§581bἀλλʼ ὦ Κρονικαῖς λήμαις ὄντως λημῶντες τὰς φρένας ἄμφω, §582ὁ Ζεὺς δήπου πένεται, καὶ τοῦτʼ ἤδη φανερῶς σε διδάξω.
But, o you two whose minds are truly clogged with Cronian rheum, Zeus is surely poor, and this I will now clearly teach you.
§583εἰ γὰρ ἐπλούτει, πῶς ἂν ποιῶν τὸν Ὀλυμπικὸν αὐτὸς ἀγῶνα §584ἵνα τοὺς Ἕλληνας ἅπαντας ἀεὶ διʼ ἔτους πέμπτου ξυναγείρει, §585ἀνεκήρυττεν τῶν ἀσκητῶν τοὺς νικῶντας στεφανώσας §586κοτίνου στεφάνῳ;
For if he were rich, how is it that when he himself celebrates the Olympic games, where he always gathers all the Greeks every fifth year, he would proclaim the victors of the athletes, having crowned them with a crown of wild olive?
καίτοι χρυσῷ μᾶλλον ἐχρῆν, εἴπερ ἐπλούτει.
And yet he ought rather to have used gold, if indeed he were rich.
§587οὐκοῦν τούτῳ δήπου δηλοῖ τιμῶν τὸν Πλοῦτον ἐκεῖνος· §588φειδόμενος γὰρ καὶ βουλόμενος τούτου μηδὲν δαπανᾶσθαι, §589λήροις ἀναδῶν τοὺς νικῶντας τὸν Πλοῦτον ἐᾷ παρʼ ἑαυτῷ.
Therefore, by this he surely shows that he honors Wealth; for being sparing and wishing to spend nothing of this, crowning the victors with trifles, he leaves Wealth by his side.
§590πολὺ τῆς Πενίας πρᾶγμʼ αἴσχιον ζητεῖς αὐτῷ περιάψαι, §591εἰ πλούσιος ὢν ἀνελεύθερός ἐσθʼ οὑτωσὶ καὶ φιλοκερδής.
You seek to attach to him a matter far more shameful than Poverty, if being rich he is so illiberal and greedy.
§592ἀλλὰ σέ γʼ ὁ Ζεὺς ἐξολέσειεν κοτίνου στεφάνῳ στεφανώσας.
But may Zeus utterly destroy you, having crowned you with a crown of wild olive!
To think that you dare to contradict us, saying that you are not the cause of all good things because of Poverty!
One can learn this from Hecate, whether it is better to be rich or to starve.
φησὶ γὰρ αὕτη §596τοὺς μὲν ἔχοντας καὶ πλουτοῦντας δεῖπνον κατὰ μῆνʼ ἀποπέμπειν, §597τοὺς δὲ πένητας τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἁρπάζειν πρὶν καταθεῖναι.
For she says that those who have and are rich send a dinner every month, but the poor of men snatch it away before it is set down.
But go to ruin and do not mutter even a single word more.
§600οὐ γὰρ πείσεις, οὐδʼ ἢν πείσῃς.
For you will not persuade me, even if you do persuade me.
§601ὦ πόλις Ἄργους, κλύεθʼ οἷα λέγει.
O city of Argos, hear what he says!
§602Παύσωνα κάλει τὸν ξύσσιτον.
Call Pauson, your messmate.
§603τί πάθω τλήμων;
What will become of wretched me?
§604ἔρρʼ ἐς κόρακας θᾶττον ἀφʼ ἡμῶν.
Go to the crows quickly away from us.
§605εἶμι δὲ ποῖ γῆς;
And where on earth shall I go?
To the pillory; but you ought not to delay, but to make haste.
§610τότε νοστήσεις· νῦν δὲ φθείρου.
Then you shall return; but now go to ruin.
For it is better for me to be rich, and to let you weep long upon your head.
§613νὴ Δίʼ ἐγὼ γοῦν ἐθέλω πλουτῶν §614εὐωχεῖσθαι μετὰ τῶν παίδων §615τῆς τε γυναικός, καὶ λουσάμενος §616λιπαρὸς χωρῶν ἐκ βαλανείου §617τῶν χειροτεχνῶν §618καὶ τῆς Πενίας καταπαρδεῖν.
By Zeus, I at least wish, being rich, to feast with my children and my wife, and having washed, coming out sleek from the bathhouse, upon the craftsmen and Poverty to fart.
§619αὕτη μὲν ἡμῖν ἡπίτριπτος οἴχεται.
This cursed woman has gone from us.
But I and you, as quickly as possible, let us lead the god to lie down in the temple of Asclepius.
