Parodos
[Agon]
Why, the birds, by Zeus,
Pisthetaerus
will add three hundred years to their life.
Leader of the Chorus
From whom will they take them?
Pisthetaerus
From whom? Why, from themselves. Don't you know the cawing crow lives five times as long as a man?
Euelpides
Ah! ah! these are far better kings for us than Zeus!
610
Pisthetaerus
Far better, are they not? And firstly, we shall not have to build them temples of hewn stone, closed with gates of gold;
they will dwell amongst the bushes and in the thickets of green oak; the most venerated of birds will have no other temple than the foliage of the olive tree; we shall not go to Delphi or to Ammon
615
to sacrifice; but standing erect in the midst of arbutus and wild olives and holding forth our hands filled with wheat and barley, we shall pray them to admit us to a share of the blessings they enjoy
620
and shall at once obtain them for a few grains of wheat.
625
[Lyric-Scene]
Old man, whom I detested, you are now to me the dearest of all; never shall I, if I can help it, fail to follow your advice.
Chorus
Inspirited by your words,
I threaten my rivals the gods, and I swear that if you march in alliance with me against the gods and are faithful to our just, loyal and sacred bond, we shall soon have shattered their scepter.
630
Leader of the Chorus
We shall charge ourselves with the performance of everything that requires force; that which demands thought and deliberation shall be yours to supply.
Epops
By Zeus! it's no longer
the time to delay and loiter like Nicias; let us act as promptly as possible.... In the first place, come, enter my nest built of brushwood and blades of straw, and tell me your names.
640
Pisthetaerus
That is soon done; my name is Pisthetaerus, and his,
Euelpides, of the deme Crioa.
645
Epops
Good! and good luck to you.
645
Pisthetaerus
We accept the omen.
Pisthetaerus
Very well, you are the one who must lead us and introduce us.
Pisthetaerus
Oh! my god! do come back here. Hi! tell us how
we are to follow you. You can fly, but we cannot.
650
Pisthetaerus
Remember Aesop's fables. It is told there that the fox fared very badly, because he had made an alliance with the eagle.
Epops
Be at ease. You shall eat a certain root
and wings will grow on your shoulders.
655
Pisthetaerus
Then let us enter. Xanthias and Manodorus, pick up our baggage.
[Episode]
Hi! Epops! do you hear me?
