Classic Poem

" THE Frogs . "

D IONYSOS , his slave X ANTHIAS , C HARON , and C HORUS .

Dionysos . What is that?
Xanthias . That? A lake.
Dionysos . By Zeus, it is!
The mere he spoke of.
Xanthias . Yes; I see a boat.
Dionysos . Yes, by the powers!
Xanthias . And yonder must be Charon.
Dionysos . Charon, ahoy!
Both . Ahoy! Charon, ahoy!
Charon Who seeks for rest from sufferings and cares?
Who's for the Carrion Crows and the Dead Donkeys;
Lethe and Sparta and the rest of Hell?
Dionysos . I!
Charon . Get in.
Dionysos . Where do you touch? You did n't say
The Crows?
Charon . The Dogs will be the place for you.
Get in.
Dionysos . Come, Xanthias.
Charon . I don't take slaves:
Unless he has won his freedom? Did he fight
The battle of Cold Meat Unpreserved?
Xanthias . Well, no; my eyes were very sore just then ...
Charon . Then trot round on your legs.
Xanthias . Where shall I meet you?
Charon . The place of waiting by the Stone of Shivers.
Dionysos . You understand?
Xanthias . Oh, quite. Just my luck
What can have crost me when I started out?
Charon . Sit to your oar. Any more passengers?
If so, make haste. What are you doing there?
Dionysos . What you told me; sitting on my oar.
Charon . Oh, are you? Well, get up again and sit
Down there, — fatty.
Dionysos . Like that?
Charon . Put out your arms
And stretch
Dionysos . Like that?
Charon . None of your nonsense here.
Put both your feet against the stretcher. — Now
In good time, row.
Dionysos . And how do you expect
A man like me, with no experience,
No seamanship, no Salamis, — to row?
Charon . You'll row all right; as soon as you fall to
You'll hear a first-rate tune that makes you row.
Dionysos . Who sings it?
Charon . Certain cycnoranidae.
That's music!
Dionysos . Give the word then, and we'll see.
Frogs . O brood of the mere and the spring,
Gather together and sing
From the depths of your throat
By the side of the boat,
Co-äx, as we move in a ring;

As in Limnai we sang the divine
Nyseian Giver of Wine,
When the people in lots
With their sanctified Pots
Came reeling around my shrine.
Co-äx, co-äx, co-äx,
Brekekekex co-äx.
Dionysos . Don't sing any more;
I begin to be sore.
Frogs . Brekekekex co-äx.
Co-äx, co äx, co-äx,
Brekekekex co-äx!
Dionysos . Is it nothing to you
If I'm black and I'm blue?
Frogs . Brekekekex co-äx.
Dionysos . A plague on all of your swarming packs.
There's nothing in you except co-äx.
Frogs . Well, and what more do you need?
Tho it's none of your business indeed,
When the Muse thereanent
Is entirely content,
And horny-hooft Pan with his reed:
When Apollo is fain to admire
My voice, on account of his lyre
Which he frames with the rushes
And watery bushes —
Co-äx! — which I grow in the mire.
Co-äx, co-äx, co-äx,
Brekekekex co-äx.
Dionysos . Peace, musical sisters.
I'm covered with blisters.
Frogs . Co-äx, co-äx, co-äx,
Brekekekex co-äx.
Our song we can double
Without the least trouble:
Brekekekex co-äx.
Sing we now, if ever hopping
Thro the sedge and flowering rushes;
In and out the sunshine flopping,
We have sported, rising, dropping,
With our song that nothing hushes.
Sing, if e'er in days of storm
Safe our native oozes bore us,
Staved the rain off, kept us warm,
Till we set our dance in form,
Raised our hubble-bubbling chorus:
Brekekekex co-äx, co-äx.
Dionysos . Brekekekex co-äx, co-äx.
I can sing it as loud as you.
Frogs . Sisters, thaThe never must do.
Dionysos . Would you have me row till my shoulder cracks?
Frogs . Brekekekex co-äx, co-äx.
Dionysos . Brekekekex co-äx.
Groan away till you burst your backs.
It's nothing to me.
Frogs . Just wait till you see.
Dionysos . I don't care how you scold.
Frogs . Then all day long
We will croak you a song
As loud as our throats can hold.
Brekekekex co-äx, co-äx! !
Dionysos . Brekekekex co-äx, co-äx! !
I'll see you don't outdo me in that.
Frogs . Well, you shall never beat us — that's flat.
Dionysos . I'll make you cease your song
If I shout for it all day long;
My lungs I'll tax
With co-äx, co-äx
— I assure you they're thoroughly strong —
Until your efforts at last relax:
Brekekekex co-äx, co-äx! !
Brekekekex co-äx, co-äx! ! !
I knew in the end I should stop your quacks!
Charon . Easy there! Stop her! Lay her alongside. —
Now pay your fare and go.
Dionysos . There are the obols.
Ho, Xanthias. . . . Where's Xanthias? — Is that you?
Xanthias . Hullo!
Dionysos . Come this way.
Xanthias . Oh, I'm glad to see you!
Dionysos . Well, and what have we here?
Xanthias . Darkness and mud.
Dionysos . Did you see any of the perjurers here
And father-beaters, as he said we should?
Xanthias . Why, did n't you?
Dionysos . I? Lots. I see them now.