And let us not delay, lest someone again coming along should prevent us from doing something of importance.
§624παῖ Καρίων τὰ στρώματʼ ἐκφέρειν σʼ ἐχρῆν §625αὐτόν τʼ ἄγειν τὸν Πλοῦτον, ὡς νομίζεται, §626καὶ τἄλλʼ ὅσʼ ἐστὶν ἔνδον ηὐτρεπισμένα.
Boy, Carion, you ought to bring out the bedding, and lead Plutus himself, as is customary, and all the other things that are prepared inside.
§627ὦ πλεῖστα Θησείοις μεμυστιλημένοι §628γέροντες ἄνδρες ἐπʼ ὀλιγίστοις ἀλφίτοις, §629ὡς εὐτυχεῖθʼ, ὡς μακαρίως πεπράγατε, §630ἄλλοι θʼ ὅσοις μέτεστι τοῦ χρηστοῦ τρόπου.
O old men who have spooned up the most at the Theseia for the fewest barley-meals, how fortunate you are, how happily you have fared, and others as many as share in the good character!
§631τί δʼ ἔστιν ὦ βέλτιστε τῶν σαυτοῦ φίλων;
What is it, o best of your friends?
§632φαίνει γὰρ ἥκειν ἄγγελος χρηστοῦ τινος.
For you appear to have come as a messenger of something good.
§633ὁ δεσπότης πέπραγεν εὐτυχέστατα, §634μᾶλλον δʼ ὁ Πλοῦτος αὐτός· ἀντὶ γὰρ τυφλοῦ §635ἐξωμμάτωται καὶ λελάμπρυνται κόρας, §636Ἀσκληπιοῦ παιῶνος εὐμενοῦς τυχών.
The master has fared most fortunately, or rather Plutus himself; for instead of being blind he has been restored to sight and his pupils have been made bright, having met with the kindly healer Asclepius.
§637λέγεις μοι χαράν, λέγεις μοι βοάν.
You tell me joy, you tell me a shout.
§638πάρεστι χαίρειν, ἤν τε βούλησθʼ ἤν τε μή.
It is possible to rejoice, whether you wish to or not.
I will shout aloud for Asclepius, blessed in children and a great light to mortals.
§641τίς ἡ βοή ποτʼ ἐστίν;
What is this shout?
ἆρʼ ἀγγέλλεται §642χρηστόν τι;
Is there announced something good?
τοῦτο γὰρ ποθοῦσʼ ἐγὼ πάλαι §643ἔνδον κάθημαι περιμένουσα τουτονί.
For desiring this long ago I sit inside waiting for this man.
§644ταχέως ταχέως φέρʼ οἶνον ὦ δέσποινʼ, ἵνα §645καὐτὴ πίῃς· φιλεῖς δὲ δρῶσʼ αὐτὸ σφόδρα· §646ὡς ἀγαθὰ συλλήβδην ἅπαντά σοι φέρω.
Quickly, quickly, bring wine, mistress, so that you yourself may drink; and you love doing that very much; since I bring all good things to you in a bundle.
§647καὶ ποῦ στιν;
And where is it?
§647bἐν τοῖς λεγομένοις εἴσει τάχα.
In the things being said you will know quickly.
§648πέραινε τοίνυν ὅ τι λέγεις ἀνύσας ποτέ.
Finish then what you are saying, having done with it at last.
Listen then, how I will tell you the whole story from the feet to the head.
§651μὴ δῆτʼ ἔμοιγʼ ἐς τὴν κεφαλήν.
Not indeed to my head!
§652bμὴ μὲν οὖν τὰ πράγματα.
No indeed, but the stories.
§653ὡς γὰρ τάχιστʼ ἀφικόμεθα πρὸς τὸν θεὸν §654ἄγοντες ἄνδρα τότε μὲν ἀθλιώτατον §655νῦν δʼ εἴ τινʼ ἄλλον μακάριον κεὐδαίμονα, §656πρῶτον μὲν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ θάλατταν ἤγομεν, §657ἔπειτʼ ἐλοῦμεν.
For as soon as we arrived at the god, leading a man then most wretched, but now, if anyone else, blessed and happy, first indeed we led him to the sea, and then we washed him.
By Zeus, he was indeed happy, an old man washed in the cold sea!
§659ἔπειτα πρὸς τὸ τέμενος ᾖμεν τοῦ θεοῦ.
Then we went to the precinct of the god.
§660ἐπεὶ δὲ βωμῷ πόπανα καὶ προθύματα
And when upon the altar cakes and preliminary offerings...