422 BC

THE WASPS

by Aristophanes

anonymous translator

CHARACTERS IN THE PLAY -

PHILOCLEON

BDELYCLEON, his Son

SOSIAS, Slave of Philocleon

XANTHIAS, Slave of Philocleon

BOYS

DOGS

A GUEST

A BAKER'S WIFE

AN ACCUSER

CHORUS OF WASPS

THE WASPS -

(SCENE:- In the background is the house of PHILOCLEON, surrounded by a huge net. Two slaves are on guard, one of them asleep. On the roof is BDELYCLEON.) -

SOSIAS (waking XANTHIAS up)

Why, Xanthias! what are you doing, wretched man? -

XANTHIAS

I am teaching myself how to rest; I have been awake and on watch the whole night. -

SOSIAS

So you want to earn trouble for your ribs, eh? Don't you know what sort of animal we are guarding here? -

XANTHIAS

Aye indeed! but I want to put my cares to sleep for a while.

- (He falls asleep again.) -

SOSIAS

Beware what you do. I too feel soft sleep spreading over my eyes. -

XANTHIAS

Are you crazy, like a Corybant? -

SOSIAS

No! It's Bacchus who lulls me off. -

XANTHIAS

Then you serve the same god as myself. Just now a heavy slumber settled on my eyelids like a hostile Mede; I nodded and, faith! I had a wondrous dream. -

SOSIAS

Indeed! and so had I. A dream such as I never had before. But first tell me yours. -

XANTHIAS

I saw an eagle, a gigantic bird, descend upon the market-place; it seized a brazen buckler with its talons and bore it away into the highest heavens; then I saw it was Cleonymus had thrown it away. -

SOSIAS

This Cleonymus is a riddle worth propounding among guests. How can one and the same animal have cast away his buckler both on land, in the sky and at sea? -

XANTHIAS

Alas! what ill does such a dream portend for me? -

SOSIAS

Rest undisturbed! Please the gods, no evil will befall you. -

XANTHIAS

Nevertheless, it's a fatal omen when a man throws away his weapons. But what was your dream? Let me hear. -

SOSIAS

Oh! it is a dream of high import. It has reference to the hull of the State; to nothing less. -

XANTHIAS

Tell it to me quickly; show me its very keel. -

SOSIAS

In my first slumber I thought I saw sheep, wearing cloaks and carrying staves, met in assembly on the Pnyx; a rapacious whale was haranguing them and screaming like a pig that is being grilled. -

XANTHIAS

Faugh! faugh! -

SOSIAS

What's the matter? -

XANTHIAS

Enough, enough, spare me. Your dream stinks vilely of old leather. -

SOSIAS

Then this scoundrelly whale seized a balance and set to weighing ox-fat. -

XANTHIAS

Alas! it's our poor Athenian people, whom this accursed beast wishes to cut up and despoil of their fat. -