Humanitext Reader

Aristophanes · Wasps §1440-1537

Philocleon's Frantic Dance and the Chorus's Exit

Passage 20 of 20 · Greek

Summary

Bdelycleon manages to drag his drunken father Philocleon back inside, but Philocleon starts dancing frantically in the style of old tragedies. He competes in a dance-off with the sons of Carcinus, and the Chorus departs the stage dancing alongside them.

§1440ἐπίδεσμον ἐπρίω, νοῦν ἂν εἶχες πλείονα.
if you had bought a bandage, you would have had more sense.
§1441ὕβριζʼ ἕως ἂν τὴν δίκην ἅρχων καλῇ.
Go on insulting, until the archon calls the case.
§1442οὔτοι μὰ τὴν Δήμητρʼ ἔτʼ ἐνταυθοῖ μενεῖς, §1443ἀλλʼ ἀράμενος οἴσω σε — §1443bτί ποιεῖς;
By Demeter, you certainly won't stay here any longer, but I will lift you up and carry you off— What are you doing?
§1443cὅ τι ποιῶ;
What am I doing?
§1444εἴσω φέρω σʼ ἐντεῦθεν· εἰ δὲ μή, τάχα §1445κλητῆρες ἐπιλείψουσι τοὺς καλουμένους.
I am carrying you inside from here; otherwise, soon summoners will fail those who are being summoned.
§1446Αἴσωπον οἱ Δελφοί ποτʼ — §1446bὀλίγον μοι μέλει.
Once the Delphians accused Aesop— I care very little.
§1447φιάλην ἐπῃτιῶντο κλέψαι τοῦ θεοῦ· §1448ὁ δʼ ἔλεξεν αὐτοῖς, ὡς ὁ κάνθαρός ποτε — §1449οἴμʼ ὡς ἀπολῶ σʼ αὐτοῖσι τοῖσι κανθάροις.
They accused him of stealing a cup of the god; And he told them how the beetle once— Alas, how I will destroy you, beetles and all!
§1450ζηλῶ γε τῆς εὐτυχίας §1451τὸν πρέσβυν οἷ μετέστη §1452ξηρῶν τρόπων καὶ βιοτῆς· §1453ἕτερα δὲ νῦν ἀντιμαθὼν §1454ἦ μέγα τι μεταπεσεῖται §1455ἐπὶ τὸ τρυφῶν καὶ μαλακόν.
Indeed I envy for his good fortune the old man, how he has turned from his dry ways and life; and learning other things in turn now, surely he will change greatly towards luxury and softness.
§1456τάχα δʼ ἂν ἴσως οὐκ ἐθέλοι.
But perhaps, just maybe, he might not wish it.
§1457τὸ γὰρ ἀποστῆναι χαλεπὸν §1458φύσεος, ἣν ἔχοι τις ἀεί.
For to depart is difficult from the nature which one always has.
§1459καίτοι πολλοὶ ταῦτʼ ἔπαθον· §1460ξυνόντες γνώμαις ἑτέρων §1461μετεβάλοντο τοὺς τρόπους.
And yet, many have experienced this; associating with the opinions of others, they changed their ways.
§1462πολλοῦ δʼ ἐπαίνου παρʼ ἐμοὶ §1463καὶ τοῖσιν εὖ φρονοῦσιν §1464τυχὼν ἄπεισιν διὰ τὴν §1465φιλοπατρίαν καὶ σοφίαν §1466ὁ παῖς ὁ Φιλοκλέωνος.
And meeting with much praise from me and from those who think well, he will go away on account of his love for his father and his wisdom, the son of Philocleon.
§1467οὐδενὶ γὰρ οὕτως ἀγανῷ §1468ξυνεγενόμην, οὐδὲ τρόποις §1469ἐπεμάνην οὐδʼ ἐξεχύθην.
For with no one so gentle have I associated, nor with his ways have I been so madly charmed or poured out.
§1470τί γὰρ ἐκεῖνος ἀντιλέγων §1471οὐ κρείττων ἦν, βουλόμενος §1472τὸν φύσαντα σεμνοτέροις §1473κατακοσμῆσαι πράγμασιν;
For in what argument was he not superior, wishing to adorn him who begot him with more dignified matters?
§1474νὴ τὸν Διόνυσον ἄπορά γʼ ἡμῖν πράγματα §1475δαίμων τις ἐσκεκύκληκεν ἐς τὴν οἰκίαν.
By Dionysus, some troublesome business some deity has wheeled into our house.
§1476ὁ γὰρ γέρων ὡς ἔπιε διὰ πολλοῦ χρόνου §1477ἤκουσέ τʼ αὐλοῦ, περιχαρὴς τῷ πράγματι §1478ὀρχούμενος τῆς νυκτὸς οὐδὲν παύεται §1479τἀρχαἶ ἐκεῖνʼ οἷς Θέσπις ἠγωνίζετο· §1480καὶ τοὺς τραγῳδούς φησιν ἀποδείξειν κρόνους §1481τοὺς νῦν διορχησάμενος ὀλίγον ὕστερον.
For the old man, since he drank after a long time and heard the flute, overjoyed at the matter, does not cease dancing all through the night those ancient dances with which Thespis used to compete; and he says he will prove the modern tragic actors to be dotards by dancing a match against them a little later.
§1482τίς ἐπʼ αὐλείοισι θύραις θάσσει;
Who sits at the courtyard gates?
§1483τουτὶ καὶ δὴ χωρεῖ τὸ κακόν.
Here indeed comes the trouble.
§1484κλῇθρα χαλάσθω τάδε. καὶ δὴ γὰρ
Let these bolts be loosened.
§1485σχήματος ἀρχὴ — §1486μᾶλλον δέ γʼ ἴσως μανίας ἀρχή.
For indeed the beginning of the figure— or rather, perhaps, the beginning of madness.
