Wasps. Aristophanes. . 2026-09-08.
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Chorus: he has taken advice for the affairs, which
Chorus: Then you went mad, for he has just realized it.
Chorus: It reckons all those things as mistakes.
745
Chorus: He did not obey your orders.
Chorus: Now, perhaps, he is persuaded by your words.
Chorus: Yet he does come to his senses, by changing places.
Chorus: in the future the manner
Chorus: having been persuaded by you.
Philocleon: Oh woe is me, woe is me.
750
Bdelucleon: Who is shouting this?
Philocleon: Do not promise me anything about these things.
Philocleon: I long for those men; may I be there!
Philocleon: So that the herald says, 'Who has not voted? Let him stand up.'
Philocleon: And I wish I were on the roof-tiles!
Philocleon: 'Let the last one be voted on.'
755
Philocleon: Hurry, O soul. Where is my soul?
Philocleon: Take it, oh shadowy one. By Heracles
Philocleon: But now, I [will not be] among the jurors?
Philocleon: May I catch Kleon stealing!
Current edition Experimental
English (Sanjaya, generated; selected passages) (OCR draft) (English) (Source: pnadelofficial/aristophanes-sanjaya, commit c319590c139e5603e71f0699caa0663d823af8ad. Machine-generated source annotations retained; see Sanjaya import audit for coverage and limitations.)
Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.
Editions (1)
Σφῆκες Perseus (Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 1. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1906.) — 729-759 focus
Χορός
πιθοῦ πιθοῦ λόγοισι, μηδʼ ἄφρων γένῃ
μηδʼ ἀτενὴς ἄγαν ἀτεράμων τʼ ἀνήρ.
730
εἴθʼ ὤφελέν μοι κηδεμὼν ἢ ξυγγενὴς
εἶναί τις ὅστις τοιαῦτʼ ἐνουθέτει.
σοὶ δὲ νῦν τις θεῶν παρὼν ἐμφανὴς
ξυλλαμβάνει τοῦ πράγματος,
καὶ δῆλός ἐστιν εὖ ποιῶν·
735
σὺ δὲ παρὼν δέχου.
πιθοῦ πιθοῦ λόγοισι, μηδʼ ἄφρων γένῃ
μηδʼ ἀτενὴς ἄγαν ἀτεράμων τʼ ἀνήρ.
730
εἴθʼ ὤφελέν μοι κηδεμὼν ἢ ξυγγενὴς
εἶναί τις ὅστις τοιαῦτʼ ἐνουθέτει.
σοὶ δὲ νῦν τις θεῶν παρὼν ἐμφανὴς
ξυλλαμβάνει τοῦ πράγματος,
καὶ δῆλός ἐστιν εὖ ποιῶν·
735
σὺ δὲ παρὼν δέχου.
Βδελυκλέων
καὶ μὴν θρέψω γʼ αὐτὸν παρέχων
ὅσα πρεσβύτῃ ξύμφορα, χόνδρον
λείχειν, χλαῖναν μαλακήν, σισύραν,
πόρνην, ἥτις τὸ πέος τρίψει
740
καὶ τὴν ὀσφῦν.
ἀλλʼ ὅτι σιγᾷ κοὐδὲν γρύζει,
τοῦτʼ οὐ δύναταί με προσέσθαι.
καὶ μὴν θρέψω γʼ αὐτὸν παρέχων
ὅσα πρεσβύτῃ ξύμφορα, χόνδρον
λείχειν, χλαῖναν μαλακήν, σισύραν,
πόρνην, ἥτις τὸ πέος τρίψει
740
καὶ τὴν ὀσφῦν.
ἀλλʼ ὅτι σιγᾷ κοὐδὲν γρύζει,
τοῦτʼ οὐ δύναταί με προσέσθαι.
Χορός
νενουθέτηκεν αὑτὸν ἐς τὰ πράγμαθʼ, οἶς
τότʼ ἐπεμαίνετʼ· ἔγνωκε γὰρ ἀρτίως,
λογίζεταί τʼ ἐκεῖνα πάνθʼ ἁμαρτίας
745
ἃ σοῦ κελεύοντος οὐκ ἐπείθετο.
