3V 
 II 03 
 
 NRLF 
 
IN MEMORIAM 
 BERNARD MOSES 
 
 " 
 
OPNI0X1N EKAOFAI 
 
 SCENES 
 
 FROM THE 
 
 BIRDS OF ARISTOPHANES 
 
THE TRANSLATION 
 
 ISAAC FLAGG 
 
 BffWAflD 
 
 BERKELEY 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY PRESS 
 1903 
 
THE MASKS. 
 
 PISTHETAERUS IRIS POSEIDON 
 
 EUELP1DES PROMETHEUS HERACLES 
 
 MESSENGERS TRIBALLUS 
 
 CHORUS OF BIRDS 
 
 916834 
 
THE ARGUMENT. 
 
 Two Athenians, PISTHETAERUS (Chickwin) and EUELPIDES (Hopegood), 
 tired of the humdrum life in their native city, choose to migrate and cast in 
 their lot with the birds. By the eloquence of Chickwin the birds have been 
 persuaded to build a city in the air, declare themselves independent of both 
 gods and men, and assert their ancient prerogative of the sovereignty of the 
 universe. While the two men are occupied in the inner sanctuary, whither 
 they have withdrawn to be fledged, the bird-chorus, in the " Parabasis," 
 present their manifesto to the public. 
 
 PARABASIS. 
 
 (Translated by ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBUENE.) 
 
 Come on then ye dwellers by nature in darkness, and like to the 
 
 leaves' generations, 
 That are little of might, that are moulded of mire, unenduring and 
 
 shadow-like nations, 
 Poor plumeless ephemerals, comfortless mortals, as visions of shadows 
 
 fast fleeing. 
 Lift up your mind unto us that are deathless, and dateless the date of 
 
 our being: 
 
Us, children of heaven, ageless for aye, us, all of whose thoughts are 
 
 eternal ; 
 That ye may from henceforth, having heard of us all things aright as 
 
 to matters supernal, 
 Of the being of birds, and beginning of gods, and of streams, and the 
 
 dark beyond reaching, 
 Truthfully knowing aright, in my name bid Prodicus pack with his 
 
 preaching. 
 It was Chaos and Night at the first, and the blackness of darkness, 
 
 and Hell's broad border, 
 Earth was not, nor air, neither heaven ; when in depths of the womb 
 
 of the dark without order 
 First thing first-born of the black -plumed night was a wind -egg 
 
 hatched in- her bosom, 
 Whence timely with seasons revolving again sweet Love burst out as 
 
 a blossom, 
 
 Gold wings gleaming forth of his back, like whirlwinds gustily turning. 
 He, after his wedlock with Chaos, whose wings are of darkness, in 
 
 Hell broad-burning, 
 For his nestlings begat him the race of us first, and upraised us to 
 
 light new -lighted, 
 And before this was not the race of the gods, until all things by Love 
 
 were united: 
 And of kind united with kind in communion of nature the sky and 
 
 the sea are 
 Brought forth, and the earth and the race of the gods everlasting and 
 
 blest. So that we are 
 Far away the most ancient of all things blest. And that we are of 
 
 Love's generation 
 There are manifest manifold signs. We have wings, and with us 
 
 have the Loves habitation; 
 And manifold fair young folk that foreswore love once, ere the bloom 
 
 of them ended, 
 
Have the men that pursued and desired them subdued, by the help of 
 
 us only befriended, 
 With such baits as a quail, a flamingo, a goose, or a cock's comb 
 
 staring and splendid. 
 All best good things that befall men come from us birds, as is plain 
 
 to all reason ; 
 For first we proclaim and make known to them spring, and the winter 
 
 and autumn in season: 
 Bid sow, when the crane starts clanging for Afric, in shrill -voiced 
 
 emigrant number, 
 And calls to the pilot to hang up his rudder again for the season, and 
 
 slumber ; 
 And then weave cloak for Orestes the thief, lest he strip men of theirs 
 
 if it freezes. 
 And again thereafter the kite reappearing announces a change in the 
 
 breezes, 
 And that here is the season for shearing your sheep of their spring 
 
 wool. Then does the swallow 
 Give you notice to sell your greatcoat, and provide something light 
 
 for the heat that's to follow. 
 Thus are we as Ammon or Delphi unto you, Dodona, nay, Phoebus 
 
 Apollo. 
 For, as first ye come all to get auguries of birds, even such is in all 
 
 things your carriage, 
 Be the matter a matter of trade or of earning your bread, or of any 
 
 one's marriage. 
 And all things we lay to the charge of a bird that belongs to discerning 
 
 prediction : 
 "Winged fame is a bird, as you reckon; you sneeze, and the sign 's as 
 
 a bird for conviction : 
 All tokens are 'birds' with you sounds too, and lackeys, and 
 
 donkeys. Then must it not follow 
 That we ARE to you all as the manifest godhead that speaks in 
 
 prophetic Apollo? 
 
In the following scenes and songs, from the latter part of the comedy of 
 the Birds, Aristophanes, while holding constantly to the fanciful dramatic 
 illusion of a winged community and a city in the air, has introduced, after 
 his usual manner, a great many witty allusions of a local and personal 
 character, besides reminiscences and travesties of the famous literature of 
 his time. Such passages cannot, of course, impress the modern reader as 
 forcibly as they must have impressed the contemporaries of the poet in the 
 Dionysiac theatre at Athens ; still less can their effect be adequately 
 conveyed by means of a translation into a modern tongue. 
 
 IBIS, personification of the rainbow, messenger of the gods of Heaven, is 
 a familiar figure to readers of the Iliad of Homer. We can well understand 
 the surprise and indignation manifested by the goddess, when in Scene IV. 
 she is intercepted on her flight down to Earth, informed that she is guilty of 
 trespass, and called upon to show her passport. 
 
 PROMETHEUS, a god of the fallen dynasty of the Titans, sentenced by 
 Zeus, for stealing fire and bestowing it as a gift upon mortals, to be chained 
 to a cliff of Mt. Caucasus and preyed upon eternally by a ravenous vulture, 
 is known to readers of Aeschylus as a type of lofty courage, sublime 
 endurance, and a proudly defiant spirit. As he appears in Scene V. 
 Prometheus has clearly deteriorated in respect to some of the nobler 
 qualities of ihe soul, while his hatred for the gods of the Zeus administra- 
 tion, and his love for men and birds, remain undiminished. 
 
 POSEIDON, god of the sea, and HERACLES, the mighty hero and demi-god, 
 introduced in Scene VI. as ambassadors of Zeus to the birds, are typical, in 
 the comic representation, the former of the elegant Athenian aristocracy, 
 the latter of a class that would include the professional athlete and the 
 sporting man. Triballus, the third member of the divine commission, 
 supposed to represent a hitherto unknown race of foreign gods, is a pure 
 invention of Aristophanes ; the name being taken from the Triballoi, a semi- 
 barbarous people inhabiting lands near the Danube, the district of the 
 modern Servia and Bulgaria. 
 
Birds of the air enjoy superior opportunities of sight-seeing. During the 
 brief intervals following Scenes IV. and V. the bird-chorus descant upon 
 wonders seen by them in unheard-of lands. But the lands and the wonders 
 are familiar places and persons, comically transformed. Cleonymus, a 
 sycophant, a poltroon and coward withal, who had thrown away his shield in 
 battle, is celebrated as an exotic of marvellous characteristics. Orestes, a 
 famous footpad, nicknamed after the heroic son of Agamemnon, haunts a 
 locality where street lamps are as far apart as trees in the Desert of Sahara. 
 Be it remembered that what the ancient highwayman demanded of his 
 victims was their clothing rather than their money. Socrates, the seedy, 
 the soul-compelling sage, is found in charge of lost souls, of which, appar- 
 ently, his cadaverous friend and disciple Chaerephon is one. To their 
 comic Lake Avernus comes Peisander, demagogue and shifty politician, 
 aiming to recover, after the Homeric method, his oivn soul, while yet in life; 
 as in the Odyssey of Homer Odysseus is enabled to communicate with the 
 inmates of the Underworld by means of a blood-offering which attracts them 
 from their shadowy abodes. The Sycophants, or common informers, who 
 subsisted largely by intimidating well-to-do and quiet-loving citizens with 
 trumped-up charges and suits at law, were an especial object of the comic 
 poets' scorn and satire. The names Gorgias and Philippus occur as repre- 
 sentative of this class, and against them, as often at the expense of other 
 butts of comedy, the insinuation of foreign extraction, or spurious claim to 
 citizenship, is thrown out. 
 
 Very frequent likewise in the comedies of Aristophanes are brief witty 
 allusions to notorious individuals in the course of the dialogue : such as the 
 mention of the boasters Theogenes, Aeschines, and Proxenides; Cleisthenes, 
 the effeminate; Laespodias, who, to conceal some natural defect of person, 
 wore his mantle in a peculiar manner; and Execestides, a foreigner who had 
 stolen an aristocraric name and by some fraud attained to Athenian citizen- 
 ship. The poet would instruct his actors to ascertain where the victims of 
 these sudden sallies were seated among the spectators in the theatre, that 
 the opportunity might not be missed of pointing significantly at each person 
 at the proper moment in the performance of the play. 
 
The Old Comedy of Athens made extensive use of parody as an instru- 
 ment of wit and satire: sometimes quoting and humorously perverting 
 familiar passages of the national epic, lyric, and dramatic poetry; at other 
 times imitating, with more or less of exaggeration, the manner of serious 
 verse, especially the style and tone of tragedy. Illustrations of tragic 
 parody are afforded by the warnings of Iris and the response thereto, near 
 the end of Scene IV., also by the words of the messenger at the beginning 
 of Scene VII. 
 
