§1666ἐγγυτάτω γένους μετεῖναι τῶν χρημάτων. §1667ἐμοὶ δʼ ἄρʼ οὐδὲν τῶν πατρῴων χρημάτων §1668μέτεστιν; §1668bοὐ μέντοι μὰ Δία.
'the nearest of kin shall have a share of the property.' So I have no share at all in my father's property? Indeed not, by Zeus!
But tell me, did your father ever register you with his clansmen? No, indeed he did not.
καὶ δῆτʼ ἐθαύμαζον πάλαι. §1671τί δῆτʼ ἄνω κέχηνας αἴκειαν βλέπων; §1672ἀλλʼ ἢν μεθʼ ἡμῶν ᾖς, καταστήσας σʼ ἐγὼ §1673τύραννον ὀρνίθων παρέξω σοι γάλα. §1674δίκαιʼ ἔμοιγε καὶ πάλαι δοκεῖς λέγειν §1675περὶ τῆς κόρης, κἄγωγε παραδίδωμί σοι. §1676τί δαὶ σὺ φῄς; §1676bτἀναντία ψηφίζομαι. §1677ἐν τῷ Τριβαλλῷ πᾶν τὸ πρᾶγμα.
And I have long been wondering at that. Why then do you stand gaping, looking as if you've been abused? But if you side with us, I will establish you as sovereign of the birds and provide you with birds' milk. You have long seemed to me to speak justly about the maiden, and I for my part hand her over to you. And what do you say? I vote the opposite. Everything depends on the Triballian.
τί σὺ λέγεις; §1678καλάνι κόραυνα καὶ μεγάλα βασιλιναῦ §1679ὄρνιτο παραδίδωμι. §1679bπαραδοῦναι λέγει. §1680μὰ τὸν Δίʼ οὐχ οὗτός γε παραδοῦναι λέγει, §1681εἰ μὴ † βαδίζειν † ωἅσπερ αἱ χελιδόσιν λέγει. §1682οὐκοῦν παραδοῦναι ταῖς χελιδόσιν λέγει. §1683σφὼ νῦν διαλλάττεσθε καὶ ξυμβαίνετε· §1684ἐγὼ δʼ, ἐπειδὴ σφῷν δοκεῖ, σιγήσομαι. §1685ἡμῖν ἃ λέγεις σὺ πάντα συγχωρεῖν δοκεῖ. §1686ἀλλʼ ἴθι μεθʼ ἡμῶν αὐτὸς ἐς τὸν οὐρανόν, §1687ἵνα τὴν Βασίλειαν καὶ τὰ πάντʼ ἐκεῖ λάβῃς. §1688ἐς καιρὸν ἆρα κατεκόπησαν οὑτοιὶ §1689ἐς τοὺς γάμους. §1689bβούλεσθε δῆτʼ ἐγὼ τέως §1690ὀπτῶ τὰ κρέα ταυτὶ μένων;
What do you say? Pretty girl and great queen I deliver to bird. He says to hand her over. By Zeus, he does not say to hand her over, unless he means that she should walk (twitter) like the swallows. Therefore, he says to hand her over to the swallows (birds). Now, you two make peace and agree; and I, since you two are so resolved, will keep silent. It seems good to us to concede everything you say. But come with us yourself to heaven, so that you may receive Basileia and everything there. In good time, then, these birds have been slaughtered for the wedding. Would you like me, meanwhile, to stay and roast this meat?
ὑμεῖς δʼ ἴτε. §1691ὀπτᾷς τὰ κρέα;
You go on. You roast the meat?
πολλήν γε τενθείαν λέγεις. §1692οὐκ εἶ μεθʼ ἡμῶν; §1692bεὖ γε μέντἂν διετέθην. §1693ἀλλὰ γαμικὴν χλανίδα δότω τις δεῦρό μοι. §1694ἔστι δʼ ἐν Φαναῖσι πρὸς τῇ §1695Κλεψύδρᾳ πανοῦργον ἐγ- §1696γλωττογαστόρων γένος, §1697οἳ θερίζουσίν τε καὶ σπείρουσι §1698καὶ τρυγῶσι ταῖς γλώτταισι §1699συκάζουσί τε· §1700βάρβαροι δʼ εἰσὶν γένος, §1701Γοργίαι τε καὶ Φίλιπποι. §1702κἀπὸ τῶν ἐγγλωττογαστόρων §1703ἐκείνων τῶν Φιλίππων §1704πανταχοῦ τῆς Ἀττικῆς ἡ §1705γλῶττα χωρὶς τέμνεται. §1706ὦ πάντʼ ἀγαθὰ πράττοντες, ὦ μείζω λόγου, §1707ὦ τρισμακάριον πτηνὸν ὀρνίθων γένος, §1708δέχεσθε τὸν τύραννον ὀλβίοις δόμοις. §1709προσέρχεται γὰρ οἷς οὔτε παμφαὴς §1710ἀστὴρ ἰδεῖν ἔλαμψε χρυσαυγεῖ δόμῳ, §1711οὔθʼ ἡλίου τηλαυγὲς ἀκτίνων σέλας §1712τοιοῦτον ἐξέλαμψεν, οἶον ἔρχεται §1713ἔχων γυναικὸς κάλλος οὐ φατὸν λέγειν, §1714πάλλων κεραυνόν, πτεροφόρον Διὸς βέλος· §1715ὀσμὴ δʼ ἀνωνόμαστος ἐς βάθος κύκλου §1716χωρεῖ, καλὸν θέαμα· θυμιαμάτων δʼ §1717αὖραι διαψαίρουσι πλεκτάνην καπνοῦ. §1718ὁδὶ δὲ καὐτός ἐστιν.
