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Leader of the Chorus

Hi! Epops! do you hear me?

Epops

What's the matter?

Leader of the Chorus

Take them off to dine well and call your mate, the melodious Procne, whose songs are worthy of the Muses; 660 she will delight our leisure moments.

Pisthetaerus

Oh! I conjure you, accede to their wish; for this delightful bird will leave her rushes at the sound of your voice; for the sake of the gods, let her come here, so that we may contemplate the nightingale.

Epops

665 Let it be as you desire. Come forth, Procne, show yourself to these strangers.

Procne appears; she resembles a young flute-girl.

Pisthetaerus

Oh! great Zeus! what a beautiful little bird! what a dainty form! what brilliant plumage! Do you know how dearly I should like to get between her thighs?

Euelpides

670 She is dazzling all over with gold, like a young girl. Oh! how I should like to kiss her!

Pisthetaerus

Why, wretched man, she has two little sharp points on her beak!

Euelpides

I would treat her like an egg, the shell of which we remove before eating it; I would take off her mask and then kiss her pretty face.

Epops

675 Let us go in.

Pisthetaerus

Lead the way, and may success attend us. Epops goes into the thicket, followed by Pisthetaerus and Euelpides.

Birds. Aristophanes. ed. Eugene O'Neill, Jr.. New York. 1938.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Current edition Experimental

Birds (OCR draft) (English) (Anonymous translation, 1938 compilation; legacy Perseus source migration. Preserved separately from the revised canonical perseus-eng2 at the project owner's request.)

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (1)

Ὄρνιθες Perseus (Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 1. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1906.) — 658 focus

Χορός

οὗτος σὲ καλῶ, σὲ λέγω.

Ἔποψ

τί καλεῖς;

Χορός

τούτους μὲν ἄγων μετὰ σαυτοῦ

ἀρίστισον εὖ· τὴν δʼ ἡδυμελῆ ξύμφωνον ἀηδόνα Μούσαις

κατάλειφʼ ἡμῖν δεῦρʼ ἐκβιβάσας, ἵνα παίσωμεν μετʼ ἐκείνης.
660

Πισθέταιρος

ὦ τοῦτο μεντοι νὴ Δίʼ αὐτοῖσιν πιθοῦ·

ἐκβίβασον ἐκ τοῦ βουτόμου τοὐρνίθιον.

Ἐυελπίδης

ἐκβίβασον αὐτοῦ πρὸς θεῶν αὐτήν, ἵνα

καὶ νὼ θεασώμεσθα τὴν ἀηδόνα.

Ἔποψ

ἀλλʼ εἰ δοκεῖ σφῷν, ταῦτα χρὴ δρᾶν. ἡ Πρόκνη
665

ἔκβαινε καὶ σαυτὴν ἐπιδείκνυ τοῖς ξένοις.

Πισθέταιρος

ὦ Ζεῦ πολυτίμηθʼ ὡς καλὸν τοὐρνίθιον,

ὡς δʼ ἁπαλόν, ὡς δὲ λευκόν.

Ἐυελπίδης

ἆρά γʼ οἶσθʼ ὅτι

ἐγὼ διαμηρίζοιμʼ ἂν αὐτὴν ἡδέως;

Πισθέταιρος

ὅσον δʼ ἔχει τὸν χρυσόν, ὥσπερ παρθένος.
670

Ἐυελπίδης

ἐγὼ μὲν αὐτὴν κἂν φιλῆσαί μοι δοκῶ.

Πισθέταιρος

ἀλλʼ ὦ κακόδαιμον ῥύγχος ὀβελίσκοιν ἔχει.

Ἐυελπίδης

ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ ᾠὸν νὴ Δίʼ ἀπολέψαντα χρὴ

ἀπὸ τῆς κεφαλῆς τὸ λέμμα κᾆθʼ οὕτω φιλεῖν.

Ἔποψ

ἴωμεν.
675

Πισθέταιρος

ἡγοῦ δὴ σὺ νῷν τύχἀγαθῇ.

Translations (2)

Birds Perseus (Aristophanes. The Complete Greek Drama, Vol. 2. Anonymous, translator. O'Neill, Eugene; Oates, Whitney Jennings, editors. New York: Random House, 1938 (printing).)

No corresponding passage available

English (Sanjaya, generated; selected passages) (OCR draft) Experimental (Source: pnadelofficial/aristophanes-sanjaya, commit c319590c139e5603e71f0699caa0663d823af8ad. Machine-generated source annotations retained; see Sanjaya import audit for coverage and limitations.) — 658 focus

Chorus: I call you this, I say you.

