EUELPIDES

Epops is going to sing again.
EPOPS (in the thicket, singing)

Epopopoi popoi popopopoi popoi, here, here, quick, quick, quick,
my comrades in the air; all you who pillage the fertile lands of the

husbandmen, the numberless tribes who gather and devour the barley
seeds, the swift flying race that sings so sweetly. And you whose

gentle twitter resounds through the fields with the little cry of
tiotictiotiotiotiotiotio; and you who hop about the branches of the

ivy in the gardens; the mountain birds, who feed on the wild
olive-berries or the arbutus, hurry to come at my call, trioto,

trioto, totobrix; you also, who snap up the sharp-stinging gnats in
the marshy vales, and you who dwell in the fine plain of Marathon, all

damp with dew, and you, the francolin with speckled wings; you too,
the halcyons, who flit over the swelling waves of the sea, come hither

to hear the tidings; let all the tribes of long-necked birds
assemble here; know that a clever old man has come to us, bringing

an entirely new idea and proposing great reforms. Let all come to
the debate here, here, here, here. Torotorotorotorotix, kikkabau,

kikkabau, torotorotorolililix.
PITHETAERUS

Can you see any bird?
EUELPIDES

By Phoebus, no! and yet I am straining my eyesight to scan the
sky.

PITHETAERUS
It was hardly worth Epops' while to go and bury himself in the

thicket like a hatching plover.
A BIRD (entering)

Torotix, torotix.
PITHETAERUS

Wait, friend, there's a bird.
EUELPIDES

By Zeus, it is a bird, but what kind? Isn't it a peacock?
PITHETAERUS (as EPOPS comes out of the thicket)

Epops will tell us. What is this bird?
EPOPS

It's not one of those you are used to seeing; it's a bird from the
marshes.

EUELPIDES
Oh! oh! but he is very handsome with his wings as crimson as

flame.
EPOPS

Undoubtedly; indeed he is called flamingo.
EUELPIDES (excitedly)

Hi! I say! You!
PITHETAERUS

What are you shouting for?
EUELPIDES

Why, here's another bird.
PITHETAERUS

Aye, indeed; this one's a foreign bird too. (To EPOPS) What is
this bird from beyond the mountains with a look as solemn as it is

stupid?
EPOPS

He is called the Mede.
EUELPIDES

The Mede! But, by Heracles, how, if a Mede, has he flown here
without a camel?

PITHETAERUS
Here's another bird with a crest.

(From here on, the numerous birds that make up the CHORUS keep
rushing in.)

EUELPIDES
Ah! that's curious. I say, Epops, you are not the only one of your

kind then?
EPOPS

This bird is the son of Philocles, who is the son of Epops; so
that, you see, I am his grandfather; just as one might say,

Hipponicus, the son of Callias, who is the son of Hipponicus.
EUELPIDES

Then this bird is Callias! Why, what a lot of his feathers he
has lost!

EPOPS
That's because he is honest; so the informers set upon him and the

women too pluck out his feathers.
EUELPIDES

By Posidon, do you see that many-coloured bird? What is his name?
EPOPS

This one? That's the glutton.
EUELPIDES

Is there another glutton besides Cleonymus? But why, if he is
Cleonymus, has he not thrown away his crest? But what is the meaning

of all these crests? Have these birds come to contend for the double
stadium prize?

EPOPS
They are like the Carians, who cling to the crests of their

mountains for greater safety.
PITHETAERUS

Oh, Posidon! look what awful swarms of birds are gathering here!
EUELPIDES

By Phoebus! what a cloud! The entrance to the stage is no longer
visible, so closely do they fly together.

PITHETAERUS
Here is the partridge.

EUELPIDES
Why, there is the francolin.

PITHETAERUS
There is the poachard.

EUELPIDES
Here is the kingfisher. (To EPOPS) What's that bird behind the

king fisher?
EPOPS

That's the barber.
EUELPIDES

What? a bird a barber?
PITHETAERUS

Why, Sporgilus is one.
EPOPS

Here comes the owl.
EUELPIDES

And who is it brings an owl to Athens?
EPOPS (pointing to the various species)

Here is the magpie, the turtle-dove, the swallow, the
horned-owl, the buzzard, the pigeon, the falcon, the ring-dove, the

cuckoo, the red-foot, the red-cap, the purple-cap. the kestrel, the
diver, the ousel, the osprey, the woodpecker...

PITHETAERUS
Oh! what a lot of birds!

EUELPIDES
Oh! what a lot of blackbirds!

PITHETAERUS
How they scold, how they come rushing up! What a noise! what a

noise!
EUELPIDES

Can they be bearing us ill-will?
PITHETAERUS

Oh! there! there! they are opening their beaks and staring at us.
EUELPIDES

Why, so they are.
LEADER OF THE CHORUS

Popopopopopo. Where is he who called me? Where am I to find him?
EPOPS

I have been waiting for you a long while! I never fail in my
word to my friends.

