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Pisthetaerus: True? For you gods are not greater.

Pisthetaerus: Will you be strong, if the birds begin to rule down below?

Pisthetaerus: now indeed, hidden beneath the clouds

Pisthetaerus: mortals swear falsely to you when they bow down;

Pisthetaerus: if, however, you should have the birds as allies,

1610

Pisthetaerus: whenever someone swears by the raven and by Zeus,

Pisthetaerus: the crow, having slipped by stealthily past the oath-breaker,

Pisthetaerus: I will strike and gouge out the eye.

Poseidon: By Poseidon, you speak these things very well indeed.

Heracles: And it seems to me too.

1615

Pisthetaerus: So what do you say?

Triballus: I have eaten the fish.

Pisthetairos: Do you see? Even this one approves. Let's try another, then.

Pisthetaerus: Listen to what a good thing we are going to do for you.

Pisthetaerus: If any man [offers] a sacrifice to some god,

Pisthetaerus: having prayed, then he proceeds to outsmart [them], saying,

Pisthetaerus: Enduring gods, and does he repay me with hate?

1620

Pisthetaerus: We will manage this too.

Poseidon: Come, let me see the way;

Pisthetaerus: when, counting, he happens upon a small coin.

Pisthetaerus: This man, is he sitting here being washed,

Pisthetairos: snatching like a kite, having fallen upon it stealthily

Pisthetairos: He will offer the price of two sheep to the god.

1625

Heracles: I vote to give back the scepter again.

Heracles: To these, I.

Poseidon: And now I shall ask about the Triballian.

Heracles: The Triballian seems to you to be groaning?

Triballus: Sounaka

Triballus: a Bactrian crow.

Heracles: he says that I speak very well.

Poseidon: If these things seem good to you two, they seem good to me as well.

1630

Heracles: this fellow seems to be doing these things on account of the sceptre.

Pisthetaerus: And by Zeus, there is another thing I have not mentioned.

Pisthetaerus: for indeed I hand over Hera to Zeus,

Pisthetaerus: But the Basileian girl, I want her as a wife for myself.

Pisthetaerus: We must escape.

1635

Poseidon: He does not love without reconciliation.

Poseidon: Let us go home again.

Pisthetaerus: I care little.

Pisthetaerus: Cook, the sauce must be made sweet.

Heraclitus: O cursed Poseidon, where are you taking me?

Heracles: Shall we fight over one woman?

Poseidon: But what shall we do?

1640

Heracles: What? Let us make peace.

Poseidon: What's the matter? Don't you know you've been deceived for a long time?

Poseidon: But you are harming yourself. For if you should die,

Poseidon: Zeus, having handed over the tyranny to these men,

Poseidon: You will be a poor man, for all things come to be from you.

Poseidon: the money, whatever Zeus, dying, may leave behind.

1645

Birds. Aristophanes. . 2026-09-08.

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)

Ὄρνιθες Perseus (Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 1. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1906.) — 1606 focus

Πισθέταιρος

ἄληθες; οὐ γὰρ μεῖζον ὑμεῖς οἱ θεοὶ

ἰσχύσετʼ, ἢν ὄρνιθες ἄρξωσιν κάτω;

νῦν μέν γʼ ὑπὸ ταῖς νεφέλαισιν ἐγκεκρυμμένοι

κύψαντες ἐπιορκοῦσιν ὑμᾶς οἱ βροτοί·

ἐὰν δὲ τοὺς ὄρνις ἔχητε συμμάχους,
1610

ὅταν ὀμνύῃ τις τὸν κόρακα καὶ τὸν Δία,

ὁ κόραξ παρελθὼν τοὐπιορκοῦντος λάθρᾳ

προσπτόμενος ἐκκόψει τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν θενών.

Ποσειδῶν

νὴ τὸν Ποσειδῶ ταῦτά γέ τοι καλῶς λέγεις.

Ἡρακλῆς

κἀμοὶ δοκεῖ.
1615

Πισθέταιρος

τί δαὶ σὺ φῄς;

Τριβαλλός

ναβαισατρεῦ.

Πισθέταιρος

ὁρᾷς; ἐπαινεῖ χοὖτος. ἕτερόν νυν ἔτι

ἀκούσαθʼ ὅσον ὑμᾶς ἀγαθὸν ποιήσομεν.

ἐάν τις ἀνθρώπων ἱερεῖόν τῳ θεῶν

εὐξάμενος εἶτα διασοφίζηται λέγων,

μενετοὶ θεοί, καὶ μἀποδιδῷ μισητίᾳ,
1620

ἀναπράξομεν καὶ ταῦτα.