 The Grand Finale of the Birds may serve to remind us that Aristophanes, 
 while by pre-eminence a comic poet, was likewise an acknowledged master 
 of the lyrical art, pure and simple. Many of his songs, quite free from any 
 admixture of the grotesque or humorous element, are charming creations of 
 bright fancy and airy grace, couched in language of surpassing melody and 
 sweetness. In this regard he has been justly compared to our own 
 Shakspeare, 
 
 " Fancy's child, 
 " Warbling his native woodnotes wild." 
 
A. 
 
 Hi. ravrl roiavrL' pa At' eya) pev TTpdj/jid TTCO 
 yeXoidrepov ov/c el&ov ovSeTrcoTrore. 
 
 Ev. 7rl TO) 76X09 ; 
 
 lit. eVl TOtai crot? 
 
 olaO* ft> /JLa\L 
 et? evT\iav 
 
 Eu. (TV Be Ko^fya) <ye cricdfyiov a7roreTiXyLteVft. 
 
 lit. ravrl fjiev yKda-^eada Kara rbv 
 a\\a rot? avrwv 
 
 Xo. a7e 8^ rt %pr) Spdv ; 
 
 lit. Trpwrov ovo/jia rrj iroXei 
 
 OecrOai n pe^a Kal K\eivov, elra rot? #eot? 
 
 fiera rovro. 
 
 Ef. ravra ica/Aol avvBoKel. 
 
 Xo. </>e/o' I'&Oj rt S' ?5/>tt^ TOVVO/A ecrrai TTJ 
 Eu. {3ov\eo-0e TO fjieya TOUTO rou/c 
 ovo/jia 
 
 10 
 
SCENE I. 
 
 Enter PISTHETAERUS and EUELPIDES, fledged. 
 
 Pistil. So far, so good! I swear I never saw 
 A funnier exhibition in my life ! 
 
 Eu. Why, what do you see to laugh at? 
 
 Pistil. Your pinfeathers. 
 
 Do you know what you look like, fitted out with wings? 
 The counterfeit presentment of a goose. 
 
 Eu. And you like a blackbird! You must have worn a bowl 
 When last the barbers trimm'd your sorry poll. 
 
 Pistil. [To the spectators.} Our model for these gibes is Aeschylus: 
 "Lo, mine own feathers wing'd the fatal shaft!" 
 
 LEADER OF CHORUS. 
 
 Chor. Hey, now! What's to be done? 
 
 Pisth. First give the city 
 
 A great and famous name. Then, offer sacrifice 
 To the new gods. 
 
 Eu. My sentiments exactly! 
 
 Chor. But come, say, what name shall our city have? 
 
 Eu. Will you take that mighty one from Lacedaemon, 
 And name it Sparta? 
 
 11 
 
Til. 
 
 yap av 6eifJLr]v eyw TTJ/JLTJ TroXet ; 
 ou8' av xa/jLevvy IT aw 76 /ceipiav 7' e^cov. 
 
 Et>. Tt BrJT ovofjC avrf) #7?o-o'/^eo-0' ; 
 
 Xo. evrevdevl 
 
 eic TWV vefyeXwv KOI r&v /jLereaipcov 
 
 Xo. lov lov' 
 /ca\dv 7' are^^co? av /cal nerf yvpes 
 
 Eu. a/o' ecTTt^ avrrjryl 
 iva real ra eoyevovs ra 7ro\\a %pij para 
 rd T* Alcr%LVOv 7' airavra ; 
 
 lit. /cat XOXTTOZ; fte 
 
 TO t&Xeras Trebiov tV ot ^eoi TOL>? 
 
 Xo. \nrapov TO ^pij/jia TT)? vroXeft)?. TI? 8at ^eo 
 ecrTcu ; T< ^avov^ev rbv 7re7r\ov ; 
 
 Et>. TI S' ou/c "* K.Qj)vaiav ew/ie^ IloXtaSa ; 
 
 lit. /cat 7T<W9 ai/ eVt yevoir av evra/CTOS Tro'Xt?, 
 OTTOU ^eo? 71^77 yeyovvia iravoTrXiav 
 e(TTi)K e^ovaa^ KXeto-#eV?7? Se /cep/clSa: 
 
 Eu. Tt? at icade^ei T?}? Tro'Xeaj? TO TLe\ap<yi/cdv ; 
 
 Xo. 0/3 vt? a^>' 77/^1; ToO 7eVof? ToO 
 ovrrep Xe-yeTat SeivdraTOS elvou 
 
 12 
 
Pisth. Heracles, not I! 
 
 Think you I'd put up with sparring in my city? 
 I'd sooner take a ship's spar to a bedstead! 
 
 Eu. What shall we call it, then? 
 
 Chor. Something from right here, 
 
 From the clouds and the upper regions of the air. 
 Something right puffy. 
 
 Pisth. How about Cloudcuckootown? 
 
 Chor. Hurrah, hurrah! 
 You have found a great big downright splendid name ! 
 
 Eu. Is it the Cloudcuckootown where those braggarts, 
 Theogenes and Aeschines, maintain 
 Their vast estates? 
 
 Pisth. Or, better still, the place 
 
 Known as the plain of Phlegra, where the gods beat 
 The earth-born giants in a boasting -match! 
 
 Chor. A slick thing of a city! What god, pray, 
 Shall guard it, and take our offering of the robe? 
 
 Eu. Well, why not let Athena still be guardian? 
 
 Pisth. Indeed, is such a thing conceivable? 
 An orderly community, where a woman 
 Stands in full armor as the guardian god, 
 And leaves the shuttle to Sissy Cleisthenes! 
 
 Eu. Who is to take the wall in charge? 
 
 Chor. A bird of Persian breed we have among us, 
 A fighter, deem'd the doughtiest in the world 
 Of Ares' chickens. 
 
Eu. & veorre BeaTrora- 
 
 <? B' o 0eo? eTriTijBeios ol/celv eVl Trerpwv. 
 
 Hi. aye vvv crv fjiev fldSi^e TT/OO? TOZ^ aepa 
 ical Tolcn TL^i^ovcrL TrapaBLatcdvei^ 
 ^aXt/ca? Trapacfrdpeij 7nj\ov a?ro5u? opyacrov, 
 \e/cdv7]v aveveyfce^ /caraTrecr' avro rr) 
 <^uXa/ca? /cardo-Trjcraij TO TrO/3 ey/cpvTrr ae 
 /cco&covo(f)opwv Trepirpe^e /cal tcdOevft efcel' 
 /crjpvica 8e Trefji^frov rbv /Jiev e? ^eou? az^&) ? 
 erepov 8' dvcoOev av Trap 1 avOptoirovs /caTCO^ 
 avdis Trap" 1 e/te. 
 
 Ef. o"u Se 7' avrov 
 
 Trap eft '. 
 
 lit. t#' a>yd& ol 7TfjL7rco cr' 670). 
 
 ouSez^ 7^/0 avev aov TWV& a \e<ya) 
 ea) be Ovcra) rolcn Kcuvolaiv 
 
 14 
 
Eu. My Lord Chick, all-hail! 
 
 A deity well pick'd to roost on rocks. 
 
 Pisth. [To EUELPIDES.] Here you, be off! March into the air, and 
 
 stand 
 
 Beady to help the builders of the wall. 
 Keep them in rubble; strip, and wet the mortar; 
 Up with the hod; down tumble from the ladder; 
 Set the night watches ; be sure and bank the fires ; 
 Run round bell -ringing; lie down and go to sleep there! 
 Send off two heralds : one to the gods above, 
 Another down to mortal men on earth; 
 Then back and report to me. 
 
 Eu. And you stay here 
 
 And be hang'd! to me. 
 
 Pisth. Go straight, sir, where I send you. 
 
 Nothing whereof I speak will be done without you. 
 For my part, I'll go forth, and at the altars 
 Of these new gods will offer sacrifice. 
 
 15 
 
B. 
 
 lit. TO, fjiev lep yiJiiv evnv wpwOes /ca\d" 
 aXX' <w? CLTTO TOV Tefyovs TrdpecrTiv dyye\os 
 ouSet?, orov TrevcrdfJLeOa ra/cel Trpdy/JLara. 
 ovToal reei rt? 'AXetoi^ irvecov. 
 
 7TOV 7TOV Tt 7TOV 7TOV 7TOV rt 7TOV 7TOV 7TOV 
 
 TTOV TlicrOeraipds ecrnv a 
 
 Tit. OVTOdL 
 
 'Ay. efft)/co SO/AT; rat crou TO 
 
 lit. 
 
 'A7. icd\\i(TTOV epyov Kal 
 war av eTrdvo) pev Tlpoevi&7)S 6 
 /cal %eo<yevr]<s evawriw Bv appare 
 ILTTTTCOV VTTOVTCOV /Lte^ye^o? ocrov 6 
 VTTO TOV TrXarou? av 7rape\ao-aiTijv. 
 
 Hi. 
 
 'A7 TO Be fjLrjicd<; ecrrt, /cal yap e/JLerprja' avr 
 eKarovTOpdyviov. 
 
SCENE II. 
 
 Enter PISTHETAERUS. 
 
 Pisih. Our sacrifices prosper, fellow birds; 
 But as for tidings from the wall, how comes it 
 No messenger is yet on hand to post us? 
 Ah, here's a runner, puffing Olympic records! 
 
