§382χρήσιμον· μάθοι γὰρ ἄν τις κἀπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν σοφόν.
Chorus: Useful; for one might learn something wise even from enemies.
§383οἵδε τῆς ὀργῆς χαλᾶν εἴξασιν.
These guys seem to slacken their anger.
ἄναγʼ ἐπὶ σκέλος.
Fall back in step.
§384καὶ δίκαιόν γʼ ἐστὶ κἀμοὶ δεῖ νέμειν ὑμᾶς χάριν.
Hoopoe: And it is indeed just; and you ought to show gratitude to me as well.
§385ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐδʼ ἄλλο σοί πω πρᾶγμʼ ἐνηντιώμεθα.
Chorus: Indeed, we have never yet opposed you in any other matter.
§386μᾶλλον εἰρήνην ἄγουσι νὴ Δίʼ, ὥστε τὴν χύτραν §387τώ τε τρυβλίω καθίει· §388καὶ τὸ δόρυ χρή, τὸν ὀβελίσκον, §389περιπατεῖν ἔχοντας ἡμᾶς §390τῶν ὅπλων ἐντός, παρʼ αὐτὴν §391τὴν χύτραν ἄκραν ὁρῶντας §392ἐγγύς· ὡς οὐ φευκτέον νῷν.
Pisthetaerus: They are keeping the peace more, by Zeus, so put down the pot and the two bowls; and we must, holding the spear—that is, the spit— walk around inside our weapons, looking closely at the very edge of the pot nearby; for we must not flee.
Euelpides: Truly, if we should die, where in the earth shall we be buried?
§395ὁ Κεραμεικὸς δέξεται νώ.
Pisthetaerus: The Cerameicus will receive us.
§396δημοσίᾳ γὰρ ἵνα ταφῶμεν, §397φήσομεν πρὸς τοὺς στρατηγοὺς §398μαχομένω τοῖς πολεμίοισιν §399ἀποθανεῖν ἐν Ὀρνεαῖς.
For so that we may be buried at public expense, we will tell the generals that we died fighting the enemies at Orneae.
§400ἄναγʼ ἐς τάξιν πάλιν ἐς ταὐτόν, §401καὶ τὸν θυμὸν κατάθου κύψας §402παρὰ τὴν ὀργὴν ὥσπερ ὁπλίτης· §403κἀναπυθώμεθα τούσδε τίνες ποτὲ §404καὶ πόθεν ἔμολον §405† ἐπὶ τίνα τʼ ἐπίνοιαν.
Chorus: Fall back into line again in the same place, and put down your anger, crouching low, alongside your wrath, like a hoplite; and let us inquire of these men who they are and where they came from and with what intention.
† §406ἰὼ ἔποψ σέ τοι καλῶ.
Woe, Hoopoe, indeed I call you!
§407καλεῖς δὲ τοῦ κλύειν θέλων;
Hoopoe: And do you call, wishing to hear what?
§408τίνες ποθʼ οἵδε καὶ πόθεν;
Chorus: Who are these men and where from?
§409ξείνω σοφῆς ἀφʼ Ἑλλάδος.
Hoopoe: Strangers from wise Greece.
Chorus: And what fortune brings them to come to the birds?
Hoopoe: A passion for your life and way of living, and to dwell with you and be with you entirely.
§416τί φῄς;
Chorus: What do you say?
§416aλέγουσι δὴ τίνας λόγους;
What kind of talk do they tell indeed?
§417ἄπιστα καὶ πέρα κλύειν.
Hoopoe: Incredible and beyond hearing.
§418ὁρᾷ τι κέρδος ἐνθάδʼ ἄξιον §419μονῆς, ὅτῳ πέποιθʼ §419aἐμοὶ ξυνὼν §420κρατεῖν ἂν ἢ τὸν ἐχθρὸν ἢ §421φίλοισιν ὠφελεῖν ἔχειν;
Chorus: Does he see any profit here worthy of staying, in which he trusts, by being with me, that he would either conquer his enemy or be able to help his friends?
§422λέγει μέγαν τινʼ ὄλβον οὔτε §423λεκτὸν οὔτε πιστόν· ὡς §424σὰ γὰρ τὰ πάντα ταῦτα καὶ §425τὸ τῇδε καὶ τὸ κεῖσε καὶ §426τὸ δεῦρο προσβιβᾷ λέγων.
Hoopoe: He speaks of some great wealth, neither speakable nor believable; for all these things are yours, and he will win you over by saying that what is here, what is there, and what is everywhere is yours.
§427πότερα μαινόμενος;
Chorus: Is he mad?
§428ἄφατον ὡς φρόνιμος.
Hoopoe: Unutterably wise.
§429ἔνι σοφόν τι φρενί;
Chorus: Is there any wisdom in his mind?
Hoopoe: A most cunning fox, a scheme, a catch, a well-rubbed rogue, a complete trickster.
§432λέγειν λέγειν κέλευέ μοι.
Chorus: Tell him to speak, tell him to speak to me.