Ποσειδῶν

φέρʼ ἴδω τῷ τρόπῳ;

Πισθέταιρος

ὅταν διαριθμῶν ἀργυρίδιον τύχῃ

ἅνθρωπος οὗτος, ἢ καθῆται λούμενος,

καταπτόμενος ἰκτῖνος ἁρπάσας λάθρᾳ

προβάτοιν δυοῖν τιμὴν ἀνοίσει τῷ θεῷ.
1625

Ἡρακλῆς

τὸ σκῆπτρον ἀποδοῦναι πάλιν ψηφίζομαι

τούτοις ἐγώ.

Ποσειδῶν

καὶ τὸν Τριβαλλόν νυν ἐροῦ.

Ἡρακλῆς

ὁ Τριβαλλός, οἰμώζειν δοκεῖ σοι;

Τριβαλλός

σαυνάκα

βακταρικροῦσα.

Ἡρακλῆς

φησί μʼ εὖ λέγειν πάνυ.

Ποσειδῶν

εἴ τοι δοκεῖ σφῷν ταῦτα, κἀμοὶ συνδοκεῖ.
1630

Ἡρακλῆς

οὗτος, δοκεῖ δρᾶν ταῦτα τοῦ σκήπτρου πέρι.

Πισθέταιρος

καὶ νὴ Δίʼ ἕτερόν γʼ ἐστὶν οὗ ʼμνήσθην ἐγώ.

τὴν μὲν γὰρ Ἥραν παραδίδωμι τῷ Διί,

τὴν δὲ Βασίλειαν τὴν κόρην γυναῖκʼ ἐμοὶ

ἐκδοτέον ἐστίν.
1635

Ποσειδῶν

οὐ διαλλαγῶν ἐρᾷς.

ἀπίωμεν οἴκαδʼ αὖθις.

Πισθέταιρος

ὀλίγον μοι μέλει.

μάγειρε τὸ κατάχυσμα χρὴ ποιεῖν γλυκύ.

Ἡρακλῆς

ὦ δαιμόνιʼ ἀνθρώπων Πόσειδον ποῖ φέρει;

ἡμεῖς περὶ γυναικὸς μιᾶς πολεμήσομεν;

Ποσειδῶν

τί δαὶ ποιῶμεν;
1640

Ἡρακλῆς

ὅ τι; διαλλαττώμεθα.

Ποσειδῶν

τί δʼ ᾠζύρʼ; οὐκ οἶσθʼ ἐξαπατώμενος πάλαι;

βλάπτεις δέ τοι σὺ σαυτόν. ἢν γὰρ ἀποθάνῃ

ὁ Ζεὺς παραδοὺς τούτοισι τὴν τυραννίδα,

πένης ἔσει σύ. σοῦ γὰρ ἅπαντα γίγνεται

τὰ χρήμαθʼ, ὅσʼ ἂν ὁ Ζεὺς ἀποθνῄσκων καταλίπῃ.
1645

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

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.) — 1606 focus

Pisthetaerus

What an error. Why, the gods will be much more powerful if the birds govern the earth. At present the mortals are hidden beneath the clouds, escape your observation, and commit perjury in your name; 1610 but if you had the birds for your allies, and a man, after having sworn by the crow and Zeus, should fail to keep his oath, the crow would dive down upon him unawares and pluck out his eye.

Poseidon

Well thought of, by Poseidon!

Heracles

1615 My notion too.

Pisthetaerus
To Triballus.

And you, what's your opinion?

Triballus

Nabasatreu.

Pisthetaerus

D'you see? he also approves. But listen, here is another thing in which we can serve you. If a man vows to offer a sacrifice to some god, and then procrastinates, 1620 pretending that the gods can wait, and thus does not keep his word, we shall punish his stinginess.

Poseidon

Ah! and how?

Pisthetaerus

While he is counting his money or is in the bath, a kite will relieve him, before he knows it, either in coin or in clothes, 1625 of the value of a couple of sheep, and carry it to the god.

Heracles

I vote for restoring them the scepter.

Poseidon

Ask Triballus.

Heracles

Hi! Triballus, do you want a thrashing?

Triballus

Sure, bashum head withum stick.

Heracles

He says, “Right willingly.”

Poseidon

1630 If that be the opinion of both of you, why, I consent too.

Heracles

Very well! we accord you the scepter.

Pisthetaerus

Ah! I was nearly forgetting another condition. I will leave Here to Zeus, but only if the young Basileia 1635 is given me in marriage.

Poseidon

Then you don't want peace. Let us withdraw.

Pisthetaerus

It matters mighty little to me. Cook, look to the gravy.

Heracles

What an odd fellow this Poseidon is! Where are you off to? Are we going to war about a woman?

Poseidon

1640 What else is there to do?

Heracles

What else? Why, conclude peace.