LEADER OF THE CHORUS
Tititititititi. What good news have you for me?

EPOPS
Something that concerns our common safety, and that is just as

pleasant as it is to the point. Two men, who are subtle reasoners,
have come here to seek me.

LEADER OF THE CHORUS
Where? How? What are you saying?

EPOPS
I say, two old men have come from the abode of humans to propose a

vast and splendid scheme to us.
LEADER OF THE CHORUS

Oh! it's a horrible, unheard-of crime! What are you saying?
EPOPS

Never let my words scare you.
LEADER OF THE CHORUS

What have you done to me?
EPOPS

I have welcomed two men, who wish to live with us.
LEADER OF THE CHORUS

And you have dared to do that!
EPOPS

Yes, and I am delighted at having done so.
LEADER OF THE CHORUS

And are they already with us?
EPOPS

Just as much as I am.
CHORUS (singing)

Ah! ah! we are betrayed; 'tis sacrilege! Our friend, he who picked
up corn-seeds in the same plains as ourselves, has violated our

ancient laws; he has broken the oaths that bind all birds; he has laid
a snare for me, he has handed us over to the attacks of that impious

race which, throughout all time, has never ceased to war against us.
LEADER OF THE CHORUS

As for this traitorous bird, we will decide his case later, but
the two old men shall be punished forthwith; we are going to tear them

to pieces.
PITHETAERUS

It's all over with us.
EUELPIDES

You are the sole cause of all our trouble. Why did you bring me
from down yonder?

PITHETAERUS
To have you with me.

EUELPIDES
Say rather to have me melt into tears.

PITHETAERUS
Go on! you are talking nonsense. How will you weep with your

eyes pecked out?
CHORUS (singing)

Io! io! forward to the attack, throw yourselves upon the foe,
spill his blood; take to your wings and surround them on all sides.

Woe to them! let us get to work with our beaks, let us devour them.
Nothing can save them from our wrath, neither the mountain forests,

nor the clouds that float in the sky, nor the foaming deep.
LEADER OF THE CHORUS

Come, peck, tear to ribbons. Where is the chief of the cohort? Let
him engage the right wing.

(They rush at the two Athenians.)
EUELPIDES

This is the fatal moment. Where shall I fly to, unfortunate wretch
that am?

PITHETAERUS
Wait! Stay here!

EUELPIDES
That they may tear me to pieces?

• debate [di´beit] n.&v.讨论，辩论 (初中英语单词)
• solemn [´sɔləm] a.严肃的；隆重的 (初中英语单词)
• chorus [´kɔ:rəs] n.合唱；齐声 v.合唱 (初中英语单词)
• grandfather [´grænd,fɑ:ðə] n.(外)祖父；祖先 (初中英语单词)
• swallow [swɔləu] n.燕子 v.吞，咽；淹没 (初中英语单词)
• pigeon [pidʒin] n.鸽子 (初中英语单词)
• opening [´əupəniŋ] n.开放；开端 a.开始的 (初中英语单词)
• waiting [´weitiŋ] n.等候；伺候 (初中英语单词)
• scheme [ski:m] n.计划；阴谋，诡计 (初中英语单词)
• horrible [´hɔrəbəl] a.可怕的；恐怖的 (初中英语单词)
• unfortunate [ʌn´fɔ:tʃunit] a.不幸的，运气差的 (初中英语单词)
• thicket [´θikit] n.灌木丛；密集的东西 (高中英语单词)
• fertile [´fə:tail] a.肥沃的；有繁殖力的 (高中英语单词)
• devour [di´vauə] vt.吞食；毁坏 (高中英语单词)
• sweetly [´swi:tli] ad.甜蜜地；美妙地 (高中英语单词)
• tidings [´taidiŋz] n.消息，音信 (高中英语单词)
• seeing [si:iŋ] see的现在分词 n.视觉 (高中英语单词)
• crimson [´krimzən] a.&n.深(紫)红(的) (高中英语单词)
• contend [kən´tend] v.竞争；斗争；争论 (高中英语单词)
• bearing [´beəriŋ] n.举止；忍耐；关系 (高中英语单词)
• forthwith [fɔ:θ´wið] ad.立刻 (高中英语单词)
• nonsense [´nɔnsəns] n.胡说 int.胡说!废话 (高中英语单词)
• gathering [´gæðəriŋ] n.集会，聚集 (英语四级单词)
• falcon [´fɔ:kən] n.隼，猎鹰 (英语四级单词)
• delighted [di´laitid] a.高兴的；喜欢的 (英语四级单词)
• numberless [´nʌmbələs] a.无号码的；数不清的 (英语六级单词)
• twitter [´twitə] vi.(鸟)吱吱叫 n.鸟鸣 (英语六级单词)
• phoebus [´fi:bəs] n.太阳神 (英语六级单词)