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Epops

And how shall we give wealth to mankind? This is their strongest passion.

Pisthetaerus

When they consult the omens, you will point them to the richest mines, you will reveal the paying ventures to the diviner,

and not another shipwreck will happen or sailor perish.
595

Epops

No more shall perish? How is that?

Pisthetaerus

When the auguries are examined before starting on a voyage, some bird will not fail to say, Don't start! there will be a storm, or else, Go! you will make a most profitable venture.

Euelpides

I shall buy a trading-vessel and go to sea. I will not stay with you.

Pisthetaerus

You will discover treasures to them, which were buried in former times,

for you know them. Do not all men say, None knows where my treasure lies, unless perchance it be some bird.
600

Euelpides

I shall sell my boat and buy a spade to unearth the vessels.

Leader of the Chorus

And how are we to give them health, which belongs to the gods?

Pisthetaerus

If they are happy, is not that the chief thing towards health?

The miserable man is never well.
605

Leader of the Chorus

Old Age also dwells in Olympus . How will they get at it? Must they die in early youth?

Pisthetaerus

Why, the birds, by Zeus,

will add three hundred years to their life.

Leader of the Chorus

From whom will they take them?

Pisthetaerus

From whom? Why, from themselves. Don't you know the cawing crow lives five times as long as a man?

Euelpides

Ah! ah! these are far better kings for us than Zeus!
610

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.) — 592 focus

Ἔποψ

πλουτεῖν δὲ πόθεν δώσομεν αὐτοῖς; καὶ γὰρ τούτου σφόδρʼ ἐρῶσιν.

Πισθέταιρος

τὰ μέταλλʼ αὐτοῖς μαντευομένοις οὗτοι δώσουσι τὰ χρηστά,

τάς τʼ ἐμπορίας τὰς κερδαλέας πρὸς τὸν μάντιν κατεροῦσιν,

ὥστʼ ἀπολεῖται τῶν ναυκλήρων οὐδείς.
595

Ἔποψ

πῶς οὐκ ἀπολεῖται;

Πισθέταιρος

προερεῖ τις ἀεὶ τῶν ὀρνίθων μαντευομένῳ περὶ τοῦ πλοῦ·

νυνὶ μὴ πλεῖ, χειμὼν ἔσται· νυνὶ πλεῖ, κέρδος ἐπέσται.

Ἐυελπίδης

γαῦλον κτῶμαι καὶ ναυκληρῶ, κοὐκ ἂν μείναιμι παρʼ ὑμῖν.

Πισθέταιρος

τοὺς θησαυρούς τʼ αὐτοῖς δείξουσʼ οὓς οἱ πρότεροι κατέθεντο

τῶν ἀργυρίων· οὗτοι γὰρ ἴσασι· λέγουσι δέ τοι τάδε πάντες,
600

οὐδεὶς οἶδεν τὸν θησαυρὸν τὸν ἐμὸν πλὴν εἴ τις ἄρʼ ὄρνις.

Ἐυελπίδης

πωλῶ γαῦλον, κτῶμαι σμινύην, καὶ τὰς ὑδρίας ἀνορύττω.

Ἔποψ

πῶς δʼ ὑγιείαν δώσουσʼ αὐτοῖς, οὖσαν παρὰ τοῖσι θεοῖσιν;

Πισθέταιρος

ἢν εὖ πράττωσʼ, οὐχ ὑγιεία μεγάλη τοῦτʼ ἐστί; σάφʼ ἴσθι,

ὡς ἄνθρωπός γε κακῶς πράττων ἀτεχνῶς οὐδεὶς ὑγιαίνει.
605

Ἔποψ

πῶς δʼ ἐς γῆράς ποτʼ ἀφίξονται; καὶ γὰρ τοῦτʼ ἔστʼ ἐν Ὀλύμπῳ·

ἢ παιδάριʼ ὄντʼ ἀποθνῄσκειν δεῖ;

Πισθέταιρος

μὰ Δίʼ ἀλλὰ τριακόσιʼ αὐτοῖς

ἔτι προσθήσουσʼ ὄρνιθες ἔτη.

Ἔποψ

παρὰ τοῦ;

Πισθέταιρος

παρʼ ὅτου; παρʼ ἑαυτῶν.

οὐκ οἶσθʼ ὅτι πέντʼ ἀνδρῶν γενεὰς ζώει λακέρυζα κορώνη;

Ἐυελπίδης

αἰβοῖ πολλῷ κρείττους οὗτοι τοῦ Διὸς ἡμῖν βασιλεύειν.
610

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.) — 592 focus

Epops

And how shall we give wealth to mankind? This is their strongest passion.