For hearing the words which you tell me, I am set a-flutter.
§435ἄγε δὴ σὺ καὶ σὺ τὴν πανοπλίαν μὲν πάλιν §436ταύτην λαβόντε κρεμάσατον τύχἀγαθῇ §437ἐς τὸν ἰπνὸν εἴσω πλησίον τοὐπιστάτου· §438σὺ δὲ τούσδʼ ἐφʼ οἷσπερ τοῖς λόγοις συνέλεξʼ ἐγὼ §439φράσον, δίδαξον.
Hoopoe: Come now, you and you, take this panoply back again and hang it up, with good fortune, inside the kitchen near the pot-stand; and you, tell and teach these birds the words for which I assembled them.
§439bμὰ τὸν Ἀπόλλω ʼγὼ μὲν οὔ, §440ἢν μὴ διάθωνταί γʼ οἵδε διαθήκην ἐμοὶ §441ἥνπερ ὁ πίθηκος τῇ γυναικὶ διέθετο, §441aὁ μαχαιροποιός, μήτε δάκνειν τούτους ἐμὲ §442μήτʼ ὀρχίπεδʼ ἕλκειν μήτʼ ὀρύττειν — §442bοὔτι που §443τόν —;
Pisthetaerus: By Apollo, not I, unless these make a covenant with me such as the monkey—the knife-maker—made with his wife, that they will neither bite me nor drag my testicles nor dig into— Euelpides: Surely not my—?
οὐδαμῶς.
No, by no means.
§443bοὔκ, ἀλλὰ τὠφθαλμὼ λέγω.
Pisthetaerus: No, but I mean my two eyes.
§444διατίθεμαι ʼγώ.
Chorus: I make this covenant.
§444bκατόμοσόν νυν ταῦτά μοι.
Pisthetaerus: Swear this to me now.
Chorus: I swear on these terms, that I may win by the votes of all the judges and all the spectators.
§446bἔσται ταυταγί.
Pisthetaerus: It shall be so.
§447εἰ δὲ παραβαίην, ἑνὶ κριτῇ νικᾶν μόνον.
Chorus: But if I should transgress, to win by only one judge's vote.
§448ἀκούετε λεῴ·
Chorus Leader: Hear, O people!
τοὺς ὁπλίτας νυνμενὶ §449ἀνελομένους θὤπλʼ ἀπιέναι πάλιν οἴκαδε, §450σκοπεῖν δʼ ὅ τι ἂν προγράφωμεν ἐν τοῖς πινακίοις.
Let the hoplites now take up their weapons and go back home, and look to what we post on the notice-boards.
Chorus: Man is indeed always in every way deceitful by nature; but speak to me nevertheless.
§453τάχα γὰρ τύχοις ἂν §454χρηστὸν ἐξειπὼν ὅ τι μοι παρορᾷς, ἢ §455δύναμίν τινα μείζω §456παραλειπομένην ὑπʼ ἐμῆς φρενὸς ἀξυνέτου· §457σὺ δὲ τοῦθʼ οὑρᾷς λέγʼ ἐς κοινόν.
For perhaps you might happen to speak out something useful that I overlook, or some greater power left out by my unintelligent mind; but speak out in public what you see.
For whatever good you happen to provide for me, this shall be shared in common.
§460ἀλλʼ ἐφʼ ὅτῳπερ πράγματι τὴν σὴν ἥκεις γνώμην ἀναπείσας, §461λέγε θαρρήσας· ὡς τὰς σπονδὰς οὐ μὴ πρότεροι παραβῶμεν.
Chorus Leader: But for whatever business you have come after winning over your own mind, speak with confidence; for we shall not be the first to break the truce.
§462καὶ μὴν ὀργῶ νὴ τὸν Δία καὶ προπεφύραται λόγος εἷς μοι, §463ὃν διαμάττειν οὐ κωλύει· φέρε παῖ στέφανον·
Pisthetaerus: Indeed, I am eager, by Zeus, and one speech has already been kneaded, which nothing prevents me from kneading out; bring, boy, a wreath!
καταχεῖσθαι §464κατὰ χειρὸς ὕδωρ φερέτω ταχύ τις.
Let someone bring water to pour over my hands quickly.
§464bδειπνήσειν μέλλομεν;
Euelpides: Are we about to dine?
ἢ τί;
Or what?
§465μὰ Δίʼ ἀλλὰ λέγειν ζητῶ τι πάλαι μέγα καὶ λαρινὸν ἔπος τι, §466ὅ το τὴν τούτων θραύσει ψυχήν· οὕτως ὑμῶν ὑπεραλγῶ, §467οἵτινες ὄντες πρότερον βασιλῆς — §467bἡμεῖς βασιλῆς;
Pisthetaerus: No, by Zeus, but I seek to speak some great and fat word of old, which will break the soul of these birds; for I grieve so deeply for you, who, being formerly kings— Chorus: We kings?
τίνος;
Of what?
§467cὑμεῖς
Pisthetaerus: You.