§171διοσημία ʼστὶ καὶ ῥανὶς βέβληκέ με.
Dicaeopolis: It is a sign from Zeus! A raindrop has struck me.
§172τοὺς Θρᾷκας ἀπιέναι, παρεῖναι δʼ εἰς ἔνην.
Let the Thracians depart, and be present the day after tomorrow!
§173οἱ γὰρ πρυτάνεις λύουσι τὴν ἐκκλησίαν.
For the prytaneis are dissolving the assembly.
§174οἴμοι τάλας μυττωτὸν ὅσον ἀπώλεσα.
Oh, unhappy me, what a quantity of garlic mash I have lost!
§175ἀλλʼ ἐκ Λακεδαίμονος γὰρ Ἀμφίθεος ὁδί.
But wait, for here is Amphitheus back from Lacedaemon.
§176χαῖρʼ Ἀμφίθεε.
Welcome, Amphitheus!
Amphitheus: Not yet, not until I stop running; for I must escape the Acharnians by fleeing.
§178τί δʼ ἔστʼ;
Dicaeopolis: What is it?
§178bἐγὼ μὲν δεῦρό σοι σπονδὰς φέρων §179ἔσπευδον· οἱ δʼ ὤσφροντο πρεσβῦταί τινες §180Ἀχαρνικοί, στιπτοὶ γέροντες πρίνινοι §181ἀτεράμονες Μαραθωνομάχαι σφενδάμνινοι.
Amphitheus: I was hurrying here bringing peace treaties for you; but some old men got wind of it, Acharnians, tough old men, hard as holm-oak, relentless, veterans of Marathon, made of maple.
§182ἔπειτʼ ἀνέκραγον πάντες, ὦ μιαρώτατε §183σπονδὰς φέρεις τῶν ἀμπέλων τετμημένων; §184κἀς τοὺς τρίβωνας ξυνελέγοντο τῶν λίθων·
Then they all cried out, "O you abominable wretch, do you bring peace treaties when our vines have been cut down?" And they began gathering stones into their cloaks.
§185ἐγὼ δʼ ἔφευγον· οἱ δʼ ἐδίωκον κἀβόων.
So I fled, and they pursued and kept shouting.
§186οἱ δʼ οὖν βοώντων·
Dicaeopolis: Well, let them shout!
ἀλλὰ τὰς σπονδὰς φέρεις;
But did you bring the treaties?
§187ἔγωγέ φημι, τρία γε ταυτὶ γεύματα.
Amphitheus: Yes indeed, here are three samples to taste.
§188αὗται μέν εἰσι πεντέτεις.
These are five-year treaties.
γεῦσαι λαβών.
Take and taste them.
§189αἰβοῖ.
Dicaeopolis: Ugh!
§189bτί ἔστιν;
Amphitheus: What is it?
Dicaeopolis: They do not please me, because they smell of pitch and preparation of warships.
§191σὺ δʼ ἀλλὰ τασδὶ τὰς δεκέτεις γεῦσαι λαβών.
Amphitheus: Well, instead, take and taste these ten-year ones.
Dicaeopolis: These too smell strongly of sending embassies to the cities, and very sharply of the Allies' dawdling.
Amphitheus: But these here are thirty-year treaties, both by land and sea.
§195bὦ Διονύσια,
Dicaeopolis: O Dionysia!
§196αὗται μὲν ὄζουσʼ ἀμβροσίας καὶ νέκταρος §197καὶ μὴ ʼπιτηρεῖν σιτίʼ ἡμερῶν τριῶν, §198κἀν τῷ στόματι λέγουσι, βαῖνʼ ὅπῃ θέλεις. §199ταύτας δέχομαι καὶ σπένδομαι κἀκπίομαι, §200χαίρειν κελεύων πολλὰ τοὺς Ἀχαρνέας.
These indeed smell of ambrosia and nectar, and of not having to look out for three days' rations, and in the mouth they say, "Go wherever you wish." These I accept, pour libations with, and will drink up, bidding a hearty farewell to the Acharnians.
As for me, freed from war and troubles, I will go indoors and celebrate the rural Dionysia.
§203ἐγὼ δὲ φευξοῦμαί γε τοὺς Ἀχαρνέας.
Amphitheus: And I will flee from the Acharnians.
§204τῇδε πᾶς ἕπου δίωκε καὶ τὸν ἄνδρα πυνθάνου
Chorus: Follow this way, everyone!
Pursue and ask about the man from all the wayfarers; for it is worthy of the city to arrest this man.
ἀλλά μοι μηνύσατε, §207εἴ τις οἶδʼ ὅποι τέτραπται γῆς ὁ τὰς σπονδὰς φέρων.
Come, point out to me, if anyone knows where the man carrying the treaties has turned.
§208ἐκπέφευγʼ, οἴχεται φροῦδος.
He has escaped, he is gone, he has vanished!
οἴμοι τάλας §210τῶν ἐτῶν τῶν ἐμῶν·
Oh, unhappy me at my age!
§211οὐκ ἂν ἐπʼ ἐμῆς γε νεότητος, ὅτʼ ἐγὼ φέρων ἀνθράκων φορτίον §215ἠκολούθουν Φαΰλλῳ τρέχων, ὧδε φαύλως ἂν ὁ §216σπονδοφόρος οὗτος ὑπʼ ἐμοῦ τότε διωκόμενος §217ἐξέφυγεν οὐδʼ ἂν ἐλαφρῶς ἂν ἀπεπλίξατο.
