And, having ceased from his bad temper, to take away the stinging-nettle from his anger.
We join in praying for the same things with you and sing along for the new office, on account of the things foretold.
§887εὖνοι γάρ ἐσμεν ἐξ οὗ §888τὸν δῆμον ᾐσθόμεσθά σου §889φιλοῦντος ὡς οὐδεὶς ἀνὴρ §890τῶν γε νεωτέρων.
For we have been well-disposed ever since we perceived that you love the people as no man does, at least among the younger ones.
§890aἰήιε Παιάν.
Ieie Paian!
If there is any juror at the doors, let him enter; for once they begin to speak, we will not let anyone in.
§893τίς ἆρʼ ὁ φεύγων;
Who then is the defendant?
§893bοὗτος.
This one.
§893cὅσον ἁλώσεται.
How heavily he will be convicted!
§894ἀκούετʼ ἤδη τῆς γραφῆς.
Hear now the indictment.
ἐγράψατο §895κύων Κυδαθηναιεὺς Λάβητʼ Αἰξωνέα §896τὸν τυρὸν ἀδικεῖν ὅτι μόνος κατήσθιεν §897τὸν Σικελικόν.
The dog of Cydathenaeum indicted Labes of Aixone for doing wrong with the cheese, because he alone devoured the Sicilian one.
τίμημα κλῳὸς σύκινος.
Penalty: a collar of fig-wood.
§898θάνατος μὲν οὖν κύνειος, ἢν ἅπαξ ἁλῷ.
Rather, a doggish death, if he is once convicted.
§899καὶ μὴν ὁ φεύγων οὑτοσὶ Λάβης πάρα.
And indeed the defendant Labes here is present.
§900ὦ μιαρὸς οὗτος·
O you filthy creature!
ὡς δὲ καὶ κλέπτον βλέπει, §901οἷον σεσηρὼς ἐξαπατήσειν μʼ οἴεται.
How he even looks like a thief; grinning like that, he thinks he will deceive me.
§902ποῦ δʼ ἔσθʼ ὁ διώκων, ὁ Κυδαθηναιεὺς κύων;
And where is the prosecutor, the Cydathenaean dog?
§902aαὗ αὗ.
Woof, woof!
§903πάρεστιν οὗτος.
He is present here.
§903bἕτερος οὗτος αὖ Λάβης.
This is another Labes in turn.
§904ἀγαθός γʼ ὑλακτεῖν καὶ διαλείχειν τὰς χύτρας.
Good at barking, at any rate, and licking clean the pots.
§905σίγα, κάθιζε·
Silence, sit down!
σὺ δʼ ἀναβὰς κατηγόρει.
And you, go up and accuse him.
§906φέρε νυν ἅμα τήνδʼ ἐγχεάμενος κἀγὼ ῥοφῶ.
Come now, while pouring this in for myself, I will sip it.
You have heard the indictment, which I indicted him with, gentlemen of the jury.
δεινότατα γὰρ §909ἔργων δέδρακε κἀμὲ καὶ τὸ ῥυππαπαῖ.
For most terrible things has he done to me and to the rowers.
§910ἀποδρὰς γὰρ ἐς τὴν γωνίαν τυρὸν πολὺν §911κατεσικέλιζε κἀνέπλητʼ ἐν τῷ σκότῳ — §912νὴ τὸν Δίʼ ἀλλὰ δῆλός ἐστʼ·
For running off into the corner, a great amount of cheese he 'Sicilified' and stuffed himself with in the dark — By Zeus, but it is clear!
To me at least he just now belched a most foul smell of cheese, this abominable wretch.
§914bκοὐ μετέδωκʼ αἰτοῦντί μοι.
And he did not share it with me when I asked.
And yet who will be able to do good to you, if someone does not throw something to me, the dog?
§917οὐδὲν μετέδωκεν οὐδὲ τῷ κοινῷ γʼ ἐμοί.
He shared nothing even with me, the public guardian.
§918θερμὸς γὰρ ἁνὴρ οὐδὲν ἧττον τῆς φακῆς.
For the fellow is hot, no less than the lentil soup.
By the gods, do not judge beforehand, father, before you hear both sides.
But, my good fellow, the matter is clear; for it cries out by itself.
§922μή νυν ἀφῆτέ γʼ αὐτόν, ὡς ὄντʼ αὖ πολὺ §923κυνῶν ἁπάντων ἄνδρα μονοφαγίστατον, §924ὅστις περιπλεύσας τὴν θυείαν ἐν κύκλῳ §925ἐκ τῶν πόλεων τὸ σκῖρον ἐξεδήδοκεν.
