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Then let the poor bring with them bag or sackAnd take this store of food.Manes, my man, I'll tellTo help them all to packTheir wallets full. But O take care.I had forgotten; don't intrude,Or terrified you'll yell.My dog is hungry too, and bites--beware!
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SomeLOUNGERSfrom the Market with torches approachthe Banqueting hall. ThePORTERbars their entrance.
1ST MARKET-LOUNGER
Open the door.
PORTER
Here move along.
1ST MARKET-LOUNGER
What's this?You're sitting down. Shall I singe you with my torch?That's vulgar! O I couldn't do it ... yetIf it would gratify the audience,I'll mortify myself.
2ND MARKET-LOUNGER
And I will too.We'll both be crude and vulgar, yes we will.
PORTER
Be off at once now or you'll be wailingDirges for your hair. Get off at once,And see you don't disturb the Spartan envoysJust coming out from the splendid feast they've had.
The banqueters begin to come out.
1ST ATHENIAN
I've never known such a pleasant banquet before,And what delightful fellows the Spartans are.When we are warm with wine, how wise we grow.
2ND ATHENIAN
That's only fair, since sober we're such fools:This is the advice I'd give the Athenians--See our ambassadors are always drunk.For when we visit Sparta sober, thenWe're on the alert for trickery all the whileSo that we miss half of the things they say,And misinterpret things that were never said,And then report the muddle back to Athens.But now we're charmed with each other. They might capWith the Telamon-catch instead of the Cleitagora,And we'd applaud and praise them just the same;We're not too scrupulous in weighing words.
PORTER
Why, here the rascals come again to plague me.Won't you move on, you sorry loafers there!
MARKET-LOUNGER
Yes, by Zeus, they're already coming out.
SPARTANS
Now hinnie dearest, please tak' up your pipeThat I may try a spring an' sing my bestIn honour o' the Athenians an' oursels.
ATHENIANS
Aye, take your pipe. By all the gods, there's nothingCould glad my heart more than to watch you dance.
SPARTANS.
Mnemosyne,Let thy fire storm these younkers,O tongue wi' stormy ecstasyMy Muse that knowsOur deeds and theirs, how when at seaTheir navies swooped uponThe Medes at Artemision--Gods for their courage, did they strikeWrenching a triumph frae their foes;While at ThermopylaeLeonidas' army stood: wild-boars they were likeWild-boars that wi' fierce threatTheir terrible tusks whet;The sweat ran streaming down each twisted face,Faen blossoming i' strange petals o' deathPanted frae mortal breath,The sweat drenched a' their bodies i' that place,For the hurly-burly o' Persians glittered moreThan the sands on the shore.
Come, Hunting Girl, an' hear my prayer--You whose arrows whizz in woodlands, come an' blessThis Peace we swear.Let us be fenced wi' age long amity,O let this bond stick ever firm through theeIn friendly happiness.Henceforth no guilefu' perjury be seen!O hither, hither OThou wildwood queen.
LYSISTRATA
Earth is delighted now, peace is the voice of earth.Spartans, sort out your wives: Athenians, yours.Let each catch hands with his wife and dance his joy,Dance out his thanks, be grateful in music,And promise reformation with his heels.
ATHENIANS.
O Dancers, forward. Lead out the Graces,Call Artemis out;Then her brother, the Dancer of Skies,That gracious Apollo.Invoke with a shoutDionysus out of whose eyesBreaks fire on the maenads that follow;And Zeus with his flares of quick lightning, and call,Happy Hera, Queen of all,And all the Daimons summon hither to beWitnesses of our revelryAnd of the noble Peace we have made,Aphrodite our aid.
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Io Paieon, Io, cry--For victory, leap!Attained by me, leap!Euoi Euoi Euai Euai.
SPARTANS
Piper, gie us the music for a new sang.
SPARTANS.
Leaving again lovely lofty TaygetusHither O Spartan Muse, hither to greet us,And wi' our choric voice to raiseTo Amyclean Apollo praise,And Tyndareus' gallant sons whose daysAlang Eurotas' banks merrily pass,An' Athene o' the House o' Brass.
Now the dance begin;Dance, making swirl your fringe o' woolly skin,While we join voicesTo hymn dear Sparta that rejoicesI' a beautifu' sang,An' loves to seeDancers tangled beautifully;For the girls i' tumbled ranksAlang Eurotas' banksLike wanton fillies thrang,Frolicking there
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An' like Bacchantes shaking the wild airTo comb a giddy laughter through the hair,Bacchantes that clench thyrsi as they sweepTo the ecstatic leap.
An' Helen, Child o' Leda, comeThou holy, nimble, gracefu' Queen,Lead thou the dance, gather thy joyous tresses up i' bandsAn' play like a fawn. To madden them, clap thy hands,And sing praise to the warrior goddess templed i' our lands,Her o' the House o' Brass.