§956πῶς ταυτηνὶ παιδοτροφήσω;
[Cinesias] How am I to raise this child?
§957ποῦ Κυναλώπηξ;
Where is Cynalopex?
§958μίσθωσόν μοι τὴν τίτθην.
Hire me the nurse!
[Chorus] Indeed in a terrible plight, O wretched man, you are worn out in your soul, having been deceived.
§961κἄγωγʼ οἰκτίρω σʼ αἰαῖ.
And I indeed pity you, alas.
§962ποῖος γὰρ ἂν ἢ νέφρος ἀντίσχοι, §963ποία ψυχή, ποῖοι δʼ ὄρχεις, §964ποία δʼ ὀσφῦς, ποῖος δʼ ὄρρος §965κατατεινόμενος §966καὶ μὴ βινῶν τοὺς ὄρθρους;
For what kind of kidney could hold out, what kind of soul, what kind of testicles, what kind of loins, what kind of rump being strained, and not making love in the mornings?
§967ὦ Ζεῦ δεινῶν ἀντισπασμῶν.
[Cinesias] O Zeus, what terrible spasms!
[Chorus] These things indeed to you just now did that utterly abominable and utterly filthy woman.
§970μὰ Δίʼ ἀλλὰ φίλη καὶ παγγλυκερά.
[Cinesias] No, by Zeus, but dear and utterly sweet!
§971ποία γλυκερά;
[Chorus] What sweet?
μιαρὰ μιαρά.
Filthy, filthy!
§972μιαρὰ δῆτʼ ὦ Ζεῦ ὦ Ζεῦ·
[Cinesias] Filthy indeed, O Zeus, O Zeus!
§973εἴθʼ αὐτὴν ὥσπερ τοὺς θωμοὺς §974μεγάλῳ τυφῷ καὶ πρηστῆρι §975ξυστρέψας καὶ ξυγγογγύλας §976οἴχοιο φέρων, εἶτα μεθείης, §977ἡ δὲ φέροιτʼ αὖ πάλιν ἐς τὴν γῆν, §978κᾆτʼ ἐξαίφνης §979περὶ τὴν ψωλὴν περιβαίη.
Would that, like the heaps of corn, by a great whirlwind and hurricane spinning and rolling her up you would carry her off, and then drop her, and she would be carried back again to the earth, and then suddenly fall astride my member!
[Spartan Herald] Where is the senate of the Athenians, or the prytaneis?
λῶ τι μυσίξαι νέον.
I want to report some new news.
§982σὺ δʼ εἶ πότερον ἄνθρωπος ἢ κονίσαλος;
[Magistrate] Are you a man or a cloud of dust?
[Spartan Herald] I am a herald, young man, yes, by the twin gods, I have come from Sparta about the reconciliation.
§985κἄπειτα δόρυ δῆθʼ ὑπὸ μάλης ἥκεις ἔχων;
[Magistrate] And then, have you come with a spear indeed under your arm?
§986οὐ τὸν Δίʼ οὐκ ἐγών γα.
[Spartan Herald] No, by Zeus, not I indeed!
§986bποῖ μεταστρέφει;
[Magistrate] Why do you turn away?
§987τί δὴ προβάλλει τὴν χλαμύδʼ;
Why indeed do you thrust out your cloak?
ἢ βουβωνιᾷς §988ὑπὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ;
Or are you swollen in the groin from the journey?
§989bἀλλʼ ἔστυκας ὦ μιαρώτατε.
[Magistrate] But you have an erection, you most filthy wretch!
§990οὐ τὸν Δίʼ οὐκ ἐγών γα·
[Spartan Herald] No, by Zeus, not I indeed!
μηδʼ αὖ πλαδδίη.
Don't talk nonsense.
§991τί δʼ ἐστί σοι τοδί;
[Magistrate] And what is this thing you have here?
§991bσκυτάλα Λακωνικά.
[Spartan Herald] A Spartan skytale.
§992εἴπερ γε χαὔτη ʼστὶ σκυτάλη Λακωνική.
[Magistrate] Yes, if that indeed is a Spartan skytale!
§993ἀλλʼ ὡς πρὸς εἰδότʼ ἐμὲ σὺ τἀληθῆ λέγε.
But speak the truth to me, as to one who knows.
§994τί τὰ πράγμαθʼ ὑμῖν ἐστι τἀν Λακεδαίμονι;
How are things with you in Lacedaemon?
[Spartan Herald] All Lacedaemon is erect, and the allies are all erect; we need Pellene.
§997ἀπὸ τοῦ δὲ τουτὶ τὸ κακὸν ὑμῖν ἐνέπεσεν;
[Magistrate] And from where did this trouble fall upon you?
§998ἀπὸ Πανός;
From Pan?
§998bοὔκ, ἀλλʼ ἆρχεν οἰῶ Λαμπιτώ, §999ἔπειτα τἄλλαι ταὶ κατὰ Σπάρταν ἅμα §1000γυναῖκες ᾇπερ ἀπὸ μιᾶς ὑσπλαγίδος §1001ἀπήλααν τὼς ἄνδρας ἀπὸ τῶν ὑσσάκων.
