The Birds. Aristophanes

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СКАЧАТЬ boughs were used in sacrifices, and the founding of every colony was started by a sacrifice.

      PISTHETAERUS Here! look!

      EUELPIDES What's the matter?

      PISTHETAERUS Why, the crow has been pointing me to something up there for some time now.

      EUELPIDES And the jay is also opening its beak and craning its neck to show me I know not what. Clearly, there are some birds about here. We shall soon know, if we kick up a noise to start them.

      PISTHETAERUS Do you know what to do? Knock your leg against this rock.

      EUELPIDES And you your head to double the noise.

      PISTHETAERUS Well then use a stone instead; take one and hammer with it.

      EUELPIDES Good idea! Ho there, within! Slave! slave!

      PISTHETAERUS What's that, friend! You say, "slave," to summon Epops! It would be much better to shout, "Epops, Epops!"

      EUELPIDES Well then, Epops! Must I knock again? Epops!

      TROCHILUS Who's there? Who calls my master?

      PISTHETAERUS Apollo the Deliverer! what an enormous beak!(1)

      f(1) The actors wore masks made to resemble the birds they were supposed to represent.

      TROCHILUS Good god! they are bird-catchers.

      EUELPIDES The mere sight of him petrifies me with terror. What a horrible monster.

      TROCHILUS Woe to you!

      EUELPIDES But we are not men.

      TROCHILUS What are you, then?

      EUELPIDES I am the Fearling, an African bird.

      TROCHILUS You talk nonsense.

      EUELPIDES Well, then, just ask it of my feet.(1)

      f(1) Fear had had disastrous effects upon Euelpides' internal economy, and this his feet evidenced.

      TROCHILUS And this other one, what bird is it?

      PISTHETAERUS I? I am a Cackling,(1) from the land of the pheasants.

      f(1) The same mishap had occurred to Pisthetaerus.

      EUELPIDES But you yourself, in the name of the gods! what animal are you?

      TROCHILUS Why, I am a slave-bird.

      EUELPIDES Why, have you been conquered by a cock?

      TROCHILUS No, but when my master was turned into a peewit, he begged me to become a bird too, to follow and to serve him.

      EUELPIDES Does a bird need a servant, then?

      TROCHILUS 'Tis no doubt because he was a man. At times he wants to eat a dish of loach from Phalerum; I seize my dish and fly to fetch him some. Again he wants some pea-soup; I seize a ladle and a pot and run to get it.

      EUELPIDES This is, then, truly a running-bird.(1) Come, Trochilus, do us the kindness to call your master.

      f(1) The Greek word for a wren is derived from the same root as 'to run.'

      TROCHILUS Why, he has just fallen asleep after a feed of myrtle-berries and a few grubs.

      EUELPIDES Never mind; wake him up.

      TROCHILUS I an certain he will be angry. However, I will wake him to please you.

      PISTHETAERUS You cursed brute! why, I am almost dead with terror!

      EUELPIDES Oh! my god! 'twas sheer fear that made me lose my jay.

      PISTHETAERUS Ah! you great coward! were you so frightened that you let go your jay?

      EUELPIDES And did you not lose your crow, when you fell sprawling on the ground? Pray tell me that.

      PISTHETAERUS No, no.

      EUELPIDES Where is it, then?

      PISTHETAERUS It has flown away.

      EUELPIDES Then you did not let it go? Oh! you brave fellow!

      EPOPS Open the forest,(1) that I may go out!

      f(1) No doubt there was some scenery to represent a forest. Besides, there is a pun intended. The words answering for 'forests' and 'door' in Greek only differ slightly in sound.

      EUELPIDES By Heracles! what a creature! what plumage! What means this triple crest?

      EPOPS Who wants me?

      EUELPIDES The twelve great gods have used you ill, meseems.

      EPOPS Are you chaffing me about my feathers? I have been a man, strangers.

      EUELPIDES 'Tis not you we are jeering at.

      EPOPS At what, then?

      EUELPIDES Why, 'tis your beak that looks so odd to us.

      EPOPS This is how Sophocles outrages me in his tragedies. Know, I once was Tereus.(1)

      f(1) Sophocles had written a tragedy about Tereus, in which, no doubt, the king finally appears as a hoopoe.

      EUELPIDES You were Tereus, and what are you now? a bird or a peacock?(1)

      f(1) (O)ne would expect the question to be "bird or man."—Are you a peacock? The hoopoe resembles the peacock inasmuch as both have crests.

      EPOPS I am a bird.

      EUELPIDES Then where are your feathers? For I don't see them.

      EPOPS They have fallen off.

      EUELPIDES Through illness?

      EPOPS No. All birds moult their feathers, you know, every winter, and others grow in their place. But tell me, who are you?

      EUELPIDES We? We are mortals.

      EPOPS From what country?

      EUELPIDES From the land of the beautiful galleys.(1)

      f(1) Athens.

      EPOPS Are you dicasts?(1)

      f(1) The Athenians were madly addicted to lawsuits. (See 'The Wasps.')

      EUELPIDES No, if anything, we are anti-dicasts.

      EPOPS Is that kind of seed sown among you?(1)

      f(1) As much as to say, 'Then you have such things as anti-dicasts?' And Euelpides practically replaces, 'Very few.'

      EUELPIDES You have to look СКАЧАТЬ