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Leader of the Chorus

Popopopopopo. Where is he who called me? Where am I to find him?
310

Epops

I have been waiting for you a long while! I never fail in my word to my friends.

Leader of the Chorus

Tititititititi. What good news

have you for me?
315

Epops

Something that concerns our common safety, and that is just as pleasant as it is to the point. Two men, who are subtle reasoners, have come here to seek me.

Leader of the Chorus

Where? How? What are you saying?

Epops

I say, two old men have come from the abode of humans to propose a vast and splendid scheme to us.
320

Leader of the Chorus

Oh! it's a horrible, unheard-of crime! What are you saying?

Epops

Never let my words scare you.

Leader of the Chorus

What have you done to me?

Epops

I have welcomed two men, who wish to live with us.

Leader of the Chorus

And you have dared to do that!
325

Epops

Yes, and I am delighted at having done so.

Leader of the Chorus

And are they already with us?

Epops

Just as much as I am.

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.) — 310 focus

Χορός

ποποποποποποποποποποῖ ποῦ μʼ ἄρʼ ὃς
310

ἐκάλεσε; τίνα τόπον ἄρα ποτὲ νέμεται;

Ἔποψ

οὑτοσὶ πάλαι πάρειμι κοὐκ ἀποστατῶ φίλων.

Χορός

τί τί τί τί τί τί τί τί· τίνα λόγον ἄρα ποτὲ

πρὸς ἐμὲ φίλον ἔχων;
315

Ἔποψ

κοινὸν ἀσφαλῆ δίκαιον ἡδὺν ὠφελήσιμον.

ἄνδρε γὰρ λεπτὼ λογιστὰ δεῦρʼ ἀφῖχθον ὡς ἐμέ.

Χορός

ποῦ; πᾷ; πῶς φῄς;

Ἔποψ

φήμʼ ἀπʼ ἀνθρώπων ἀφῖχθαι δεῦρο πρεσβύτα δύο·
320

ἥκετον δʼ ἔχοντε πρέμνον πράγματος πελωρίου.

Χορός

ὦ μέγιστον ἐξαμαρτὼν ἐξ ὅτου ʼτράφην ἐγώ,

πῶς λέγεις;

Ἔποψ

μήπω φοβηθῇς τὸν λόγον.

Χορός

τί μʼ ἠργάσω;

Ἔποψ

ἄνδρʼ ἐδεξάμην ἐραστὰ τῆσδε τῆς ξυνουσίας.

Χορός

καὶ δέδρακας τοῦτο τοὔργον;
325

Ἔποψ

καὶ δεδρακώς γʼ ἥδομαι.

Χορός

κἀστὸν ἤδη που παρʼ ἡμῖν;

Ἔποψ

εἰ παρʼ ὑμῖν εἴμʼ ἐγώ.

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.) — 310 focus

Leader of the Chorus

310 Popopopopopo. Where is he who called me? Where am I to find him?

Epops

I have been waiting for you a long while! I never fail in my word to my friends.

Leader of the Chorus

Tititititititi. What good news 315 have you for me?

Epops

Something that concerns our common safety, and that is just as pleasant as it is to the point. Two men, who are subtle reasoners, have come here to seek me.

Leader of the Chorus

Where? How? What are you saying?

Epops

320 I say, two old men have come from the abode of humans to propose a vast and splendid scheme to us.

Leader of the Chorus

Oh! it's a horrible, unheard-of crime! What are you saying?

Epops

Never let my words scare you.

Leader of the Chorus

What have you done to me?

Epops

I have welcomed two men, who wish to live with us.

Leader of the Chorus

325 And you have dared to do that!

Epops

Yes, and I am delighted at having done so.

Leader of the Chorus

And are they already with us?

Epops

Just as much as I am.

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.) — 310 focus

Chorus: popo-popo-popo-popo-woe, where did I take you, then, who?

310

Chorus: Did he call? What place, then, did he ever pasture?

hoopoe: this man has been here for a long time and has not deserted his friends.

Chorus: what what what what what what what what; what reason, then, ever

Chorus: to me, having a friend?

315

Epops: common, safe, just, pleasant, beneficial.

Epopos: For let subtle accountants come here to me.

Chorus: Where? Where to? How do you say?

