Oh, oh! How great and sharp are the weepings he has cast upon the Megarians.
§250ἰὼ Σικελία καὶ σὺ δʼ ὡς ἀπόλλυσαι.
O Sicily, and you too, how you are being destroyed!
§251οἵα πόλις τάλαινα διακναισθήσεται.
What a wretched city will be ground to pieces!
§252φέρʼ ἐπιχέω καὶ τὸ μέλι τουτὶ τἀττικόν.
Come, let me pour in this Attic honey too.
§253οὗτος παραινῶ σοι μέλιτι χρῆσθἀτέρῳ.
Hey you, I advise you to use some other honey.
§254τετρώβολον τοῦτʼ ἐστί· φείδου τἀττικοῦ.
This costs four obols; spare the Attic.
§255παῖ παῖ Κυδοιμέ.
Slave, slave, Kydoimos!
§255bτί με καλεῖς;
Why are you calling me?
§255cκλαύσει μακρά.
You shall weep bitterly.
§256ἕστηκας ἀργός;
Are you standing there idle?
οὑτοσί σοι κόνδυλος.
Here is a blow of the fist for you.
§257ὡς δριμύς.
How sharp!
οἴμοι μοι τάλας ὦ δέσποτα.
Ah, wretched me, O master!
§258μῶν τῶν σκορόδων ἐνέβαλες ἐς τὸν κόνδυλον;
Did you perhaps mix some garlic into the blow?
§259οἴσεις ἀλετρίβανον τρέχων;
Run and bring me a pestle!
But, good master, we don't have one; we only moved in yesterday.
§261οὔκουν παρʼ Ἀθηναίων μεταθρέξει ταχὺ πάνυ;
Then won't you run very quickly to the Athenians and get one?
§262ἔγωγε νὴ Δίʼ· εἰ δὲ μή γε, κλαύσομαι.
By Zeus, I will; otherwise, I shall weep.
§263ἄγε δὴ τί δρῶμεν ὦ πόνηρʼ ἀνθρώπια;
Come now, what are we to do, O wretched little men?
§264ὁρᾶτε τὸν κίνδυνον ἡμῖν ὡς μέγας· §265εἴπερ γὰρ ἥξει τὸν ἀλετρίβανον φέρων, §266τούτῳ ταράξει τὰς πόλεις καθήμενος.
You see how great the danger is for us; for if he comes back bringing the pestle, he will sit down and stir up the cities with it.
§267ἀλλʼ ὦ Διόνυσʼ ἀπόλοιτο καὶ μὴ ʼλθοι φέρων.
But, O Dionysus, may he perish and not come back with it!
§268οὗτος.
Hey.
§268bτί ἔστιν;
What is it?
Well, the thing is, the Athenians' pestle is destroyed, that leather-seller who was stirring up Greece.
§271εὖ γʼ ὦ πότνια δέσποινʼ Ἀθηναία ποιῶν
Well done, O sovereign Lady Athena!
He has perished indeed at a most opportune moment for the city, before he could pour that garlic-sauce over us.
Won't you then go quickly and fetch another from Lacedaemon?
§275bταῦτʼ ὦ δέσποθʼ.
Right away, master.
§275cἧκέ νυν ταχύ.
Come back quickly then.
§276ὦνδρες τί πεισόμεσθα;
Citizens, what will become of us?
νῦν ἀγὼν μέγας.
Now is the great struggle.
§277ἀλλʼ εἴ τις ὑμῶν ἐν Σαμοθρᾴκῃ τυγχάνει §278μεμυημένος, νῦν ἐστιν εὔξασθαι καλὸν §279ἀποστραφῆναι τοῦ μετιόντος τὼ πόδε.
But if any of you happen to be initiated in Samothrace, now is a good time to pray that the feet of the one who is going to fetch it may be turned back.
§280οἴμοι τάλας, οἴμοι γε κἄτʼ οἴμοι μάλα.
Oh, wretched me, oh indeed, and oh again!
§281τί ἔστι;
What is it?
μῶν οὐκ αὖ φέρεις;
Are you not bringing it again?
Well, it is destroyed too, the Lacedaemonians' pestle as well.
§283πῶς ὦ πανοῦργʼ;
How so, you rascal?
In the regions of Thrace, they lent him to others and then lost him.
§285εὖ γʼ εὖ γε ποιήσαντες ὦ Διοσκόρω.
Well done, well done, O Dioscuri!
§286ἴσως ἂν εὖ γένοιτο·
Perhaps things will turn out well.
θαρρεῖτʼ ὦ βροτοί.
Take heart, O mortals!
Take these utensils and carry them back inside; and I will go inside and make a pestle myself.