§1487πλευρὰν λυγίσαντος ὑπὸ ῥώμης· §1488οἶον μυκτὴρ μυκᾶται καὶ §1489σφόνδυλος ἀχεῖ.
as he bends his flank with strength; how the nostril bellows and the backbone creaks.
§1489bπῖθʼ ἑλλέβορον.
Drink hellebore.
§1490πτήσσει Φρύνιχος ὥς τις ἀλέκτωρ— §1491τάχα βαλλήσεις.
Phrynichus cowers like a cock— soon you'll be pelted.
§1492σκέλος οὐράνιόν γʼ ἐκλακτίζων.
kicking out a leg to the heavens.
§1493πρωκτὸς χάσκει.
the rump gapes.
§1493bκατὰ σαυτὸν ὅρα.
Look to yourself.
§1494νῦν γὰρ ἐν ἄρθροις τοῖς ἡμετέροις §1495στρέφεται χαλαρὰ κοτυληδών.
For now in our joints the loose socket turns.
§1496οὐκ εὖ;
Isn't that good?
§1496bμὰ Δίʼ οὐ δῆτʼ, ἀλλὰ μανικὰ πράγματα.
By Zeus, certainly not, but mad business.
§1497θέρε νυν ἀνείπω κἀνταγωνιστὰς καλῶ.
Come now, let me make a proclamation and call rivals.
§1498εἴ τις τραγῳδός φησιν ὀρχεῖσθαι καλῶς, §1499ἐμοὶ διορχησόμενος ἐνθάδʼ εἰσίτω.
If any tragic actor claims to dance well, let him enter here to dance a match against me.
§1500φησίν τις ἢ οὐδείς;
Does anyone claim, or no one?
§1500bεἶς γʼ ἐκεινοσὶ μόνος.
Just that one over there.
§1501τίς ὁ κακοδαίμων ἐστίν;
Who is the wretch?
§1501bυἱὸς Καρκίνου §1502ὁ μέσατος.
The son of Carcinus, the middle one.
§1502bἀλλʼ οὗτός γε καταποθήσεται· §1503ἀπολῶ γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐμμελείᾳ κονδύλου.
But he will be swallowed down; for I will destroy him with the dance of the knuckle.
§1504ἐν τῷ ῥυθμῷ γὰρ οὐδέν ἐστʼ.
For he is nothing in rhythm.
§1504bἀλλʼ ᾠζυρὲ §1505ἕτερος τραγῳδὸς Καρκινίτης ἔρχεται, §1506ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ.
But, you wretch, another tragic actor of Carcinus' family is coming, his brother.
§1506bνὴ Δίʼ ὠψώνηκʼ ἄρα.
By Zeus, I have bought fish-sauce then.
§1507μὰ τὸν Δίʼ οὐδέν γʼ ἄλλο πλήν γε καρκίνους· §1508προσέρχεται γὰρ ἕτερος αὖ τῶν Καρκίνου.
By Zeus, nothing else but crabs; for yet another of Carcinus' sons is approaching.
§1509τουτὶ τί ἦν τὸ προσέρπον;
What was this creeping thing?
ὀξὶς ἢ φάλαγξ;
A vinegar-jar or a spider?
§1510ὁ πινοτήρης οὗτός ἐστι τοῦ γένους, §1511ὁ σμικρότατος, ὃς τὴν τραγῳδίαν ποιεῖ.
This is the pinna-guard of the race, the smallest one, who writes the tragedies.
§1512ὦ Καρκίνʼ ὦ μακάριε τῆς εὐπαιδίας, §1513ὅσον τὸ πλῆθος κατέπεσεν τῶν ὀρχίλων.
O Carcinus, blessed in your fine offspring, what a multitude of wrens has descended.
§1514ἀτὰρ καταβατέον γʼ ἐπʼ αὐτούς μʼ· ᾠζυρέ, §1515ἅλμην κύκα τούτοισιν, ἢν ἐγὼ κρατῶ.
But I must go down to meet them; you wretch, mix pickle-sauce for them, if I win.
§1516φέρε νυν ἡμεῖς αὐτοῖς ὀλίγον ξυγχωρήσωμεν ἅπαντες, §1517ἵνʼ ἐφʼ ἡσυχίας ἡμῶν πρόσθεν βεμβικίζωσιν ἑαυτούς.
Come now, let us all give way to them a little, so that they may spin themselves like whipping-tops before us at leisure.
§1518ἄγʼ ὦ μεγαλώνυμα τέκνα §1519τοῦ θαλασσίου θεοῦ, §1520πηδᾶτε παρὰ ψάμαθον §1521καὶ θῖνʼ ἁλὸς ἀτρυγέτου, §1522καρίδων ἀδελφοί· §1523ταχὺν πόδα κυκλοσοβεῖτε, §1524καὶ τὸ Φρυνίχειον §1525ἐκλακτισάτω τις, ὅπως §1526ἰδόντες ἄνω σκέλος ὤζωσιν §1527οἱ θεαταί.
Come, O renowned children of the sea god, leap along the sand and the shore of the barren sea, brothers of shrimps; whirl your swift foot in a circle, and let someone kick out the Phrynichean kick, so that the spectators, seeing the leg on high, may gasp.
§1528στρόβει, παράβαινε κύκλῳ καὶ γάστρισον σεαυτόν, §1530ῥῖπτε σκέλος οὐράνιον· βέμβικες ἐγγενέσθων.
Spin, slide sideways in a circle, and kick your belly, toss a leg to the sky; let there be spinning-tops.
§1531καὐτὸς γὰρ ὁ ποντομέδων ἄναξ πατὴρ προσέρπει §1532ἡσθεὶς ἐπὶ τοῖσιν ἑαυτοῦ παισὶ τοῖς τριόρχοις.
For the sea-ruling lord and father himself approaches, pleased with his three-dancer children.
§1535ἀλλʼ ἐξάγετʼ, εἴ τι φιλεῖτʼ ὀρχούμενοι, θύραζε §1536ἡμᾶς ταχύ· τοῦτο γὰρ οὐδείς πω πάρος δέδρακεν, §1537ὀρχούμενον ὅστις ἀπήλλαξεν χορὸν τρυγῳδῶν.
But lead us out, if you love dancing, to the doors quickly; for no one has ever done this before, who dismissed a comedy chorus while dancing.