[Spartan Herald] No, but Lampito, I think, began it, then the other women in Sparta all together, as if from a single starting-gate, drove the men away from their parts.
§1002πῶς οὖν ἔχετε;
[Magistrate] How then are you doing?
§1002bμογίομες.
[Spartan Herald] We are suffering.
ἂν γὰρ τὰν πόλιν §1003ᾇπερ λυχνοφορίοντες ἐπικεκύφαμες.
For in the city we bend over as if carrying lanterns.
§1004ταὶ γὰρ γυναῖκες οὐδὲ τῶ μύρτω σιγεῖν §1005ἐῶντι, πρίν γʼ ἅπαντες ἐξ ἑνὸς λόγω §1006σπονδὰς ποιησώμεσθα ποττὰν Ἑλλάδα.
For the women do not even let us touch the myrtle berry, until we all, by one agreement, make peace for all Greece.
[Magistrate] This conspiracy indeed has been sworn from all sides by the women; now I understand.
But tell them as quickly as possible about reconciliation, to send plenipotentiary ambassadors here.
And I will tell other ambassadors from here to the Council to be chosen, showing this member of mine.
§1013ποτάομαι· κράτιστα γὰρ παντᾷ λέγεις.
[Spartan Herald] I am flying; for you speak best in every way.
[Men's Chorus] There is no beast more unbeatable than a woman, not even fire, nor is any leopard so shameless.
[Women's Chorus] Knowing this indeed, do you then make war on me, when it is possible, O wretched man, for you to have me as a firm friend?
§1018ὡς ἐγὼ μισῶν γυναῖκας οὐδέποτε παύσομαι.
[Men's Chorus] As for me, I will never stop hating women.
[Women's Chorus] Whenever you wish; but now indeed I will not overlook you being naked like this.
ὁρῶ γὰρ ὡς καταγέλαστος εἶ.
For I see that you are ridiculous.
§1021ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐξωμίδʼ ἐνδύσω σε προσιοῦσʼ ἐγώ.
But coming up, I will put this tunic on you.
§1022τοῦτο μὲν μὰ τὸν Δίʼ οὐ πονηρὸν ἐποιήσατε· §1023ἀλλʼ ὑπʼ ὀργῆς γὰρ πονηρᾶς καὶ τότʼ ἀπέδυν ἐγώ.
[Men's Chorus] This indeed, by Zeus, you did not do badly; but from bad anger, I indeed stripped it off then.
§1024πρῶτα μὲν φαίνει γʼ ἀνήρ, εἶτʼ οὐ καταγέλαστος εἶ.
[Women's Chorus] First, indeed, you appear a man, and then you are not ridiculous.
§1025κεἴ με μὴ ʼλύπεις, ἐγώ σου κἂν τόδε τὸ θηρίον §1026τοὐπὶ τὠφθαλμῷ λαβοῦσʼ ἐξεῖλον ἂν ὃ νῦν ἔνι.
And if you did not vex me, I would have taken this beast in your eye and removed it, which is now in there.
§1027τοῦτʼ ἄρʼ ἦν με τοὐπιτρῖβον, δακτύλιος οὑτοσί· §1028ἐκσκάλευσον αὐτό, κᾆτα δεῖξον ἀφελοῦσά μοι· §1029ὡς τὸν ὀφθαλμόν γέ μου νὴ τὸν Δία πάλαι δάκνει.
[Men's Chorus] This then was what was wearing me out, this ring-like thing; scrape it out, and then show it to me after removing it; for indeed it has been biting my eye for a long time, by Zeus.
§1030ἀλλὰ δράσω ταῦτα· καίτοι δύσκολος ἔφυς ἀνήρ.
[Women's Chorus] Well, I will do this; although you were born a difficult man.
§1031ἦ μέγʼ ὦ Ζεῦ χρῆμʼ ἰδεῖν τῆς ἐμπίδος ἔνεστί σοι.
Indeed, O Zeus, a huge thing of a gnat is in your eye.
§1032οὐχ ὁρᾷς;
Don't you see?
οὐκ ἐμπίς ἐστιν ἥδε Τρικορυσία;
Is this not a Tricorysian gnat?
§1033νὴ Δίʼ ὤνησάς γέ μʼ, ὡς πάλαι γέ μʼ ἐφρεωρύχει, §1034ὥστʼ ἐπειδὴ ʼξῃρέθη, ῥεῖ μου τὸ δάκρυον πολύ.
[Men's Chorus] By Zeus, you have indeed done me a favor, since it has been digging a well in me for a long time, so that now that it is removed, my tears flow abundantly.
[Women's Chorus] But I will wipe you, although you are very wicked, and I will kiss you.
§1036bμὴ φιλήσῃς.
[Men's Chorus] Don't kiss me.
§1036cἤν τε βούλῃ γʼ ἤν τε μή.
[Women's Chorus] Whether you want to or not.