§322πρὶν ἐμπεπρῆσθαι Καλύκην §323τε καὶ Κρίτυλλαν περιφυσήτω §324†ὑπό τε νόμων † ἀργαλέων §325ὑπό τε γερόντων ὀλέθρων.
Leader of Women: Before Calyce and Critylla are burnt, blown upon by painful winds, and by ruinous old men.
§326ἀλλὰ φοβοῦμαι τόδε, μῶν ὑστερόπους βοηθῶ.
But I fear this, whether I bring help too late.
§327νῦν δὴ γὰρ ἐμπλησαμένη τὴν ὑδρίαν κνεφαία §328μόλις ἀπὸ κρήνης ὑπʼ ὄχλου καὶ θορύβου καὶ πατάγου §329χυτρείου, §330δούλαισιν ὠστιζομένη §331στιγματίαις θʼ, ἁρπαλέως §332ἀραμένη ταῖσιν ἐμαῖς §333δημότισιν καομέναις §334φέρουσʼ ὕδωρ βοηθῶ.
For just now, having filled my water jar at dawn scarcely from the spring because of the crowd and noise and clatter of pots, jostled by slave-girls and branded slaves, greedily lifting it, for my fellow-townswomen who are burning, carrying water I bring help.
§335ἤκουσα γὰρ τυφογέροντας §336ἄνδρας ἔρρειν, στελέχη §337φέροντας ὥσπερ βαλανεύσοντας §338ἐς πόλιν ὡς τριτάλαντον βάρος, §339δεινότατʼ ἀπειλοῦντας ἐπῶν §340ὡς πυρὶ χρὴ τὰς μυσαρὰς γυναῖκας ἀνθρακεύειν· §341ἃς ὦ θεὰ μή ποτʼ ἐγὼ πιμπραμένας ἴδοιμι, §342ἀλλὰ πολέμου καὶ μανιῶν ῥυσαμένας Ἑλλάδα καὶ §343πολίτας, §344ἐφʼ οἷσπερ ὦ χρυσολόφα §345πολιοῦχε σὰς ἔσχον ἕδρας.
For I heard that doting old men were on the march, carrying logs as if going to heat a bath, to the citadel, a weight of about three talents, threatening most terrible words, that it is necessary to reduce the foul women to charcoal with fire; whom, O goddess, may I never see being burnt, but rescuing Greece and the citizens from war and madness, for which things, O golden-crested guardian of the city, they held your seats.
§346καί σε καλῶ ξύμμαχον ὦ §347Τριτογένειʼ, εἴ τις ἐκείνας §348ὑποπίμπρησιν ἀνήρ, §349φέρειν ὕδωρ μεθʼ ἡμῶν.
And I call you as an ally, O Tritogeneia, if any man sets fire to them, to carry water along with us.
§350ἔασον ὦ.
Hold on!
τουτὶ τί ἦν;
What was this?
ὦνδρες πόνῳ πόνηροι·
Men, wretched in their villainy!
§351οὐ γάρ ποτʼ ἂν χρηστοί γʼ ἔδρων οὐδʼ εὐσεβεῖς τάδʼ ἄνδρες.
For good and pious men would never do this.
Leader of Old Men: This sight has come unexpected to us to see; behold, this swarm of women again brings help at the doors.
§354τί βδύλλεθʼ ἡμᾶς;
Leader of Women: Why do you shrink from us?
οὔ τί που πολλαὶ δοκοῦμεν εἶναι;
Do we seem to you to be too many?
§355καὶ μὴν μέρος γʼ ἡμῶν ὁρᾶτʼ οὔπω τὸ μυριοστόν.
And yet you do not see even the ten-thousandth part of us.
§356ὦ Φαιδρία ταύτας λαλεῖν ἐάσομεν τοσαυτί;
Old Man: O Phaedrias, shall we let these women babble so much?
§357οὐ περικατᾶξαι τὸ ξύλον τύπτοντʼ ἐχρῆν τινʼ αὐταῖς;
Should not someone have broken his log over them, beating them?
§358θώμεσθα δὴ τὰς κάλπιδας χἠμεῖς χαμᾶζʼ, ὅπως ἂν §359ἢν προσφέρῃ τὴν χεῖρά τις μὴ τοῦτό μʼ ἐμποδίζῃ.
Leader of Women: Let us set our water jars down on the ground, so that if anyone raises his hand, this may not hinder me.
§360εἰ νὴ Δίʼ ἤδη τὰς γνάθους τούτων τις ἢ δὶς ἢ τρὶς §361ἔκοψεν ὥσπερ Βουπάλου, φωνὴν ἂν οὐκ ἂν εἶχον.
Old Man: By Zeus, if someone had already punched their jaws two or three times, like Boupalus's, they would not have a voice.
§362καὶ μὴν ἰδοὺ παταξάτω τις·
Leader of Women: And indeed, look, let someone strike!
στᾶσʼ ἐγὼ παρέξω, §363κοὐ μή ποτʼ ἄλλη σου κύων τῶν ὄρχεων λάβηται.
Standing here I will offer myself, and no other dog will ever grab your testicles.
§364εἰ μὴ σιωπήσει, θενών σου ʼκκοκκιῶ τὸ γῆρας.
Old Man: If you do not shut up, I will thrash you and knock the old age out of you.
§365ἅψαι μόνον Στρατυλλίδος τῷ δακτύλῳ προσελθών.
Leader of Women: Just touch Stratyllis with your finger, if you dare come near!
§366τί δʼ ἢν σποδῶ τοῖς κονδύλοις;
Old Man: And what if I beat you with my fists?
τί μʼ ἐργάσει τὸ δεινόν;
What terrible thing will you do to me?
