(CHORUS) and who has composed the most beautiful songs of any up to the present.
§1257θαυμάζω γὰρ ἔγωγʼ ὅπῃ §1258μέμψεταί ποτε τοῦτον §1259τὸν Βακχεῖον ἄνακτα, §1260καὶ δέδοιχʼ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ.
For I wonder indeed in what way he will ever find fault with this Bacchic king, and I fear for him.
§1261πάνυ γε μέλη θαυμαστά·
(EURIPIDES) Very wondrous songs indeed!
δείξει δὴ τάχα. §1262εἰς ἓν γὰρ αὐτοῦ πάντα τὰ μέλη ξυντεμῶ.
He will show us soon enough; for I will cut down all his songs into one.
§1263καὶ μὴν λογιοῦμαι ταῦτα τῶν ψήφων λαβών·
(DIONYSUS) And indeed I will count them, taking these pebbles.
§1264Φθιῶτʼ Ἀχιλλεῦ, τί ποτʼ ἀνδροδάικτον ἀκούων §1265ἰὴ κόπον οὐ πελάθεις ἐπʼ ἀρωγάν; §1266Ἑρμᾶν μὲν πρόγονον τίομεν γένος οἱ περὶ λίμναν. §1267ἰὴ κόπον οὐ πελάθεις ἐπʼ ἀρωγάν; §1268δύο σοὶ κόπω Αἰσχύλε τούτω.
(EURIPIDES) "Phthian Achilles, why, when hearing the man-slaying lamentation, oh, the beating, do you not draw near to bring aid?" "We honor Hermes, our ancestor, we who dwell about the lake." "Oh, the beating, do you not draw near to bring aid?" (DIONYSUS) That is two beatings for you, Aeschylus.
§1270κύδιστʼ Ἀχαιῶν Ἀτρέως πολυκοίρανε μάνθανέ μου παῖ. §1271ἰὴ κόπον οὐ πελάθεις ἐπʼ ἀρωγάν; §1272τρίτος ᾠσχύλε σοὶ κόπος οὗτος.
(EURIPIDES) "Most glorious of the Achaeans, wide-ruling son of Atreus, learn from me, my child." "Oh, the beating, do you not draw near to bring aid?" (DIONYSUS) That is a third beating for you, Aeschylus.
§1274εὐφαμεῖτε· μελισσονόμοι δόμον Ἀρτέμιδος πέλας οἴγειν. §1275ἰὴ κόπον οὐ πελάθεις ἐπʼ ἀρωγάν; §1276κύριός εἰμι θροεῖν ὅδιον κράτος αἴσιον ἀνδρῶν. §1277ἰὴ κόπον οὐ πελάθεις ἐπʼ ἀρωγάν; §1278ὦ Ζεῦ βασιλεῦ τὸ χρῆμα τῶν κόπων ὅσον.
(EURIPIDES) "Keep holy silence; the priestesses of the temple are near to open the house of Artemis." "Oh, the beating, do you not draw near to bring aid?" "I am authorized to sing of the auspicious power of the travelers." "Oh, the beating, do you not draw near to bring aid?" (DIONYSUS) O King Zeus, what a huge pile of beatings!
I indeed want to go to the bath; for my kidneys are swelling from these beatings.
(EURIPIDES) No, not before you hear another group of songs constructed from the citharoedic modes.
§1283ἴθι δὴ πέραινε, καὶ κόπον μὴ προστίθει.
(DIONYSUS) Come then, finish, and do not add another beating.