In my youth it would not have been so, when carrying a load of charcoal I followed Phayllus in running; then this treaty-bearer, pursued by me, would not have escaped so easily, nor would he have slipped away so lightly.
§219νῦν δʼ ἐπειδὴ στερρὸν ἤδη τοὐμὸν ἀντικνήμιον, §220καὶ παλαιῷ Λακρατείδῃ τὸ σκέλος βαρύνεται, §221οἴχεται.
But now, since my shin is already stiff, and my leg is heavy for an old Lacratides, he is gone.
διωκτέος δέ· μὴ γὰρ ἐγχάνῃ ποτὲ §222μηδέ περ γέροντας ὄντας ἐκφυγὼν Ἀχαρνέας.
But he must be pursued; for let him never laugh at us, having escaped the Acharnian old men, even though we are old.
§225ὅστις ὦ Ζεῦ πάτερ καὶ θεοὶ τοῖσιν ἐχθροῖσιν ἐσπείσατο, §226οἷσι παρʼ ἐμοῦ πόλεμος ἐχθοδοπὸς αὔξεται τῶν ἐμῶν χωρίων·
Who, O Father Zeus and gods, made a treaty with our enemies, against whom an actively hostile war is growing on my part for my lands!
§230κοὐκ ἀνήσω πρὶν ἂν σχοῖνος αὐτοῖσιν ἀντεμπαγῶ §231ὀξὺς ὀδυνηρὸς ἐπίκωπος, ἵνα §232μήποτε πατῶσιν ἔτι τὰς ἐμὰς ἀμπέλους.
And I will not let go until a sharp, painful, and deep reed is driven into them, so that they may never tread upon my vines again.
§234ἀλλὰ δεῖ ζητεῖν τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ βλέπειν βαλληνάδε §235καὶ διώκειν γῆν πρὸ γῆς, ἕως ἂν εὑρεθῇ ποτέ· §236ὡς ἐγὼ βάλλων ἐκεῖνον οὐκ ἂν ἐμπλῄμην λίθοις.
But we must seek the man and look towards Ballyne, and pursue him from land to land, until he is found; since I could never be filled with throwing stones at him.
§237εὐφημεῖτε, εὐφημεῖτε.
Dicaeopolis: Keep holy silence, keep holy silence!
§238σῖγα πᾶς.
Chorus: Silence, everyone!
ἠκούσατʼ ἄνδρες ἆρα τῆς εὐφημίας;
Did you hear, men, the call for holy silence?
§239οὗτος αὐτός ἐστιν ὃν ζητοῦμεν.
This is the very man we are seeking.
ἀλλὰ δεῦρο πᾶς §240ἐκποδών·
Come here, everyone, out of the way!
θύσων γὰρ ἁνὴρ ὡς ἔοικʼ ἐξέρχεται.
For the man is coming out to sacrifice, as it seems.
§241εὐφημεῖτε, εὐφημεῖτε.
Dicaeopolis: Keep holy silence, keep holy silence!
Let the basket-bearer move forward a little; let Xanthias set the phallus upright.
§244κατάθου τὸ κανοῦν ὦ θύγατερ, ἵνʼ ἀπαρξώμεθα.
Set down the basket, my daughter, so that we may make the first offering.
Daughter: Mother, hand me the ladle here, so that I may pour soup over this flat cake.
§247καὶ μὴν καλόν γʼ ἔστʼ· ὦ Διόνυσε δέσποτα
Dicaeopolis: Indeed, it is fine.
§248κεχαρισμένως σοι τήνδε τὴν πομπὴν ἐμὲ §249πέμψαντα καὶ θύσαντα μετὰ τῶν οἰκετῶν §250ἀγαγεῖν τυχηρῶς τὰ κατʼ ἀγροὺς Διονύσια, §251στρατιᾶς ἀπαλλαχθέντα· τὰς σπονδὰς δέ μοι §252καλῶς ξυνενεγκεῖν τὰς τριακοντούτιδας.
O Lord Dionysus, may it be pleasing to you that I, having conducted this procession and sacrificed with my household, may auspiciously celebrate the rural Dionysia, being freed from military service; and may my treaties turn out well, those thirty-year ones.
Come, my daughter, see that you carry the basket beautifully, looking like a savory-eater.
How happy is the man who will marry you and make weasels who fart no less than you when it is dawn!
Go forward, and in the crowd watch out carefully lest someone secretly nibble off your gold ornaments.
§259ὦ Ξανθία, σφῷν δʼ ἐστὶν ὀρθὸς ἑκτέος §260ὁ φαλλὸς ἐξόπισθε τῆς κανηφόρου· §261ἐγὼ δʼ ἀκολουθῶν ᾄσομαι τὸ φαλλικόν· §262σὺ δʼ ὦ γύναι θεῶ μʼ ἀπὸ τοῦ τέγους.
Xanthias, the phallus must be held upright by both of you behind the basket-bearer; and I, following, will sing the phallic song; and you, wife, watch me from the roof.
πρόβα.
Go forward!
§263Φαλῆς ἑταῖρε Βακχίου
Phales, companion of Bacchus...