Socrates: Come now, first observe what this one is doing.
Socrates: Are you asleep?
Strepsiades: By Apollo, not I.
Socrates: Do you have something?
Strepsiades: By Zeus, certainly not I.
Strepsiades: Nothing at all except the penis in the right hand.
Socrates: Didn't you wrap yourself up quickly and worry about something?
735
Strepsiades: About what? For tell me this, O Socrates.
Socrates: You yourself, whoever invented it first, say it.
Strepsiades: I have heard it ten thousand times, I want to,
Strepsiades: about the interest, so that I may pay it to no one.
Socrates: Come now, cover up and split the thought.
740
Socrates: despise matters little by little, gradually.
Socrates: dividing correctly and examining.
Strepsiades: Alas, wretched me.
Socrates: Hold fast and be still; and if you are puzzled about something of the thoughts,
Socrates: Having left, go away, and [return] according to your opinion again.
Socrates: move it again and yoke it on the fourth.
745
Strepsiades: O dearest Socrates.
Strepsiades: I have a plan to avoid paying interest.
Strepsiades: tell me now —
Socrates: What is 'the what'?
Strepsiades: if he had bought a Thessalian female poisoner.
Strepsiades: I would lower the moon at night, and then indeed
750
Strepsiades: I would lock her up in a round loft,
Strepsiades: just like a mirror, and then I would hold it in my hand —
Socrates: But what good would this do you?
Strepsiades: If the moon were no longer rising anywhere,
Strepsiades: I would not pay back the interest.
755
Socrates: What is it, then?
Strepsiades: For he borrows the money every month.
Socrates: Very well; but I shall propose another apt thing to you as well.
Socrates: if a lawsuit for five talents were being brought against you,
Socrates: Tell me how you might destroy her.
760
Strepsiades: How? How? I don't know; but it must be sought out.
Socrates: Now, do not constantly twist your opinion around yourself,
Socrates: But throw your care into the air.
Socrates: linen-wrapped like a pomegranate, for the foot.
Strepsiades: I have found the most clever obliteration of the lawsuit,
765
Strepsiades: So that he admits you to me.
Strepsiades: Already at the pharmacists' the stone.
Strepsiades: You have seen this beautiful one, the transparent one,
Strepsiades: from which they light the fire?
Socrates: Do you mean the glass?
Strepsiades: I certainly. Come then, what would you do, if taking this,
770
Strepsiades: whenever the clerk was writing out the lawsuit,
Strepsiades: Stand further back, here towards the sun.
Strepsiades: I would burn the letters of my lawsuit!
Socrates: Very wisely, by the Graces.
Strepsiades: Oh, how I rejoice!
Strepsiades: Because a lawsuit for five talents has been entered against me.
Socrates: Come now, quickly snatch this up.
775