§1285ὅπως Ἀχαιῶν δίθρονον κράτος, Ἑλλάδος ἥβας, §1286τοφλαττοθρατ τοφλαττοθρατ, §1287Σφίγγα δυσαμεριᾶν πρύτανιν κύνα, πέμπει, §1288τοφλαττοθρατ τοφλαττοθρατ, §1289σὺν δορὶ καὶ χερὶ πράκτορι θούριος ὄρνις, §1290τοφλαττοθρατ τοφλαττοθρατ, §1291κυρεῖν παρασχὼν ἰταμαῖς κυσὶν ἀεροφοίτοις, §1292τοφλαττοθρατ τοφλαττοθρατ, §1293τὸ συγκλινές τʼ ἐπʼ Αἴαντι, §1295τοφλαττοθρατ τοφλαττοθρατ. §1296τί τὸ
φλαττοθρατ
τοῦτʼ ἐστίν;
(EURIPIDES) "How the twin-throned power of the Achaeans, the youth of Hellas, tophlattothrat tophlattothrat, sends the Sphinx, the dog that presides over evil days, tophlattothrat tophlattothrat, with spear and avenging hand, the impetuous bird, tophlattothrat tophlattothrat, giving them to fall in with the fierce dogs that roam the air, tophlattothrat tophlattothrat, and the allied force upon Ajax, tophlattothrat tophlattothrat." (DIONYSUS) What is this 'phlattothrat'?
ἐκ Μαραθῶνος ἢ §1297πόθεν συνέλεξας ἱμονιοστρόφου μέλη;
From Marathon, or where did you gather these songs of a rope-spinner?
§1298ἀλλʼ οὖν ἐγὼ μὲν ἐς τὸ καλὸν ἐκ τοῦ καλοῦ §1299ἤνεγκον αὔθʼ, ἵνα μὴ τὸν αὐτὸν Φρυνίχῳ §1300λειμῶνα Μουσῶν ἱερὸν ὀφθείην δρέπων· §1301οὗτος δʼ ἀπὸ πάντων †μὲν φέρει, πορνιδίων†, §1302σκολίων Μελήτου, Καρικῶν αὐλημάτων, §1303θρήνων, χορειῶν.
(AESCHYLUS) But at all events, I brought them from a beautiful place to a beautiful place, so that I might not be seen reaping the same sacred meadow of the Muses as Phrynichus; but this man brings his songs from all sources: from courtesans' ditties, Meletus' drinking-songs, Carian flute-tunes, laments, and dance-songs.
τάχα δὲ δηλωθήσεται.
It will soon be made clear.
§1304ἐνεγκάτω τις τὸ λύριον.
Let someone bring the little lyre.
καίτοι τί δεῖ §1305λύρας ἐπὶ τούτων;
And yet, what need of a lyre for these?
ποῦ ʼστιν ἡ τοῖς ὀστράκοις §1306αὕτη κροτοῦσα;
Where is she who beats time with the potsherds?
δεῦρο Μοῦσʼ Εὐριπίδου, §1307πρὸς ἥνπερ ἐπιτήδεια ταῦτʼ ᾄδειν μέλη.
Come hither, Muse of Euripides, to whom these songs are fitting to sing.
§1308αὕτη ποθʼ ἡ Μοῦσʼ οὐκ ἐλεσβίαζεν, οὔ.
(DIONYSUS) This Muse was never once a practitioner of Lesbos, no.
§1309ἀλκυόνες, αἳ παρʼ ἀενάοις θαλάσσης §1310κύμασι στωμύλλετε, §1311τέγγουσαι νοτίοις πτερῶν §1312ῥανίσι χρόα δροσιζόμεναι· §1313αἵ θʼ ὑπωρόφιοι κατὰ γωνίας §1314εἱειειειλίσσετε δακτύλοις φάλαγγες §1315ἱστόπονα πηνίσματα, §1316κερκίδος ἀοιδοῦ μελέτας, §1317ἵνʼ ὁ φίλαυλος ἔπαλλε δελφὶς §1318πρῴραις κυανεμβόλοις §1319μαντεῖα καὶ σταδίους, §1320οἰνάνθας γάνος ἀμπέλου, §1321βότρυος ἕλικα παυσίπονον.
(AESCHYLUS) "Halcyons, who by the ever-flowing waves of the sea chatter, wetting the skin with the moist drops of your wings, being bedewed; and you spiders under the roof in the corners, wh-i-i-i-i-nding with your fingers the threads of the loom, the concerns of the singing shuttle, where the flute-loving dolphin leaped by the blue-beaked prows, prophetic races and courses, the joy of the vine's young shoot, the pain-assuaging curl of the grape cluster.