Do not let him off now, since he is by far the most solitary-eating man of all dogs, who, having sailed around the mortar in a circle, has devoured the rind from the cities.
§926ἐμοὶ δέ γʼ οὐκ ἔστʼ οὐδὲ τὴν ὑδρίαν πλάσαι.
While for me there is not even clay to mend my water-jar.
§927πρὸς ταῦτα τοῦτον κολάσατʼ· οὐ γὰρ ἄν ποτε §928τρέφειν δύναιτʼ ἂν μία λόχμη κλέπτα δύο· §929ἵνα μὴ κεκλάγγω διὰ κενῆς ἄλλως ἐγώ· §930ἐὰν δὲ μή, τὸ λοιπὸν οὐ κεκλάγξομαι.
Therefore punish this fellow; for never could one thicket support two thieves, lest I bark in vain for nothing; otherwise, in the future I shall bark no more.
§931ἰοὺ ἰού.
Oh dear, oh dear!
§932ὅσας κατηγόρησε τὰς πανουργίας.
How many villainies he has accused him of!
A thieving thing is the man; does it not seem so to you also, o rooster?
νὴ τὸν Δίʼ ἐπιμύει γέ τοι.
By Zeus, he certainly winks in agreement.
§935ὁ θεσμοθέτης·
The Thesmothete!
ποῦ ʼσθʼ οὗτος;
Where is he?
ἀμίδα μοι δότω.
Let him give me a chamber-pot.
§936αὐτὸς καθελοῦ· τοὺς μάρτυρας γὰρ ἐσκαλῶ.
Take it down yourself; for I am calling the witnesses.
§937Λάβητι μάρτυρας παρεῖναι τρύβλιον §938δοίδυκα τυρόκνηστιν ἐσχάραν χύτραν, §939καὶ τἄλλα, τὰ σκεύη τὰ προσκεκαυμένα.
Witnesses for Labes, be present: a bowl, a pestle, a cheese-grater, a brazier, a pot, and the other scorched utensils.
§940ἀλλʼ ἔτι σύ γʼ οὐρεῖς καὶ καθίζεις οὐδέπω;
Are you still peeing and not yet sitting down?
§941τοῦτον δέ γʼ οἶμʼ ἐγὼ χεσεῖσθαι τήμερον.
I think this fellow will dirty himself today.
Will you not stop being harsh and bad-tempered, and that to defendants, but keeping your teeth clenched?
§944ἀνάβαινʼ, ἀπολογοῦ.
Go up, defend yourself.
τί σεσιώπηκας;
Why are you silent?
λέγε.
Speak!
§945ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἔχειν οὗτός γʼ ἔοικεν ὅ τι λέγῃ.
But this fellow seems to have nothing to say.
§946οὔκ, ἀλλʼ ἐκεῖνό μοι δοκεῖ πεπονθέναι, §947ὅπερ ποτὲ φεύγων ἔπαθε καὶ Θουκυδίδης· §948ἀπόπληκτος ἐξαίφνης ἐγένετο τὰς γνάθους.
No, but he seems to me to have suffered that which Thucydides once suffered when defending himself: he was suddenly struck mute in his jaws.
§949πάρεχʼ ἐκποδών. ἐγὼ γὰρ ἀπολογήσομαι.
Get out of the way; for I will defend him.
It is difficult, gentlemen, to speak in defense of a dog who has been slandered, but I will speak nevertheless.
§952ἀγαθὸς γάρ ἐστι καὶ διώκει τοὺς λύκους.
For he is good and pursues the wolves.
§953κλέπτης μὲν οὖν οὗτός γε καὶ ξυνωμότης.
On the contrary, he is a thief and a conspirator.
§954μὰ Δίʼ ἀλλʼ ἄριστός ἐστι τῶν νυνὶ κυνῶν
By Zeus, no!
§955οἷός τε πολλοῖς προβατίοις ἐφεστάναι.
He is the best of the dogs of today, able to watch over many sheep.
§956τί οὖν ὄφελος, τὸν τυρὸν εἰ κατεσθίει;
What use is that, if he eats up the cheese?
§957ὅ τι;
What use?
σοῦ προμάχεται καὶ φυλάττει τὴν θύραν §958καὶ τἄλλʼ ἄριστός ἐστιν·
He fights in front of you and guards the door, and in other things is the best.
εἰ δʼ ὑφείλετο, §959ξύγγνωθι. κιθαρίζειν γὰρ οὐκ ἐπίσταται.
And if he stole, forgive him; for he does not know how to play the lyre.