CHORUS
Here’s the trail; pursue, pursue him; follow, follow, every man; Question whosoever meets you whitherwards the fellow ran. Much it boots the state to catch him! (To the audience) O inform me, if ye know, Where the man who bears the treaties managed from my sight to go. Fled and gone! Disappears! O this weary weight of years! O were I Now as spry As in youthful days gone by, When I stuck Like a man To Phayllus as he ran, And achieved Second place In the race, Though a great Charcoal freight I was bearing on my head,— Not so light From my sight Had this treaty-bearer fled, Nor escaped With such ease From the chase. Now because my joints have stiffened, and my shins are young no more, And the legs of Lacrateides by old age are burdened sore, He’s escaped us! But we’ll follow: but he shall not boast that he Got away from us Acharnians, howsoever old we be. Who has dared Father Zeus! Gods of heaven! to make a truce,
CHORUS Who has pledged Faith with those Who are evermore my foes; Upon whom War I make For my ruined vineyard’s sake; And I ne’er From the strife Will give o’er, No, I ne’er Will forbear, Till I pierce them in return, Like a reed, Sharply barbed Dagger-pointed, and they learn Not to tread Down my vines Any more. Now ’tis ours to seek the fellow, and Pelténe-wards to look, And from land to land to chase him, till we bring the rogue to book. Never shall I tire of pelting, pelting him to death with stones,
DICAEOPOLIS (Within) Keep ye all the holy silence!
CHORUS Hush! we’ve got him. Heard ye, comrades, “silence”’ called in solemn tones? This is he, the man we’re seeking. Stand aside, and in a trice He, methinks, will stand before us, coming out to sacrifice!
DICAEOPOLIS (Coming out) Keep ye all the holy silence! Now, basket-bearer, go you on in front, You, Xanthias, hold the phallus-pole erect.
WIFE Set down the basket, girl: and we’ll begin.
DAUGHTER O mother, hand me here the gravy-spoon, To ladle out the gravy o’er the cake.
DICAEOPOLIS ’Tis well. Lord Dionysus, grant me now To show the show and make the sacrifice As thou would’st have me, I and all my house; Then keep with joy the Rural Dionysia; No more of soldiering now. And may this Peace Of thirty summers answer to my hopes.
WIFE O daughter, bear the basket sweetly, sweet, With savory-eating look. Happy the man, Whoe’er he is, who weds thee and begets Kittens as fair and saucy as thyself. Move on! but heed lest any in the crowd Should nibble off, unseen, thy bits of gold.
DICAEOPOLIS O Xanthias, walk behind the basket-bearer, Holding, you two, the phallus-pole erect. And I’ll bring up the rear, and sing the hymn: Wife, watch me from the roof. Now then, proceed. (Singing) O Phales, comrade revel-roaming Of Bacchus, wanderer of the gloaming, Of wives and boys the naughty lover, Here in my home I gladly greet ye, Six weary years of absence over; For I have made a private treaty And said good-bye to toils and fusses, And fights, and fighting Lamachuses. Far happier ’tis to me and sweeter, O Phales, Phales, some soft glade in, To woo the saucy, arch, deceiving, Young Thratta (Strymodore his maiden),
DICAEOPOLIS
As from my woodland fells I meet her Descending with my fagots laden, And catch her up, and ill entreat her, And make her pay the fine for thieving. O Phales, Phales, come and sup, And in the morn, to brace you up, Of Peace you’ll quaff a jovial cup; And mid the chimney sparks our useless shield we’ll hang.
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