§587bλέγε δή μοι τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἕν.
Euelpides: Come then, tell me one of those good things.
§588πρῶτα μὲν αὐτῶν τὰς οἰνάνθας οἱ πάρνοπες οὐ κατέδονται, §589ἀλλὰ γλαυκῶν λόχος εἷς αὐτοὺς καὶ κερχνῄδων ἐπιτρίψει.
Pisthetaerus: First of all, the locusts will not eat up their vine-buds, but a single squadron of owls and kestrels will wipe them out.
§590εἶθʼ οἱ κνῖπες καὶ ψῆνες ἀεὶ τὰς συκᾶς οὐ κατέδονται, §591ἀλλʼ ἀναλέξει πάντας καθαρῶς αὐτοὺς ἀγέλη μία κιχλῶν.
Then, the gall-insects and fig-wasps will not always eat up the fig-trees, but a single flock of thrushes will pick them all clean.
§592πλουτεῖν δὲ πόθεν δώσομεν αὐτοῖς;
Euelpides: But how shall we give them wealth?
καὶ γὰρ τούτου σφόδρʼ ἐρῶσιν.
For they desire this very strongly.
§593τὰ μέταλλʼ αὐτοῖς μαντευομένοις οὗτοι δώσουσι τὰ χρηστά, §594τάς τʼ ἐμπορίας τὰς κερδαλέας πρὸς τὸν μάντιν κατεροῦσιν, §595ὥστʼ ἀπολεῖται τῶν ναυκλήρων οὐδείς.
Pisthetaerus: These birds will point out the rich mines to them when they consult them, and they will tell the prophet of lucrative trading-voyages, so that none of the shipowners will perish.
§595bπῶς οὐκ ἀπολεῖται;
Euelpides: How will they not perish?
§596προερεῖ τις ἀεὶ τῶν ὀρνίθων μαντευομένῳ περὶ τοῦ πλοῦ· §597νυνὶ μὴ πλεῖ, χειμὼν ἔσται· νυνὶ πλεῖ, κέρδος ἐπέσται. §598γαῦλον κτῶμαι καὶ ναυκληρῶ, κοὐκ ἂν μείναιμι παρʼ ὑμῖν.
Pisthetaerus: One of the birds will always predict to the inquirer about the voyage: 'Do not sail now, there will be a storm,' or 'Sail now, profit will follow.' Euelpides: I'll buy a merchant-ship and be a shipowner, and I wouldn't stay with you!
Pisthetaerus: And they will point out to them the treasures of silver which the men of old laid down; for these birds know.
οὗτοι γὰρ ἴσασι· λέγουσι δέ τοι τάδε πάντες, §601οὐδεὶς οἶδεν τὸν θησαυρὸν τὸν ἐμὸν πλὴν εἴ τις ἄρʼ ὄρνις. §602πωλῶ γαῦλον, κτῶμαι σμινύην, καὶ τὰς ὑδρίας ἀνορύττω.
Indeed, everyone says: 'No one knows of my treasure, unless perhaps some bird does.' Euelpides: I'll sell my merchant-ship, buy a mattock, and dig up the water-jars!
§603πῶς δʼ ὑγιείαν δώσουσʼ αὐτοῖς, οὖσαν παρὰ τοῖσι θεοῖσιν;
Chorus: But how will they give them health, which is with the gods?
§604ἢν εὖ πράττωσʼ, οὐχ ὑγιεία μεγάλη τοῦτʼ ἐστί;
Pisthetaerus: If they fare well, is that not great health?
σάφʼ ἴσθι, §605ὡς ἄνθρωπός γε κακῶς πράττων ἀτεχνῶς οὐδεὶς ὑγιαίνει.
Know for certain that absolutely no human who fares badly is healthy.
§606πῶς δʼ ἐς γῆράς ποτʼ ἀφίξονται;
Chorus: But how will they ever reach old age?
καὶ γὰρ τοῦτʼ ἔστʼ ἐν Ὀλύμπῳ·
For this too is on Olympus.
§607ἢ παιδάριʼ ὄντʼ ἀποθνῄσκειν δεῖ;
Or must they die while still little children?
§607bμὰ Δίʼ ἀλλὰ τριακόσιʼ αὐτοῖς
Pisthetaerus: By Zeus, no!
§608ἔτι προσθήσουσʼ ὄρνιθες ἔτη.
Instead, the birds will add three hundred more years to them.
§608bπαρὰ τοῦ;
Chorus: From whom?
§608cπαρʼ ὅτου;
Pisthetaerus: From whom?
παρʼ ἑαυτῶν.
From themselves.
§609οὐκ οἶσθʼ ὅτι πέντʼ ἀνδρῶν γενεὰς ζώει λακέρυζα κορώνη;
Don't you know that the cawing crow lives five generations of men?
§610αἰβοῖ πολλῷ κρείττους οὗτοι τοῦ Διὸς ἡμῖν βασιλεύειν.
Euelpides: Good grief! These are much better to rule over us than Zeus.
§611οὐ γὰρ πολλῷ;
Chorus: Of course much better!
§612πρῶτον μέν γʼ οὐχὶ νεὼς ἡμᾶς §613οἰκοδομεῖν δεῖ λιθίνους αὐτοῖς, §614οὐδὲ θυρῶσαι χρυσαῖσι θύραις, §615ἀλλʼ ὑπὸ θάμνοις καὶ πρινιδίοις §616οἰκήσουσιν.
