Birds. Aristophanes. . 2026-09-08.
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Chresmologos: But when wolves shall dwell and crows with long feathers
Prophet: at the same time, the place between Corinth and Sicyon, —
Pisthetaerus: So what, then, does concern me, Corinthians?
Oracle: Bakis has hinted at this to the air.
970
Prophet: First, sacrifice to Pandora a white-haired ram;
Prophet: And whoever comes first as a prophet from my verses,
Oracle: 'To give a clean cloak and new sandals —'
Pisthetaerus: Are the sandals also available?
Chresmologus: Take the scroll.
Chresmologus: 'And to give a bowl, and to fill a hand with entrails.'
975
Pisthetaerus: And can you give offal?
Prophet: take the book.
Prophet: and if indeed you do these things as I command, O inspired youth,
Chresmologus: you will become an eagle among the clouds; but if you do not give [it],
Oraclemonger: You will not be a thicket-woodpecker, nor an eagle, nor a woodpecker.
Pisthetaerus: And are these things present here?
980
Prophet: Take the book.
Pisthetairos: So the oracle is nothing like this one,
Pisthetaerus: whom I erased from the Delphic oracle;
Pisthetaerus: But when an uninvited, boastful man comes
Pisthetaerus: He annoys those sacrificing and wishes to have compassion,
Pisthetaerus: Now then, we must strike him in the middle of his ribs—
985
Chresmologos: I think you are saying nothing.
Pisthetaerus: Take the book.
Pisthetaerus: And spare nothing, not even an eagle in the clouds,
Pisthetaerus: neither may Lampo be, nor may the great Diopeithes be.
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.) — 967 focus
Χρησμολόγος
ἀλλʼ ὅταν οἰκήσωσι λύκοι πολιαί τε κορῶναι
ἐν ταὐτῷ τὸ μεταξὺ Κορίνθου καὶ Σικυῶνος, —
ἀλλʼ ὅταν οἰκήσωσι λύκοι πολιαί τε κορῶναι
ἐν ταὐτῷ τὸ μεταξὺ Κορίνθου καὶ Σικυῶνος, —
Πισθέταιρος
τί οὖν προσήκει δῆτʼ ἐμοὶ Κορινθίων;
τί οὖν προσήκει δῆτʼ ἐμοὶ Κορινθίων;
Χρησμολόγος
ᾐνίξαθʼ ὁ Βάκις τοῦτο πρὸς τὸν ἀέρα.
970
πρῶτον Πανδώρᾳ θῦσαι λευκότριχα κριόν·
ὃς δέ κʼ ἐμῶν ἐπέων ἔλθῃ πρώτιστα προφήτης,
τῷ δόμεν ἱμάτιον καθαρὸν καὶ καινὰ πέδιλα —
ᾐνίξαθʼ ὁ Βάκις τοῦτο πρὸς τὸν ἀέρα.
970
πρῶτον Πανδώρᾳ θῦσαι λευκότριχα κριόν·
ὃς δέ κʼ ἐμῶν ἐπέων ἔλθῃ πρώτιστα προφήτης,
τῷ δόμεν ἱμάτιον καθαρὸν καὶ καινὰ πέδιλα —
Πισθέταιρος
ἔνεστι καὶ τὰ πέδιλα;
ἔνεστι καὶ τὰ πέδιλα;
Χρησμολόγος
λαβὲ τὸ βιβλίον.
καὶ φιάλην δοῦναι, καὶ σπλάγχνων χεῖρʼ ἐπιπλῆσαι.
975
λαβὲ τὸ βιβλίον.
καὶ φιάλην δοῦναι, καὶ σπλάγχνων χεῖρʼ ἐπιπλῆσαι.
975
Πισθέταιρος
καὶ σπλάγχνα διδόνʼ ἔνεστι;
καὶ σπλάγχνα διδόνʼ ἔνεστι;
Χρησμολόγος
λαβὲ τὸ βιβλίον.
κἂν μὲν θέσπιε κοῦρε ποιῇς ταῦθʼ ὡς ἐπιτέλλω,
αἰετὸς ἐν νεφέλῃσι γενήσεαι· αιʼ δέ κε μὴ δῷς,
οὐκ ἔσει οὐ τρυγὼν οὐδʼ αἰετὸς οὐ δρυκολάπτης.
λαβὲ τὸ βιβλίον.