 Enter a Messenger, panting. 
 
 Mess. Where where where is he? where where is he? where- 
 Where's Chickwin, the bird manager? where? 
 
 Pisth. Right here. 
 
 Mess. Your wall's all built and finish' d. 
 
 Pisth. Bravo ! Well done ! 
 
 Mess. A most magnificent affair! On top 
 It's wide enough for Proxenus of Bragtown, 
 And Theogenes, to drive past one another 
 In chariots drawn by horses of the size 
 Of the wooden horse of Troy. 
 
 Pisth. Lord Heracles ! 
 
 Mess. And the height ( I measured it myself ) counts up 
 Six -hundred feet! 
 
lit. w Tld(rei8ov TOV 
 
 rtW? (pfcoSdfJLrjo-av avrb Tr)\i/covrovi; 
 
 'Ay. opwOes^ oi)Set? a'XXo?, ov/c 
 Tr\ivdo$6pos 7 ow \i0ovpyds 7 ov re/crew 
 a\\ y auro^et/oe?, wo- 
 ex /Jiev ye Ai/3u//9 r]icov a)? 
 yepavoi ^e/^eXtou? Kara7re7ra)/cvlaL \i6ovs. 
 TOVTOVS 8' ervici^ov al Kpeices roZ? pv 
 erepot, 8' eTr\iv6o$6povv 7re\apyoi 
 vBcop 8' ecfrdpovv /cdrcoOev e? TOV aepa 
 ol %apaSpiol Kal rd\\a TTOTdfJu,' opvea. 
 
 lit. eTrrjXocfrdpovv 8' avToicn rtVe? ; 
 
 'A7. epa)8iol 
 
 Xe/cdvaiai. 
 
 Hi. TOI/ 8e 7n]\ov eVe/3aXX 
 
 'AY. roOr' &>7a#' e^rjvprjro /cal 
 ol %>}^e? VTTOTVTTTOvres coaTrep rat? 
 e? ra? \eicdvas eve/3a\\ov avrois row 7ro8olv. 
 
 lit. rt 7 S^ra Tro'Se? az^ oi)/c az^ epyaaalaro, 
 
 'Ay. Kal vr) At' at vijrraL ye 
 7r\iv0o(f)dpovv dvco 8e rov vTraycoyea 
 eVero^r' e^ovaai Karoinv wo-jrep 
 TOV TTTjXbv ev rot? (JTOfjiaaiv at 
 
 lit. rt S^ra /JH,cr6(0TOvs av ert 
 ^>e/o* t'Sft), rt 8at ; ra v\iva TOV ret^ou? rtW? 
 cnreipydo-avT ; 
 
Pisth. Poseidon, what a height! 
 
 Who built the wall so big? 
 
 Mess. Birds, and birds only! 
 
 No bricklayer from Egypt, no stonecutter, no joiner! 
 Birds, with their own hands, an amazing thing! 
 From Libya there came cranes, some thirty-thousand, 
 Each with a paving-stone inside her belly, 
 That she had swallowed for ballast. These stones the rails 
 Hew'd with their bills to the right shape for building. 
 Another stork contingent of ten-thousand 
 Made brick, with bitterns and other aquatic birds 
 To carry the water up into the air. 
 
 Pisth. Who brought the clay up for them? 
 
 Mess. Pelicans, 
 
 In their pouches. 
 
 Pisth. How was it shovel 'd in? 
 
 Mess. That, sir, 
 
 Was most ingeniously devis'd: the geese 
 Got down, and, digging under in spade fashion, 
 They fili'd the pouches by shoveling with their feet. 
 
 Pisth. Well, after that, what feat can seem surprising? 
 
 Mess. The ducks, moreover, tied aprons round their necks 
 And carried the brick. Tomtits came flying behind 
 With the trowels ; while the mortar for it all 
 Was fetch'd by swallows, a mouthful at a time. 
 
 Pisth. Dear me, what use are hired men any longer? 
 Let's see, what next? Who finished the timber work 
 For the fortress? 
 
 19 
 
r)vav re/troves 
 
 ao(f)coTaTOL TreXetcavres ? 01 rots pvy^eaiv 
 a7re7re\etcrjo-av ra? TruXa?- 971; 8' 6 KTVTTOS 
 avroiv 7re\K(t)i>TC0v coaTrep ev 
 ical vvv ajravr' e/ceiva 7re7rv\c0Tai 
 KOI /3e/3a\dv(t)Tai ical 
 
 (f>v\aical KaOear^KacfL /cal 
 ev roicri Trvpyois. aXX' eym 
 
 i' crv 8' at'ro? ijSr) rd\\a Spa. 
 
 Xo. oi/ro? TI Trotet? ; apa OavfJid^eis on 
 ovrco TO ret^o? eKTeTei^icnai ra^v; 
 
 Hi. vrj row #eou? eyto^ye' /cal jap a^io 
 
 jap a\r)Qa)<> (fraiverai JJLOL ^evSeo-iv. 
 
 ' ooe cfrvXaj; jap TWV eiceWev djje\os 
 ecrOel TT/OO? ^/m? Bevpo Trvppi^rjv (3\7ra)v. 
 
Mess. Bird carpenters, a clever lot 
 
 Of woodpeckers, using their beaks to hew 
 The gates and shape them. You might hear a din 
 As in a shipyard, while they peck'd away. 
 And now the gate -making up there is all finish'd. 
 All's barr'd and bolted and guarded round about; 
 Patrols and bell-ringers all on hand; night watches 
 Station'd, and fire-signals kindled in the towers. 
 But I'll run out and get a wash. What still 
 Remains to be done, attend to that yourself. 
 
 LEADER OF CHORUS. 
 
 Chor. [To PISTHETAERUS.] Ho, what's the matter there? Are you 
 
 lost in wonder, 
 That the fortification was foisted up so quickly? 
 
 PistJi. Ay, that I am! It's worthy of wonder. It seems 
 In very truth just like a mass of fiction. 
 But here comes one of the guards with tidings for us, 
 Running in with blood and thunder in his eye ! 
 
 21 
 
r. 
 
 "y. iov tou ? LOV iov^ t,ov iov. 
 Hi. TI TO Trpdy/jLa TOUT/; 
 'AY. Seivdrara 
 
 jap Oewv Ti9 apn rwv Trapa rov Ato? 
 Sia TO>V 7rv\wv etVeTrrer' e? rov ae 
 
 Tit. (S Sewbv epyov Kal o-^er\LOV el 
 TI? TWZ^ Oecov, 
 
 'A7. ou/c IdfJiev' OTL & efye Trrepd, 
 
 lit. OVKOVV Srjra 7repL7rd\ovs e 
 Kar avrbv evdvs ; 
 
 lepaicas tT 
 l 8e Tra? rt? 
 
 pidpxrjs <yvijr KVfjiivSis at'ero?- 
 /owyLt?; re /cat Trrepolcri /cal p 
 alOrjp Soveircu rov Oeov 
 KCKTT ou /JLa/cpav a7T(o6ev, aXX' evravdd TTOV 
 rj&rj 'crriv. 
 
 lit. OVKOVV (TfavBdvas Bel \a/ji/3dveiv 
 
 /cal rofa ; %a)/3et Sevpo Tra? vTTTjperr)^- 
 rd^eve Trate, <T(f>ev8di>7]v rt? /-tot Sora). 
 
SCENE III. 
 Enter a Messenger, running. 
 
 Mess. Murder! Oho! stop thief ! Oho, oho! 
 
 Pistil. What's all this pother? 
 
 Mess. A shame, a perfect outrage! 
 
 Some one of the late gods, one of the Zeus persuasion, 
 Has flown in thro' the gates, into our air, 
 Dodging the jackdaw pickets and the scouts. 
 
 Pisth. O damnable offence! The infamous sinner! 
 Which one of the gods? 
 
 Mess. We don't know. That it had wings, 
 
 We know that only. 
 
 Pisth. You should have sent, straightway, 
 
 Rangers, to run him down. 
 
 Mess. We did send off 
 
 Mounted jayhawkers, thirty-thousand strong. 
 Just everything with crook'd claws is abroad, 
 Kite, vulture, eagle, every mother's son. 
 The swirling, swishing of their pinions makes 
 The welkin shiver, a -searching out that god. 
 And it's not far off; it must be, even now, 
 Somewhere close by! 
 
 Pisth. Ho, slings here! Take your bows 
 
 And arrows ! Every private report for duty ! 
 Shoot, shoot! Let fly! Hey, pass me up a sling! 
 
A. 
 
 lit. avrrj av^ Trot Trot Trot Treret; /-leV 770-1^05, 
 e% arpe/jias' avrov crrTJO'- eTrtcr^e? rov Spd/jiov. 
 Tt5 el ; TroSaTrr) ; \eyeiv e^pyjv oiroOev TTOT el. 
 
 I/o. Trapa rwv Oewv eywye rwv 'OXfyLtTT/o)^. 
 
 lit. ovo/jia 8e CTOL TL eart ; TrXotoz^ rj KVVTJ ; 
 
 I/O. *I/9t? ra^ela. 
 
 lit. IlapaXo? ?5 S 
 
 I/o. rt e TOUTO ; 
 
 lit. Tavrr)vi TV.? ou 
 
 I/o. e/^e 
 
 TTOT' etrrt rourl TO /ca/cdv ; 
 
 Ip. droTTOv 76 TOfrt 
 
 Tli. Kara Trota? ?rvXa? 
 
 e? TO Tet^o? (5 fjuapcordrr) ; 
 
 I/o. ou/c otSa /ita At' eycjye Kara 7rota5 TruXa?. 
 
 lit. ij/covcras avrr) 1 ? olov elpwveverai ; 
 TT/OO? TOU5 /coXota/o^a? 7rpO(rr)\6es ; ou Xeyet? ; 
 o-typaylft e^et? Trapa TWV 7re\apywv ; 
 
 I/o. Tt TO /caicdv. 
 
