§1432οὐ ταὐτὸν ὦ τᾶν ἐστίν, οὐδʼ ἂν Σωκράτει δοκοίη.
It is not the same, my good sir, nor would it seem so even to Socrates.
§1433πρὸς ταῦτα μὴ τύπτʼ· εἰ δὲ μή, σαυτόν ποτʼ αἰτιάσει.
Therefore do not beat me; otherwise, you will one day blame yourself.
§1434καὶ πῶς;
And how so?
Since it is just for me to chastise you, and for you to chastise your son, if one is born to you.
But if none is born, I shall have wept in vain, and you will die laughing at me.
To me, men of my age, he seems to speak justly; and to me it seems right to concede what is reasonable to them.
§1439κλάειν γὰρ ἡμᾶς εἰκός ἐστʼ, ἢν μὴ δίκαια δρῶμεν.
For it is reasonable that we should weep, if we do not act justly.
§1440σκέψαι δὲ χἀτέραν ἔτι γνώμην.
But consider still another thought.
§1440bἀπὸ γὰρ
For...
§1441καὶ μὴν ἴσως γʼ οὐκ ἀχθέσει παθὼν ἃ νῦν πέπονθας.
Indeed, perhaps you will not be vexed at having suffered what you have just suffered.
§1442πῶς δή;
How so?
δίδαξον γὰρ τί μʼ ἐκ τούτων ἐπωφελήσεις.
Tell me, for what benefit will you bring me from this?
§1443τὴν μητέρʼ ὥσπερ καὶ σὲ τυπτήσω.
I will beat mother just as I beat you.
§1443bτί φῄς, τί φῂς σύ;
What are you saying? What are you saying?
§1444τοῦθʼ ἕτερον αὖ μεῖζον κακόν.
This is another, even greater evil!
And what if I, having the weaker argument, defeat you by arguing that one ought to beat one's mother?
§1447τί δʼ ἄλλο γʼ ἢν ταυτὶ ποιῇς, §1448οὐδέν σε κωλύσει σεαυτὸν §1449ἐμβαλεῖν ἐς τὸ βάραθρον §1450μετὰ Σωκράτους §1451καὶ τὸν λόγον τὸν ἥττω.
What else, indeed, if you do this, but nothing will prevent you from throwing yourself into the pit along with Socrates and the weaker argument!
These things I have suffered because of you, O Clouds, having entrusted all my affairs to you.
Nay, you yourself are the cause of these things to yourself, having turned yourself to evil courses.
Why then did you not tell me these things at that time, but instead egged on a rustic and old man?
§1458ἡμεῖς ποιοῦμεν ταῦθʼ ἑκάστοθʼ ὅταν τινὰ §1459γνῶμεν πονηρῶν ὄντʼ ἐραστὴν πραγμάτων, §1460ἕως ἂν αὐτὸν ἐμβάλωμεν ἐς κακόν, §1461ὅπως ἂν εἰδῇ τοὺς θεοὺς δεδοικέναι.
We do these things every time, whenever we recognize someone to be a lover of evil deeds, until we cast him into misfortune, so that he may learn to fear the gods.
§1462ὤμοι πονηρά γʼ ὦ Νεφέλαι, δίκαια δέ.
Ah me, O Clouds! Harsh indeed, but just.
For I ought not to have defrauded them of the money which I borrowed.
νῦν οὖν ὅπως ὦ φίλτατε §1465τὸν Χαιρεφῶντα τὸν μιαρὸν καὶ Σωκράτη §1466ἀπολεῖς μετʼ ἐμοῦ ʼλθών, οἳ σὲ κἄμʼ ἐξηπάτων.
Now then, my dearest boy, see to it that you destroy the vile Chaerephon and Socrates along with me, coming with me, who deceived both you and me.
§1467ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἂν ἀδικήσαιμι τοὺς διδασκάλους.
But I would not wrong my teachers.
§1468ναὶ ναὶ καταιδέσθητι πατρῷον Δία.
Yes, yes! Have respect for paternal Zeus.
§1469ἰδού γε Δία πατρῷον·
Look at that, 'paternal Zeus'!
ὡς ἀρχαῖος εἶ.
How old-fashioned you are!
§1470Ζεὺς γάρ τις ἔστιν;
For is there any Zeus?
§1470bἔστιν.
There is.
No, there is not, no, since Vortex (Dinos) rules, having driven out Zeus.
He has not driven him out, but I thought so, because of this cup (dinos) here.
οἴμοι δείλαιος §1474ὅτε καὶ σὲ χυτρεοῦν ὄντα θεὸν ἡγησάμην.
