EUELPIDES
Hush!
PISTHETAERUS
What's the matter?
EUELPIDES
Will you keep silence?
PISTHETAERUS
What for?
EUELPIDES
Epops is going to sing again.
EPOPS (IN THE COPPICE)
Epopoi poi popoi, epopoi, popoi, here, here, quick, quick, quick,
my comrades in the air; all you who pillage the fertile lands
of the husbandmen, the numberless tribes who gather and devour
the barley seeds, the swift flying race who sing so sweetly.
And you whose gentle twitter resounds through the fields
with the little cry of tio, tio, tio, tio, tio, tio, tio, tio;
and you who hop about the branches of the ivy in the gardens;
the mountain birds, who feed on the wild olive berries or the arbutus,
hurry to come at my call, trioto, trioto, totobrix; you also, who snap up
the sharp-stinging gnats in the marshy vales, and you who dwell
in the fine plain of Marathon, all damp with dew, and you, the francolin
with speckled wings; you too, the halcyons, who flit over the swelling
waves of the sea, come hither to hear the tidings; let all the tribes
of long-necked birds assemble here; know that a clever old man has come
to us, bringing an entirely new idea and proposing great reforms.
Let all come to the debate here, here, here, here. Torotorotorotorotix,
kikkobau, kikkobau, torotorotorotorolililix.
PISTHETAERUS
Can you see any bird?
EUELPIDES
By Phoebus, no! and yet I am straining my eyesight to scan the sky.
PISTHETAERUS
'Twas really not worth Epops' while to go and bury himself in the
thicket like a plover when a-hatching.
PHOENICOPTERUS
Torotina, torotina.
PISTHETAERUS
Hold, friend, here is another bird.
EUELPIDES
I' faith, yes, 'tis a bird, but of what kind? Isn't it a peacock?
PISTHETAERUS
Epops will tell us. What is this bird?
EPOPS
'Tis not one of those you are used to seeing; 'tis a bird from
the marshes.
PISTHETAERUS
Oh! oh! but he is very handsome with his wings as crimson as flame.
EPOPS
Undoubtedly; indeed he is called flamingo.[1]
f[1] An African bird, that comes to the southern countries of Europe,
to Greece, Italy, and Spain; it is even seen in Provence.
EUELPIDES
Hi! I say! You!
PISTHETAERUS
What are you shouting for?
EUELPIDES
Why, here's another bird.
PISTHETAERUS
Aye, indeed; 'tis a foreign bird too. What is this bird from beyond
the mountains with a look as solemn as it is stupid?
EPOPS
He is called the Mede.[1]
f[1] Aristophanes amusingly mixes up real birds with people and
individuals, whom he represents in the form of birds; he is
personifying the Medians here.
PISTHETAERUS
The Mede! But, by Heracles, how, if a Mede, has he flown here
without a camel?
EUELPIDES
Here's another bird with a crest.
PISTHETAERUS
Ah! that's curious. I say, Epops, you are not the only one of your
kind then?
EPOPS
This bird is the son of Philocles, who is the son of Epops;[1] so
that, you see, I am his grandfather; just as one might say,
Hipponicus,[2] the son of Callias, who is the son of Hipponicus.
f[1] Philocles, a tragic poet, had written a tragedy on Tereus,
which was simply a plagiarism of the play of the same name
by Sophocles. Philocles is the son of Epops, because he got his
inspiration from Sophocles' Tereus, and at the same time is father
to Epops, since he himself produced another Tereus.
f[2] This Hipponicus is probably the orator whose ears Alcibiades
boxed to gain a bet; he was a descendant of Callias, who was famous
for his hatred of Pisistratus.
PISTHETAERUS
Then this bird is Callias! Why, what a lot of his feathers he
has lost![1]
f[1] This Callias, who must not be confounded with the foe
of Pisistratus, had ruined himself.
EPOPS
That's because he is honest; so the informers set upon him and the
women too pluck out his feathers.
PISTHETAERUS
By Posidon, do you see that many-coloured bird? What is his name?
EPOPS
This one? 'Tis the glutton.
PISTHETAERUS
Is there another glutton besides Cleonymus? But why, if he is
Cleonymus, has he not thrown away his crest?[1] But what is the meaning
of all these crests? Have these birds come to contend for the double
stadium prize?[2]
f[1] Cleonymus had cast away his shield; he was as great a glutton
as he was a coward.
f[2] A race in which the track had to be circled twice.
EPOPS
They are like the Carians, who cling to the crests of their
mountains for greater safety.[1]
f[1] A people of Asia Minor; when pursued by the Ionians they took
refuge in the mountains.
PISTHETAERUS
Oh, Posidon! do you see what swarms of birds are gathering here?
EUELPIDES
By Phoebus! what a cloud! The entrance to the stage is no longer
visible, so closely do they fly together.
PISTHETAERUS
Here is the partridge.
EUELPIDES
Faith! there is the francolin.
PISTHETAERUS
There is the poachard.
EUELPIDES
Here is the kingfisher. And over yonder?
EPOPS
'Tis the barber.
EUELPIDES
What? a bird a barber?
PISTHETAERUS
Why, Sporgilus is one.[1] Here comes the owl.
f[1] An Athenian barber.
EUELPIDES
And who is it brings an owl to Athens?[1]
f[1] The owl was dedicated to Athene, and being respected at Athens,
it had greatly multiplied. Hence the proverb, 'taking owls to Athens,'
similar to our English 'taking coals to Newcastle.'
PISTHETAERUS
Here is the magpie, the turtle-dove, the swallow, the horned owl,
the buzzard, the pigeon, the falcon, the ring-dove, the cuckoo,
the red-foot, the red-cap, the purple-cap, the kestrel, the diver,
the ousel, the osprey, the woodpecker.
EUELPIDES
Oh! oh! what a lot of birds! what a quantity of blackbirds!
how they scold, how they come rushing up! What a noise! what a
noise! Can they be bearing us ill-will? Oh! there! there! they are
opening their beaks and staring at us.
PISTHETAERUS
Why, so they are.
CHORUS
Popopopopopopopoi. Where is he who called me? Where am I to find him?
EPOPS
I have been waiting for you this long while! I never fail in my
word to my friends.
CHORUS
Titititititititi. What good thing have you to tell me?
EPOPS
Something that concerns our common safety, and that is just as
pleasant as it is to the purpose. Two men, who are subtle reasoners,
have come here to seek me.
CHORUS
Where? What? What are you saying?
EPOPS
I say, two old men have come from the abode of men to propose a
vast and splendid scheme to us.
CHORUS
Oh! 'tis a horrible, unheard-of crime! What are you saying?
EPOPS
Nay! never let my words scare you.
CHORUS
What have you done then?
EPOPS
I have welcomed two men, who wish to live with us.
CHORUS
And you have dared to do that!
EPOPS
Aye, and am delighted at having done so.
CHORUS
Where are they?
EPOPS
In your midst, as I am.
CHORUS
Ah! ah! we are betrayed; 'tis sacrilege! Our friend, he who picked
up corn-seeds in the same plains as ourselves, has violated our
ancient laws; he has broken the oaths that bind all birds; he has laid
a snare for me, he has handed us over to the attacks of that impious
race which, throughout all time, has never ceased to war against us.
As for this traitorous bird, we will decide his case later, but
the two old men shall be punished forthwith; we are going to tear them
to pieces.
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