 24 
 
SCENE IV. 
 
 Enter IRIS, flying. 
 
 Pisth. Ho, you she! Where, where, where 're you fly ing? Hold still; 
 Keep quiet; stand there; let up on that run, I say! 
 What ship is that? Heave to, and tell where you hail from! 
 
 Iris. From the gods am I, the great gods of Olympus. 
 
 Pisth. What name do you sport? Are you sailboat or sun -bonnet? 
 
 Iris. Iris, the speedy. 
 
 Pisth. Reliance, or Defender? 
 
 Iris. What does this mean? 
 
 Pisth. Won't some cockatoo fly up 
 
 And take this woman in tow? 
 
 Iris. Take me in tow? 
 
 What insolence is this? 
 
 Pisth. O, you will catch it! 
 
 Iris. How perfectly ridiculous! 
 
 Pisth. By what gate 
 
 Did you come into the city, you dirty creature? 
 
 Iris. Upon my word I don't know by what gate! 
 
 Pisth. Do you hear her, now? pretending she doesn't know! 
 Have you call'd at the kingbird's office? Can't you speak? 
 Got a pass from the peacocks? 
 
 Iris. Mercy! what means this outrage? 
 
lit. OUK e'Xa/3e? ; 
 I/o. 
 
 lit. ov&e o~vfji(3o\ov 
 
 7re/3a\ev opvidap'^os ouSek <TOI Trapcov ; 
 
 I/o. /za At* OVK e/jLOL<y y eTreftaXev ovSeis & /Jt,e\e. 
 Hi. KaTreira 8r)0' ovra) aiwrrr) 
 Sia TT}? TToXeco? TT}? a\\OTpias /cal rov 
 
 I/o. Trotfa, 7a/o aXX?; ^/o^ TreVecr^at TOU? 
 lit. OVK olBa /JLCL At' eywye' rrjSe fiev yap ov. 
 t? &e /tat w^. a/oa 7' olaOa rov@' on 
 ' av ^fyOelaa Traawv 'IpiScov 
 j el rr?? a^ta? Tvy%ave<> ; 
 I/o. aXX' aOdvards et/*'. 
 lit. aXX' o/i&)9 
 
 yap rot Tretcro'/Aecr^ e'ftot Sotcel 
 el T&V fjLev a\\o)v ap^o/jLev^ u/aet? S' ot' 
 a/coXao"Ta^etre ? /covSeTrco yvwo'ecrO' OTL 
 afcpoareov VJMV ev pepei T&V KpeLrrdvcov. 
 <f>pd(TOv Se rot /xot rco Trrepvye TTOL vavo-TO\els ; 
 
 1/9. 7^0 ; TT/OO? avOpcoTTOvs TreVo/zat Trapa rov Trar/oo? 
 Qveiv rot? 'OXu/iTrtot? #eot<? 
 
 T /3ov0vTOis eir eV^a/oat? 
 T ayvids. 
 
 lit. rt crt/ Xe^et? ; vrotbt? #eot? ; 
 
 Ip. irofouTiv, TI^LV rot? eV ovpavy 6eois. 
 lit. 
 
Pisth. Haven't you got one? 
 
 Iris. Are you in your senses? 
 
 Pistil. Haven't you been 
 
 With a buzzard boss and had yourself stamp'd properly? 
 
 Iris. Sir, nobody has stamp'd me, I'd have you know! 
 
 Pistil. So then, do you thus go flying, without a word, 
 Thro' foreign territory and this air-space of ours? 
 
 Iris. Why, what other way, pray, are the gods to fly? 
 
 Pisth. Upon my word I don't know only not this way. 
 You're a trespasser already. Do you know what you, 
 Of all the Irises, deserve most richly? 
 By rights, you'd be arrested and die the death. 
 
 Iris. But I am immortal! 
 
 Pisth. You'd mortify all the same! 
 
 This is just outrageous treatment, it seems to me, 
 If we're to rule all other people, but you gods 
 Are going to run riot, and never will remember 
 That your turn has come to hearken to your betters. 
 But let's know, whither you're steering those two wings? 
 
 Iris. Whither? I fly to mortals, from my father, 
 To bid them sacrifice to the Olympian gods, 
 Staining sheep -altars with the blood of kine, 
 Making the highways fragrant. 
 
 Pisth. Ah, to what gods? 
 
 Iris. What gods? Indeed, ourselves, the gods of Heaven! 
 
 Pistil. So, are you gods? 
 
 27 
 
Ip. rt? yap ear aXXo? 
 
 lit. opwOes avOpcoTTOicri vvv elcriv $eot, 
 ot? Bvreov avTOvs ^ aXXa /JLO, At" ov TW Att. 
 
 Ip. a> /JLCope fJL&pe /Jirj Oewv Kivei 
 Beivds^ OTTO)? /AT} aov 761/0? 7rava)\e0pov 
 Ato? fJLaice\\r) Trav avacrrpetyr) 
 ^yvvs Se crcoyLta /cal SO/JLCOV 
 /caTaL0a\a)(rr) aov At/cu^z/t 
 
 lit. aicovcrov avrrj' irave rwv r jra^)\acr fjidrcov 
 e^ arpefjia. (frep* iSco^ Trorepa A.v8ov rj <&pvya 
 ravrl \eyovcra fjLOp/jLoXvrreo'OaL So/eels ; 
 dp y olaQ' on Zeu? ei pe \V7rr)<ret, nrepa, 
 fji\aOpa fjiev avrov KOI BO/JLOVS 'A[J,(f)iovos 
 KaTaL0a\a)cr(i) Trvcdoicriv aterot? ; 
 
 a? 9 TOP OVpdVOV 
 
 eV avTOV Trap&aXds eV^/LtyLteVou? 
 e^aicoaiovs rbv apiOfJiov. /cal STJ Trore 
 el? Hop(j)vpi(ov avTp Trapea^e Trpajfiara. 
 civ 8' et /A XfTT^cret? , 
 rr)v*Ipiv avTrfV, wcrre 
 
 I/o. Biappayeirjs &> />teX' aurot? 
 lit. ou/c aTTOcro^cret? ; o^ ra^ea)? ; eupai; 
 1/3. ^ /Ltrjy ere TravaeL TT)? u/8/)e&)? ou/io? Trarijp. 
 lit. ot/xot raXa?. OVKOVV ere/ococre 
 vewrepwv rtm; 
 
Iris. Why, what god is there else? 
 
 Pisth. Birds, at the present time, are gods for men; 
 To birds they must sacrifice, not by Zeus! to Zeus! 
 
 Iris. O fool, fool, move not thou celestial minds 
 To wrath, lest with the mattock of great Zeus 
 Retributive Justice fell thee, root and branch ; 
 Black fires incinerate thy house and body, 
 And their integuments, with Licymnian bolts ! 
 
 Pisth. Jade, harkee! Cease thy tragic splutterings; hold 
 Thy peace ! Is it a Lydian or a Phrygian slave 
 Thou tak'st me for, to be bluff 'd off with bugbears? 
 Knowest thou, if Zeus annoy me further, I 
 His mansions and the homestead of Amphion 
 With fire-compelling eagles will cremate? 
 I'll send after him a flock of butcher-birds 
 Into the sky, drest up in panther- skins, 
 Six-hundred in number. There was a time when one 
 Little butcher of a giant kept him busy. 
 
 And for you, to begin with, if you make any trouble, I'll have 
 The hired girl Iris iron'd out so flat, 
 She'll wonder where old Ironsides heats his flatiron. 
 
 Iris. You horrid old thing, I hope your words may choke you ! 
 
 Pisth. Hop off, hop off, now! quick! Shoo, shoo! Scat, scatter! 
 
 Iris. My father, I tell you, will stop your insolence ! 
 
 Pisth. O, go along; won't you fly elsewhere, and preach 
 Incineration to some of the younger folk? 
 
XOPOS. 
 
 TToAAa Sry KOL Katva Kat Oav- 
 ju,a(rr' eTTCTrro/jteo-^a /cat 
 
 Setva Trpay/xar' 
 Icrrt yap 8ev8/3ov 
 
 CKTOTTOV TL KapStas d- 
 
 V /xev ovSeVj aX- 
 Se SetAov Kat /xeya. 
 
 act 
 
 Kfrav 
 TOV 8e ^et/xwvo? TraXtv ra? 
 
 Icrrt o av \ii)pa. Trpo? avra) 
 
 TW 0-KOT(t> 
 
 IvOa. rots r/paxriv avOpw- 
 
 Trot ^waptcrraio-t Kat vv- 
 etcrt TrX.r)v TYJS e 
 
 8' OVKCT 
 
 et yap evrv^ot rt? 
 
 TOJV j3pOT(i)V VVKTWp ' 
 
 yv/xvos ^v TrAryyeis VTT' avrov 
 Trdvra raTrtoe^ta. 
 
CHORUS. 
 
 (strophe) 
 
 We, in our far flighty travels, 
 
 Strange and awful curios 
 Have alighted on and noted. 
 