Ah, wretched me, when I even thought you, being made of clay, were a god!
§1475ἐνταῦθα σαυτῷ παραφρόνει καὶ φληνάφα.
Rave and talk nonsense there by yourself.
§1476οἴμοι παρανοίας·
Ah, my madness!
ὡς ἐμαινόμην ἄρα, §1477ὅτʼ ἐξέβαλλον τοὺς θεοὺς διὰ Σωκράτη.
How crazy I was indeed, when I cast out the gods because of Socrates!
§1478ἀλλʼ ὦ φίλʼ Ἑρμῆ μηδαμῶς θύμαινέ μοι §1479μηδέ μʼ ἐπιτρίψῃς, ἀλλὰ συγγνώμην ἔχε §1480ἐμοῦ παρανοήσαντος ἀδολεσχίᾳ·
But, dear Hermes, do not be angry with me at all, nor crush me, but have forgiveness for having lost my mind through idle chatter.
And be my counselor, whether I should prosecute them by writing an indictment, or whatever seems best to you.
§1483ὀρθῶς παραινεῖς οὐκ ἐῶν δικορραφεῖν, §1484ἀλλʼ ὡς τάχιστʼ ἐμπιμπράναι τὴν οἰκίαν §1485τῶν ἀδολεσχῶν.
You advise rightly, not permitting me to stitch up lawsuits, but to burn down as quickly as possible the house of the babblers.
δεῦρο δεῦρʼ ὦ Ξανθία,
Come here, come here, Xanthias!
§1486κλίμακα λαβὼν ἔξελθε καὶ σμινύην φέρων, §1487κἄπειτʼ ἐπαναβὰς ἐπὶ τὸ φροντιστήριον §1488τὸ τέγος κατάσκαπτʼ, εἰ φιλεῖς τὸν δεσπότην, §1489ἕως ἂν αὐτοῖς ἐμβάλῃς τὴν οἰκίαν·
Come out taking a ladder and bringing a hoe, and then, having climbed up onto the thinking-shop, dig down the roof, if you love your master, until you throw down the house upon them.
§1490ἐμοὶ δὲ δᾷδʼ ἐνεγκάτω τις ἡμμένην, §1491κἀγώ τινʼ αὐτῶν τήμερον δοῦναι δίκην §1492ἐμοὶ ποιήσω, κεἰ σφόδρʼ εἴσʼ ἀλαζόνες.
And let someone bring me a lighted torch, and I will make some of them pay the penalty today, even if they are exceedingly braggarts.
§1493ἰοὺ ἰού.
Oh! Oh!
§1494σὸν ἔργον ὦ δᾲς ἱέναι πολλὴν φλόγα.
It is your task, O torch, to send forth a great flame.
§1495ἄνθρωπε, τί ποιεῖς;
Man, what are you doing?
§1495bὅ τι ποιῶ;
What am I doing?
τί δʼ ἄλλο γʼ ἢ §1496διαλεπτολογοῦμαι ταῖς δοκοῖς τῆς οἰκίας;
What else indeed but I am holding a subtle dispute with the beams of the house!
§1497οἴμοι τίς ἡμῶν πυρπολεῖ τὴν οἰκίαν;
Ah me! Who is setting fire to our house?
§1498ἐκεῖνος οὗπερ θοἰμάτιον εἰλήφατε.
The one whose cloak you took.
§1499ἀπολεῖς ἀπολεῖς.
You will destroy us, you will destroy us!
§1499bτοῦτʼ αὐτὸ γὰρ καὶ βούλομαι, §1500ἢν ἡ σμινύη μοι μὴ προδῷ τὰς ἐλπίδας, §1501ἢ ʼγὼ πρότερόν πως ἐκτραχηλισθῶ πεσών.
For that is the very thing I want, unless my hoe betrays my hopes, or I somehow break my neck by falling first.
§1502οὗτος τί ποιεῖς ἐτεὸν οὑπὶ τοῦ τέγους;
You there, what are you really doing on the roof?
§1503ἀεροβατῶ καὶ περιφρονῶ τὸν ἥλιον.
I am walking on air and contemplating the sun.
§1504οἴμοι τάλας δείλαιος ἀποπνιγήσομαι.
Ah, miserable me! I shall be choked to death!
§1505ἐγὼ δὲ κακοδαίμων γε κατακαυθήσομαι.
And I, wretched one, shall be burned to ashes!
For what possessed you to insult the gods, and investigate the seat of the moon?
Pursue, strike, beat, for many reasons, but most of all, knowing how they wronged the gods.