Aristophanes, Frogs, 242-269

[hawkwing_lb]

Βάτραχοι

μᾶλλον μὲν οὖν
φθεγξόμεσθ᾽, εἰ δή ποτ᾽ εὐηλίοις
ἐν ἁμέραισιν
ἡλάμεσθα διὰ κυπείρου
καὶ φλέω, χαίροντες ᾠδῆς
πολυκολύμβοισι μέλεσιν, [245]
ἢ Διὸς φεύγοντες ὄμβρον
ἔνυδρον ἐν βυθῷ χορείαν
αἰόλαν ἐφθεγξάμεσθα
πομφολυγοπαφλάσμασιν.

Διόνυσος

βρεκεκεκὲξ κοὰξ κοάξ.
τουτὶ παρ᾽ ὑμῶν λαμβάνω.

Βάτραχοι

δεινά τἄρα πεισόμεσθα.

Διόνυσος

δεινότερα δ᾽ ἔγωγ᾽, ἐλαύνων
εἰ διαρραγήσομαι. [255]

Βάτραχοι

βρεκεκεκὲξ κοὰξ κοάξ.

Διόνυσος

οἰμώζετ᾽: οὐ γάρ μοι μέλει.

Βάτραχοι

ἀλλὰ μὴν κεκραξόμεσθά γ᾽
ὁπόσον ἡ φάρυξ ἂν ἡμῶν
χανδάνῃ δι᾽ ἡμέρας. [260]

Διόνυσος

βρεκεκεκὲξ κοὰξ κοάξ.
τούτῳ γὰρ οὐ νικήσετε.

Βάτραχοι

οὐδὲ μὴν ἡμᾶς σὺ πάντως.

Διόνυσος

οὐδὲ μὴν ὑμεῖς γ᾽ ἐμὲ
οὐδέποτε: κεκράξομαι γὰρ
κἂν δέῃ δι᾽ ἡμέρας [265]
βρεκεκεκὲξ κοὰξ κοάξ,
ἕως ἂν ὑμῶν ἐπικρατήσω τῷ κοάξ,
βρεκεκεκὲξ κοὰξ κοάξ.


Frogs:
Indeed, and so
we'll speak out, as indeed when in sunny
days we sprang through the cypresses
and through the reeds with oft-diving limbs,
or after Zeus had left the
watery thunder-storm, in the depths [in the midst] of our
wriggling dances we sang out,
with a bubbling noise.

Dionysos:
Brekekekex koax koax!
This I get from you.

Frogs:
We suffer terrible things indeed.

Dionysos:
And I suffer really much more terrible things, rowing,
since I'll be broken in two.

Frogs:
Brekekekex koax koax!

Dionysos:
Go howl! I don't care.

Frogs:
But we will have croaked
as much as our throats
might hold all day.

Dionysos:
Brekekekex koax koax.
You won't overcome me with this.

Frogs:
We'll overcome you in all ways.

Dionysos:
You won't overcome me
ever: for I'll have croaked
as much as necessary all day
Brekekekex koax koax
until I prevail over you with koax
Brekekekex koax koax.