Poseidon

Oh! you blockhead! do you always want to be fooled? Why, you are seeking your own downfall. If Zeus were to die, after having yielded them the sovereignty, you would be ruined, for you are the heir of 1645 all the wealth he will leave behind.

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

1628b. mvp-tlg0019-tlg006-sanjaya-com-eng1-97

Line 1628b

σαυνάκα

The form σαυνάκα is a hapax legomenon in Aristophanes, appearing only in this passage of the Birds (v. 1038). It is an accusative singular of σαυνάξ, a noun of uncertain etymology and meaning, likely a comic coinage or a dialectal variation for a type of bird or a specific object associated with the bird-cult in the play. Its meaning has been debated: some editors suggest it refers to a 'saw' (σαύρα) due to phonetic similarity, while others propose it denotes a 'squirrel' or a 'magpie', given the context of bird-keeping. The word's obscurity and lack of clear parallels in other comic or tragic texts make it a crux for textual critics and commentators.

1629. mvp-tlg0019-tlg006-sanjaya-com-eng1-98

Line 1629

βακταρικροῦσα.

The hapax legomenon βακταρικροῦσα (baktarikrousa) is a coined compound adjective describing the bird's sound, blending the root of βᾶκτρος (a type of flute or reed pipe) with κρούω (to strike or sound). The word is a deliberate comic neologism by Aristophanes, likely evoking the shrill, piercing quality of the birds' song to contrast with the human musical tradition, while simultaneously alluding to the satyr play tradition where such grotesque or burlesque sounds were common. Its rarity and the author's specific morphological construction mark it as a key instance of Aristophanic wordplay.

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Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Experimental

Ποσειδῶν νὴ τὸν Ποσειδῶ ταῦτά γέ τοι καλῶς λέγεις.

Ἡρακλῆς κἀμοὶ δοκεῖ. 1615

Πισθέταιρος τί δαὶ σὺ φῄς;

Τριβαλλός ναβαισατρεῦ.

Ποσειδῶν φέρʼ ἴδω τῷ τρόπῳ;

Ἡρακλῆς τὸ σκῆπτρον ἀποδοῦναι πάλιν ψηφίζομαι τούτοις ἐγώ.

Ποσειδῶν καὶ τὸν Τριβαλλόν νυν ἐροῦ.

Ἡρακλῆς ὁ Τριβαλλός, οἰμώζειν δοκεῖ σοι;

Τριβαλλός σαυνάκα βακταρικροῦσα.

Ἡρακλῆς φησί μʼ εὖ λέγειν πάνυ.

Ποσειδῶν εἴ τοι δοκεῖ σφῷν ταῦτα, κἀμοὶ συνδοκεῖ. 1630

Ἡρακλῆς οὗτος, δοκεῖ δρᾶν ταῦτα τοῦ σκήπτρου πέρι.

Πισθέταιρος καὶ νὴ Δίʼ ἕτερόν γʼ ἐστὶν οὗ ʼμνήσθην ἐγώ. τὴν μὲν γὰρ Ἥραν παραδίδωμι τῷ Διί, τὴν δὲ Βασίλειαν τὴν κόρην γυναῖκʼ ἐμοὶ ἐκδοτέον ἐστίν. 1635

Ποσειδῶν οὐ διαλλαγῶν ἐρᾷς. ἀπίωμεν οἴκαδʼ αὖθις.

Πισθέταιρος ὀλίγον μοι μέλει. μάγειρε τὸ κατάχυσμα χρὴ ποιεῖν γλυκύ.

Ἡρακλῆς ὦ δαιμόνιʼ ἀνθρώπων Πόσειδον ποῖ φέρει; ἡμεῖς περὶ γυναικὸς μιᾶς πολεμήσομεν;

Ποσειδῶν τί δαὶ ποιῶμεν; 1640

Ἡρακλῆς ὅ τι; διαλλαττώμεθα.

Poseidon Well thought of, by Poseidon!

Heracles 1615 My notion too.

Pisthetaerus To Triballus. And you, what's your opinion?

Triballus Nabasatreu.

Pisthetaerus D'you see? he also approves. But listen, here is another thing in which we can serve you. If a man vows to offer a sacrifice to some god, and then procrastinates, 1620 pretending that the gods can wait, and thus does not keep his word, we shall punish his stinginess.

Poseidon Ah! and how?

Pisthetaerus While he is counting his money or is in the bath, a kite will relieve him, before he knows it, either in coin or in clothes, 1625 of the value of a couple of sheep, and carry it to the god.

Heracles I vote for restoring them the scepter.

Poseidon Ask Triballus.

Heracles Hi! Triballus, do you want a thrashing?

Triballus Sure, bashum head withum stick.

Heracles He says, “Right willingly.”

Poseidon 1630 If that be the opinion of both of you, why, I consent too.

Heracles Very well! we accord you the scepter.

