§931bἐπίτηδές γʼ, ἵνʼ ὅταν ἐν τἠκκλησίᾳ §932ὡς χρὴ πολεμεῖν λέγῃ τις, οἱ καθήμενοι §933ὑπὸ τοῦ δέους λέγωσʼ Ἰωνικῶς ὀὶ—
On purpose indeed, so that whenever someone in the Assembly says that we must wage war, those sitting there, out of fear, may cry 'oi' in the Ionic way— Well said indeed.
So that we shall be lambs to one another in our ways, and much gentler to the allies.
Come then, bring the sheep as quickly as possible; and I will provide an altar on which we shall sacrifice.
§939ὡς πάνθʼ ὅσʼ ἂν θεὸς θέλῃ χἠ τύχη κατορθοῖ, §940χωρεῖ κατὰ νοῦν, ἕτερον δʼ ἑτέρῳ §941τούτων κατὰ καιρὸν ἀπαντᾷ.
How everything that God wills and Fortune directs goes according to mind, and one of these things meets another in due season!
§942ὡς ταῦτα δῆλά γʼ ἔσθʼ·
How clear this indeed is!
ὁ γὰρ βωμὸς θύρασι καὶ δή.
For the altar is already outside.
Hurry then, while the shifting breeze of war, violent from the gods, holds back.
For now the deity clearly transferring us to good things.
§948τὸ κανοῦν πάρεστʼ ὀλὰς ἔχον καὶ στέμμα καὶ μάχαιραν, §949καὶ πῦρ γε τουτί, κοὐδὲν ἴσχει πλὴν τὸ πρόβατον ὑμᾶς.
The basket is here, holding the barley-grains, the wreath, and the knife, and here is the fire; and nothing holds you back except the sheep.
§950οὔκουν ἁμιλλήσεσθον; ὡς
Will you two not hasten then?
§951ἢν Χαῖρις ὑμᾶς ἴδῃ, §952πρόσεισιν αὐλήσων ἄκλητος, §953κᾆτα τοῦτʼ εὖ οἶδʼ ὅτι §954φυσῶντι καὶ πονουμένῳ §955προσδώσετε δήπου.
Since if Chaeris sees you, he will come uninvited to play the flute, and then I know well that as he puffs and exerts himself, you will surely give something to him.
Come then, take the basket and the lustral water, and go round the altar quickly from left to right.
§958ἰδού·
There!
λεγοις ἂν ἄλλο· περιελήλυθα.
You may say something else; I have gone round.
Come indeed, let me take this brand and dip it; shake it quickly.
σὺ δὲ πρότεινε τῶν ὀλῶν, §961καὐτός γε χερνίπτου παραδοὺς ταύτην ἐμοί, §962καὶ τοῖς θεαταῖς ῥῖπτε τῶν κριθῶν.
And you, hold out the barley-grains, and having washed your own hands, hand this to me, and throw the barley-grains to the spectators.
§962bἰδού.
There!
§963ἔδωκας ἤδη;
Have you given them already?
§963bνὴ τὸν Ἑρμῆν ὥστε γε §964τούτων ὅσοιπέρ εἰσι τῶν θεωμένων §965οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεὶς ὅστις οὐ κριθὴν ἔχει.
By Hermes, yes, so that of all these spectators, there is not one who does not have a barley-corn.
§966οὐχ αἱ γυναῖκές γʼ ἔλαβον.
The women didn't get any, at least.
But towards evening their husbands will give it to them.
§967bἀλλʼ εὐχώμεθα.
But let us pray.
§968τίς τῇδε;
Who is here?
ποῦ ποτʼ εἰσὶ πολλοὶ κἀγαθοί;
Where on earth are the many and good?
§969τοισδὶ φέρε δῶ· πολλοὶ γάρ εἰσι κἀγαθοί.
Let me give to these; for they are many and good.
§970τούτους ἀγαθοὺς ἐνόμισας;
You considered these to be good?
§970bοὐ γάρ, οἵτινες
Why not?
Since, though we pour so much water on them, they stand going into this very same place?
§973ἀλλʼ ὡς τάχιστʼ εὐχώμεθʼ.
But let us pray as quickly as possible.
§973bεὐχώμεσθα δή.
Let us pray indeed.
§974ὦ σεμνοτάτη βασίλεια θεὰ §975πότνιʼ Εἰρήνη, §976δέσποινα χορῶν, δέσποινα γάμων, §977δέξαι θυσίαν τὴν ἡμετέραν.
O most august queen goddess, lady Peace, mistress of choruses, mistress of weddings, receive our sacrifice.