 There's a foreign tree, which grows 
 
 Well beyond Cape Cceur de Lion: 
 
 It is call'd Cleonymus; 
 Good for nothing, yet extremely 
 
 Tall and pusillanimous. 
 
 In the spring it buds and blabs and 
 Exhales libel thro' the fields; 
 
 Then, when the inclement season 
 Comes again, it sheds its shields. 
 
 (antistrophe) 
 
 There's a far country, that borders 
 Close on Darkest Dagoland, 
 
 In the wilderness of lamp-posts, 
 
 Dreary gleams and bags of sand. 
 
 There, with demi-gods and heroes 
 Mortals breakfast, chat, and pour 
 
 W T ine save only in the evening ; 
 Then the fun is safe no more. 
 
 For suppose you met Orestes, 
 That great hero, after dark: 
 
 His tall form would wear your garments, 
 Your five ribs would bear his mark. 
 
E. 
 
 Up. OI/JLOI ra\a? ? o Zeu? OTTOJ? pr) /A' o- 
 TTOI) Tlio-Beraipds eVr' ; 
 
 lit. ea rovrl TI rjv ; 
 
 Tt9 6 cru 7/caXf /x/>to9 ; 
 
 11^3. rwy Oecov o/oa? rtz^a 
 
 eyLtof) fcaroTTtv evravOa ; 
 
 lit. fta At' 670) /Ltez^ 01). 
 
 Tt? 3' el o-u; 
 
 Tip. TrrjviK early dpa TT)? 
 
 lit. OTnjvi/ca ; a/ju/cpdv rt fiera 
 a\\a av rt? et; 
 
 II/3. /SouXfTO? ?} 7T6paLTp(0' 
 
 lit. ot/Lt* ft)? ^SeXvTTOfjLal ae. 
 
 Up. rt 70,^0 o Zeu? Trotet ; 
 
 id^et ra? vefyeXas r) ^vvvefai ; 
 lit. otft&)fe (jL<yd\\ 
 Up. ovTQ) 
 
 lit. w (^t 
 Up. 
 
 82 
 
SCENE V. 
 
 Enter PISTHETAERUS and PROMETHEUS, the latter hiding his head 
 under an umbrella. 
 
 Prom. Great heavens, Zeus must not see me, for my life! 
 Where's Chiekwin? 
 
 Pisth. Hi, what have we here? What's this 
 
 Umbrella business? 
 
 Prom. Do you see any one of the gods 
 
 Up here behind me? 
 
 Pisth. By the powers, I don't! 
 
 Who are you, anyway? 
 
 Prom. What's the time o' day? 
 
 Pisth. What's the time? A trifle past noon. But who the deuce 
 Are you? 
 
 Prom. Lunch time, or a little later? 
 
 Pisth. My stars, 
 
 You make me sick! 
 
 Prom. What weather is Zeus making? 
 
 Is the sky clearing off, or clouding up again ? 
 
 Pisth. Go and be hang'd! 
 
 Prom. In that case I'll uncover. 
 
 [Showing his face. 
 Pisth. My dear Prometheus ! 
 
 Prom. Stop, stop, don't call out! 
 
Hi. TL jap eWt ; 
 
 Tip. cr</ya ? fjurj /caXet /JLOV rovvo/Jia- 
 
 CLTTO yap p oXet5, el JJL evBdft 6 Zeu? o-^rerac. 
 aXX' r iva (f)pda-co rot Trdvra TCLVQ) 
 rovrl \a/3a)v /JLOV TO aiad^ 
 dvwOev, a)? av fjnj //' op&div oi Oeoi. 
 
 lit. lov lov' 
 
 ev 7' eTrevdrjcras avro KOI Trpo/jLijOi/ctoS. 
 viroBvOi ra%v $rj Kara 0appr)(ras Xeye. 
 
 Tip. d/cove ST; vvv. 
 
 lit. <w? CLKOVOVTOS Xeye. 
 
 II/>. d7rd\CO\eV ZiV<$. 
 
 Tit. Trrfviic arr' 
 
 IT/3, ef ovTrep v/Jiels wtciaaje rov depa. 
 6vei yap ot'Set? ovSev dvOpayjrcov en 
 Oeolcnv^ ovSe icvlaa pripitov airo 
 dvfj\6ev a)? 77/10.5 air e/cewov rov 
 aXX' coo-jrepel Seo-fJLO(j)opiOLS 
 dvev OvrjK&v oi Be ftdp/3apoi Oeol 
 
 wcnrep 'T\\vpiol tce/cpiydres 
 
 fydd dvwOev TO) A^t, 
 el pr) Trape^et rdfjiTrdpi dvewy ^eva , 
 iv elo-dyoiro aTr\dy)(ya fcararer^fjieva. 
 
 lit. ela\v yap erepoi ftdpftapoi deoi 
 dvwOev vfJLWV. 
 
 Tip. ov ydp elcn 
 
Pisth. Why, what's the matter? 
 
 Prom. Hold still, don't call my name! 
 
 You'll be the death of me, if Zeus sees me here. 
 I'll tell you the whole state of affairs up there, 
 If you'll just take this parasol and hold it over us, 
 That the gods mayn't see me. 
 
 Pisth. Dear me, but that is 
 
 An admirable Promethean idea! 
 Get under, quick now; take courage, and say on. 
 
 Prom. Now listen! 
 
 Pisth. Listen it is; out with it, old man! 
 
 Prom. It is all over with Zeus! 
 
 Pisth. All over about what time? 
 
 Prom. Ever since you settled the city in the air. 
 No mortal more to the gods does sacrifice ; 
 No more does savory steam of burning meats 
 Ascend to us, since that unhappy day. 
 But, as it were thro' some long Lenten tide, 
 We fast and famish; while the barbarian gods 
 Do squeak and gibber in their hunger, and swear 
 They will cross over from beyond and invade 
 The lands of Zeus, unless we throw ports open 
 And start free-trade in sacrificial tid-bits. 
 
 Pisth. What, are there barbarian gods, another lot, 
 Over beyond you? 
 
 Prom. Why, of course there must be 
 
 35 
 
odev o Trarpwds ecrriv ' 
 
 Hi. ovofAa Se rouroi? rot? #eot? rot? ffapfidpois 
 T{ eanv ; 
 
 Up. o n eornv\ Tpi/3a\\oi. 
 
 Hi. 
 evrevOev apa rovmrpi^ei^ eyevero ; 
 
 Tip. /jLa\,L(7Ta TrdvTcov. ev Se croi \eya) 
 r}%ovcri Trpeo-fBeis Bevpo jrepl SiaX^ajayv 
 Trapa rov Ato? fcal rwv Tpt{3a\\cov rwv avw 
 v/jieis Be /Jirj (nrev$ea6\ eav /JLTJ 
 TO a/crjTrrpov 6 Zeu? Tolcnv Spvtffiv 
 /cal rrjv T$a<ri\iav crol 
 
 Tli. T6? ecrriv rj 
 
 Tip. 
 
 rJTrep rafjiievei rbv icepavvov rov Aio? 
 /cal ra\\' aTra^ajravra ^ TTJV ev(Bov\iav 
 TJ]V evvo/jiiav rr^v o-axppoawrjv ra vecopia 
 rrjv \oiSopiav TOV K(0\a/cpeTr)v ra Tpi(b/3o\a. 
 
 TTi. aTravra y ap' avra) ra/jiievei ; 
 
 Tip. ^^ ej(o. 
 
 j]V 7' T)V av Trap' e/ceivov TrapaXdftrjs ^ jrdvr* 
 TOVTCOV eveica Sevp' rj\dov^ iva ^pdaaifjii aoi. 
 aei TTOT' avOpaiTrois yap evvovs eifjf eya>. 
 
 Tli. fjidvov 6e(*)v yap 8ia 
 
 Tip. ijucrct) 8' aTrazmi? row Oeovs, &>? olaOa av. 
 
 Tli. vrj rov At' ael Brjra Oeo/jLiarjs e^>w. 
 
Outlandish deities, to furnish forth 
 The pedigree of Execestides. 
 
 Pisth. And what's the name of these barbarian gods? 
 
 Prom. What is their name? Triballians. 
 
 Pisth. Ah, I see: 
 
 The source from whence ali tribulations flow. 
 
 Prom. To be sure. And on one thing you may count for certain 
 Ambassadors will arrive here, touching a treaty, 
 From Zeus and from the Triballians over beyond. 
 But don't you grant a truce, save on condition 
 That Zeus restore the sceptre to the birds 
 And give you Princess Easily to wife. 
 
 Pisth. Who is Easily? 
 
 Prom. A beautiful fair maid, 
 
 Who holds the key to the cupboard where Zeus stores 
 His thunderbolt and all his bric-a-brac; 
 His wisdom, law and order, virtuous 
 Intentions, ship-supplies, vituperation, 
 Paymasters' cheques, and cash to bribe the jury. 
 
 Pisth. She holds the key to everything, then? 
 
 Prom. Just so! 
 
 Get her from him, you've got the whole. I came 
 Expressly to advise you of this matter: 
 As ever, a benefactor of mankind. 
 
 Pisth. For broiling fish our sole divinity! 
 
 Prom. And, as you know, a hater of all the gods! 
 
 Pisth. God knows no love was ever lost between you! 
 