You speak of great gluttony. Won't you come with us? I should indeed have been very well off. But let someone give me a wedding cloak here. There is in Phanai, near the Clepsydra, a rogue race of tongue-bellies, who harvest and sow and gather vintages with their tongues and pluck figs; they are barbarians by race, the Gorgiases and the Philippuses. And from those tongue-bellies, those Philippuses, everywhere in Attica the tongue is cut out separately. O you who fare well in all things, O you greater than speech, O thrice-blessed winged race of birds, receive your sovereign in his prosperous home. For he approaches, such as no bright star has ever shone to behold in its golden-gleaming dome, nor has the far-shining splendor of the sun's rays ever flashed forth such a light, as he comes, having the beauty of a wife unspeakable to tell, brandishing the thunderbolt, the winged weapon of Zeus; and an indescribable fragrance goes deep into the circle of heaven, a beautiful sight; and from the incense the breezes gently part the wreath of smoke. And here he is himself.
ἀλλὰ χρὴ θεᾶς §1719Μούσης ἀνοίγειν ἱερὸν εὔφημον στόμα. §1720ἄναγε δίεχε πάραγε πάρεχε. §1721περιπέτεσθε §1722τὸν μάκαρα μάκαρι σὺν τύχᾳ. §1723ὦ φεῦ φεῦ τῆς ὥρας τοῦ κάλλους. §1725ὦ μακαριστὸν σὺ γάμον τῇδε πόλει γημας. §1726μεγάλαι μεγάλαι κατέχουσι τύχαι §1727γένος ὀρνίθων §1728διὰ τόνδε τὸν ἄνδρʼ.
But we must open the sacred, auspicious mouth of the divine Muse. Fall back, clear the way, step aside, make room! Fly around the blessed man with blessed fortune. Oh, oh, the youthfulness, the beauty! O blessed in the marriage you have made for this city! Great, great fortunes possess the race of birds because of this man.
ἀλλʼ ὑμεναίοις §1729καὶ νυμφιδίοισι δέχεσθʼ ᾠδαῖς §1730αὐτὸν καὶ τὴν Βασίλειαν. §1731Ἥρᾳ ποτʼ Ὀλυμπίᾳ §1732τῶν ἠλιβάτων θρόνων §1733ἄρχοντα θεοῖς μέγαν §1734Μοῖραι ξυνεκοίμισαν §1735ἐν τοιῷδʼ ὑμεναίῳ. §1736Ὑμὴν ὦ Ὑμέναιʼ ὦ, §1736aὙμὴν ὦ Ὑμέναιʼ ὦ. §1737ὁ δʼ ἀμφιθαλὴς Ἔρως §1738χρυσόπτερος ἡνίας §1739ηὔθυνε παλιντόνους, §1740Ζηνὸς πάροχος γάμων §1741τῆς τʼ εὐδαίμονος Ἥρας. §1742Ὑμὴν ὦ Ὑμέναιʼ ὦ, §1742aὙμὴν ὦ Ὑμέναιʼ ὦ. §1743ἐχάρην ὕμνοις, ἐχάρην ᾠδαῖς· §1744ἄγαμαι δὲ λόγων.
But with wedding and bridal songs receive him and Basileia. To Olympian Hera once, of the lofty thrones, the great ruler of the gods the Fates bedded with such a wedding song. Hymen, O Hymenaeus, O, Hymen, O Hymenaeus, O. And flourishing Eros, golden-winged, the reins guided back, the groom's attendant of the marriage of Zeus and of happy Hera. Hymen, O Hymenaeus, O, Hymen, O Hymenaeus, O. I rejoiced in the hymns, I rejoiced in the songs; and I admire your words.
ἄγε νυν αὐτοῦ §1745καὶ τὰς χθονίας κλῄσατε βροντὰς §1746τάς τε πυρώδεις Διὸς ἀστεροπὰς §1747δεινόν τʼ ἀργῆτα κεραυνόν. §1748ὦ μέγα χρύσεον ἀστεροπῆς φάος, §1749ὦ Διὸς ἄμβροτον ἔγχος πυρφόρον, §1750ὦ χθόνιαι βαρυαχέες §1751ὀμβροφόροι θʼ ἅμα βρονταί, §1752αἷς ὅδε νῦν χθόνα σείει. §1753διὰ σὲ τὰ πάντα κρατήσας §1754καὶ πάρεδρον Βασίλειαν ἔχει Διός. §1754aὙμὴν ὦ Ὑμέναιʼ ὦ. §1755ἔπεσθε νῦν γάμοισιν ὦ §1756φῦλα πάντα συννόμων §1757πτεροφόρʼ ἐπὶ δάπεδον Διὸς §1758καὶ λέχος γαμήλιον. §1759ὄρεξον ὦ μάκαιρα σὴν §1760χεῖρα καὶ πτερῶν ἐμῶν §1761λαβοῦσα συγχόρευσον· αἴρων §1762δὲ κουφιῶ σʼ ἐγώ. §1763ἀλαλαλαὶ ἰὴ παιών, §1764τήνελλα καλλίνικος, ὦ §1765δαιμόνων ὑπέρτατε.
Come now, sing of his earthly thunders and the fiery lightnings of Zeus and the terrible flashing thunderbolt. O great golden light of lightning, O immortal fiery spear of Zeus, O earthly, deep-roaring and rain-bearing thunders, with which he now shakes the earth. Through you having mastered all, he also possesses Basileia, the assessor of Zeus. Hymen, O Hymenaeus, O. Follow now the marriage, O all you tribes of fellow-winged birds, to the floor of Zeus and the marriage bed. Stretch out, O blessed one, your hand, and taking hold of my wings, dance with me; and lifting you up, I will carry you lightly. Alalalai, ie Paion, tenella, victorious one, O highest of deities!