§0Ὠκύπους Ποδαλειρίου καὶ Ἀστασίας υἱὸς ἐγένετο, κάλλει καὶ δυνάμει διαφέρων, γυμνασίων τε καὶ κυνηγεσίων μὴ ἀμελῶν.
Ocypus was born the son of Podalirius and Astasia, excelling in beauty and strength, not neglecting gymnastics and hunting.
πολλάκις δὲ θεωρῶν τοὺς ἐχομένους ὑπὸ τῆς ἀτέγκτου Ποδάγρας κατεγέλα φάσκων μηδὲν ὅλως εἶναι τὸ πάθος.
Often beholding those seized by the relentless Podagra, he mocked them, claiming that the suffering was absolutely nothing.
ἡ θεὸς τοίνυν ἀγανακτεῖ καὶ διὰ ποδῶν εἰστρέχει.
Therefore, the goddess grew angry and ran in through his feet.
τοῦ δ’ εὐτόνως φέροντος καὶ ἀρνουμένου, ὕπτιον ὅλως τίθησιν ἡ θεός.
While he bore it resolutely and denied it, the goddess laid him completely flat on his back.
ἡ μὲν σκηνὴ τοῦ δράματος ὑπόκειται ἐν Θήβαις· ὁ δὲ χορὸς συνέστηκεν ἐξ ἐπιχωρίων ποδαγρῶν.
The scene of the drama is set in Thebes; and the chorus consists of local gout patients.
συνελεγχόντων τὸν Ὠκύπουν.
They refute Ocypus.
τὸ δὲ δρᾶμα τῶν πάνυ ἀστείων.
The drama is of the very witty kind.
τὰ τοῦ δράματος πρόσωπα Ποδάγρα. Ὠκύπους, Τροφεύς, Ἰατρός, Πόνος, Ἄγγελος.
The characters of the drama are: Podagra, Ocypus, Tropheus, Iatros, Ponos, Angelos.
προλογίζει δὲ ἡ Ποδάγρα.
Podagra speaks the prologue.
§1Δεινὴ μὲν ἐν βροτοῖσι καὶ δυσώνυμος §2Ποδάγρα κέκλημαι, δεινὸν ἀνθρώποις πάθος, §3δεσμῶ δὲ νευρίνοισι τοὺς πόδας βρόχοις, §4ἄρθροισιν εἰσδραμοῦσα μὴ νοουμένη.
Terrible indeed among mortals and of ill name, I am called Podagra, a dreadful suffering for men, and I bind their feet with loops of sinew, running into the joints without being noticed.
§5γελῶ δὲ τοὺς πληγέντας ὑπ’ ἐμοῦ * * §6καὶ μὴ λέγοντας ἀτρεκῆ τῆς συμφορᾶς, §7ἀλλ’ εἰς ματαίαν πρόφασιν ἐξησκημένους.
And I laugh at those struck by me * * and who do not speak the truth of their misfortune, but are well-practiced in vain excuses.
§8ἅπας γὰρ αὑτὸν βουκολεῖ ψευδοστομῶν, §9ὡς ἐνσεσεικὼς ἢ προκόψας ποι βάσιν §10λέγει φίλοισι, μὴ φράσας τὴν αἰτίαν·
For everyone deceives himself with false speech, saying to his friends that he has somehow wrenched his foot or stumbled, not telling the true cause.
For what he does not say, thinking to escape notice, creeping time reveals, even if he does not wish it.
And then, subdued, having named my name, he is carried high as a laughingstock for all his friends.
And Ponos is my co-worker in evils; for I am nothing alone without him.
§17τοῦτ’ οὖν δάκνει μὲ καὶ φρενῶν καθάπτεται, §18ὅτι τὸν ἅπασιν αἴτιον Πόνον κακῶν §19οὐδεὶς κακούργοις λοιδορεῖ βλασφημίαις, §20ἀλλὰ κατ’ ἐμοῦ πέμπουσι δυσφήμους ἀρὰς §21ὡς δεσμὸν ἐλπίζοντες ἐκφυγεῖν ἐμόν.
This, then, bites me and touches my heart, that Ponos, who is the cause of evils to all, no one abuses with wicked insults, but against me they send ill-omened curses, hoping thus to escape my bond.