Receive it indeed, O highly honored one, by Zeus, and do not do what the adulterous women do.
§981καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖναι παρακλίνασαι §982τῆς αὐλείας παρακύπτουσιν, §983κἄν τις προσέχῃ τὸν νοῦν αὐταῖς §984ἀναχωροῦσιν, §985κᾆτʼ ἢν ἀπίῃ παρακύπτουσιν.
For they too, opening the courtyard door slightly, peep out, and if anyone pays attention to them, they withdraw, and then if he goes away, they peep out again.
§986τούτων σὺ ποίει μηδὲν ἔθʼ ἡμᾶς.
Do none of these things to us anymore.
§987μὰ Δίʼ ἀλλʼ ἀπόφηνον ὅλην σαυτὴν §988γενναιοπρεπῶς τοῖσιν ἐρασταῖς §989ἡμῖν, οἵ σου τρυχόμεθʼ ἤδη §990τρία καὶ δέκʼ ἔτη,
By Zeus, but reveal your whole self generously to us lovers, who have already been worn out for you for thirteen years.
And dissolve battles and uproars, so that we may call you Lysimache.
And put an end to our suspicions, the over-subtle ones, with which we babble against one another.
§996μεῖξον δʼ ἡμᾶς τοὺς Ἕλληνας §997πάλιν ἐξ ἀρχῆς §998φιλίας χυλῷ καὶ συγγνώμῃ §999τινὶ πρᾳοτέρᾳ κέρασον τὸν νοῦν·
And mix us Greeks again from the beginning with the juice of friendship, and blend our minds with a gentler forgiveness.
§999aκαὶ τὴν ἀγορὰν ἡμῖν ἀγαθῶν §1000ἐμπλησθῆναι, μεγάλων σκορόδων, §1001σικύων πρῴων, μήλων, ῥοιῶν. §1002δούλοισι χλανισκιδίων μικρῶν· §1003κἀκ Βοιωτῶν γε φέροντας ἰδεῖν §1004χῆνας νήττας φάττας τροχίλους· §1005καὶ Κωπᾴδων ἐλθεῖν σπυρίδας, §1006καὶ περὶ ταύτας ἡμᾶς ἁθρόους §1007ὀψωνοῦντας τυρβάζεσθαι §1008Μορύχῳ Τελέᾳ Γλαυκέτῃ, ἄλλοις §1009τένθαις πολλοῖς· κᾆτα Μελάνθιον §1010ἥκειν ὕστερον ἐς τὴν ἀγοράν, §1011τὰς δὲ πεπρᾶσθαι, τὸν δʼ ὀτοτύζειν, §1012εἶτα μονῳδεῖν ἐκ Μηδείας, §1013ὀλόμαν ὀλόμαν, ἀποχηρωθεὶς §1014τᾶς ἐν τεύτλοισι λοχευομένας· §1015τοὺς δʼ ἀνθρώπους ἐπιχαίρειν.
And that our market-place be filled with good things, with large garlics, early cucumbers, apples, pomegranates, and small cloaks for slaves; and to see people bringing from the Boeotians geese, ducks, wood-pigeons, and wrens; and baskets of Copaic eels to come, and around them us in a crowd, buying dainties, to be in a bustle, with Morychus, Teleas, Glaucetes, and many other gluttons; and then Melanthius to come later to the market-place, and the eels to have been sold, and him to wail, and then to sing a solo from Medea: 'I am ruined, I am ruined, bereaved of her who was cradled in beet-leaves!' and the people to rejoice over him.
§1016ταῦτʼ ὦ πολυτίμητʼ εὐχομένοις ἡμῖν δίδου.
O highly honored one, grant these things to us as we pray.
Take the knife; and see to it that you slaughter the sheep in a cook-like manner.
§1018bἀλλʼ οὐ θέμις.
But it is not lawful.
§1018cτιὴ τί δή;
Why indeed? Why?
Peace surely does not delight in slaughter, nor is her altar stained with blood.
But take it inside, sacrifice it, take out the thigh-bones and bring them out here; and thus the sheep is saved for the choregus.
§1023σέ τοι θύρασι χρὴ μένοντα τοίνυν §1024σχίζας δευρὶ τιθέναι ταχέως §1025τά τε πρόσφορα πάντʼ ἐπὶ τούτοις.
You, therefore, must remain outside and quickly place the firewood here, and all the fitting things upon them.
§1026οὔκουν δοκῶ σοι μαντικῶς τὸ φρύγανον τίθεσθαι;
Do I not indeed seem to you to place the firewood in a divinely inspired manner?