Aristophanes, Birds 1068–1119: Choral song: the birds' proclamation and their promises to the judges

Listen to the City’s notice, specially proclaimed to-day; Sirs, Diagoras the Melian whosoever of you slay, Shall receive, reward, one talent; and another we’ll bestow If you slay some ancient tyrant, dead and buried long ago. We, the Birds, will give a notice, we proclaim with right good will, Sirs, Philocrates, Sparrovian, whosoever of you kill, Shall receive, reward, one talent, if alive you bring him, four; Him who strings and sells the finches, seven an obol, at his store, Blows the thrushes out and, rudely, to the public gaze exposes, Shamefully entreats the blackbirds, thrusting feathers up their noses. Pigeons too the rascal catches, keeps and mews them up with care, Makes them labour as decoy-birds, tethered underneath a snare. Such the notice we would give you. And we wish you all to know,

Who are keeping birds in cages, you had better let them go. Else the Birds will surely catch you, and yourselves in turn employ, Tied and tethered up securely, other rascals to decoy. O the happy clan of birds Clad in feather; Needing not a woollen vest in Wintry weather; Heeding not the warm far-flashing Summer ray, For within the leafy bosoms Of the flowery meads I stay, When the Chirruper in ecstacy is shrilling forth his tune, Maddened with the sunshine, and the rapture of the noon. And I winter in the cavern’s Hollow spaces, With the happy Oreads playing; and in Spring I crop the virgin flowers of the myrtles white and tender, Dainties that are fashioned in the gardens of the Graces. Now we wish to tell the Judges, in a friendly sort of way, All the blessings we shall give them if we gain the prize to-day. Ne’er were made to Alexander lovelier promises or grander. First, what every Judge amongst you most of all desires to win,

CHORUS Little Lauriotic owlets shall be always flocking in. Ye shall find them all about you, as the dainty brood increases, Building nests within your purses, hatching little silver pieces. Then as if in stately Temples shall your happy lives be spent, For the birds will top your mansions with the Eagle pediment. If you hold some petty office, if you wish to steal and pick, In your hands we’ll place a falcon, very keen and small and quick. If a dinner is in question, crops we’ll send you for digestion. But should you the prize deny us, you had better all prepare, Like the statues in the open, little copper disks to wear; Else whene’er abroad ye’re walking, clad in raiment white and new, Angry birds will wreak their vengeance, spattering over it and you.

PEISTHETAERUS Dear Birds, our sacrifice is most auspicious. But strange it is, no messenger has come From the great wall we are building, with the news. Hah! here runs one with true Alpheian pantings.