between the rock and the cold, cold sea

Διόνυσος

στεῖλαί νυν ἀμφὶ χρωτὶ βυσσίνους πέπλους.

Πενθεύς

τί δὴ τόδ᾽; ἐς γυναῖκας ἐξ ἀνδρὸς τελῶ;

Διόνυσος

μή σε κτάνωσιν, ἢν ἀνὴρ ὀφθῇς ἐκεῖ.

Πενθεύς

εὖ γ᾽ εἶπας αὖ τόδ᾽: ὥς τις εἶ πάλαι σοφός.

Διόνυσος

Διόνυσος ἡμᾶς ἐξεμούσωσεν τάδε. [825]

Πενθεύς

πῶς οὖν γένοιτ᾽ ἂν ἃ σύ με νουθετεῖς καλῶς;

Διόνυσος

ἐγὼ στελῶ σε δωμάτων ἔσω μολών.

Πενθεύς

τίνα στολήν; ἦ θῆλυν; ἀλλ᾽ αἰδώς μ᾽ ἔχει.

Διόνυσος

οὐκέτι θεατὴς μαινάδων πρόθυμος εἶ.

Πενθεύς

στολὴν δὲ τίνα φῂς ἀμφὶ χρῶτ᾽ ἐμὸν βαλεῖν; [830]

Διόνυσος

κόμην μὲν ἐπὶ σῷ κρατὶ ταναὸν ἐκτενῶ.

Πενθεύς

τὸ δεύτερον δὲ σχῆμα τοῦ κόσμου τί μοι;

Διόνυσος

πέπλοι ποδήρεις: ἐπὶ κάρᾳ δ᾽ ἔσται μίτρα.

Πενθεύς

ἦ καί τι πρὸς τοῖσδ᾽ ἄλλο προσθήσεις ἐμοί;

Διόνυσος

θύρσον γε χειρὶ καὶ νεβροῦ στικτὸν δέρας. [835]

Πενθεύς

οὐκ ἂν δυναίμην θῆλυν ἐνδῦναι στολήν.

Διόνυσος

ἀλλ᾽ αἷμα θήσεις συμβαλὼν βάκχαις μάχην.

Πενθεύς

ὀρθῶς: μολεῖν χρὴ πρῶτον εἰς κατασκοπήν.

Διόνυσος

σοφώτερον γοῦν ἢ κακοῖς θηρᾶν κακά.

Πενθεύς

καὶ πῶς δι᾽ ἄστεως εἶμι Καδμείους λαθών; [840]

Διόνυσος

ὁδοὺς ἐρήμους ἴμεν: ἐγὼ δ᾽ ἡγήσομαι.

Πενθεύς

πᾶν κρεῖσσον ὥστε μὴ 'γγελᾶν βάκχας ἐμοί.
ἐλθόντ᾽ ἐς οἴκους ... ἃν δοκῇ βουλεύσομαι.

Διόνυσος

ἔξεστι: πάντῃ τό γ᾽ ἐμὸν εὐτρεπὲς πάρα.

Πενθεύς

στείχοιμ᾽ ἄν: ἢ γὰρ ὅπλ᾽ ἔχων πορεύσομαι [845]
ἢ τοῖσι σοῖσι πείσομαι βουλεύμασιν.

Διόνυσος

γυναῖκες, ἁνὴρ ἐς βόλον καθίσταται,
ἥξει δὲ βάκχας, οὗ θανὼν δώσει δίκην.


Dionysos:
Put on now woven cloth about your body.
[Get dressed now]

Pentheus:
What, this? From a man I'm made into a woman.

Dionysos:
Lest they slay you, if you're seen as a man there.

Pentheus:
Indeed, you're right about this again. You're just like some wise man of old.

Dionysos:
Dionysos taught us these things.

Pentheus:
So how might these things which you advised me come nobly into being?
[So how may I accomplish your advice?]

Dionysos:
I'll make you ready, going inside the house.

Pentheus:
With what garments? Women's? But it's shameful to me.

Dionysos:
No longer, you're a willing spectator of the maenads.

Pentheus:
With what garment do you say you'll cover my body?

Dionysos:
I'll spread out the long hair on your head.

Pentheus:
And what have you aranged for me for the second part of it?

Dionysos:
A garment falling to the feet: and on your head will be a maiden's head-band.

Pentheus:
And what else will you add to this for me?

Dionysos:
A thyrsos in your hands, and the dappled hide of a deer.

Pentheus:
I could not don a female garment.

Dionysos:
But you'll let out blood, [if] joining battle with the bacchantes.

Pentheus:
True. First it's necessary to go spying.

Dionysos:
More wise at least than with troubles to hunt troubles.

Pentheus:
And how through the city am I avoiding the notice of the Kadmeans?

Dionysos:
We're going by a deserted road. I'll lead the way.

Pentheus:
All better on condition that the bacchantes not laughing at me.
[Everything is better as long as the bacchantes don't laugh at me.]
Going into the house... I'll deliberate on what seems good.

Dionyos:
It's allowed. In every way beside me it [is] ready.
[Okay. I'm ready in every way.]

Pentheus:
I should go. For either [I'll go] carrying weapons
or I will obey these plans of yours.

Dionysos:
Women, the man is set down into the cast of the net,
and he'll be present at the bacchae, where by death he'll pay the price.

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.