Pisthetaerus

When they consult the omens, you will point them to the richest mines, you will reveal the paying ventures to the diviner, 595 and not another shipwreck will happen or sailor perish.

Epops

No more shall perish? How is that?

Pisthetaerus

When the auguries are examined before starting on a voyage, some bird will not fail to say, “Don't start! there will be a storm,” or else, “Go! you will make a most profitable venture.”

Euelpides

I shall buy a trading-vessel and go to sea. I will not stay with you.

Pisthetaerus

You will discover treasures to them, which were buried in former times, 600 for you know them. Do not all men say, “None knows where my treasure lies, unless perchance it be some bird.”

Euelpides

I shall sell my boat and buy a spade to unearth the vessels.

Leader of the Chorus

And how are we to give them health, which belongs to the gods?

Pisthetaerus

605 If they are happy, is not that the chief thing towards health? The miserable man is never well.

Leader of the Chorus

Old Age also dwells in Olympus . How will they get at it? Must they die in early youth?

Pisthetaerus

Why, the birds, by Zeus, 608 will add three hundred years to their life.

Leader of the Chorus

From whom will they take them?

Pisthetaerus

From whom? Why, from themselves. Don't you know the cawing crow lives five times as long as a man?

Euelpides

610 Ah! ah! these are far better kings for us than Zeus!

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.) — 592 focus

Epops: And from where will we give them to become rich? For they are very eager about this.

Pisthetaerus: These men will give the good prophecies to them as they consult the mines,

Pisthetaerus: And they deceive the merchants in their profitable dealings with the seer,

Pisthetaerus: So then no shipowner will be lost.

595

Epops: How will he not be destroyed?

Pisthetaerus: 'Will one of the birds always prophesy to the man asking about the voyage?'

Pisthetaerus: Now do not sail, winter will come; now sail, profit will follow.

Euelpides: I have a boat and a shipowner, and I would not stay with you.

Pisthetaerus: [they] will show them the treasures which the earlier ones deposited.

Pisthetaerus: of the money, for these men know; and all these men say the following,

600

Pisthetaerus: No one knows my treasure except perhaps a bird.

Eupolis: I sell a gull, I buy a swan, and I dig up the hydrias.

Epops: how will she give them health, since she is with the gods?

Pisthetaerus: If she is doing well, is this not a great sign of health? Be sure of it,

Pisthetaerus: Indeed, no one is healthy, as a man in bad condition.

605

Epops: But how will they ever reach old age? For this too is on Olympus;

Epops: Should a child, being one, die?

Pisthetaerus: By Zeus, but three hundred to them

Pisthetaerus: The birds will yet add years.

Epops: from where?

Pisthetaerus: from whom? From themselves.

Pisthetaerus: Do you not know that the jackdaw lives for five generations of men?

Euelpides: Alas, these men are far more fit to rule us than Zeus.

610

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

593. mvp-tlg0019-tlg006-sanjaya-com-eng1-30

Line 593

τὰ μέταλλʼ αὐτοῖς μαντευομένοις οὗτοι δώσουσι τὰ χρηστά,

The participle μαντευομένοις ('while prophesying' or 'in the act of divination') is used in the dative case to denote the attendant circumstance or time of the main verb δώσουσι. This construction, where a dative participle specifies the temporal context of the action without an explicit preposition (such as ἕως or ἐν), is a standard feature of Attic prose and comedy, but here it carries a specific ironic weight: the birds are not merely acting while prophesying, but the very act of their prophetic authority is the condition under which the humans will hand over the resources. The future tense δώσουσι suggests a certainty of compliance based on this divine sanction, highlighting the satire of the birds' new theocratic power.

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Epops And how shall we give wealth to mankind? This is their strongest passion.

Pisthetaerus When they consult the omens, you will point them to the richest mines, you will reveal the paying ventures to the diviner, and not another shipwreck will happen or sailor perish. 595

Epops No more shall perish? How is that?

Pisthetaerus When the auguries are examined before starting on a voyage, some bird will not fail to say, Don't start! there will be a storm, or else, Go! you will make a most profitable venture.

Euelpides I shall buy a trading-vessel and go to sea. I will not stay with you.

Pisthetaerus You will discover treasures to them, which were buried in former times, for you know them. Do not all men say, None knows where my treasure lies, unless perchance it be some bird. 600

Euelpides I shall sell my boat and buy a spade to unearth the vessels.

Leader of the Chorus And how are we to give them health, which belongs to the gods?