κἂν μὲν θέσπιε κοῦρε ποιῇς ταῦθʼ ὡς ἐπιτέλλω,
αἰετὸς ἐν νεφέλῃσι γενήσεαι· αιʼ δέ κε μὴ δῷς,
οὐκ ἔσει οὐ τρυγὼν οὐδʼ αἰετὸς οὐ δρυκολάπτης.
Πισθέταιρος
καὶ ταῦτʼ ἔνεστʼ ἐνταῦθα;
980
καὶ ταῦτʼ ἔνεστʼ ἐνταῦθα;
980
Χρησμολόγος
λαβὲ τὸ βιβλίον.
λαβὲ τὸ βιβλίον.
Πισθέταιρος
οὐδὲν ἄρʼ ὅμοιός ἐσθʼ ὁ χρησμὸς τουτῳί,
ὃν ἐγὼ παρὰ τἀπόλλωνος ἐξεγραψάμην·
αὐτὰρ ἐπὴν ἄκλητος ἰὼν ἄνθρωπος ἀλαζὼν
λυπῇ θύοντας καὶ σπλαγχνεύειν ἐπιθυμῇ,
δὴ τότε χρὴ τύπτειν αὐτὸν πλευρῶν τὸ μεταξὺ —
985
οὐδὲν ἄρʼ ὅμοιός ἐσθʼ ὁ χρησμὸς τουτῳί,
ὃν ἐγὼ παρὰ τἀπόλλωνος ἐξεγραψάμην·
αὐτὰρ ἐπὴν ἄκλητος ἰὼν ἄνθρωπος ἀλαζὼν
λυπῇ θύοντας καὶ σπλαγχνεύειν ἐπιθυμῇ,
δὴ τότε χρὴ τύπτειν αὐτὸν πλευρῶν τὸ μεταξὺ —
985
Χρησμολόγος
οὐδὲν λέγειν οἶμαί σε.
οὐδὲν λέγειν οἶμαί σε.
Πισθέταιρος
λαβὲ τὸ βιβλίον.
καὶ φείδου μηδὲν μηδʼ αἰετοῦ ἐν νεφέλῃσιν,
μήτʼ ἢν Λάμπων ᾖ μήτʼ ἢν ὁ μέγας Διοπείθης.
λαβὲ τὸ βιβλίον.
καὶ φείδου μηδὲν μηδʼ αἰετοῦ ἐν νεφέλῃσιν,
μήτʼ ἢν Λάμπων ᾖ μήτʼ ἢν ὁ μέγας Διοπείθης.
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.) — 967 focus
Oracle-Monger
Pisthetaerus
But how do the Corinthians concern me?
But how do the Corinthians concern me?
Oracle-Monger
970
It is the regions of the air that Bacis indicates in this manner.
970
It is the regions of the air that Bacis indicates in this manner.
“They must first sacrifice a white-fleeced goat to Pandora, and give the prophet who first reveals my words a good cloak and new sandals.”
“They must first sacrifice a white-fleeced goat to Pandora, and give the prophet who first reveals my words a good cloak and new sandals.”
Pisthetaerus
Does it say sandals there?
Does it say sandals there?
Oracle-Monger
Look at the book.
Look at the book.
975
“And besides this a goblet of wine and a good share of the entrails of the victim.”
975
“And besides this a goblet of wine and a good share of the entrails of the victim.”
Pisthetaerus
Of the entrails —does it say that?
Of the entrails —does it say that?
Oracle-Monger
Look at the book.
Look at the book.
“If you do as I command, divine youth, you shall be an eagle among the clouds; if not, you shall be neither turtle-dove, nor eagle, nor woodpecker.”
“If you do as I command, divine youth, you shall be an eagle among the clouds; if not, you shall be neither turtle-dove, nor eagle, nor woodpecker.”
Pisthetaerus
980
Does it say all that?
980
Does it say all that?
Oracle-Monger
Look at the book.
Look at the book.
Pisthetaerus
This oracle in no sort of way resembles the one Apollo dictated to me:
This oracle in no sort of way resembles the one Apollo dictated to me:
“If an impostor comes without invitation to annoy you during the sacrifice and to demand a share of the victim,
985
apply a stout stick to his ribs.”
“If an impostor comes without invitation to annoy you during the sacrifice and to demand a share of the victim,
985
apply a stout stick to his ribs.”
Oracle-Monger
You are drivelling.
You are drivelling.
Pisthetaerus
Look at the book.
Look at the book.
“And don't spare him, were he an eagle from out of the clouds, were it Lampon himself or the great Diopithes.”
“And don't spare him, were he an eagle from out of the clouds, were it Lampon himself or the great Diopithes.”