The Frogs | Page 4

Rest.
DIO. You understand?
XAN. Too well. O, what ill omen crost me as I started!
CHAR. (To DIO.) Sit to the oar. (Calling.) Who else for the boat? Be
quick.
(To DIO.) Hi! what are you doing?
DIO. What am I doing? Sitting On to the oar. You told me to, yourself.
CHAR. Now sit you there, you little Potgut.

DIO. So?
CHAR. Now stretch your arms full length before you.
DIO. So?
CHAR. Come, don't keep fooling; plant your feet, and now Pull with a
will.
DIO. Why, how am I to pull? I'm not an oarsman, seaman, Salaminian.
I can't!
CHAR. You can. Just dip your oar in once, You'll hear the loveliest
timing songs.
DIO. What from?
CHAR. Frog-swans, most wonderful.
DIO. Then give the word.
CHAR. Heave ahoy! heave ahoy!!
FROGS.
Brekekekex, ko-ax, ko-ax! Brekekekex, ko-ax, ko-ax! We children of
the fountain and the lake Let us wake Our full choir-shout, as the flutes
are ringing out, Our symphony of clear-voiced song. The song we used
to love in the Marshland up above, In praise of DIOnysus to produce,
Of Nysaean DIOnysus, son of Zeus, When the revel-tipsy throng, all
crapulous and gay, To our precinct reeled along on the holy Pitcher day.
Brekekekex, ko-ax, ko-ax.
DIO. O, dear! O dear! now I declare I've got a bump upon my rump.
FR. Brekekekex, ko-ax, ko-ax.
DIO. But you, perchance, don't care.

FR. Brekekekex, ko-ax, ko-ax.
DIO. Hang you, and your ko-axing too! There's nothing but ko-ax with
you.
FR. That is right, Mr. Busybody, right! For the Muses of the lyre love
us well; And hornfoot Pan who plays on the pipe his jocund lays; And
Apollo, Harper bright, in our Chorus takes delight For the strong reed's
sake which I grow within my lake To be girdled in his lyre's deep shell.
Brekekekex, ko-ax, ko-ax.
DIO.
My hands are blistered very sore; My stern below is sweltering so,
'Twill soon, I know, upturn and roar Brekekekex, ko-ax, ko-ax. O
tuneful race, O pray give o'er, O sing no more.
FR. Ah, no! ah, no! Loud and louder our chant must flow. Sing if ever
ye sang of yore, When in sunny and glorious days Through the rushes
and marsh-flags springing On we swept, in the joy of singing
Myriad-divine roundelays. Or when fleeing the storm, we went Down
to the depths, and our choral song Wildly raised to a loud and long
Bubble-bursting accompaniment.
FR. and DIO. Brekekekex, ko-ax, ko-ax.
DIO. This timing song I take from you.
FR. That's a dreadful thing to do.
DIO. Much more dreadful, if I row Till I burst myself, I trow.
FR. and DIO. Brekekekex, ko-ax, ko-ax.
DIO. Go, hang yourselves; for what care I?
FR. All the same we'll shout and cry, Stretching all our throats with
song, Shouting, crying, all day long.

FR. and DIO. Brekekekex, ko-ax, ko-ax.
DIO. In this you'll never, never win.
FR. This you shall not beat us in.
DIO. No, nor ye prevail o'er me. Never! never! I'll my song Shout, if
need be, all day long, Until I've learned to master your ko-ax.
Brekekekex, ko-ax, ko-ax. I thought I'd put a stop to your ko-ax.
CHAR. Stop! Easy! Take the oar and push her to now pay your fare
and go.
DIO. Here 'tis: two obols. Xanthias! where's Xanthias? Is it Xanthias
there?
XAN. Hoi, hoi!
DIO. Come hither.
XAN. Glad to meet you, master.
DIO. What have you there?
XAN. Nothing but filth and darkness.
DIO. But tell me, did you see the parricides And perjured folk he
mentioned?
XAN. Didn't you?
DIO. Poseidon, yes. Why look! (pointing to the audience) I see them
now. What's the next step?
XAN. We'd best be moving on. This is the spot where Heracles
declared Those savage monsters dwell.
DIO. O hang the fellow. That's all his bluff: he thought to scare me off,
The jealous dog, knowing my plucky ways. There's no such swaggerer

lives as Heracles. Why, I'd like nothing better than to achieve Some
bold adventure, worthy of our trip.
XAN. I know you would. Hallo! I hear a noise.
DIO. Where? what?
XAN. Behind us, there.
DIO. Get you behind.
XAN. No, it's in front.
DIO. Get you in front directly.
XAN. And now I see the most ferocious monster.
DIO. O, what's it like?
XAN. Like everything by turns. Now it's a bull: now it's a mule: and
now The loveliest girl.
DIO. O, where? I'll go and meet her.
XAN. It's ceased to be a girl: it's a dog now.
DIO. It is Empusa!
XAN. Well, its face is all Ablaze with fire.
DIO. Has it a copper leg?
XAN. A copper leg, yes, one; and one of cow dung.
DIO. O, whither shall I flee?
XAN. O, whither