Why do I babble these things and not say for what sake I am present, unable to bear my anger?
For the noble in guile, the bold Ocypus, is arrogant against us, saying that I am nothing.
§26ἐγὼ δ’ ὑπ’ ὀργῆς ὡς γυνὴ δεδηγμένη §27ἀντέδακα τοῦτον ἀθεράπευτον εὐστόχως, §28ὡς ἦν ἔθος μοι κονδύλου ποδὸς τυχεῖν.
But I, bitten by anger like a woman, bit him back incurably and with good aim, as it was my habit to hit the ankle of the foot.
And now terrible Ponos occupies the tender place and pierces the lower sole with stabs.
But he, as if having hurt his foot in running or wrestling, deceives his wretched old tutor.
And setting down a stealthily limping, searching foot, the miserable youth himself comes forth from the house.
Whence has this terrible pain of the feet arrived, uninjured, impassable, unstable?
§37τείνει δὲ νεῦρον οἷα τοξότης ἀνὴρ §38βέλος προπέμπων καὶ στένειν βιάζεται· §39τὸ τῶν πονούντων ἔσχατον στοιχεῖ χρόνῳ.
It stretches the tendon like an archer sending forth an arrow, and forces him to groan; this extreme of those in pain follows in time.
§40Ἔπαιρε σαυτόν, ὦ τέκνον, καὶ κούφισον.
Raise yourself, my child, and lighten your weight.
§41μή πῶς με πίπτων καταβάλῃς σὺ χωλὸς ὦν.
Lest somehow falling, you throw me down, since you are lame.
§42Ἰδού, κρατῶ σε δίχα βάρους καὶ πείθομαι §43καὶ τὸν πονοῦντα πόδα τιθῶ καὶ καρτερῶ· §44νεωτέρῳ γὰρ αἶσχος ἐν παισὶν ἀεὶ §45ὑπηρέτης ἀδύνατος γογγύζων γέρων.
Behold, I hold you without weight and I obey, and I place my painful foot and endure; for it is always a shame for a younger man among boys to have an old, powerless, grumbling servant.
§46Μὴ μὴ σὺ ταῦτα, μωρέ, μή με κερτομει, §47μή μ’ ὡς νέος κόμπαξε, τοῦτ’ εἰδὼς ὅτι §48ἐν ταῖς ἀνάγκαις πᾶς γέρων ἐστὶν νέος.
No, do not say such things, foolish boy, do not mock me, do not boast as a youth, knowing this: in times of necessity, every old man is young.
Obey me as I speak: if I withdraw the ultimate support, I, the old man, stand, but you, the youth, fall to the ground.
§51Σὺ δ’ ἂν σφαλῇς, πέπτωκας ἄπονος ὢν γέρων.
But if you stumble, you fall, being an old man without pain.
For eagerness indeed accompanies old men, but action is no longer vigorous in them.
Why do you play the philosopher with me, and do not say in what way pain has come to the hollow sole of your foot?
Practising in running, so as to make my foot light, I ran and stretched it; and I was joined with pain.
Run again, as someone said who, sitting down, plucks his beard under his armpits.
Well then, while wrestling, wishing to throw a hold, I was struck.
τοῦτο δὴ πίστευέ μοι.
Believe this indeed of me.
What kind of soldier have you become, that wishing to throw a hold you should be struck?
περικυκλεῖς ψευδῆ λόγον.
You spin a false tale.
We too once held the same story, telling the truth to none of our friends.
§66νῦν δ’ εἰσορᾷς ἅπαντας ἐξ. . . . .
But now you see all from...
§67ὁ πόνος δ’ ἑλίξας ἐμμελῶς διαστρέφει.
and pain, winding harmoniously, twists you.
Whither, whither shall I find the famous Ocypus, friends, with his foot in pain and his step paralyzed?
For, being a physician, I heard from a certain friend that he was suffering terribly from an unstable affliction.
But here he is, close to my eyes, lying flat on his back upon his bed.
I greet you by the gods, and what is this suffering of yours?
λέξον, Ὠκύπου, τάχ’, ὡς μάθω
Speak, Ocypus, quickly, so that I may learn.
For if I should learn, perhaps indeed I shall heal the terrible pain, the misfortune of your affliction.