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Pisthetaerus

Birds! the sacrifice is propitious. But I see

no messenger coming from the wall to tell us what is happening. Ah! here comes one running himself out of breath as though he were in the Olympic stadium.
1120

Messenger
Running back and forth.

Where, where, where is he? Where, where, where is he? Where, where, where is he? Where is Pisthetaerus, our leader?

Pisthetaerus

Here am I.

Messenger

The wall is finished.

Pisthetaerus

That's good news.

Messenger

It's a most beautiful, a most magnificent work of art. The wall is so broad that Proxenides, the Braggartian, and Theogenes could pass each other in their chariots, even if they were drawn by steeds as big as the Trojan horse.
1125

Pisthetaerus

That's fine!

Messenger

Its length is one hundred stadia; I measured it myself.
1130

Pisthetaerus

A decent length, by Poseidon! And who built such a wall?

Messenger

Birds —birds only; they had neither Egyptian brickmaker, nor stonemason, nor carpenter;

the birds did it all themselves; I could hardly believe my eyes. Thirty thousand cranes came from Libya with a supply of stones, intended for the foundations. The water-rails chiselled them with their beaks. Ten thousand storks were busy making bricks;
1135

plovers and other water fowl carried water into the air.
1140

Pisthetaerus

And who carried the mortar?

Messenger

Herons, in hods.

Pisthetaerus

But how could they put the mortar into the hods?

Messenger

Oh! it was a truly clever invention;

the geese used their feet like spades; they buried them in the pile of mortar and then emptied them into the hods.
1145

Pisthetaerus

Ah! to what use cannot feet be put?

Birds. Aristophanes. Anonymous (Translator), ed. Eugene O'Neill, Jr., ed. Whitney J. Oates, ed. Eugene O'Neill, Jr.. New York. 1938.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

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

Editions (1)

Ὄρνιθες Perseus (Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 1. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1906.) — 1118 focus

Πισθέταιρος

τὰ μὲν ἱέρʼ ἡμῖν ἐστιν ὦρνιθες καλά·

ἀλλʼ ὡς ἀπὸ τοῦ τείχους πάρεστιν ἄγγελος

οὐδείς, ὅτου πευσόμεθα τἀκεῖ πράγματα.
1120

ἀλλʼ οὑτοσὶ τρέχει τις Ἀλφειὸν πνέων.

Ἄγγελος Α

ποῦ ποῦ ʼστι, ποῦ ποῦ ποῦ ʼστι, ποῦ ποῦ ποῦ ʼστι ποῦ,

ποῦ Πισθέταιρός ἐστιν ἅρχων;

Πισθέταιρος

οὑτοσί.

Ἄγγελος Α

ἐξῳκοδόμηταί σοι τὸ τεῖχος.

Πισθέταιρος

εὖ λέγεις.

Ἄγγελος Α

κάλλιστον ἔργον καὶ μεγαλοπρεπέστατον·
1125

ὥστʼ ἂν ἐπάνω μὲν Προξενίδης ὁ Κομπασεὺς

καὶ Θεογένης ἐναντίω δύʼ ἅρματε,

ἵππων ὑπόντων μέγεθος ὅσον ὁ δούριος,

ὑπὸ τοῦ πλάτους ἂν παρελασαίτην.

Πισθέταιρος

Ἡράκλεις.

Ἄγγελος Α

τὸ δὲ μῆκός ἐστι, καὶ γὰρ ἐμέτρησʼ αὔτʼ ἐγώ,
1130

ἑκατοντορόγυιον.

Πισθέταιρος

ὦ Πόσειδον τοῦ μάκρους.

τίνες ᾠκοδόμησαν αὐτὸ τηλικουτονί;

Ἄγγελος Α

ὄρνιθες, οὐδεὶς ἄλλος, οὐκ Αἰγύπτιος

πλινθοφόρος, οὐ λιθουργός, οὐ τέκτων παρῆν,

ἀλλʼ αὐτόχειρες, ὥστε θαυμάζειν ἐμέ.
1135

ἐκ μέν γε Λιβύης ἧκον ὡς τρισμύριαι

γέρανοι θεμελίους καταπεπωκυῖαι λίθους.

τούτους δʼ ἐτύκιζον αἱ κρέκες τοῖς ῥύγχεσιν.

ἕτεροι δʼ ἐπλινθοφόρουν πελαργοὶ μύριοι·

ὕδωρ δʼ ἐφόρουν κάτωθεν ἐς τὸν ἀέρα
1140

οἱ χαραδριοὶ καὶ τἄλλα ποτόμιʼ ὄρνεα.

Πισθέταιρος

ἐπηλοφόρουν δʼ αὐτοῖσι τίνες;

Ἄγγελος Α

ἐρωδιοὶ

λεκάναισι.