Notes

  1. 1445κλητῆρες ἐπιλείψουσι τοὺς καλουμένους — The subject is κλητῆρες ('summoners'), and the object is τοὺς καλουμένους ('those summoned'). The verb ἐπιλείψουσι means 'to fail' or 'to fall short of.' It humorously implies that because of Philocleon's excessive wrongdoings, the number of summoners will run out before the defendants do.
  2. 1465φιλοπατρίαν — While the word normally means 'love of one's country' (patria), in this context of praising Bdelycleon for trying to reform his father (patēr), it is a pun playing on 'love of one's father' (philopatoria).
  3. 1503ἐμμελείᾳ κονδύλου — 'Emmeleia' (ἐμμέλεια) is the name of a solemn and graceful dance in tragedy. By combining it with κόνδυλος ('knuckle' or 'fist'), the poet creates a humorous contrast between a high-class theatrical term and a low-class comic violent action ('dance of the knuckles').
  4. 1513ὀρχίλων — Nominally meaning 'wrens' (small birds), this word functions as a multi-layered pun playing on 'dancers' (orchēstēs) and the vulgar 'testicles' (orchis). It mocks the small size of Carcinus' dancer sons while maintaining a vulgar comic tone.

Cite this passage

Aristophanes, Wasps §1440-1537. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0019.tlg004.humanitext-grc2:1440-1537

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