§289νῦν τοῦτʼ ἐκεῖνʼ ἥκει τὸ Δάτιδος μέλος, §290ὃ δεφόμενός ποτʼ ᾖδε τῆς μεσημβρίας, §291ὡς ἥδομαι καὶ χαίρομαι κεὐφραίνομαι. §292νῦν ἐστιν ἡμῖν ὦνδρες Ἕλληνες καλὸν §293ἀπαλλαγεῖσι πραγμάτων τε καὶ μαχῶν §294ἐξελκύσαι τὴν πᾶσιν Εἰρήνην φίλην, §295πρὶν ἕτερον αὖ δοίδυκα κωλῦσαί τινα.
Now has come that famous song of Datis, which he used to sing at midday while masturbating: "How I am pleased, and rejoiced, and delighted!" Now, O Greek men, is a good time for us, having got rid of troubles and battles, to drag out Peace, dear to all, before some other pestle prevents us again.
§296ἀλλʼ ὦ γεωργοὶ κἄμποροι καὶ τέκτονες §297καὶ δημιουργοὶ καὶ μέτοικοι καὶ ξένοι §298καὶ νησιῶται, δεῦρʼ ἴτʼ ὦ πάντες λεῴ,
Come, farmers, merchants, carpenters, craftsmen, resident aliens, strangers, and islanders, come hither, all you peoples!
§299ὡς τάχιστʼ ἄμας λαβόντες καὶ μοχλοὺς καὶ σχοινία· §300νῦν γὰρ ἡμῖν ἁρπάσαι πάρεστιν ἀγαθοῦ δαίμονος.
As quickly as possible, taking shovels, levers, and ropes; for now we may snatch the cup of the Good Daemon.
§301δεῦρο πᾶς χώρει προθύμως εὐθὺ τῆς σωτηρίας.
Come hither, everyone, eagerly straight towards salvation!
§302ὦ Πανέλληνες βοηθήσωμεν, εἴπερ πώποτε, §303τάξεων ἀπαλλαγέντες καὶ κακῶν φοινικικῶν· §304ἡμέρα γὰρ ἐξέλαμψεν ἥδε μισολάμαχος.
O Panhellenes, let us help, if ever before, having rid ourselves of ranks and scarlet evils; for this day, which hates battle, has shone forth.
§305πρὸς τάδʼ ἡμῖν, εἴ τι χρὴ δρᾶν, φράζε κἀρχιτεκτόνει· §306οὐ γὰρ ἔσθʼ ὅπως ἀπειπεῖν ἂν δοκῶ μοι τήμερον, §307πρὶν μοχλοῖς καὶ μηχαναῖσιν ἐς τὸ φῶς ἀνελκύσαι §308τὴν θεῶν πασῶν μεγίστην καὶ φιλαμπελωτάτην.
To this end, tell us if we must do anything, and be our architect; for there is no way I think I would give up today, until with levers and machines we drag up into the light the greatest of all goddesses, and the one who loves vineyards most.
Will you not be silent, lest in your great joy at this matter you rekindle War from within by shouting?
§311ἀλλʼ ἀκούσαντες τοιούτου χαίρομεν κηρύγματος.
But we rejoice at hearing such a proclamation.
§312οὐ γὰρ ἦν ἔχοντας ἥκειν σιτίʼ ἡμερῶν τριῶν.
For it was not a command to come carrying three days' rations.
§313εὐλαβεῖσθέ νυν ἐκεῖνον τὸν κάτωθεν Κέρβερον, §314μὴ παφλάζων καὶ κεκραγὼς ὥσπερ ἡνίκʼ ἐνθάδʼ ἦν, §315ἐμποδὼν ἡμῖν γένηται τὴν θεὸν μὴ ʼξελκύσαι.
Take care then of that Cerberus below, lest, foaming and shouting as when he was here, he get in our way and prevent us from dragging out the goddess.
There is no one who shall snatch her away now, if once she comes into my hands.
ἰοῦ ἰοῦ.
Io, io!
§318ἐξολεῖτέ μʼ ὦνδρες, εἰ μὴ τῆς βοῆς ἀνήσετε· §319ἐκδραμὼν γὰρ πάντα ταυτὶ συνταράξει τοῖν ποδοῖν.
You will destroy me, men, unless you cease from your shouting; for he will run out and stir up all this with his two feet.
§320ὡς κυκάτω καὶ πατείτω πάντα καὶ ταραττέτω,
Let him stir up and trample everything and throw it into confusion!
§321οὐ γὰρ ἂν χαίροντες ἡμεῖς τήμερον παυσαίμεθʼ ἄν.
For we would not cease from rejoicing today.
§322τί τὸ κακόν;
What is the trouble?
τί πάσχετʼ ὦνδρες;
What is the matter with you, men?
μηδαμῶς πρὸς τῶν θεῶν §323πρᾶγμα κάλλιστον διαφθείρητε διὰ τὰ σχήματα.
By the gods, do not ruin a most beautiful enterprise because of your postures.