Cast your arms around me, my child." Do you see this foot?
§1323bὁρῶ.
(EURIPIDES) I see it.
§1324τί δαί;
(AESCHYLUS) What about this one?
τοῦτον ὁρᾷς;
Do you see it?
§1324bὁρῶ.
(EURIPIDES) I see it.
§1325τοιαυτὶ μέντοι σὺ ποιῶν §1326τολμᾷς τἀμὰ μέλη ψέγειν, §1327ἀνὰ τὸ δωδεκαμήχανον §1328Κυρήνης μελοποιῶν;
(AESCHYLUS) Yet, though you write such stuff, do you dare to find fault with my songs— you who write songs after the twelve-fold tricks of Cyrene?
So much for these songs of yours; but I wish also to go through the style of your monodies.
§1331ὦ νυκτὸς κελαινοφαὴς §1331aὄρφνα, τίνα μοι §1332δύστανον ὄνειρον §1332aπέμπεις ἐξ ἀφανοῦς, §1333Ἀίδα πρόμολον, §1334ψυχὰν ἄψυχον ἔχοντα, §1335μελαίνας Νυκτὸς παῖδα, §1336φρικώδη δεινὰν ὄψιν, §1336aμελανονεκυείμονα, §1337φόνια φόνια δερκόμενον, §1337aμεγάλους ὄνυχας ἔχοντα.
"O dark-shining darkness of Night, what ill-fated dream do you send me from the unseen, a messenger from Hades, having a soulless soul, a child of black Night, a shuddering, dreadful vision, clad in black shroud, looking slaughter, slaughter, having huge claws?
§1338ἀλλά μοι ἀμφίπολοι λύχνον ἅψατε §1339κάλπισί τʼ ἐκ ποταμῶν δρόσον ἄρατε, θέρμετε δʼ ὕδωρ, §1340ὡς ἂν θεῖον ὄνειρον ἀποκλύσω.
But, my maidservants, light a lamp for me, and lift water from the rivers in pitchers, and warm the water, so that I may wash away the divine dream.
§1340aἰὼ πόντιε δαῖμον,
Oh, sea deity!
§1341τοῦτʼ ἐκεῖνʼ·
This is it!
ἰὼ ξύνοικοι, §1342τάδε τέρα θεάσασθε.
Oh, house-mates, look at these portents.
Glyke has run off, having snatched away my rooster.
§1344Νύμφαι ὀρεσσίγονοι.
O mountain-born Nymphs!
§1345ὦ Μανία ξύλλαβε.
O Mania, help!
§1346ἐγὼ δʼ ἁ τάλαινα προσέχουσʼ ἔτυχον §1347ἐμαυτῆς ἔργοισι, §1348λίνου μεστὸν ἄτρακτον §1349εἱειειειλίσσουσα χεροῖν §1349aκλωστῆρα ποιοῦσʼ, ὅπως §1350κνεφαῖος εἰς ἀγορὰν §1351φέρουσʼ ἀποδοίμαν·
But I, unhappy woman, happened to be intent on my own tasks, wh-i-i-i-i-nding with my hands a spindle full of flax, making a ball of thread, so that carrying it to the market in the twilight, I might sell it.
§1351aὁ δʼ ἀνέπτατʼ ἀνέπτατʼ ἐς αἰθέρα §1352κουφοτάταις πτερύγων ἀκμαῖς· §1353ἐμοὶ δʼ ἄχεʼ ἄχεα κατέλιπε, §1354δάκρυα δάκρυά τʼ ἀπʼ ὀμμάτων §1355ἔβαλον ἔβαλον ἁ τλάμων.
But he flew up, flew up into the ether with the lightest tips of his wings; and to me he left grief, grief, and tears, tears from my eyes I shed, I shed, unhappy woman!