Epops: What are you calling [me]?

Chorus: leading these along with yourself

Chorus: Sing a fine song well; but the sweet-voiced harmonious nightingale to the Muses

Chorus: leave us here, having brought her down, so that we may play with her.

660

Pisthetaerus: By Zeus, I must persuade them.

Pisthetaerus: get that little bird down from the slaughterhouse.

Euelpides: Drive her off from here, by the gods, so that

Euelpides: And let us watch the nightingale.

Epops: But if it seems good to you two, these things must be done. Procnē

665

Epops: Get out and show yourself to the foreigners.

Pisthetaerus: O Zeus, greatly honored, how beautiful the little bird is!

Pisthetaerus: how tender, and how white.

Eupolis: Do you know then that

Euelpides: I would divide it gladly, if I could.

Pisthetaerus: As much gold as he has, just like a maiden.

670

Euelpides: As for me, I think I can even kiss her.

Pisthetaerus: But, wretched snout, it has an obelisk in it.

Euelpides: But by Zeus, just like an egg that has been pecked, one must [do it].

Euelpides: from the head the lemming and then thus to love.

Epops: Let us go.

675

Pisthetaerus: Lead us, then, with good fortune.

Commentary

Commentary (Sanjaya, generated; selected passages) (OCR draft) (Source: pnadelofficial/aristophanes-sanjaya, commit c319590c139e5603e71f0699caa0663d823af8ad. Machine-generated source annotations retained; see Sanjaya import audit for coverage and limitations.) focus

672. mvp-tlg0019-tlg006-sanjaya-com-eng1-32

Line 672

ἀλλʼ ὦ κακόδαιμον ῥύγχος ὀβελίσκοιν ἔχει.

The accusative singular 'ῥύγχος' (snout/muzzle) functions as the direct object of the implied verb 'to have' (or is in apposition to the vocative 'ὦ κακόδαιμον'), but the syntax is elliptical for 'ἔχειν ὀβελίσκοιν' (to have a spit). More critically, the dative plural 'ὀβελίσκοιν' (with spits) is a strikingly rare use of the instrumental dative of means without a preposition, suggesting a vivid, almost proverbial image of the bird's beak being a tool for roasting, which aligns with the play's central fantasy of birds usurping the gods' role as sacrificers.

Aristophanes Birds 658

ed. Eugene O'Neill, Jr.

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Leader of the Chorus

Hi! Epops! do you hear me?

Epops

What's the matter?

Leader of the Chorus

Take them off to dine well and call your mate, the melodious Procne, whose songs are worthy of the Muses; 660 she will delight our leisure moments.

Pisthetaerus

Oh! I conjure you, accede to their wish; for this delightful bird will leave her rushes at the sound of your voice; for the sake of the gods, let her come here, so that we may contemplate the nightingale.

Epops

665 Let it be as you desire. Come forth, Procne, show yourself to these strangers.

Pisthetaerus

Oh! great Zeus! what a beautiful little bird! what a dainty form! what brilliant plumage! Do you know how dearly I should like to get between her thighs?

Euelpides

670 She is dazzling all over with gold, like a young girl. Oh! how I should like to kiss her!

Pisthetaerus

Why, wretched man, she has two little sharp points on her beak!

Euelpides

I would treat her like an egg, the shell of which we remove before eating it; I would take off her mask and then kiss her pretty face.

Epops

675 Let us go in.

Pisthetaerus

Lead the way, and may success attend us. Epops goes into the thicket, followed by Pisthetaerus and Euelpides.

Current edition Experimental

Χορός

οὗτος σὲ καλῶ, σὲ λέγω.

Ἔποψ

τί καλεῖς;

Χορός

τούτους μὲν ἄγων μετὰ σαυτοῦ

ἀρίστισον εὖ· τὴν δʼ ἡδυμελῆ ξύμφωνον ἀηδόνα Μούσαις

κατάλειφʼ ἡμῖν δεῦρʼ ἐκβιβάσας, ἵνα παίσωμεν μετʼ ἐκείνης.
660

Πισθέταιρος

ὦ τοῦτο μεντοι νὴ Δίʼ αὐτοῖσιν πιθοῦ·

ἐκβίβασον ἐκ τοῦ βουτόμου τοὐρνίθιον.