First of all, we do not need to build stone temples for them, nor to furnish them with golden doors, but they will dwell under bushes and small holm-oaks.
And for the stately birds, an olive tree will be their temple.
κοὐκ ἐς Δελφοὺς §619οὐδʼ εἰς Ἄμμωνʼ ἐλθόντες ἐκεῖ §620θύσομεν, ἀλλʼ ἐν ταῖσιν κομάροις §621καὶ τοῖς κοτίνοις στάντες ἔχοντες §622κριθὰς πυροὺς εὐξόμεθʼ αὐτοῖς §623ἀνατείνοντες τὼ χεῖρʼ ἀγαθῶν §624διδόναι τι μέρος· καὶ ταῦθʼ ἡμῖν §625παραχρῆμʼ ἔσται §626πυροὺς ὀλίγους προβαλοῦσιν.
We shall not go to Delphi or to Ammon and sacrifice there, but standing among the arbutus-shrubs and wild olives, holding barley and wheat, we shall pray to them, stretching up our two hands, to give us some share of good things; and these things will be ours immediately, on our throwing them a little wheat.
§627ὦ φίλτατʼ ἐμοὶ πολὺ πρεσβυτῶν ἐξ ἐχθίστου μεταπίπτων, §628οὐκ ἔστιν ὅπως ἂν ἐγώ ποθʼ ἑκὼν τῆς σῆς γνώμης ἔτʼ ἀφείμην.
O dearest of old men, who have changed from the most hated to me, there is no way that I would ever willingly let go of your plan.
§629ἐπαυχήσας δὲ τοῖσι σοῖς λόγοις §630ἐπηπείλησα καὶ κατώμοσα, §631ἢν σὺ παρʼ ἐμὲ θέμενος §632ὁμόφρονας λόγους δικαίους §633ἀδόλους ὁσίους §634ἐπὶ θεοὺς ἴῃς, ἐμοὶ §635φρονῶν ξυνῳδά, μὴ πολὺν χρόνον §636θεοὺς ἔτι σκῆπτρα τἀμὰ τρίψειν.
Exulting in your words, I threatened and swore an oath: if you, taking your stand beside me with shared thoughts—just, guileless, and holy—go against the gods, thinking in harmony with me, the gods will not wear away my scepter for much longer.
§637ἀλλʼ ὅσα μὲν δεῖ ῥώμῃ πράττειν, ἐπὶ ταῦτα τεταξόμεθʼ ἡμεῖς· §638ὅσα δὲ γνώμῃ δεῖ βουλεύειν, ἐπὶ σοὶ τάδε πάντʼ ἀνάκειται.
But as for whatever must be done by strength, we shall be arrayed for that; but as for whatever must be planned by wisdom, all this depends on you.
§639καὶ μὴν μὰ τὸν Δίʼ οὐχὶ νυστάζειν ἔτι §640ὥρα ʼστὶν ἡμῖν οὐδὲ μελλονικιᾶν, §641ἀλλʼ ὡς τάχιστα δεῖ τι δρᾶν·
Leader: And indeed, by Zeus, it is no longer time for us to doze or to delay like Nicias, but we must act as quickly as possible.
πρῶτον δέ γε §641aεἰσέλθετʼ ἐς νεοττιάν γε τὴν ἐμὴν §642καὶ τἀμὰ κάρφη καὶ τὰ παρόντα φρύγανα, §643καὶ τοὔνομʼ ἡμῖν φράσατον.
First of all, enter into my nest, my twigs and the firewood here, and tell us your names.
§643bἀλλὰ ῥᾴδιον.
Pisthetaerus: That is easy.
My name is Pisthetaerus, and this one here is Euelpides of Crioa.
§646bδεχόμεθα.
Pisthetaerus: We accept your welcome.
§646cδεῦρο τοίνυν εἴσιτον.
Leader: Come in here then.
§647ἴωμεν· εἰσηγοῦ σὺ λαβὼν ἡμᾶς.
Pisthetaerus: Let us go; do you lead us in and guide us.
§647bἴθι.
Leader: Come on.
§648ἀτὰρ τὸ δεῖνα, δεῦρʼ ἐπανάκρουσαι πάλιν.
Pisthetaerus: But, wait a moment, turn back here again.
Let me see, tell us, how will he and I live with you who fly, since we cannot fly?
§651καλῶς.
Leader: No problem.
§651bὅρα νυν, ὡς ἐν Αἰσώπου λόγοις §652ἐστὶν λεγόμενον δή τι, τὴν ἀλώπεχʼ, ὡς §653φλαύρως ἐκοινώνησεν αἰετῷ ποτέ.
See now, there is a story told in Aesop's fables about the fox, how badly she shared a partnership with the eagle once.
Fear nothing; for there is a certain little root, which on chewing, you two will become winged.
§656οὕτω μὲν εἰσίωμεν.
Pisthetaerus: In that case let us enter.
ἄγε δὴ Ξανθία §657καὶ Μανόδωρε λαμβάνετε τὰ στρώματα.
Come then, Xanthias and Manodorus, take up the bedding.
§658οὗτος σὲ καλῶ, σὲ λέγω.
Hey, I am calling you, yes you.
§658bτί καλεῖς;
Leader: Whom are you calling?
§658cτούτους μὲν ἄγων μετὰ σαυτοῦ
Pisthetaerus: Bring these slaves along with you...