 37 
 
Up. TYfUW tcaOapos. aXX' a>? av 
 (f)pe TO (TKidSeioVj iva pe tcav 6 Zet>? ^77 
 
 atco\ov6elv SOKM KavTjffrdpqy. 
 Hi. ical TOV Stypov ye Bt,(f>po(f)6p6i, rovSl \ajStov 
 
 XOPOS. 
 
 7T/30? TO19 ^KtaTTOCTtV \L- 
 
 fivrf rts (TT , aAovros ov 
 
 KCU ITeto-avSpos ^ 
 
 s ^^X^ v 
 ' e/cetvov 
 
 Ka/JLrjXov d- 
 /uvov rtv', ^s Aai/xovs re/xwv 
 
 wcnrtp ovovcrcrevs ctTT^ 
 
 Kar' dv^X^' avro) /ca 
 
 TT/OO? TO Aatr/xa T^? Ka/x 77X01) 
 
Prom. A Timon pure, that's me! Now, to run back! 
 Hand me the sunshade; then even if Zeus in the sky 
 Does spy me, he'll think I'm waiting on a lady. 
 
 Pisth. Very well; and take this chair for the lady, too. 
 
 CHORUS. 
 
 (strophe) 
 
 By a lake, where the infernal 
 Shadefoot generations dwell, 
 
 Socrates, the unwash'd fakir, 
 Conjures spirits out of Hell. 
 
 There the blatherskite Peisander 
 
 Came, with camel lamb, to search 
 
 For the chicken-hearted spirit 
 
 That had left him in the lurch. 
 
 While, Odysseus -like, he waited 
 
 By the blood his knife had drawn, 
 
 Up to sip the camel -carnage 
 
 Popp'd the black bat, Chaerephon. 
 
z. 
 
 Ilo. TO pev TroKiG pa TT) 
 opav roBl TrdpecmVj ol Trpeo- 
 OVTO? rt fy>? ; CTT' apicnep OUTOJ? a/u,7re^et ; 
 
 rt (S /ca/cdSaifjiov ; Aat<77roSia? et r 
 
 Trot 7roo8t8a? 7 xa? 7TOT 
 
 7 
 
 t TOVTOVL y' e^eipOTOvrio-av ol Qeoi; 
 efet? arpe/jias ; offU0{6* TroXv 7^/3 Srj <r' 670) 
 edpa/ca Trdvrcov /3ap/3apa)Tarov 6eci)v. 
 aye Srj TL Spw/jiev 'H^oa/cXet? ; 
 
 H/3. a/crficoas 
 
 e/ioO 7'^ ort TOZ^ avOpcoTrov ay%eiv /3ouXo/^at, 
 
 TTOT' ecr^' 6 TOW #eou? aTTOTet^tVa?. 
 Ho. aXX' a><yd& ypij/jiecrBa irepl 8ia\\ay(t)v 
 
 H/o. St7r\ao-{a)s fjLa\\ov dy^eiv /JLOL 8o/cei. 
 
 lit. T^ TVpO/CVrjCTTlV Tt? SoTO)' 0e/? (TL\(f)lOV 
 
 rvpbv fyepera) Tt?' TrvpjrdXet TOU? avOpaicas. 
 Ho. TW dvSpa xaipeiv ol Oeol /ce\evofjiev 
 
 40 
 
SCENE VI. 
 
 Enter PISTHETAERUS and a Servant, POSEIDON, HERACLES, 
 TRIBALLUS. 
 
 Pas. [To HERACLES.] Lo, here we have in view the capitol 
 Of Cloudcuckootown, whither our mission leads us. 
 [To TRIBALLUS.] Here you, what's this? Do you wear your cloak one- 
 sided? 
 
 Can you not shift it that way to the right? 
 You wretch, are you a natural-born Laespodias? 
 To what a pass, Democracy, wilt thou bring us, 
 If the gods could choose this dolt for their ambassador? 
 Will you hold still? plague take you! Well you do 
 Beat all the barbaric gods I ever saw! 
 Now, Heracles, what are we to do? 
 
 Her. You have heard 
 
 My say: this man, whoever he be, whose wall 
 Shuts out the gods, I vote to wring his neck. 
 
 Pos. But, my dear sir, our mission in the matter 
 Contemplates peace. 
 
 Her. Then twist his neck twice over! 
 
 Pisih. [To the Servant.] The cheese -grater, where is it? Bring me 
 
 some curry! 
 Let me have cheese here! Make the coals burn lively! 
 
 Pos. Our compliments and credentials we present, 
 Three gods to the mortal man. 
 
 41 
 
Til. ttXX' eTTLKvS) TO (7L\(f>iOV. 
 
 H/9. ra 8e /cpea rov raOr' eariv', 
 Ht. opviOes rives 
 
 rot? Srj/JLOTi/colo-iv bpveoi? 
 
 Hp. elra Sfjra aiX 
 
 jrpdrepov avrolcnv; 
 
 lit. & 
 
 TI eorri ; 
 
 Ho. Trpeo-ffevovres ridels 
 Trapa rwv Oe&v Trepl iro\efJLOV 
 
 lit. e\aiov ov/c evecmv ev rrj \rjfcvOa). 
 
 HjO. KOI fjirjv rd 7' bpviBeia \Lirdp elvai 
 
 IIo. ?7/Lti? re 7<z/o TToXeynotWe? ou 
 r av TJ/JLLV roZ? ^eot? 6Vre? </uXot 
 ov vScop av el^er' eV rot? TeKpaviv , 
 a\Kvovi8as T av tfyetf rjfiepas aeL 
 rovrcov Trepl iravrcov avro/cpdropes TJ/CO/JLCV 
 
 lit. aXX' ovre Trporepov TTCOTTO^' rj/JLels Tj 
 TroXeftou TT^O? vfjids ^ vvv T eOeXofjiev^ el 
 edv n Sitcaiov aXXa vvv eOe\rjr Spdv^ 
 o-7rov8ds TroielaOai. rd Se St/cai earlv 
 TO o-/crJ7TTpov rjfjilv TOLcriv opvicriv 7rd\iv 
 rbv At' dTroSovvcu' /cdv StaXXarrcofte^a 
 eTri roio-Se, TOU? irpecrfBeiS eir dpiarov 
 
 42 
 
Pisth. Stir in the curry. 
 
 Her. Whose flesh, pray, have you there? 
 
 Pisth. A lark or two, 
 
 Found guilty of conspiring to subvert 
 The bird majority. 
 
 Her. Then do you begin 
 
 With them by stirring in curry ? 
 
 Pisth. [Looking up.] Ah, Heracles! 
 
 What's the good word? 
 
 Pos. We are ambassadors 
 
 Sent by the gods to treat of bringing the war 
 To a conclusion. 
 
 Pisth. [To the Servant.] There's no oil in the cruet! 
 
 Her. Upon my word the bird-meat seems right fat! 
 
 Pos. For we gain nothing by prolonging it; 
 And you, by coming to terms with us the gods, 
 Would have rain-water cisterns always full 
 And while away no end of halcyon days. 
 We are empowered to settle all these points. 
 
 Pisth. As we, before, were nowise the aggressors 
 In the war with you, so now, if it seem best, 
 We will make truce, provided you can consent 
 Even at the eleventh hour to do what's right: 
 That Zeus restore the sceptre to the birds. 
 If on these terms we come to an understanding, 
 Then I invite the ambassadors to breakfast. 
 
H/o. ejjiol fJLev ajro^prj raOra /cal 
 
 IIo. rt & /cafcoBaifjLOv ; ?}Xi#to9 /cal ydarpLS el. 
 
 ls rbv irarepa 7-779 TVpavvi&os ; 
 lit. a\rj@es ; ov yap /JLel&v v/jiels ol deol 
 
 'j ^^ opvUtes ap%wo-iv /ca 
 vvv n&v 7' VTTO rat? ve$e\aicriv e 
 Kv^avres einopKovo-iv u/Lta? ot fBporoi' 
 eav &e rou? opi/9 %r)T avfjitid'xpvs, 
 orav Ofivvr) rt? TOI^ /copa/ca ical TOV Ata, 
 o icopat; 7rape\0a)v TOVTnopKovvros \ddpa 
 TTpoo-TTTOfjLevos eKKo^eu TOV b$6a\iM)v 
 
 Ho. ^ rov Hocrei&a) ravrd ye rot /caXai? 
 H/3. Kcifjiol So/eel. 
 
 lit. TI Sat crv ^779 ; 
 
 T/9. vafiaio-arpev. 
 
 lit. 0/009 ; eTraivel ^01*709. erepov vvv ert 
 a/covcraO' ocrov v^as ayaObv 
 edv Tt9 dv6pa)7rci)v lepelov ra> 
 ev^d/Jievos elra 
 
 fjieverol OeolJ /cat fta 
 avaTrpd^ofiev fcal raOra. 
 IIo. 
 
 Ht. oray Siapid fji&v apyvpiSiov Tv 
 OUT09, ^ KaOijrai Xou/Lte^o9, 
 IKTLVOS apirdaa^ \d0pa 
 Svolv n^v avoiaei rw 
 
 44 
 
Her. I find the terms satisfactory, and I vote 
 
 Pos. What, miscreant! You senseless belly-god, 
 Will you throw away the kingdom of your father? 
 
 Pistil. Really! Will you gods not be stronger than ever 
 Up there, if the birds come into power below? 
 As it is now, hiding under the clouds, men stoop 
 And in your holy names forswear themselves. 
 But, if you hold the birds in your alliance, 
 When a man swears by Jove and by Jim Crow, 
 The crow, flying up to the perjurer unawares, 
 Will claw his eye out at a single clip ! 
 