Hoopoe: Rumor has come here from men, two old ones;

320

Ἔποψ: Come then, bringing a great and monstrous business.

Chorus: O greatest mistake from the time I was raised,

Chorus: How do you say?

Epop: Do not yet be afraid of the speech.

Chorus: What have you done to me?

Epops: I welcomed a man who is the lover of this association.

Chorus: And you have accomplished this deed?

325

Epops: And I, having done it, rejoice.

Chorus: And is there already somewhere among us?

Epops: if I am with you.

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

313. mvp-tlg0019-tlg006-sanjaya-com-eng1-11

Line 313

τί τί τί τί τί τί τί τί· τίνα λόγον ἄρα ποτὲ

The sevenfold repetition of τί at the beginning of the sentence functions as a hyperbolic expression of exasperation or bewilderment, a comedic device characteristic of Aristophanic parody of tragic style. This specific instance mirrors the opening of Aeschylus's Agamemnon (τί δ' ἔστιν;) or the repetitive interrogatives in Euripides, here exaggerated to the point of absurdity to mock the tragic hero's rhetorical self-importance. The repetition is not a scribal error but a deliberate metatheatrical gesture, signaling the play's engagement with tragic convention through grotesque amplification.

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Leader of the Chorus Popopopopopo. Where is he who called me? Where am I to find him? 310

Epops I have been waiting for you a long while! I never fail in my word to my friends.

Leader of the Chorus Tititititititi. What good news have you for me? 315

Epops Something that concerns our common safety, and that is just as pleasant as it is to the point. Two men, who are subtle reasoners, have come here to seek me.

Leader of the Chorus Where? How? What are you saying?

Epops I say, two old men have come from the abode of humans to propose a vast and splendid scheme to us. 320

Leader of the Chorus Oh! it's a horrible, unheard-of crime! What are you saying?

Epops Never let my words scare you.

Leader of the Chorus What have you done to me?

Epops I have welcomed two men, who wish to live with us.

Leader of the Chorus And you have dared to do that! 325

Epops Yes, and I am delighted at having done so.

Leader of the Chorus And are they already with us?

Epops Just as much as I am.

Current edition Perseus

Χορός ποποποποποποποποποποῖ ποῦ μʼ ἄρʼ ὃς 310 ἐκάλεσε; τίνα τόπον ἄρα ποτὲ νέμεται;

Ἔποψ οὑτοσὶ πάλαι πάρειμι κοὐκ ἀποστατῶ φίλων.

Χορός τί τί τί τί τί τί τί τί· τίνα λόγον ἄρα ποτὲ πρὸς ἐμὲ φίλον ἔχων; 315

Ἔποψ κοινὸν ἀσφαλῆ δίκαιον ἡδὺν ὠφελήσιμον. ἄνδρε γὰρ λεπτὼ λογιστὰ δεῦρʼ ἀφῖχθον ὡς ἐμέ.

Χορός ποῦ; πᾷ; πῶς φῄς;

Ἔποψ φήμʼ ἀπʼ ἀνθρώπων ἀφῖχθαι δεῦρο πρεσβύτα δύο· 320 ἥκετον δʼ ἔχοντε πρέμνον πράγματος πελωρίου.

Χορός ὦ μέγιστον ἐξαμαρτὼν ἐξ ὅτου ʼτράφην ἐγώ, πῶς λέγεις;

Ἔποψ μήπω φοβηθῇς τὸν λόγον.

Χορός τί μʼ ἠργάσω;

Ἔποψ ἄνδρʼ ἐδεξάμην ἐραστὰ τῆσδε τῆς ξυνουσίας.

Χορός καὶ δέδρακας τοῦτο τοὔργον; 325

Ἔποψ καὶ δεδρακώς γʼ ἥδομαι.

Χορός κἀστὸν ἤδη που παρʼ ἡμῖν;

Ἔποψ εἰ παρʼ ὑμῖν εἴμʼ ἐγώ.

Leader of the Chorus 310 Popopopopopo. Where is he who called me? Where am I to find him?

Epops I have been waiting for you a long while! I never fail in my word to my friends.

Leader of the Chorus Tititititititi. What good news 315 have you for me?

Epops Something that concerns our common safety, and that is just as pleasant as it is to the point. Two men, who are subtle reasoners, have come here to seek me.

