Birds

Perseus Greek · Perseus Greek · 902 sections

1.1572b
Ugh! you cursed savage! you are by far the most barbarous of all the gods. —
1.1574
Tell me, Heracles, what are we going to do?
1.1574b
I have already told you
1.1575
that I want to strangle the fellow who dared to wall us out.
1.1577
But, my friend, we are envoys of peace.
1.1578b
All the more reason why I wish to strangle him.
1.1579
Hand me the cheese-grater; bring me the silphium for sauce;
1.1580
pass me the cheese and watch the coals.
1.1581
Mortal! we who greet you are three gods.
1.1582b
Wait a bit till I have prepared my silphium pickle.
1.1583
What are these meats?
1.1583b
These are birds that have been punished with death
1.1585
for attacking the people's friends.
1.1585b
And you are going to season them before answering us?
1.1586b
Ah! Heracles! welcome, welcome! What's the matter?
1.1587b
The gods have sent us here as ambassadors to treat for peace.
1.1589
There's no more oil in the flask.
1.1590
And yet the birds must be thoroughly basted with it.
1.1591
We have no interest to serve in fighting you; as for you, be friends and we promise that you shall always have rain-water in your pools and the warmest of warm weather.
1.1595
So far as these points go we are plenipotentiaries.
1.1596
We have never been the aggressors, and even now we are as well disposed for peace as yourselves, provided you agree to one equitable condition, namely,
1.1600
that Zeus yield his scepter to the birds. If only this is agreed to, I invite the ambassadors to dinner.
1.1603
That's good enough for me. I vote for peace.
1.1604
You wretch! you are nothing but a fool and a glutton.
1.1605
Do you want to dethrone your own father?
1.1606
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;
1.1610
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.
1.1614
Well thought of, by Poseidon!
1.1615
My notion too.
1.1615b
And you, what's your opinion?
1.1615c
Nabasatreu.
1.1616
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,
1.1620
pretending that the gods can wait, and thus does not keep his word, we shall punish his stinginess.
1.1621b
Ah! and how?
1.1622
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,
1.1625
of the value of a couple of sheep, and carry it to the god.
1.1626
I vote for restoring them the scepter.
1.1627b
Ask Triballus.
1.1628
Hi! Triballus, do you want a thrashing?
1.1628b
Sure, bashum head withum stick.
1.1629b
He says, Right willingly.
1.1630
If that be the opinion of both of you, why, I consent too.
1.1631
Very well! we accord you the scepter.
1.1632
Ah! I was nearly forgetting another condition. I will leave Here to Zeus, but only if the young Basileia
1.1635
is given me in marriage.
1.1635b
Then you don't want peace. Let us withdraw.
1.1636b
It matters mighty little to me. Cook, look to the gravy.
1.1638
What an odd fellow this Poseidon is! Where are you off to? Are we going to war about a woman?
1.1640
What else is there to do?
1.1640b
What else? Why, conclude peace.
1.1641
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
1.1645
all the wealth he will leave behind.
1.1646
Oh! by the gods! how he is cajoling you. Step aside, that I may have a word with you. Your uncle is getting the better of you, my poor friend.
1.1650
The law will not allow you an obolus of the paternal property, for you are a bastard and not a legitimate child.
1.1651
I a bastard! What's that you tell me?
1.1651b
Why, certainly; are you not born of a stranger woman? Besides, is not Athena recognized as Zeus' sole heiress? And no daughter would be that, if she had a legitimate brother.
1.1655
But what if my father wished to give me his property on his death-bed, even though I be a bastard?
1.1656b
The law forbids it, and this same Poseidon would be the first to lay claim to his wealth, in virtue of being his legitimate brother. Listen;
1.1660
thus runs Solon's law: A bastard shall not inherit, if there are
1.1665
legitimate children; and if there are no legitimate children, the property shall pass to the nearest kin.
1.1667
And I get nothing whatever of the paternal property?
1.1668b
Absolutely nothing. But tell me, has your father had you entered on the registers of his phratry?
1.1670
