"Why don't you two go and settle in Lepreos of Elis?" "Go there?
§150bὁτιὴ νὴ τοὺς θεοὺς ὅσʼ οὐκ ἰδὼν §151βδελύττομαι τὸν Λέπρεον ἀπὸ Μελανθίου. §152ἀλλʼ εἰσὶν ἕτεροι τῆς Λοκρίδος Ὀπούντιοι, §153ἵνα χρὴ κατοικεῖν. §153bἀλλʼ ἔγωγʼ Ὀπούντιος §154οὐκ ἂν γενοίμην ἐπὶ ταλάντῳ χρυσίου.
Why, by the gods, even without seeing it, I utterly detest Lepreos on account of Melanthios." "But there are others, the Opuntians of Locris, where you ought to settle." "But as for me, an Opuntian I wouldn't become for a talent of gold." "But indeed, what is this life like among the birds?
§155οὗτος δὲ δὴ τίς ἔσθʼ ὁ μετʼ ὀρνίθων βίος; §156σὺ γὰρ οἶσθʼ ἀκριβῶς. §156bοὐκ ἄχαρις ἐς τὴν τριβήν· §157οὗ πρῶτα μὲν δεῖ ζῆν ἄνευ βαλλαντίου. §158πολλήν γʼ ἀφεῖλες τοῦ βίου κιβδηλίαν. §159νεμόμεσθα δʼ ἐν κήποις τὰ λευκὰ σήσαμα §160καὶ μύρτα καὶ μήκωνα καὶ σισύμβρια. §161ὑμεῖς μὲν ἆρα ζῆτε νυμφίων βίον. §161bφεῦ φεῦ·
For you know it accurately." "Not unpleasant to spend time in; where first of all, one must live without a purse." "You have indeed removed a great deal of falsehood from life." "And we feed in gardens on white sesame, myrtle berries, poppy seeds, and watercress." "So you live the life of bridegrooms then!" "Ah, ah!
§162aἦ μέγʼ ἐνορῶ βούλευμʼ ἐν ὀρνίθων γένει, §163καὶ δύναμιν ἣ γένοιτʼ ἄν, εἰ πίθοισθέ μοι. §164τί σοι πιθώμεσθʼ; §164bὅ τι πίθησθε;
I see indeed a great plan in the race of birds, and a power which might come to be, if you would obey me." "How should we obey you?" "How should you obey me?
First of all, do not fly about everywhere with open beaks; since this is an undignified thing.
αὐτίκα §167ἐκεῖ παρʼ ἡμῖν τοὺς πετομένους ἢν ἔρῃ, §168τίς ὄρνις οὗτος; ὁ Τελέας ἐρεῖ ταδί· §169ἅνθρωπος ὄρνις ἀστάθμητος πετόμενος, §170ἀτέκμαρτος, οὐδὲν οὐδέποτʼ ἐν ταὐτῷ μένων. §171νὴ τὸν Διόνυσον εὖ γε μωμᾷ ταυταγί.
For instance, back among us, if you ask about those who fly about, 'Who is this bird?', Teleas will say this: 'A bird-man, unstable, flying, flighty, never staying in the same place.' ""By Dionysus, you mock these things very well!
§172τί ἂν οὖν ποιοῖμεν; §172bοἰκίσατε μίαν πόλιν. §173ποίαν δʼ ἂν οἰκίσαιμεν ὄρνιθες πόλιν; §174ἄληθες;
What then should we do?" "Found a single city." "But what kind of city could we birds found?" "Really?
ὦ σκαιότατον εἰρηκὼς ἔπος, §175βλέψον κάτω. §175bκαὶ δὴ βλέπω. §175cβλέπε νῦν ἄνω. §176βλέπω. §176bπερίαγε τὸν τράχηλον. §176cνὴ Δία §177ἀπολαύσομαί τί γʼ, εἰ διαστραφήσομαι. §178εἶδές τι; §178bτὰς νεφέλας γε καὶ τὸν οὐρανόν. §179οὐχ οὗτος οὖν δήπου ʼστὶν ὀρνίθων πόλος;
O you who have spoken a most foolish word, look down!" "Indeed I am looking." "Now look up." "I am looking." "Turn your neck around." "By Zeus, I shall gain something indeed, if I twist my neck!" "Did you see anything?" "The clouds, at least, and the heaven." "Is this then not, I suppose, the pole of the birds?" "Pole?
And because this spins, and everything passes through this, it is now called 'pole'.
But if you found this and fence it in once, from this 'pole' it will be called 'city'.
§185ὥστʼ ἄρξετʼ ἀνθρώπων μὲν ὥσπερ παρνόπων, §186τοὺς δʼ αὖ θεοὺς ἀπολεῖτε λιμῷ Μηλίῳ. §187πῶς; §187bἐν μέσῳ δήπουθεν ἀήρ ἐστι γῆς.
So that you will rule over men as if they were locusts, and on the other hand you will destroy the gods with Melian famine." "How?" "The air is between the earth, I suppose.
