Euripides, Bacchae, 800-808. Also, karate.

[hawkwing_lb]

Πενθεύς

ἀπόρῳ γε τῷδε συμπεπλέγμεθα ξένῳ, [800]
ὃς οὔτε πάσχων οὔτε δρῶν σιγήσεται.

Διόνυσος

ὦ τᾶν, ἔτ᾽ ἔστιν εὖ καταστῆσαι τάδε.

Πενθεύς

τί δρῶντα; δουλεύοντα δουλείαις ἐμαῖς;

Διόνυσος

ἐγὼ γυναῖκας δεῦρ᾽ ὅπλων ἄξω δίχα.

Πενθεύς

οἴμοι: τόδ᾽ ἤδη δόλιον ἔς με μηχανᾷ. [805]

Διόνυσος

ποῖόν τι, σῷσαί σ᾽ εἰ θέλω τέχναις ἐμαῖς;

Πενθεύς

ξυνέθεσθε κοινῇ τάδ᾽, ἵνα βακχεύητ᾽ ἀεί.

Διόνυσος

καὶ μὴν ξυνεθέμην--τοῦτό γ᾽ ἔστι--τῷ θεῷ.


Pentheus:

Difficult is this stranger with whom we're entwined,
who neither suffering nor doing keeps silent.

Dionysos:

Mate, it's better to stand like this.

Pentheus:

Doing what? Being a slave to my slavery?

Dionysos:

I will lead the women here, divided from weapons.

Pentheus:

Oh my! This already you're contriving craftily to/against me.

Dionysos:

And what then if I wish to save you by my arts?

Pentheus:

You put this together in common, in order to be revelling forever.

Dionysos:

Of course I put it together - it is indeed this - with the god.

---

So, karate this morning. I am a rusty black belt, and the measured distance of Shotokan continues to appeal to me less than the up-close-and-personal - and far more effective for close-in fighting - techniques of German jujutsu.

Still, it's exercise, and if I'm qualified to teach it - which I am - I need to damn well be able to do all the kata. Solidly. Without fumbles.

So more practice, though god knows where I'll be able to fit it in.