Πισθέταιρος

τὸν δὲ πηλὸν ἐνεβάλλοντο πῶς;

Ἄγγελος Α

τοῦτʼ ὦγάθʼ ἐξηύρητο καὶ σοφώτατα·

οἱ χῆνες ὑποτύπτοντες ὥσπερ ταῖς ἄμαις
1145

ἐς τὰς λεκάνας ἐνέβαλλον αὐτοῖς τοῖν ποδοῖν.

Πισθέταιρος

τί δῆτα πόδες ἂν οὐκ ἂν ἐργασαίατο;

Translations (2)

Birds (OCR draft) Experimental (Anonymous translation, 1938 compilation; legacy Perseus source migration. Preserved separately from the revised canonical perseus-eng2 at the project owner's request.) — 1118 focus

Pisthetaerus

Birds! the sacrifice is propitious. But I see 1120 no messenger coming from the wall to tell us what is happening. Ah! here comes one running himself out of breath as though he were in the Olympic stadium.

Messenger
Running back and forth.

Where, where, where is he? Where, where, where is he? Where, where, where is he? Where is Pisthetaerus, our leader?

Pisthetaerus

Here am I.

Messenger

The wall is finished.

Pisthetaerus

That's good news.

Messenger

1125 It's a most beautiful, a most magnificent work of art. The wall is so broad that Proxenides, the Braggartian, and Theogenes could pass each other in their chariots, even if they were drawn by steeds as big as the Trojan horse.

Pisthetaerus

That's fine!

Messenger

1130 Its length is one hundred stadia; I measured it myself.

Pisthetaerus

A decent length, by Poseidon! And who built such a wall?

Messenger

Birds —birds only; they had neither Egyptian brickmaker, nor stonemason, nor carpenter; 1135 the birds did it all themselves; I could hardly believe my eyes. Thirty thousand cranes came from Libya with a supply of stones, intended for the foundations. The water-rails chiselled them with their beaks. Ten thousand storks were busy making bricks; 1140 plovers and other water fowl carried water into the air.

Pisthetaerus

And who carried the mortar?

Messenger

Herons, in hods.

Pisthetaerus

But how could they put the mortar into the hods?

Messenger

Oh! it was a truly clever invention; 1145 the geese used their feet like spades; they buried them in the pile of mortar and then emptied them into the hods.

Pisthetaerus

Ah! to what use cannot feet be put?

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.) — 1118 focus

Pisthetaerus: The birds are our sacred birds, indeed, good ones.

Pisthetaerus: but a messenger is standing right by the wall.

Pisthetaerus: No one, from whom we will inquire about the affairs there.

1120

Pisthetaerus: But this fellow is running, breathing the Alpheus.

Messenger A: Where, where is it, where, where is it, where, where is it where?

Messenger A: Where is Pisthetairos, the ruler?

Pisthetaerus: This one here.

Messenger A: The wall has been built for you.

Pisthetaerus: You speak well.

Messenger A: The most beautiful and most magnificent work;

1125

Messenger A: So, on top, on the one hand, Proxenides the Trumper

Messenger A: And Theogenes [has] two opposing chariots,

Messenger A: the size of a horse when they are standing, as much as a spear.

Messenger A: I would have passed through on account of the width.

Pisthetaerus: Hercules.

Messenger A: But the length is this, for I measured it myself.

1130

Messenger A: a hundred-yard long.

Pisthetairos: O Poseidon, you of the long hair.

Pisthetaerus: Who built it so large?

Messenger A: O birds, no one else, not an Egyptian.

Messenger A: a bricklayer, not a stone-mason, not a carpenter, was present,

Messenger A: But they are self-murderers, so as to wonder at me.

1135

Messenger A: Indeed, I came from Libya, a force of thirty thousand.

Messenger A: cranes have sold foundations of stone.

Messenger A: These they were trampling with their snouts.

Messenger A: And ten thousand storks were bringing bricks.

Messenger A: They were carrying water up from below into the air.

1140

Messenger A: The ravens and the other birds are thirsty.

Pisthetaerus: Were some of them carrying burdens?

Messenger A: pelicans

Messenger A: basins.

Pisthetairos: "And how did they throw the mud?"

Messenger A: This was discovered to be excellent and most cleverly.

Messenger A: the geese, stamping as if on threshing floors.

1145

Messenger A: They were throwing it into the cauldrons with their two feet.

Pisthetaerus: Then what on earth would feet not be able to accomplish?