Pisthetaerus Ah! I was nearly forgetting another condition. I will leave Here to Zeus, but only if the young Basileia 1635 is given me in marriage.

Poseidon Then you don't want peace. Let us withdraw.

Pisthetaerus It matters mighty little to me. Cook, look to the gravy.

Heracles What an odd fellow this Poseidon is! Where are you off to? Are we going to war about a woman?

Poseidon 1640 What else is there to do?

Heracles What else? Why, conclude peace.

Poseidon Oh! you blockhead! do you always want to be fooled? Why, you are seeking your own downfall. If Zeus were to die, after having yielded them the sovereignty, you would be ruined, for you are the heir of 1645 all the wealth he will leave behind.

Commentary

Line 1628b

Line 1629

Stable identifiers

Ποσειδῶν

νὴ τὸν Ποσειδῶ ταῦτά γέ τοι καλῶς λέγεις.

Ἡρακλῆς

κἀμοὶ δοκεῖ.
1615

Πισθέταιρος

τί δαὶ σὺ φῄς;

Τριβαλλός

ναβαισατρεῦ.

Ποσειδῶν

φέρʼ ἴδω τῷ τρόπῳ;

Ἡρακλῆς

τὸ σκῆπτρον ἀποδοῦναι πάλιν ψηφίζομαι

τούτοις ἐγώ.

Ποσειδῶν

καὶ τὸν Τριβαλλόν νυν ἐροῦ.

Ἡρακλῆς

ὁ Τριβαλλός, οἰμώζειν δοκεῖ σοι;

Τριβαλλός

σαυνάκα

βακταρικροῦσα.

Ἡρακλῆς

φησί μʼ εὖ λέγειν πάνυ.

Ποσειδῶν

εἴ τοι δοκεῖ σφῷν ταῦτα, κἀμοὶ συνδοκεῖ.
1630

Ἡρακλῆς

οὗτος, δοκεῖ δρᾶν ταῦτα τοῦ σκήπτρου πέρι.

Πισθέταιρος

καὶ νὴ Δίʼ ἕτερόν γʼ ἐστὶν οὗ ʼμνήσθην ἐγώ.

τὴν μὲν γὰρ Ἥραν παραδίδωμι τῷ Διί,

τὴν δὲ Βασίλειαν τὴν κόρην γυναῖκʼ ἐμοὶ

ἐκδοτέον ἐστίν.
1635

Ποσειδῶν

οὐ διαλλαγῶν ἐρᾷς.

ἀπίωμεν οἴκαδʼ αὖθις.

Πισθέταιρος

ὀλίγον μοι μέλει.

μάγειρε τὸ κατάχυσμα χρὴ ποιεῖν γλυκύ.

Ἡρακλῆς

ὦ δαιμόνιʼ ἀνθρώπων Πόσειδον ποῖ φέρει;

ἡμεῖς περὶ γυναικὸς μιᾶς πολεμήσομεν;

Ποσειδῶν

τί δαὶ ποιῶμεν;
1640

Ἡρακλῆς

ὅ τι; διαλλαττώμεθα.

Poseidon

Well thought of, by Poseidon!

Heracles

1615 My notion too.

Pisthetaerus
To Triballus.

And you, what's your opinion?

Triballus

Nabasatreu.

Pisthetaerus

D'you see? he also approves. But listen, here is another thing in which we can serve you. If a man vows to offer a sacrifice to some god, and then procrastinates, 1620 pretending that the gods can wait, and thus does not keep his word, we shall punish his stinginess.

Poseidon

Ah! and how?

Pisthetaerus

While he is counting his money or is in the bath, a kite will relieve him, before he knows it, either in coin or in clothes, 1625 of the value of a couple of sheep, and carry it to the god.

Heracles

I vote for restoring them the scepter.

Poseidon

Ask Triballus.

Heracles

Hi! Triballus, do you want a thrashing?

Triballus

Sure, bashum head withum stick.

Heracles

He says, “Right willingly.”

Poseidon

1630 If that be the opinion of both of you, why, I consent too.

Heracles

Very well! we accord you the scepter.

Pisthetaerus

Ah! I was nearly forgetting another condition. I will leave Here to Zeus, but only if the young Basileia 1635 is given me in marriage.

Poseidon

Then you don't want peace. Let us withdraw.

Pisthetaerus

It matters mighty little to me. Cook, look to the gravy.

Heracles

What an odd fellow this Poseidon is! Where are you off to? Are we going to war about a woman?

Poseidon

1640 What else is there to do?

Heracles

What else? Why, conclude peace.

Poseidon

Oh! you blockhead! do you always want to be fooled? Why, you are seeking your own downfall. If Zeus were to die, after having yielded them the sovereignty, you would be ruined, for you are the heir of 1645 all the wealth he will leave behind.