Ἐυελπίδης

ἐκβίβασον αὐτοῦ πρὸς θεῶν αὐτήν, ἵνα

καὶ νὼ θεασώμεσθα τὴν ἀηδόνα.

Ἔποψ

ἀλλʼ εἰ δοκεῖ σφῷν, ταῦτα χρὴ δρᾶν. ἡ Πρόκνη
665

ἔκβαινε καὶ σαυτὴν ἐπιδείκνυ τοῖς ξένοις.

Πισθέταιρος

ὦ Ζεῦ πολυτίμηθʼ ὡς καλὸν τοὐρνίθιον,

ὡς δʼ ἁπαλόν, ὡς δὲ λευκόν.

Ἐυελπίδης

ἆρά γʼ οἶσθʼ ὅτι

ἐγὼ διαμηρίζοιμʼ ἂν αὐτὴν ἡδέως;

Πισθέταιρος

ὅσον δʼ ἔχει τὸν χρυσόν, ὥσπερ παρθένος.
670

Ἐυελπίδης

ἐγὼ μὲν αὐτὴν κἂν φιλῆσαί μοι δοκῶ.

Πισθέταιρος

ἀλλʼ ὦ κακόδαιμον ῥύγχος ὀβελίσκοιν ἔχει.

Ἐυελπίδης

ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ ᾠὸν νὴ Δίʼ ἀπολέψαντα χρὴ

ἀπὸ τῆς κεφαλῆς τὸ λέμμα κᾆθʼ οὕτω φιλεῖν.

Ἔποψ

ἴωμεν.
675

Πισθέταιρος

ἡγοῦ δὴ σὺ νῷν τύχἀγαθῇ.

Commentary

Line 672

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Leader of the Chorus Hi! Epops! do you hear me?

Epops What's the matter?

Leader of the Chorus Take them off to dine well and call your mate, the melodious Procne, whose songs are worthy of the Muses; 660 she will delight our leisure moments.

Pisthetaerus Oh! I conjure you, accede to their wish; for this delightful bird will leave her rushes at the sound of your voice; for the sake of the gods, let her come here, so that we may contemplate the nightingale.

Epops 665 Let it be as you desire. Come forth, Procne, show yourself to these strangers.

Pisthetaerus Oh! great Zeus! what a beautiful little bird! what a dainty form! what brilliant plumage! Do you know how dearly I should like to get between her thighs?

Euelpides 670 She is dazzling all over with gold, like a young girl. Oh! how I should like to kiss her!

Pisthetaerus Why, wretched man, she has two little sharp points on her beak!

Euelpides I would treat her like an egg, the shell of which we remove before eating it; I would take off her mask and then kiss her pretty face.

Epops 675 Let us go in.

Pisthetaerus Lead the way, and may success attend us. Epops goes into the thicket, followed by Pisthetaerus and Euelpides.

Current edition Experimental

Χορός οὗτος σὲ καλῶ, σὲ λέγω.

Ἔποψ τί καλεῖς;

Χορός τούτους μὲν ἄγων μετὰ σαυτοῦ ἀρίστισον εὖ· τὴν δʼ ἡδυμελῆ ξύμφωνον ἀηδόνα Μούσαις κατάλειφʼ ἡμῖν δεῦρʼ ἐκβιβάσας, ἵνα παίσωμεν μετʼ ἐκείνης. 660

Πισθέταιρος ὦ τοῦτο μεντοι νὴ Δίʼ αὐτοῖσιν πιθοῦ· ἐκβίβασον ἐκ τοῦ βουτόμου τοὐρνίθιον.

Ἐυελπίδης ἐκβίβασον αὐτοῦ πρὸς θεῶν αὐτήν, ἵνα καὶ νὼ θεασώμεσθα τὴν ἀηδόνα.

Ἔποψ ἀλλʼ εἰ δοκεῖ σφῷν, ταῦτα χρὴ δρᾶν. ἡ Πρόκνη 665 ἔκβαινε καὶ σαυτὴν ἐπιδείκνυ τοῖς ξένοις.

Πισθέταιρος ὦ Ζεῦ πολυτίμηθʼ ὡς καλὸν τοὐρνίθιον, ὡς δʼ ἁπαλόν, ὡς δὲ λευκόν.