§188εἶθʼ ὥσπερ ἡμεῖς, ἢν ἰέναι βουλώμεθα §189Πυθώδε, Βοιωτοὺς δίοδον αἰτούμεθα, §190οὕτως, ὅταν θύσωσιν ἄνθρωποι θεοῖς, §191ἢν μὴ φόρον φέρωσιν οἱ ὑμῖν οἱ θεοί, §193τῶν μηρίων τὴν κνῖσαν οὐ διαφρήσετε. §194ἰοὺ ἰού·
Then, just as we, if we want to go to Pytho, ask the Boeotians for a passage, so when men sacrifice to the gods, unless the gods pay you tribute, you will not let the steam of the thigh-bones pass through." "Hurrah, hurrah!
By Earth, by traps, by clouds, by nets, I never heard a cleverer idea!
§196ὥστʼ ἂν κατοικίζοιμι μετὰ σοῦ τὴν πόλιν, §197εἰ ξυνδοκοίη τοῖσιν ἄλλοις ὀρνέοις. §198τίς ἂν οὖν τὸ πρᾶγμʼ αὐτοῖς διηγήσαιτο; §198bσύ. §199ἐγὼ γὰρ αὐτοὺς βαρβάρους ὄντας πρὸ τοῦ §200ἐδίδαξα τὴν φωνήν, ξυνὼν πολὺν χρόνον. §201πῶς δῆτʼ ἂν αὐτοὺς ξυγκαλέσειας; §201bῥᾳδίως.
So that I would found the city with you, if it should seem good to the other birds." "Who then could explain the matter to them?" "You." "For I, who previously found them barbarians, have taught them language, having been with them a long time." "How then would you call them together?" "Easily.
§202δευρὶ γὰρ ἐσβὰς αὐτίκα μάλʼ ἐς τὴν λόχμην, §203ἔπειτʼ ἀνεγείρας τὴν ἐμὴν ἀηδόνα, §204καλοῦμεν αὐτούς·
For stepping into the thicket here immediately, and then waking my nightingale, we shall call them.
οἱ δὲ νῷν τοῦ φθέγματος §205ἐάνπερ ἐπακούσωσι θεύσονται δρόμῳ. §206ὦ φίλτατʼ ὀρνίθων σὺ μή νυν ἕσταθι· §207ἀλλʼ ἀντιβολῶ σʼ ἄγʼ ὡς τάχιστʼ ἐς τὴν λόχμην §208ἔσβαινε κἀνέγειρε τὴν ἀηδόνα. §209ἄγε σύννομέ μοι παῦσαι μὲν ὕπνου, §210λῦσον δὲ νόμους ἱερῶν ὕμνων, §211οὓς διὰ θείου στόματος θρηνεῖς §212τὸν ἐμὸν καὶ σὸν πολύδακρυν Ἴτυν· §213ἐλελιζομένης δʼ ἱεροῖς μέλεσιν §214γένυος ξουθῆς §215καθαρὰ χωρεῖ διὰ φυλλοκόμου §216μίλακος ἠχὼ πρὸς Διὸς ἕδρας, §217ἵνʼ ὁ χρυσοκόμας Φοῖβος ἀκούων §218τοῖς σοῖς ἐλέγοις ἀντιψάλλων §219ἐλεφαντόδετον φόρμιγγα θεῶν §220ἵστησι χορούς· διὰ δʼ ἀθανάτων §221στομάτων χωρεῖ ξύμφωνος ὁμοῦ §222θεία μακάρων ὀλολυγή. §223ὦ Ζεῦ βασιλεῦ τοῦ φθέγματος τοὐρνιθίου· §224οἶον κατεμελίτωσε τὴν λόχμην ὃλην.
And if they hear our voice, they will come running." "O dearest of birds, do not stand still now; but I entreat you, go as quickly as possible into the thicket, step in and wake the nightingale." "Come, my partner, cease from sleep, and release the strains of sacred hymns, which through your divine mouth you lament for my and your much-wept Itys; as the vibrant liquid sound proceeds from your tawny throat through the leafy ivy to the seat of Zeus, where golden-haired Phoebus, hearing, answering with his lyre to your laments, with his ivory-bound lyre rouses the dances of the gods; and through immortal mouths goes in unison the divine cry of the blessed ones." "O King Zeus, what a bird-voice!
§225οὗτος. §225bτί ἔστιν; §225cοὐ σιωπήσει; §225dτί δαί; §226οὕποψ μελῳδεῖν αὖ παρασκευάζεται. §227ἐποποῖ ποποποποποποποῖ, §228ἰὼ ἰὼ ἰτὼ ἰτὼ ἰτὼ ἰτὼ, §229ἴτω τις ὧδε τῶν ἐμῶν ὁμοπτέρων·
How it has honeyed the whole thicket." "Hey!" "What is it?" "Won't you be silent?" "Why indeed?" "The hoopoe is preparing to sing again." "Epopoi popopopopopopoi!" "Io, io, ito, ito, ito, ito!" "Let some of my feathered companions come hither!"