Leader of the Chorus Where? How? What are you saying?

Epops 320 I say, two old men have come from the abode of humans to propose a vast and splendid scheme to us.

Leader of the Chorus Oh! it's a horrible, unheard-of crime! What are you saying?

Epops Never let my words scare you.

Leader of the Chorus What have you done to me?

Epops I have welcomed two men, who wish to live with us.

Leader of the Chorus 325 And you have dared to do that!

Epops Yes, and I am delighted at having done so.

Leader of the Chorus And are they already with us?

Epops Just as much as I am.

Commentary

Line 313

Stable identifiers

Leader of the Chorus

Popopopopopo. Where is he who called me? Where am I to find him?
310

Epops

I have been waiting for you a long while! I never fail in my word to my friends.

Leader of the Chorus

Tititititititi. What good news

have you for me?
315

Epops

Something that concerns our common safety, and that is just as pleasant as it is to the point. Two men, who are subtle reasoners, have come here to seek me.

Leader of the Chorus

Where? How? What are you saying?

Epops

I say, two old men have come from the abode of humans to propose a vast and splendid scheme to us.
320

Leader of the Chorus

Oh! it's a horrible, unheard-of crime! What are you saying?

Epops

Never let my words scare you.

Leader of the Chorus

What have you done to me?

Epops

I have welcomed two men, who wish to live with us.

Leader of the Chorus

And you have dared to do that!
325

Epops

Yes, and I am delighted at having done so.

Leader of the Chorus

And are they already with us?

Epops

Just as much as I am.

Χορός

ποποποποποποποποποποῖ ποῦ μʼ ἄρʼ ὃς
310

ἐκάλεσε; τίνα τόπον ἄρα ποτὲ νέμεται;

Ἔποψ

οὑτοσὶ πάλαι πάρειμι κοὐκ ἀποστατῶ φίλων.

Χορός

τί τί τί τί τί τί τί τί· τίνα λόγον ἄρα ποτὲ

πρὸς ἐμὲ φίλον ἔχων;
315

Ἔποψ

κοινὸν ἀσφαλῆ δίκαιον ἡδὺν ὠφελήσιμον.

ἄνδρε γὰρ λεπτὼ λογιστὰ δεῦρʼ ἀφῖχθον ὡς ἐμέ.

Χορός

ποῦ; πᾷ; πῶς φῄς;

Ἔποψ

φήμʼ ἀπʼ ἀνθρώπων ἀφῖχθαι δεῦρο πρεσβύτα δύο·
320

ἥκετον δʼ ἔχοντε πρέμνον πράγματος πελωρίου.

Χορός

ὦ μέγιστον ἐξαμαρτὼν ἐξ ὅτου ʼτράφην ἐγώ,

πῶς λέγεις;

Ἔποψ

μήπω φοβηθῇς τὸν λόγον.

Χορός

τί μʼ ἠργάσω;

Ἔποψ

ἄνδρʼ ἐδεξάμην ἐραστὰ τῆσδε τῆς ξυνουσίας.

Χορός

καὶ δέδρακας τοῦτο τοὔργον;
325

Ἔποψ

καὶ δεδρακώς γʼ ἥδομαι.

Χορός

κἀστὸν ἤδη που παρʼ ἡμῖν;

Ἔποψ

εἰ παρʼ ὑμῖν εἴμʼ ἐγώ.

Leader of the Chorus

310 Popopopopopo. Where is he who called me? Where am I to find him?

Epops

I have been waiting for you a long while! I never fail in my word to my friends.

Leader of the Chorus

Tititititititi. What good news 315 have you for me?

Epops

Something that concerns our common safety, and that is just as pleasant as it is to the point. Two men, who are subtle reasoners, have come here to seek me.

Leader of the Chorus

Where? How? What are you saying?

Epops

320 I say, two old men have come from the abode of humans to propose a vast and splendid scheme to us.

Leader of the Chorus

Oh! it's a horrible, unheard-of crime! What are you saying?

Epops

Never let my words scare you.

Leader of the Chorus

What have you done to me?

Epops

I have welcomed two men, who wish to live with us.

Leader of the Chorus

325 And you have dared to do that!

Epops

Yes, and I am delighted at having done so.

Leader of the Chorus

And are they already with us?

Epops

Just as much as I am.