Pisthetaerus If they are happy, is not that the chief thing towards health? The miserable man is never well. 605

Leader of the Chorus Old Age also dwells in Olympus . How will they get at it? Must they die in early youth?

Pisthetaerus Why, the birds, by Zeus, will add three hundred years to their life.

Leader of the Chorus From whom will they take them?

Pisthetaerus From whom? Why, from themselves. Don't you know the cawing crow lives five times as long as a man?

Euelpides Ah! ah! these are far better kings for us than Zeus! 610

Current edition Perseus

Ἔποψ πλουτεῖν δὲ πόθεν δώσομεν αὐτοῖς; καὶ γὰρ τούτου σφόδρʼ ἐρῶσιν.

Ἔποψ πῶς οὐκ ἀπολεῖται;

Πισθέταιρος προερεῖ τις ἀεὶ τῶν ὀρνίθων μαντευομένῳ περὶ τοῦ πλοῦ· νυνὶ μὴ πλεῖ, χειμὼν ἔσται· νυνὶ πλεῖ, κέρδος ἐπέσται.

Ἐυελπίδης γαῦλον κτῶμαι καὶ ναυκληρῶ, κοὐκ ἂν μείναιμι παρʼ ὑμῖν.

Ἐυελπίδης πωλῶ γαῦλον, κτῶμαι σμινύην, καὶ τὰς ὑδρίας ἀνορύττω.

Ἔποψ πῶς δʼ ὑγιείαν δώσουσʼ αὐτοῖς, οὖσαν παρὰ τοῖσι θεοῖσιν;

Πισθέταιρος ἢν εὖ πράττωσʼ, οὐχ ὑγιεία μεγάλη τοῦτʼ ἐστί; σάφʼ ἴσθι, ὡς ἄνθρωπός γε κακῶς πράττων ἀτεχνῶς οὐδεὶς ὑγιαίνει. 605

Ἔποψ πῶς δʼ ἐς γῆράς ποτʼ ἀφίξονται; καὶ γὰρ τοῦτʼ ἔστʼ ἐν Ὀλύμπῳ· ἢ παιδάριʼ ὄντʼ ἀποθνῄσκειν δεῖ;

Πισθέταιρος μὰ Δίʼ ἀλλὰ τριακόσιʼ αὐτοῖς ἔτι προσθήσουσʼ ὄρνιθες ἔτη.

Ἔποψ παρὰ τοῦ;

Πισθέταιρος παρʼ ὅτου; παρʼ ἑαυτῶν. οὐκ οἶσθʼ ὅτι πέντʼ ἀνδρῶν γενεὰς ζώει λακέρυζα κορώνη;

Ἐυελπίδης αἰβοῖ πολλῷ κρείττους οὗτοι τοῦ Διὸς ἡμῖν βασιλεύειν. 610

Epops And how shall we give wealth to mankind? This is their strongest passion.

Pisthetaerus When they consult the omens, you will point them to the richest mines, you will reveal the paying ventures to the diviner, 595 and not another shipwreck will happen or sailor perish.

Epops No more shall perish? How is that?

Pisthetaerus When the auguries are examined before starting on a voyage, some bird will not fail to say, “Don't start! there will be a storm,” or else, “Go! you will make a most profitable venture.”

Euelpides I shall buy a trading-vessel and go to sea. I will not stay with you.

Pisthetaerus You will discover treasures to them, which were buried in former times, 600 for you know them. Do not all men say, “None knows where my treasure lies, unless perchance it be some bird.”

Euelpides I shall sell my boat and buy a spade to unearth the vessels.

Leader of the Chorus And how are we to give them health, which belongs to the gods?

Pisthetaerus 605 If they are happy, is not that the chief thing towards health? The miserable man is never well.

Leader of the Chorus Old Age also dwells in Olympus . How will they get at it? Must they die in early youth?

Pisthetaerus Why, the birds, by Zeus, 608 will add three hundred years to their life.

Leader of the Chorus From whom will they take them?

Pisthetaerus From whom? Why, from themselves. Don't you know the cawing crow lives five times as long as a man?

Euelpides 610 Ah! ah! these are far better kings for us than Zeus!

Commentary

Line 593

Stable identifiers

Epops

And how shall we give wealth to mankind? This is their strongest passion.

Pisthetaerus

When they consult the omens, you will point them to the richest mines, you will reveal the paying ventures to the diviner,

and not another shipwreck will happen or sailor perish.
595

Epops

No more shall perish? How is that?

Pisthetaerus

When the auguries are examined before starting on a voyage, some bird will not fail to say, Don't start! there will be a storm, or else, Go! you will make a most profitable venture.

