CHORUS
Pallas we call upon, Chastest and purest one, Maiden and Virgin, our Revels to see: Guarding our portals Alone of Immortals, Mightily, potently, Keeping the key. Hater of Tyranny, Come, for we call thee, we Women in Chorus. Bring Peace again with thee, Jocundly, merrily, Long to reign o’er us. Sacred, unearthly ones, Awfullest Shades, Graciously, peacefully, Come to your glades. Man must not gaze on the Rites at your shrine,
CHORUS Torch-glimmer flashing o’er Features divine. Come, for we’re pouring Imploring, adoring, Intense veneration; Dawn on your worshippers, Givers of Home and our Civilization.
EURIPIDES Ladies, I offer terms. If well and truly Your honourable sex befriend me now, I won’t abuse your honourable sex From this time forth for ever. This I offer.
CHORUS (suspiciously) But what’s your object in proposing this?
EURIPIDES That poor old man there, he’s my poor old cousin. Let him go free; and nevermore will I Traduce your worthy sex; but if you won’t, I’ll meet your husbands coming from the Wars, And put them up to all your goings-on.
CHORUS We take your terms, so far as we’re concerned, But you yourself must manage with the Scythian.
EURIPIDES I’ll manage him. Now, Hop-o’-my-thumb, come forward, (A dancing-girl enters.) And mind the things I taught you on the way. Hold up your frock: skip lightly through the dance. The Persian air, Teredon, if you please.
SCYTHIAN Vy, vat dis buzbuz? revels come dis vay?
EURIPIDES She’s going to practise, Scythian, that is all. She’s got to dance in public by-and-by.
SCYTHIAN Yesh, practish, yesh. Hoick! how se bobs about!
SCYTHIAN Now here, now dere: von vlea upon de planket.
EURIPIDES Just stop a moment; throw your mantle off; Come, sit you down beside the Scythian here, And I’ll unloose your slippers. That will do. We must be moving homeward.
SCYTHIAN May I tiss her?
EURIPIDES Once, only once.
SCYTHIAN (kissing her) O, O, vat vare sweet tiss! Dat’s vare moche sweeter dan zure Attish honies. Dooze let me tiss her tecon time, ole lady.
EURIPIDES No, Scythian, no; we really can’t allow it.
SCYTHIAN O doozy, doozy, dear ole lady, doozy.
EURIPIDES Will you give silver for one kiss?
SCYTHIAN Yesh! yesh!
EURIPIDES Well, p’raps on that consideration, Scythian, We won’t object; but give the silver first.
SCYTHIAN Silver? Vy, vere? I’se got none. Take dis bow-cus. Zu, vat I call zu?
EURIPIDES Artemisia.
SCYTHIAN Yesh. Hartomixer.
EURIPIDES Hillo, what’s that? She’s off.
SCYTHIAN I’se fetch her pack; zu, look to bad ole man.
EURIPIDES O tricky Hermes, you befriend me still. Good-bye, old Scythian; catch her if you can. Meanwhile I’ll free your prisoner: and do you (to Mn.) Run like a hero, when I’ve loosed your bonds, Straight to the bosom of your family.
MNESILOCHUS Trust me for that, so soon as these are off.
EURIPIDES There then, they are off: now run away, before The Scythian come and catch you.
MNESILOCHUS Won’t I just!
SCYTHIAN Ole lady, here’s—vy, vere’s ole lady fannish? Vere’s dat ole man? O bah, I smells de trick. Ole lady, dis vare bad o’ zu, ole lady! Me nod expex dis of zu. Bad ole lady. Hartomixer! Bow-cusses? Yesh, zu von big howcus-bowcus. Vat sall I does? vere can ole lady was? Hartomixer!
CHORUS Mean you the ancient dame who bore the lute?
SCYTHIAN Yesh, does zu saw her?
CHORUS Yes, indeed I did. She went that way: there was an old man with her.
SCYTHIAN Von yellow-shilk ole man?
CHORUS Exactly so. I think you’ll catch them if you take that road.
SCYTHIAN Vare bad ole lady, did se vich vay run? Hartomixer!
CHORUS Straight up the hill; no, no, not that direction. You’re going wrong: see, that’s the way she went.
SCYTHIAN O dear, O dear, but Hartomixer runnish. (He runs out the wrong way.)
CHORUS Merrily, merrily, merrily on to your own confusion go. But we’ve ended our say, and we’re going away, Like good honest women, straight home from the Play. And we trust that the twain Home-givers will deign To bless with success our performance to-day.
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