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

1127. mvp-tlg0019-tlg006-sanjaya-com-eng1-72

Line 1127

καὶ Θεογένης ἐναντίω δύʼ ἅρματε,

The phrase δύ' ἅρματε is a rare example of the vocative singular of the second declension noun ἅρμα (chariot) appearing with a numeral that agrees in case and number with the noun rather than the implied subject or a plural noun. The form ἅρματε (vocative singular) instead of the more common ἅρμα (nominative/accusative singular) or ἅρματα (plural) suggests a specific address to the chariot itself, personifying it as a character in the dialogue. This construction is syntactically unusual and requires careful parsing to avoid misinterpreting the case and number agreement.

1131b. mvp-tlg0019-tlg006-sanjaya-com-eng1-73

Line 1131b

ὦ Πόσειδον τοῦ μάκρους.

The vocative Πόσειδον is followed by the accusative τοῦ μάκρους ('of the long ones'), a construction that has generated significant textual and grammatical controversy. The phrase appears to be an elliptical or corrupted form of a longer address, possibly alluding to Poseidon's epithets or a specific mythological reference to 'the long ones' (perhaps the long-beaked birds of the play's title, or a reference to the long ships/rods associated with the god). Most editors, following the scholia, emend τοῦ μάκρους to τοῦ μακροῦ ('of the long one'), interpreting it as a reference to Poseidon's long beard or his role as the 'long-robed' god, but the manuscript reading τοῦ μάκρους (genitive plural) remains attested and may reflect a deliberate, humorous play on words by Aristophanes, mocking the god's association with the 'long' sea creatures or the absurdity of the birds' new city. The phrase is a crux in Aristophanic scholarship, with no consensus on whether it represents a genuine dialectal form, a scribal error, or a sophisticated pun.

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Pisthetaerus Birds! the sacrifice is propitious. But I see no messenger coming from the wall to tell us what is happening. Ah! here comes one running himself out of breath as though he were in the Olympic stadium. 1120

Messenger Running back and forth. Where, where, where is he? Where, where, where is he? Where, where, where is he? Where is Pisthetaerus, our leader?

Pisthetaerus Here am I.

Messenger The wall is finished.

Pisthetaerus That's good news.

Messenger It's a most beautiful, a most magnificent work of art. The wall is so broad that Proxenides, the Braggartian, and Theogenes could pass each other in their chariots, even if they were drawn by steeds as big as the Trojan horse. 1125

Pisthetaerus That's fine!

Messenger Its length is one hundred stadia; I measured it myself. 1130

Pisthetaerus A decent length, by Poseidon! And who built such a wall?

Pisthetaerus And who carried the mortar?

Messenger Herons, in hods.

Pisthetaerus But how could they put the mortar into the hods?

Messenger Oh! it was a truly clever invention; the geese used their feet like spades; they buried them in the pile of mortar and then emptied them into the hods. 1145

Pisthetaerus Ah! to what use cannot feet be put?

Current edition Perseus

Ἄγγελος Α ποῦ ποῦ ʼστι, ποῦ ποῦ ποῦ ʼστι, ποῦ ποῦ ποῦ ʼστι ποῦ, ποῦ Πισθέταιρός ἐστιν ἅρχων;

Πισθέταιρος οὑτοσί.

Ἄγγελος Α ἐξῳκοδόμηταί σοι τὸ τεῖχος.

Πισθέταιρος εὖ λέγεις.

Πισθέταιρος Ἡράκλεις.

Ἄγγελος Α τὸ δὲ μῆκός ἐστι, καὶ γὰρ ἐμέτρησʼ αὔτʼ ἐγώ, 1130 ἑκατοντορόγυιον.

Πισθέταιρος ὦ Πόσειδον τοῦ μάκρους. τίνες ᾠκοδόμησαν αὐτὸ τηλικουτονί;

Πισθέταιρος ἐπηλοφόρουν δʼ αὐτοῖσι τίνες;

Ἄγγελος Α ἐρωδιοὶ λεκάναισι.

Πισθέταιρος τὸν δὲ πηλὸν ἐνεβάλλοντο πῶς;

Ἄγγελος Α τοῦτʼ ὦγάθʼ ἐξηύρητο καὶ σοφώτατα· οἱ χῆνες ὑποτύπτοντες ὥσπερ ταῖς ἄμαις 1145 ἐς τὰς λεκάνας ἐνέβαλλον αὐτοῖς τοῖν ποδοῖν.

Πισθέταιρος τί δῆτα πόδες ἂν οὐκ ἂν ἐργασαίατο;

Pisthetaerus Birds! the sacrifice is propitious. But I see 1120 no messenger coming from the wall to tell us what is happening. Ah! here comes one running himself out of breath as though he were in the Olympic stadium.

Messenger Running back and forth. Where, where, where is he? Where, where, where is he? Where, where, where is he? Where is Pisthetaerus, our leader?

Pisthetaerus Here am I.

Messenger The wall is finished.

Pisthetaerus That's good news.