Euelpides

I shall buy a trading-vessel and go to sea. I will not stay with you.

Pisthetaerus

You will discover treasures to them, which were buried in former times,

for you know them. Do not all men say, None knows where my treasure lies, unless perchance it be some bird.
600

Euelpides

I shall sell my boat and buy a spade to unearth the vessels.

Leader of the Chorus

And how are we to give them health, which belongs to the gods?

Pisthetaerus

If they are happy, is not that the chief thing towards health?

The miserable man is never well.
605

Leader of the Chorus

Old Age also dwells in Olympus . How will they get at it? Must they die in early youth?

Pisthetaerus

Why, the birds, by Zeus,

will add three hundred years to their life.

Leader of the Chorus

From whom will they take them?

Pisthetaerus

From whom? Why, from themselves. Don't you know the cawing crow lives five times as long as a man?

Euelpides

Ah! ah! these are far better kings for us than Zeus!
610

Ἔποψ

πλουτεῖν δὲ πόθεν δώσομεν αὐτοῖς; καὶ γὰρ τούτου σφόδρʼ ἐρῶσιν.

Ἔποψ

πῶς οὐκ ἀπολεῖται;

Πισθέταιρος

προερεῖ τις ἀεὶ τῶν ὀρνίθων μαντευομένῳ περὶ τοῦ πλοῦ·

νυνὶ μὴ πλεῖ, χειμὼν ἔσται· νυνὶ πλεῖ, κέρδος ἐπέσται.

Ἐυελπίδης

γαῦλον κτῶμαι καὶ ναυκληρῶ, κοὐκ ἂν μείναιμι παρʼ ὑμῖν.

Ἐυελπίδης

πωλῶ γαῦλον, κτῶμαι σμινύην, καὶ τὰς ὑδρίας ἀνορύττω.

Ἔποψ

πῶς δʼ ὑγιείαν δώσουσʼ αὐτοῖς, οὖσαν παρὰ τοῖσι θεοῖσιν;

Πισθέταιρος

ἢν εὖ πράττωσʼ, οὐχ ὑγιεία μεγάλη τοῦτʼ ἐστί; σάφʼ ἴσθι,

ὡς ἄνθρωπός γε κακῶς πράττων ἀτεχνῶς οὐδεὶς ὑγιαίνει.
605

Ἔποψ

πῶς δʼ ἐς γῆράς ποτʼ ἀφίξονται; καὶ γὰρ τοῦτʼ ἔστʼ ἐν Ὀλύμπῳ·

ἢ παιδάριʼ ὄντʼ ἀποθνῄσκειν δεῖ;

Πισθέταιρος

μὰ Δίʼ ἀλλὰ τριακόσιʼ αὐτοῖς

ἔτι προσθήσουσʼ ὄρνιθες ἔτη.

Ἔποψ

παρὰ τοῦ;

Πισθέταιρος

παρʼ ὅτου; παρʼ ἑαυτῶν.

οὐκ οἶσθʼ ὅτι πέντʼ ἀνδρῶν γενεὰς ζώει λακέρυζα κορώνη;

Ἐυελπίδης

αἰβοῖ πολλῷ κρείττους οὗτοι τοῦ Διὸς ἡμῖν βασιλεύειν.
610

Epops

And how shall we give wealth to mankind? This is their strongest passion.

Pisthetaerus

When they consult the omens, you will point them to the richest mines, you will reveal the paying ventures to the diviner, 595 and not another shipwreck will happen or sailor perish.

Epops

No more shall perish? How is that?

Pisthetaerus

When the auguries are examined before starting on a voyage, some bird will not fail to say, “Don't start! there will be a storm,” or else, “Go! you will make a most profitable venture.”

Euelpides

I shall buy a trading-vessel and go to sea. I will not stay with you.

Pisthetaerus

You will discover treasures to them, which were buried in former times, 600 for you know them. Do not all men say, “None knows where my treasure lies, unless perchance it be some bird.”

Euelpides

I shall sell my boat and buy a spade to unearth the vessels.

Leader of the Chorus

And how are we to give them health, which belongs to the gods?

Pisthetaerus

605 If they are happy, is not that the chief thing towards health? The miserable man is never well.

Leader of the Chorus

Old Age also dwells in Olympus . How will they get at it? Must they die in early youth?

Pisthetaerus

Why, the birds, by Zeus, 608 will add three hundred years to their life.

Leader of the Chorus

From whom will they take them?

Pisthetaerus

From whom? Why, from themselves. Don't you know the cawing crow lives five times as long as a man?

Euelpides

610 Ah! ah! these are far better kings for us than Zeus!