 Pos. Now, by Poseidon, there's some sense in that! 
 
 Her. So I say. 
 
 Pistil. [To TEIBALLUS.] And you? 
 
 Trib. Gobakkyolladree. 
 
 Pisth. He, too, approves, you see. Now one thing more 
 Which, to your great advantage, we shall do. 
 Suppose some mortal makes vow of a victim 
 Unto some god, then says, prevaricating, 
 "The gods can wait," and fails, the greedy-gut, 
 To pay, we will collect your dues. 
 
 Pos. How so? 
 
 Pisth. Sometime, when, as it happens, this gentleman 
 Is counting his money or seated in the bathtub, 
 A kite, flying in unnoticed, will grab up 
 The value of two victims for the god ! 
 
 4f> 
 
Up. TO o-/cf)7TTpov a7ro8ovvai 
 TOVTOLS eya). 
 
 TIo. Kal TOV Tpi/3a\\dv vvv epov. 
 
 Up. 6 T/9t/3aXXo? , ol/JL(beiv So/cet crot; 
 T/3. aavvd/ca 
 
 H/3. $j)cri IJL ev \e<yeiv irdw. 
 
 IIo. ei TOL Bo/cel a(f>(j)v ravra^ ica/jiol a 
 7 8o/cel Spav ravra TOV a/CTJTTTpov Trepi. 
 
 lit. Kal vrj At' eTepdv 7' eVrtv ov ' /Jivija-Orjv e<ya). 
 Trjv /jiev yap "tlpav 7ra^>aSt8</Ltt TW Att ? 
 Trjv Be Bao-iXetaz^ ryv /cdprjv yvvai/c* e/Aol 
 ItcSoTeov eaTiV. 
 
 Ho. ov $ia\\a<y(ov epqx. 
 
 oi/cao' av0is. 
 
 lit. o\fyov pot, /u-eXet. 
 
 TO /caTd^vcr/jia %pr) Troielv <y\v/cv. 
 
 H^o. a) Sai/jidvi av0pa)7rc0v TldcrL$ov TTOI 
 ?7/-iet9 Trepi ryvvaiicbs fJLids 
 
 Ho. rt Sal Troiw/jiev ; 
 
 H/o. o rt; 
 
 Ho. rt 8' wfu^' ; ou/c otcr#' efaTrarco/xe^o? TraXat ; 
 y8Xa7TT6t9 Se rot cry aavTov. r)v yap 
 o Zeu? TrapaSovs TOVTOLCTL Trjv 
 Trevj]^ ecret cru. croO 7^/0 airavTa 
 ra xprjiJLaO^ 6V az^ 6 ZeiW aTroOvrjcncwv KaTa\L7rrj. 
 
Her. Once more I vote to give the sceptre back 
 To the birds. 
 
 Pos. Ask the Triballian now. 
 
 Her. Look here, 
 
 Triballus, would you like a licking? 
 
 Trib. Ligga 
 
 Stikkajakky. 
 
 Her. He says I speak to the point. 
 
 Pos. If you two are agreed, I acquiesce. 
 [To PISTHETAERUS.] My man, we do concede the sovereignty. 
 
 Pisth. Ah, sure there's another thing I had in mind. 
 Hera, the queen I leave her in Zeus' keeping, 
 But the Princess Easily must be given to me 
 In marriage. 
 
 Pos. You don't desire a truce. Let us 
 
 Go home again. 
 
 Pisth. That concerns me little. Hey, cook 
 
 Make sure and have a prime flavor to that sauce ! 
 
 Her. Poseidon, my dear fellow, what does this mean? 
 Shall we have war about one woman? 
 
 Pos. What, then, 
 
 Are we to do? 
 
 Her. What do? Makepeace! 
 
 Pos. Poor devil, 
 
 Don't you see you're getting cheated all this time? 
 You're ruining yourself. In case Zeus dies 
 After handing over the sceptre to the birds, 
 You will be a pauper! You are the heir, of course, 
 To all the property Zeus leaves at his death. 
 
 47 
 
lit. oi/jLoi raXa? olov ere 
 Sevp' a)9 efi ajro^ajpTjo-ov ^ 'iva rt CTOL (f>pdo-co. 
 Sia/3d\XeTai a #eto9 o> TrdvTjpe av. 
 TWV yap TrarpqKov ovS' d/caprj /jierecrrl aoL 
 Kara TOU? ^O/AOU?* v66o<$ yap el KOV <yvr)<rios. 
 
 H/o. eya) v66o<$ ; rt Xeyet? ; 
 
 lit. ai) fjievroi VT] Ata 
 
 &v ye %ewr)<$ yvvai/cds. rj TTW? av TTOTC 
 e7riK\rjpov eivai rrjv ' A.6r)vaiav So/eels ^ 
 ovaav Ovyarep^ ovrcov aSeXcfrwv yvrjo-ioav, 
 
 Up. rl 8' r)V o Trarrjp e/Jiol SiSa) ra 
 voOel 9 aTToBvrfcricwv^ 
 
 lit. o vdfjios avTov ov K. ea. 
 
 OUTO? 6 T].OCriS(t)V 7r/3(WT09 ? O9 CTTaipei (7 VVV ? 
 
 avOe^erai <rov TO>V TraTpwayv %pr] /JLCITCOV 
 <f>do-rca)v aSeA,<e>9 avrbs elvai 
 epa) Se Srj KOI TOV 2oXa)^o9 croi 
 
 8e fir) eti/at dy^tcrreiav Trat'Swv ovro>v 
 eav 8e TraiSes [M] OKTI yv^crtot, roi? 
 yevov? /zeretvai TWI/ -^YJ/J-OLTIDV. ' 
 Up. epol 8' a/a' o)8e^ TCOZ^ TrarpqxDV %pr] /JLCITCOV 
 
 lit. ou fJievTOi /JLCL Ata. \e%ov 
 
 a o Trarrjp elcrrpyay' 69 T0i)9 ( 
 
 Hp. ou S^r' e'/te 76. /cal 8rjr eOav^a^ov Trd\ai. 
 
 lit. rt ST^T' ai^co Kerfva^ aliceiav /3\e7ro)v ; 
 
 48 
 
Pisth. [To HERACLES.] Merciful Heaven, how he is coming it over 
 
 you! 
 
 Step aside to me here, until I tell you something. 
 Your uncle is putting a trick on you, you lout ! 
 Of your father's property not a blessed cent 
 Is yours by law; you're illegitimate. 
 
 Her. I illegitimate ! What? 
 
 Pisth. Yes, by great Zeus! 
 
 You had a foreign mother. Athena is heiress, 
 As everybody knows; and how could that be, 
 If she, being daughter, had legitimate brothers? 
 
 Her. But what if my father bequeath to me his estate 
 As bastard -legacy? 
 
 Pisth. The law forbids him! 
 
 The very first counter-claim of all would come 
 From Poseidon here, who is hounding you on now, 
 Averring that he's the testator's lawful brother. 
 I will quote you the law of Solon on this point. 
 
 " Sec. 1903. Moreover it is herein provided that to a son illegitimate 
 there shall belong no right of inheritance if there be sons legitimate; if 
 there be no sons legitimate the nearest of kith and kin shall share the 
 estate." 
 
 Her. Then does there fall to me no share at all 
 Of the patrimony? 
 
 Pisth. None at all! Look here, 
 
 Did your father have you registered and christen'd? 
 
 Her. Hell, no! I always wondered what he meant by it! 
 
 Pisth. Then what are you glaring at, you bag-punching bully? 
 
aXX' TJV /JieO' TJ/JLCOV 77?, /cara(TTr)cras a 
 Tvpavvov opVL0cov Trape^o) crot <yd\a. 
 
 H/o. Sbcai e/JLOLje teal TraXat So/cet? 
 Trepl rrj? #0/977?, fcdycoye 7rapaSi8a)fjLL VOL. 
 
 lit. rt Sal av (779 ; 
 
 Ho. ravavria 
 
 lit. ev TO) Tpi/3a\\a) Trav TO Trpdy/jia. TI av Xeyet? ; 
 
 Tp. /ca\dm Kopavva teal /Jiejd\a 
 opvtTO TrapaSiSoj/jii. 
 
 Hp. Trapa&ovvai 
 
 II o. fjua TOV At' ov% OUTO? 76 TrapaSovvai 
 el i*rj (Baftd^ei 7' coo-jrep at ^eXt8oW?. 
 
 lit. OVKOVV TrapaSovvai rat? ^eXt^ocrty Xe /r yet. 
 
 IIo. o-(a> ^i)^ Sia\\dTT(T0e /cal 
 
 Up. rj/Jilv a Xeyet? <7t> travra o-v^^wpeiv So/eel. 
 aXX' t'$t /xe^' rj/jiwv at'ro? e? TW ovpavdv 
 LVGL TTJV Bacrt Xetai/ ;at ra TTCLVT e/cel Xa/3?;?. 
 
 lit. e? icatpov apa KarefcoTrrjaav OVTOU 
 e? rou? rydfjiovs. 
 
 H^>. /3ov\ecr0e Sr/T eyco reW 
 
 O7TT&) ra /c^oeia rai^rt fievwv ; u/xet? 8' tre. 
 
 IIo. OTrra? ra /c/oea ; vroXX^ 76 Tv6eiav \eyeis. 
 ov/c el fJieO' rjfjLWv ; 
 
 HjO. eu 76 /Jievrdv SiereOrjv. 
 
 lit. aXXa ryafjLitcrjV ^Xai/tSa 8oVce) rt? 8ei)/oo /iot. 
 