Ἐυελπίδης ἆρά γʼ οἶσθʼ ὅτι ἐγὼ διαμηρίζοιμʼ ἂν αὐτὴν ἡδέως;

Πισθέταιρος ὅσον δʼ ἔχει τὸν χρυσόν, ὥσπερ παρθένος. 670

Ἐυελπίδης ἐγὼ μὲν αὐτὴν κἂν φιλῆσαί μοι δοκῶ.

Πισθέταιρος ἀλλʼ ὦ κακόδαιμον ῥύγχος ὀβελίσκοιν ἔχει.

Ἐυελπίδης ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ ᾠὸν νὴ Δίʼ ἀπολέψαντα χρὴ ἀπὸ τῆς κεφαλῆς τὸ λέμμα κᾆθʼ οὕτω φιλεῖν.

Ἔποψ ἴωμεν. 675

Πισθέταιρος ἡγοῦ δὴ σὺ νῷν τύχἀγαθῇ.

Commentary

Line 672

Stable identifiers

Leader of the Chorus

Hi! Epops! do you hear me?

Epops

What's the matter?

Leader of the Chorus

Take them off to dine well and call your mate, the melodious Procne, whose songs are worthy of the Muses; 660 she will delight our leisure moments.

Pisthetaerus

Oh! I conjure you, accede to their wish; for this delightful bird will leave her rushes at the sound of your voice; for the sake of the gods, let her come here, so that we may contemplate the nightingale.

Epops

665 Let it be as you desire. Come forth, Procne, show yourself to these strangers.

Pisthetaerus

Oh! great Zeus! what a beautiful little bird! what a dainty form! what brilliant plumage! Do you know how dearly I should like to get between her thighs?

Euelpides

670 She is dazzling all over with gold, like a young girl. Oh! how I should like to kiss her!

Pisthetaerus

Why, wretched man, she has two little sharp points on her beak!

Euelpides

I would treat her like an egg, the shell of which we remove before eating it; I would take off her mask and then kiss her pretty face.

Epops

675 Let us go in.

Pisthetaerus

Lead the way, and may success attend us. Epops goes into the thicket, followed by Pisthetaerus and Euelpides.

Χορός

οὗτος σὲ καλῶ, σὲ λέγω.

Ἔποψ

τί καλεῖς;

Χορός

τούτους μὲν ἄγων μετὰ σαυτοῦ

ἀρίστισον εὖ· τὴν δʼ ἡδυμελῆ ξύμφωνον ἀηδόνα Μούσαις

κατάλειφʼ ἡμῖν δεῦρʼ ἐκβιβάσας, ἵνα παίσωμεν μετʼ ἐκείνης.
660

Πισθέταιρος

ὦ τοῦτο μεντοι νὴ Δίʼ αὐτοῖσιν πιθοῦ·

ἐκβίβασον ἐκ τοῦ βουτόμου τοὐρνίθιον.

Ἐυελπίδης

ἐκβίβασον αὐτοῦ πρὸς θεῶν αὐτήν, ἵνα

καὶ νὼ θεασώμεσθα τὴν ἀηδόνα.

Ἔποψ

ἀλλʼ εἰ δοκεῖ σφῷν, ταῦτα χρὴ δρᾶν. ἡ Πρόκνη
665

ἔκβαινε καὶ σαυτὴν ἐπιδείκνυ τοῖς ξένοις.

Πισθέταιρος

ὦ Ζεῦ πολυτίμηθʼ ὡς καλὸν τοὐρνίθιον,

ὡς δʼ ἁπαλόν, ὡς δὲ λευκόν.

Ἐυελπίδης

ἆρά γʼ οἶσθʼ ὅτι

ἐγὼ διαμηρίζοιμʼ ἂν αὐτὴν ἡδέως;

Πισθέταιρος

ὅσον δʼ ἔχει τὸν χρυσόν, ὥσπερ παρθένος.
670

Ἐυελπίδης

ἐγὼ μὲν αὐτὴν κἂν φιλῆσαί μοι δοκῶ.

Πισθέταιρος

ἀλλʼ ὦ κακόδαιμον ῥύγχος ὀβελίσκοιν ἔχει.

Ἐυελπίδης

ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ ᾠὸν νὴ Δίʼ ἀπολέψαντα χρὴ

ἀπὸ τῆς κεφαλῆς τὸ λέμμα κᾆθʼ οὕτω φιλεῖν.

Ἔποψ

ἴωμεν.
675

Πισθέταιρος

ἡγοῦ δὴ σὺ νῷν τύχἀγαθῇ.