No, and I have long been surprised at the omission.
1.1671
Why do you shake your fist at heaven? Do you want to fight? Why, be on my side, I will make you a king and will feed you on bird's milk and honey.
1.1674
Your further condition seems fair to me.
1.1675
I cede you the young damsel.
1.1676b
But I, I vote against this opinion.
1.1677
Then it all depends on the Triballus. To the Triballus. What do you say?
1.1678
Givum bird pretty gel bigum queen.
1.1679b
He says give her.
1.1680
Why no, he does not say anything of the sort, or else, like the swallows he does not know how to walk.
1.1682
Exactly so. Does he not say she must be given to the swallows?
1.1683
All right, you two arrange the matter; make peace, since you wish it so; I'll hold my tongue.
1.1685
We are of a mind to grant you all that you ask. But come up there with us to receive Basileia and the celestial bounty.
1.1688
Here are birds already dressed, and very suitable for a nuptial feast.
1.1689b
You go and, if you like, I will stay here to roast them.
1.1691
You to roast them? you are too much the glutton; come along with us.
1.1692b
Ah! how well I would have treated myself!
1.1693
Let some one bring me a beautiful and magnificent tunic for the wedding.
1.1694
At Phanae, near the
1.1695
Clepsydra, there dwells a people who have neither faith nor law, the Englottogastors, who reap, sow, pluck the vines and the figs with their tongues;
1.1700
they belong to a barbaric race, and among them the Philippi and the Gorgiases are to be found; 'tis these Englottogastorian Philippi who introduced the custom all over Attica
1.1705
of cutting out the tongue separately at sacrifices.
1706
Oh, you, whose unbounded happiness I cannot express in words, thrice happy race of airy birds, receive your king in your fortunate dwellings. More brilliant than the brightest
1710
star that illumes the earth, he is approaching his glittering golden palace; the sun itself does not shine with more dazzling glory. He is entering with his bride at his side, whose beauty no human tongue can express; in his hand he brandishes the lightning, the winged shaft of Zeus;
1715
perfumes of unspeakable sweetness pervade the ethereal realms. 'Tis a glorious spectacle to see the clouds of incense wafting in light whirlwinds before the breath of the zephyr! But here he is himself. Divine Muse! let thy sacred lips begin with songs of happy omen.
1720
Fall back! to the right! to the left! advance! Fly around this happy mortal, whom Fortune loads with her blessings. Oh! oh! what grace! what beauty!
1725
Oh, marriage so auspicious for our city!
1726
All honor to this man! 'tis through him that the birds are called to such glorious destinies. Let your nuptial hymns, your nuptial songs, greet
1730
him and his Basileia!
1.1731
'Twas that the Fates formerly united Olympian Hera to the King who governs the gods from the summit of his inaccessible throne
1.1735
in the midst of such festivities. Oh! Hymen! oh! Hymenaeus!
1.1737
Rosy Eros with the golden wings held the reins and guided the chariot; 'twas he, who presided over
1.1740
the union of Zeus and the fortunate Hera. Oh! Hymen! oh! Hymenaeus!
1743
I am delighted with your songs, I applaud your verses. Now celebrate
1745
the thunder that shakes the earth, the flaming lightning of Zeus and the terrible flashing thunderbolt.
1748
Oh, thou golden flash of the lightning! oh, ye divine shafts of flame, that Zeus has hitherto shot forth!
1750
Oh, ye rolling thunders, that bring down the rain! 'Tis by the order of our king that ye shall now stagger the earth! Oh, Hymen! 'tis through thee that he commands the universe and that he makes Basileia, whom he has robbed from Zeus, take her seat at his side. Oh! Hymen! oh! Hymenaeus!
1755
Let all the winged tribes of our fellow-citizens follow the bridal couple to the palace of Zeus and to the nuptial couch! Stretch forth your
1760
hands, my dear wife! Take hold of me by my wings and let us dance; I am going to lift you up and carry you through the air.

Perseus Greek. CTS URN tlg0019.tlg006.perseus-eng2. Via the Perseus Digital Library / Open Greek and Latin TEI corpora. Licence: Available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Source.