The Frogs | Page 4

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 I?
DIO. My priest, protect me, and we'll sup together.
XAN. King Heracles, we're done for.
DIO. O, forbear, Good fellow, call me anything but that.
XAN. Well then, Dionysus.
DIO. O, that's worse again.
XAN. (To the Spectre.) Aye, go thy way. O master, here, come here.
DIO. O, what's up now?
XAN. Take courage; all's serene. And, like Hegelochus, we now may say "Out of the storm there comes a new fine wether." Empusa's gone.
DIO. Swear it.
XAN. By Zeus she is.
DIO. Swear it again.
XAN. By Zeus.
DIO. Again
XAN. By Zeus. O dear, O dear, how pale I grew to see her, But he, from fright has yellowed me all over.
DIO. Ah me, whence fall these evils on my head? Who is the god to blame for my destruction? Air, Zeus's chamber, or the Foot of Time?
(A flute is played behind the scenes.)
DIO. Hist!
XAN. What's the matter.
DIO. Didn't you hear it?
XAN. What?
DIO. The breath of flutes.
XAN. Aye, and a whiff of torches Breathed o'er me too; a very mystic whiff.
DIO. Then crouch we down, and mark what's going on.
CHORUS. (In the distance.) O Iacchus! O Iacchus! O Iacchus!
XAN. I have it, master: 'tis those blessed Mystics, Of whom he told us, sporting hereabouts. They sing the Iacchus which Diagoras made.
DIO. I think so too: we had better both keep quiet And so find out exactly what it is.
(The calling forth of Iacchus.)
CHOR.
O Iacchus! power excelling, here in stately temple dwelling, O Iacchus! O Iacchus! Come to tread this verdant level, Come to dance in mystic revel, Come whilst round thy forehead hurtles Many a wreath of fruitful myrtles, Come with wild and saucy