νῦν δʼ ἴσως τοῖσι σοῖς λόγοις πείθεται
καὶ σωφρονεῖ μέντοι μεθιστὰς
ἐς τὸ λοιπὸν τὸν τρόπον
πιθόμενός τέ σοι.
νενουθέτηκεν αὑτὸν ἐς τὰ πράγμαθʼ, οἶς
τότʼ ἐπεμαίνετʼ· ἔγνωκε γὰρ ἀρτίως,
λογίζεταί τʼ ἐκεῖνα πάνθʼ ἁμαρτίας
745
ἃ σοῦ κελεύοντος οὐκ ἐπείθετο.
νῦν δʼ ἴσως τοῖσι σοῖς λόγοις πείθεται
καὶ σωφρονεῖ μέντοι μεθιστὰς
ἐς τὸ λοιπὸν τὸν τρόπον
πιθόμενός τέ σοι.
Φιλοκλέων
ἰώ μοί μοι.
750
ἰώ μοί μοι.
750
Βδελυκλέων
οὗτος τί βοᾷς;
οὗτος τί βοᾷς;
Φιλοκλέων
μή μοι τούτων μηδὲν ὑπισχνοῦ.
κείνων ἔραμαι, κεῖθι γενοίμαν,
ἵνʼ ὁ κῆρύξ φησι, ʼτίς ἀψήφιστος; ἀνιστάσθω.ʼ
κἀπισταίην ἐπὶ τοῖς κημοῖς
ψηφιζομένων ὁ τελευταῖος.
755
σπεῦδʼ ὦ ψυχή. ποῦ μοι ψυχή;
πάρες ὦ σκιερά. μὰ τὸν Ἡρακλέα
μή νυν ἔτʼ ἐγὼ ʼν τοῖσι δικασταῖς
κλέπτοντα Κλέωνα λάβοιμι.
μή μοι τούτων μηδὲν ὑπισχνοῦ.
κείνων ἔραμαι, κεῖθι γενοίμαν,
ἵνʼ ὁ κῆρύξ φησι, ʼτίς ἀψήφιστος; ἀνιστάσθω.ʼ
κἀπισταίην ἐπὶ τοῖς κημοῖς
ψηφιζομένων ὁ τελευταῖος.
755
σπεῦδʼ ὦ ψυχή. ποῦ μοι ψυχή;
πάρες ὦ σκιερά. μὰ τὸν Ἡρακλέα
μή νυν ἔτʼ ἐγὼ ʼν τοῖσι δικασταῖς
κλέπτοντα Κλέωνα λάβοιμι.
Translations (1)
Wasps (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Anonymous; 1938 compilation). Migrated from Perseus legacy XML; source wording and notes retained. See TEI header and migration inventory.) — 743 focus
Second Semi-Chorus
He has thought the thing over and
745
has recognized his folly; he is reproaching himself for not having followed your advice always. But there he is, converted by your words, and wiser now, so that he will no doubt alter his ways in the future and always believe in none but you.
He has thought the thing over and
745
has recognized his folly; he is reproaching himself for not having followed your advice always. But there he is, converted by your words, and wiser now, so that he will no doubt alter his ways in the future and always believe in none but you.
Philocleon
Alas! alas!
Alas! alas!
Bdelycleon
Now why this lamentation?
Now why this lamentation?
Philocleon
in tragic style
750
A truce to your promises! What I love is down there, down there I want to be, there, where the herald cries, "Who has not yet voted? Let him rise!"
755
I want to be the last of all to leave the urn. Oh, my soul, my soul! where art thou? come! oh! dark shadows, make way for me! By Heracles, may I reach the court in time to convict Cleon of theft.
750
A truce to your promises! What I love is down there, down there I want to be, there, where the herald cries, "Who has not yet voted? Let him rise!"
755
I want to be the last of all to leave the urn. Oh, my soul, my soul! where art thou? come! oh! dark shadows, make way for me! By Heracles, may I reach the court in time to convict Cleon of theft.