But side with us, I'll get you an appointment 
 
 As policeman, and give you pigeon's milk in plenty. 
 
 Her. [Aloud.] For my part, your demand again seems fair, 
 About the princess, and I'm ready to grant it. 
 
 Pisth. [To POSEIDON. J Well, what do you say? 
 
 Pos. I give my vote against it. 
 
 Pisth. All turns upon Triballus. What say you, now? 
 
 Trib . Boof adamsambiggabasalinny 
 Andovabiddibus. 
 
 Pisth. He says, Hand her over. 
 
 Pos. Not he! he doesn't say, Hand over, unless 
 It's the language of the Twitterers that he's talking. 
 
 Pisth. He means, then, Hand her over to the twitterers. 
 
 Pos. [To HERACLES and TRIBALLUS.] You two may make your treaty 
 
 and your truce ; 
 And I, since 'tis your pleasure, will keep silent. 
 
 Her. [To PISTHETAERUS.] To all your propositions we are agreed. 
 But go with us now, in person, up to Heaven, 
 To take your winnings and your bride Basily. 
 
 Pisth. 'T was a timely guillotining of these birds, 
 For the marriage feast. 
 
 Her. Suppose I stay behind 
 
 And see to the broiling, while you go ahead? 
 
 Pos. To the broiling? It's the bolting, glutton, you'd see to! 
 Come along with us. 
 
 Her. And a precious plight to come to! 
 
 Pisth. Ho, there! let some one bring me a wedding- garment! 
 
XOPOS. 
 
 efcm o ev ^aratcri 7rpo<s Trj 
 TTavovpyov ey- 
 
 yevos, 
 ot eiova-iv re KCU ' 
 
 pova-L /cat rpvyaj(76 rats y 
 ratcrt o"VKa.ovcri re* 
 fidpflapOL 8' eto-iv yevo?, 
 
 Fopyuu re Kat ^t'AtTTTrot. 
 
 KOLTTO Ttov cyyAwrroyao'TO- 
 rail/ $iAt7T7ra)v 
 ^s 'ArrtK^? 17 
 yAcoTTa 
 
CHORUS. 
 
 (antistrophe) 
 
 In the Blackmail region, not far 
 
 From the Fount of Windy Lungs, 
 
 Flourishes a pettifogging 
 
 Beastly tribe of Bellytongues. 
 
 While their clapperjack is clucking 
 They are raking in the dough, 
 
 Philip -pups and Gorgi- asses, 
 Offspring of Barbarigo. 
 
 At all Attic sacrifices, 
 
 Where the bones are strewn about, 
 You can pick up belly-blabbers 
 
 Lying with their tongues cut out. 
 
H. 
 
 AITEAO2. 
 
 ayaOa Trpdrrovres^ & /jLei^co \d<yov ? 
 TT^VOV bpvidwv 76^09 ? 
 TOV Tvpavvov 6\/3 
 yap olo? oure 
 IBelv eXa/Lti^e %pv(rawyel 
 ou^' r)\LOV Tr)\avye<; atcrivajv 
 TOLOVTOV e^e\afji^rev^ olov ep^erai 
 yvvai/cbs /taXXo? ou (fr 
 
 tcepavvov, Trrepocfrdpov Aio? 
 avcovd/jiao-TOS e? /3a^o? KVIC\OV 
 ? icaKov BeafjLa- Ov/jLia/jLarcov 8' 
 avpat bia'^raipova'i 7T\fcrdvrjv Kcnrvov. 
 6SI &e /cavrds ecrnv. a\\a %pr) 6ea$ 
 Moucr?;? avofyeiv iepov ev^jjiov crro/ta. 
 
 r,4 
 
SCENE VII. 
 
 Enter a Messenger. 
 
 Mess. O ye all -fortunate, more than tongue can tell! 
 O feather'd tribes, thrice -blessed, welcome now 
 Your lord and master to his happy home. 
 How doth he come, more radiant than the beam 
 Of some effulgent star in house of gold! 
 Not the ray'd brilliance of the far-flashing sun 
 Hath shone like him, who draws nigh with his bride 
 Of beauty ineffable, whilst in his hand he wields 
 Zeus' weapon, the wing-tufted thunderbolt. 
 Unspeakable fragrance into the welkin's depth 
 Rises, a wondrous sight; and incense-coils 
 Float idly on the weird smoke-flapping breezes. 
 But lo, behold himself! 'Tis time to ope 
 The Muse's holy all -propitious mouth. 
 
 55 
 
XOPOS. 
 oVaye St'e^e Trapaye Trapeze. 
 
 rov fJ,a.Kapa fJLa.KO.pi avv 
 
 KOPT4>AI02. 
 
 a> /JLaKo.piO'Tov crv ydfAOV rrjSt TroAet 
 /aeyaXai ^teyaXat Kare^ovcrt TV^OLL 
 yevo? opviOdiv ota rovoe rov avopa. 
 
 dA-A.' ti 
 /cat 
 
 avrov KOL rrjv 
 
 56 
 
Enter PISTHETAERUS, EASILY, and train. 
 CHORUS. 
 
 Fall in, fall out; fly right-about; 
 
 Waft wide the airy portal: 
 With whirring wings and feathery flings 
 
 Surround the happy mortal! 
 
 O! O! O! what a beauteous bride 
 Is that disporting by his side ! 
 
 LEADER OF CHORUS. 
 
 All-hail, O thou who blest 
 This city of a nest 
 
 With a divine alliance! 
 Immense, immense the luck 
 The feather'd tribes have struck, 
 
 Soaring by his science ! 
 
 Greet now with hymeneal shout, 
 Chorals of the wedding- rout, 
 Him and his Easily. 
 
 57 
 
XOPOS. 
 
 (0-T/90077) 
 
 "Hpo. TTOT' ' 
 
 Oeols iu 
 Motpat 
 ev TOtaJ 
 'Y/x^v oj 'Y/Aevat' a>. 
 
 rjvOvve 
 
 Zryvo? 
 
 r^s T' 
 
 'Y/x^v a) 'Y/xeVat' w. 
 
 ya/xo>v 
 ^s T' v8at/xovo? 
 
 58 
 
CHORUS. 
 
 (strophe) 
 
 Once upon a time the Fates 
 
 Queenly Hera thus did bring 
 
 To the most august of mates, 
 
 The high-thron'd Olympian king; 
 
 Sounding their praise even so, 
 
 Hymen Hymenaeus O! 
 
 (antistrophe) 
 
 Gold-wing'd Eros was best man, 
 
 Tight the cherub drew the reins, 
 
 Guiding an immortal span 
 Over the celestial plains ; 
 
 Happy Hera long ago ! 
 
 Hymen Hymenaeus O ! 
 
niSGETAIPOS. 
 
 ^cprjv v/u,vots, 
 ayapxt 8e Aoyeov. aye vvv avrov 
 /cat TO,? Aortas K\.rj(raT 
 Ta9 re TrvpwSet? Atos 
 
 Setvov T' apyrjra Kf.pa.vvov. 
 
 XOPOS. 
 
 a> Atos a/ji(3poTov 
 
 a> 
 
 a/xa 
 
 at? o8e vw x^ova tret'ei, 
 8ta 8e ra Travra Kpar^o-as 
 /cat TrdptSpov BacrtAetav t^et Atos. 
 Y/x^v a) Y/xevat a>. 
 
PlSTHETAERUS. 
 
 With your songs, with your hymns, 
 I'm delighted, I'm sure: 
 Many thanks for your words ! 
 
 Sing, now, straight on and glorify 
 
 Our red lightnings of the sky; 
 
 Our dread thunder-peals, that break 
 
 Till the black Earth seems to quake. 
 
 CHORUS. 
 
 How gorgeous the gleam of the gold-twisted flashes ! 
 
 How awful the flame of the fierce thunderbolt, 
 With its cracks and its crashes, 
 
 By Zeus brandish'd of old! 
 
 O, ye rumbling thunders grand, 
 
 Cloudbursts of the mountain-brow, 
 
 This great conqueror puts his hand 
 To your fulminations now; 
 
 Easily ordains it so, 
 
 Hymen Hymenaeus O! 
 
 61 
 
niSGETAIPOS. 
 
 e<re vvv 
 <j>v\a Trd 
 
 pO(f)6p\ 7Tt 
 
 /cat A.eo 
 
 opcov a) fjiOLKcupa o-y 
 
 \aj3ov(Ta o-vyxoptva-ov a'i 
 pwv 8e Kov<f>i(ji) cr' eyw. 
 
 XOPOS. 
 
PlSTHETAERUS. 
 
 Follow all, birds of a feather, 
 
 Flock and follow, as you're led, 
 
 To the realm of sunny weather, 
 
 Where the nuptial couch is spread !- 
 
 Give me your hand, Birdie : how I 
 Long to dance with you to-day! 
 
 Take hold of my wings, and now I 
 Whisk you clear up and away ! 
 
 CHORUS. 
 
 Huzza, huzza! lo triumphe! 
 Huzza, huzza! Thrum, thrum! 
 Thrum on a thousand strings ! 
 O Conqueror of Kings ! 
 

 
Photomount 
 
 Pamphlet 
 
 Binder 
 
 Gaylord Bros., Inc. 
 
 Makers 
 Stockton, Calif. 
 
 PAT. JAN. 21. 1908 
 
 916834 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY