §5.73Εὐμάρα δὲ τὰς αἶγας ὁρῇς φίλε τῶ Συβαρίτα. §5.74μή τύ τις ἠρώτη πὸτ τῶ Διός, αἴτε Σιβύρτα §5.75αἴτʼ ἐμόν ἐστι κάκιστε τὸ ποίμνιον;
But, dear Morson, do not judge me out of favor, nor yet benefit this man." Comatas: "Yes, by the Nymphs, dear Morson, neither give Comatas more than is right, nor yet favor this man." Lacon: "This flock here is the property of Sibyrtas of Thurii, and the goats you see, dear friend, belong to Eumaras of Sybaris." Comatas: "Did anyone ask you, by Zeus, whether the flock is Sibyrtas's or mine, you scoundrel?
ὡς λάλος ἐσσί. §5.76βέντισθʼ οὗτος, ἐγὼ μὲν ἀλαθέα πάντʼ ἀγορεύω
How talkative you are!" Lacon: "My good fellow, I am only telling the whole truth."