Messenger 1125 It's a most beautiful, a most magnificent work of art. The wall is so broad that Proxenides, the Braggartian, and Theogenes could pass each other in their chariots, even if they were drawn by steeds as big as the Trojan horse.

Pisthetaerus That's fine!

Messenger 1130 Its length is one hundred stadia; I measured it myself.

Pisthetaerus A decent length, by Poseidon! And who built such a wall?

Pisthetaerus And who carried the mortar?

Messenger Herons, in hods.

Pisthetaerus But how could they put the mortar into the hods?

Messenger Oh! it was a truly clever invention; 1145 the geese used their feet like spades; they buried them in the pile of mortar and then emptied them into the hods.

Pisthetaerus Ah! to what use cannot feet be put?

Commentary

Line 1127

Line 1131b

Stable identifiers

Pisthetaerus

Birds! the sacrifice is propitious. But I see

no messenger coming from the wall to tell us what is happening. Ah! here comes one running himself out of breath as though he were in the Olympic stadium.
1120

Messenger
Running back and forth.

Where, where, where is he? Where, where, where is he? Where, where, where is he? Where is Pisthetaerus, our leader?

Pisthetaerus

Here am I.

Messenger

The wall is finished.

Pisthetaerus

That's good news.

Messenger

It's a most beautiful, a most magnificent work of art. The wall is so broad that Proxenides, the Braggartian, and Theogenes could pass each other in their chariots, even if they were drawn by steeds as big as the Trojan horse.
1125

Pisthetaerus

That's fine!

Messenger

Its length is one hundred stadia; I measured it myself.
1130

Pisthetaerus

A decent length, by Poseidon! And who built such a wall?

Pisthetaerus

And who carried the mortar?

Messenger

Herons, in hods.

Pisthetaerus

But how could they put the mortar into the hods?

Messenger

Oh! it was a truly clever invention;

the geese used their feet like spades; they buried them in the pile of mortar and then emptied them into the hods.
1145

Pisthetaerus

Ah! to what use cannot feet be put?

Ἄγγελος Α

ποῦ ποῦ ʼστι, ποῦ ποῦ ποῦ ʼστι, ποῦ ποῦ ποῦ ʼστι ποῦ,

ποῦ Πισθέταιρός ἐστιν ἅρχων;

Πισθέταιρος

οὑτοσί.

Ἄγγελος Α

ἐξῳκοδόμηταί σοι τὸ τεῖχος.

Πισθέταιρος

εὖ λέγεις.

Πισθέταιρος

Ἡράκλεις.

Ἄγγελος Α

τὸ δὲ μῆκός ἐστι, καὶ γὰρ ἐμέτρησʼ αὔτʼ ἐγώ,
1130

ἑκατοντορόγυιον.

Πισθέταιρος

ὦ Πόσειδον τοῦ μάκρους.

τίνες ᾠκοδόμησαν αὐτὸ τηλικουτονί;

Πισθέταιρος

ἐπηλοφόρουν δʼ αὐτοῖσι τίνες;

Ἄγγελος Α

ἐρωδιοὶ

λεκάναισι.

Πισθέταιρος

τὸν δὲ πηλὸν ἐνεβάλλοντο πῶς;

Ἄγγελος Α

τοῦτʼ ὦγάθʼ ἐξηύρητο καὶ σοφώτατα·

οἱ χῆνες ὑποτύπτοντες ὥσπερ ταῖς ἄμαις
1145

ἐς τὰς λεκάνας ἐνέβαλλον αὐτοῖς τοῖν ποδοῖν.

Πισθέταιρος

τί δῆτα πόδες ἂν οὐκ ἂν ἐργασαίατο;

Pisthetaerus

Birds! the sacrifice is propitious. But I see 1120 no messenger coming from the wall to tell us what is happening. Ah! here comes one running himself out of breath as though he were in the Olympic stadium.

Messenger
Running back and forth.

Where, where, where is he? Where, where, where is he? Where, where, where is he? Where is Pisthetaerus, our leader?

Pisthetaerus

Here am I.

Messenger

The wall is finished.

Pisthetaerus

That's good news.

Messenger

1125 It's a most beautiful, a most magnificent work of art. The wall is so broad that Proxenides, the Braggartian, and Theogenes could pass each other in their chariots, even if they were drawn by steeds as big as the Trojan horse.

Pisthetaerus

That's fine!

Messenger

1130 Its length is one hundred stadia; I measured it myself.

Pisthetaerus

A decent length, by Poseidon! And who built such a wall?

Pisthetaerus

And who carried the mortar?

Messenger

Herons, in hods.

Pisthetaerus

But how could they put the mortar into the hods?

Messenger

Oh! it was a truly clever invention; 1145 the geese used their feet like spades; they buried them in the pile of mortar and then emptied them into the hods.

Pisthetaerus

Ah! to what use cannot feet be put?