§367βρύκουσά σου τοὺς πλεύμονας καὶ τἄντερʼ ἐξαμήσω.
Leader of Women: I will bite your lungs and tear out your guts.
Leader of Old Men: There is no poet wiser than Euripides; for there is no creature so shameless as women.
§370αἰρώμεθʼ ἡμεῖς θοὔδατος τὴν κάλπιν ὦ Ῥοδίππη.
Leader of Women: Let us lift our water jar, Rhodippe.
§371τί δʼ ὦ θεοῖς ἐχθρὰ σὺ δεῦρʼ ὕδωρ ἔχουσʼ ἀφίκου;
Old Man: And why, O hated by the gods, have you come here carrying water?
§372τί δαὶ σὺ πῦρ ὦ τύμβʼ ἔχων;
Leader of Women: And why do you carry fire, O tomb?
ὡς σαυτὸν ἐμπυρεύσων;
To cremate yourself?
§373ἐγὼ μὲν ἵνα νήσας πυρὰν τὰς σὰς φίλας ὑφάψω.
Old Man: I, indeed, so that having piled a pyre I may set fire to your friends.
§374ἐγὼ δέ γʼ ἵνα τὴν σὴν πυρὰν τούτῳ κατασβέσαιμι.
Leader of Women: And I, indeed, so that I may extinguish your pyre with this.
§375τοὐμὸν σὺ πῦρ κατασβέσεις;
Old Man: You extinguish my fire?
§375bτοὔργον τάχʼ αὐτὸ δείξει.
Leader of Women: The deed itself will soon show.
§376οὐκ οἶδά σʼ εἰ τῇδʼ ὡς ἔχω τῇ λαμπάδι σταθεύσω.
Old Man: I don't know if I should roast you with this torch I have.
§377εἰ ῥύμμα τυγχάνεις ἔχων, λουτρόν γʼ ἐγὼ παρέξω.
Leader of Women: If you happen to have soap, I will provide a bath.
§378ἐμοὶ σὺ λουτρὸν ὦ σαπρά;
Old Man: You provide a bath for me, O rotten woman?
§378bκαὶ ταῦτα νυμφικόν γε.
Leader of Women: And a bridal one, indeed!
§379ἤκουσας αὐτῆς τοῦ θράσους;
Old Man: Did you hear her boldness?
§379bἐλευθέρα γάρ εἰμι.
Leader of Women: For I am free.
§380σχήσω σʼ ἐγὼ τῆς νῦν βοῆς.
Old Man: I will stop you from your shouting now.
§380bἀλλʼ οὐκέθʼ ἡλιάζει.
Leader of Women: But you shall no longer sit on the jury.
§381ἔμπρησον αὐτῆς τὰς κόμας.
Old Man: Set fire to her hair!
§381bσὸν ἔργον ὦχελῷε.
Leader of Women: Your job, O Achelous!
§382οἴμοι τάλας.
Old Man: Ah, wretched me!
§382bμῶν θερμὸν ἦν;
Leader of Women: Was it hot, by any chance?
§383ποῖ θερμόν;
Old Man: What do you mean, hot?
οὐ παύσει;
Stop!
τί δρᾷς;
What are you doing?
§384ἄρδω σʼ ὅπως ἂν βλαστάνῃς.
Leader of Women: I am watering you so that you may blossom.
§385ἀλλʼ αὖός εἰμʼ ἤδη τρέμων.
Old Man: But I am already dry, shivering!
§386οὐκοῦν ἐπειδὴ πῦρ ἔχεις, σὺ χλιανεῖς σεαυτόν.
Leader of Women: Well, since you have fire, you can warm yourself.
§387ἆρʼ ἐξέλαμψε τῶν γυναικῶν ἡ τρυφὴ §388χὠ τυμπανισμὸς χοἰ πυκνοὶ Σαβάζιοι, §389ὅ τʼ Ἀδωνιασμὸς οὗτος οὑπὶ τῶν τεγῶν, §390οὗ ʼγώ ποτʼ ὢν ἤκουον ἐν τἠκκλησίᾳ;
Magistrate: Has the luxury of the women flared up, and their drumming, and their frequent Sabazian rites, and this mourning for Adonis on the rooftops, which I once heard when I was in the Assembly?
§391ἔλεγε δʼ ὁ μὴ ὥρασι μὲν Δημόστρατος §392πλεῖν ἐς Σικελίαν, ἡ γυνὴ δʼ ὀρχουμένη §393αἰαῖ Ἄδωνιν
φησίν, ὁ δὲ Δημόστρατος §394ἔλεγεν ὁπλίτας καταλέγειν Ζακυνθίων· §395ἡ δʼ ὑποπεπωκυῖʼ ἡ γυνὴ ʼπὶ τοῦ τέγους §396κόπτεσθʼ Ἄδωνιν
φησίν· ὁ δʼ ἐβιάζετο §397ὁ θεοῖσιν ἐχθρὸς καὶ μιαρὸς Χολοζύγης.
Demostratus—whom ill fortune take—was saying that we must sail to Sicily, while his wife, dancing, was crying "Alas, Adonis!" and Demostratus was saying we must enlist hoplites of the Zakynthians; while she, the woman, having drunk a bit, on the roof was crying "Beat your breasts for Adonis!" but he forced it through, that god-hated and abominable Cholozyges.
§398τοιαῦτʼ ἀπʼ αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἀκόλαστʼ ᾄσματα.
Such are the wanton songs that come from them.
§399τί δῆτʼ ἂν εἰ πύθοιο καὶ τὴν τῶνδʼ ὕβριν;
Leader of Old Men: What then would you say if you also heard of their outrage?