peace-第1章
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420 BC
PEACE
by Aristophanes
anonymous translator
CHARACTERS IN THE PLAY
TRYGAEUS
TWO SERVANTS OF TRYGAEUS
DAUGHTERS OF TRYGAEUS
HERMES
WAR
TUMULT
HIEROCLES； a Soothsayer
AN ARMOURER
A SICKLE…MAKER
A CREST…MAKER
SON OF LAMACHUS
SON OF CLEONYMUS
CHORUS OF HUSBANDMEN
PEACE
（SCENE：…Behind the Orchestra on the right the farmhouse of
TRYGAEUS； in the centre the mouth of a cave closed up with huge
boulders； on the left the palace of ZEUS。 In front of the
farmhouse is a stable； the door of wkich is closed。 Two of
TRYGAEUS'slaves are seen in front of the stable； one of them
kneading cakes of dung； the other taking the finished cakes and
throwing them into the stable。）
FIRST SERVANT
Quick； quick； bring the dung…beetle his cake。
SECOND SERVANT
There it is。 Give it to him； and may it kill him！ And may he never
eat a better。
FIRST SERVANT
Now give him this other one kneaded up with ass's dung。
SECOND SERVANT
There！ I've done that too。 And where's what you gave him just now？
Surely he can't have devoured it yet！
FIRST SERVANT
Indeed he has； he snatched it； rolled it between his feet and
bolted it。 Come； hurry up； knead up a lot and knead them stiffly。
SECOND SERVANT
Oh； scavengers； help me in the name of the gods； if you do not
wish to see me fall down choked。
FIRST SERVANT
Come； come； another made from the stool of a fairy's favourite。
That will be to the beetle's taste； he likes it well ground。
SECOND SERVANT
There！ I am free at least from suspicion； none will accuse me of
tasting what I mix。
FIRST SERVANT
Faugh！ come； now another！ keep on mixing with all your might。
SECOND SERVANT
By god； no。 I can stand this awful cesspool stench no longer。
FIRST SERVANT
I shall bring you the whole ill…smelling gear。
SECOND SERVANT
Pitch it down the sewer sooner； and yourself with it。 （To the
AUDIENCE） Maybe； one of you can tell me where I can buy a stopped…up
nose； for there is no work more disgusting than to mix food for a
dung…beetle and to carry it to him。 A pig or a dog will at least
pounce upon our excrement without more ado； but this foul wretch
affects the disdainful； the spoilt mistress； and won't eat unless I
offer him a cake that has been kneaded for an entire day。。。。 But let
us open the door a bit ajar without his seeing it。 Has he done eating？
Come； pluck up courage； cram yourself till you burst！ The cursed
creature！ It wallows in its food！ It grips it between its claws like a
wrestler clutching his opponent； and with head and feet together rolls
up its paste like a rope…maker twisting a hawser。 What an indecent；
stinking； gluttonous beast！ I don't know what angry god let this
monster loose upon us； but of a certainty it was neither Aphrodite nor
the Graces。
FIRST SERVANT
Who was it then？
SECOND SERVANT
No doubt Zeus； the God of the Thundercrap。
FIRST SERVANT
But perhaps some spectator； some beardless youth； who thinks
himself a sage； will say； 〃What is this？ What does the beetle mean？〃
And then an Ionian； sitting next him； will add； 〃I think it's an
allusion to Cleon； who so shamelessly feeds on filth all by
himself。〃…But now I'm going indoors to fetch the beetle a drink。
SECOND SERVANT
As for me； I will explain the matter to you all； children； youths；
grownups and old men； aye； even to the decrepit dotards。 My master
is mad； not as you are； but with another sort of madness； quite a
new kind。 The livelong day he looks open…mouthed towards heaven and
never stops addressing Zeus。 〃Ah！ Zeus；〃 he cries； 〃what are thy
intentions？ Lay aside thy besom； do not sweep Greece away！〃 Ah！
Hush； hush！ I think I hear his voice！
TRYGAEUS （from within）
Oh！ Zeus； what art thou going to do for our people？ Dost thou
not see this； that our cities will soon be but empty husks？
SECOND SERVANT
As I told you； that is his form of madness。 There you have a
sample of his follies。 When his trouble first began to seize him； he
said to himself； 〃By what means could I go straight to Zeus？ Then he
made himself very slender little ladders and so clambered up towards
heaven； but he soon came hurtling down again and broke his head。
Yesterday； to our misfortune； he went out and brought us back this
thoroughbred； but from where I know not； this great beetle； whose
groom he has forced me to become。 He himself caresses it as though
it were a horse； saying； 〃Oh！ my little Pegasus； my noble aerial
steed； may your wings soon bear me straight to Zeus！〃 But what is my
master doing？ I must stoop down to look through this hole。 Oh！ great
gods！ Here！ neighbours； run here quick！ here is my master flying off
mounted on his beetle as if on horseback。
（The Machine brings in TRYGAEUS astride an enormous figure of a
dung beetle with wings spread。）
TRYGAEUS （intoning）
Gently； gently； go easy； beetle； don't start off so proudly； or
trust at first too greatly to your powers； wait till you have sweated；
till the beating of your wings shall make your limb joints supple。
Above all things； don't let off some foul smell。 I adjure you； else
I would rather have you stay right in the stable。
SECOND SERVANT （intoning）
Poor master！ Is he crazy？
TRYGAEUS （intoning）
Silence！ silence！
SECOND SERVANT （intoning）
But why start up into the air on chance？
TRYGAEUS （intoning）
'Tis for the weal of all the Greeks； I am attempting a daring
and novel feat。
SECOND SERVANT （intoning）
But what is your purpose？ What useless folly！
TRYGAEUS （intoning）
No words of ill omen！ Give vent to joy and command all men to keep
silence； to close down their drains and privies with new tiles and
to cork up their own arses。
FIRST SERVANT （speaking）
No； I shall not be silent； unless you tell me where you are going。
TRYGAEUS
Why； where am I likely to be going across the sky； if it be not to
visit Zeus？
FIRST SERVANT
For what purpose？
TRYGAEUS
I want to ask him what he reckons to do for all the Greeks。
SECOND SERVANT
And if he doesn't tell you？
TRYGAEUS
I shall pursue him at law as a traitor who sells Greece to the
Medes。
SECOND SERVANT
Death seize me； if I let you go。
TRYGAEUS
It is absolutely necessary。
SECOND SERVANT （loudly）
Alas！ alas！ dear little girls； your father is deserting you
secretly to go to heaven。 Ah！ poor orphans； entreat him； beseech him。
（The little daughters of TRYGAEUS come out。）
LITTLE DAUGHTER （singing）
Father！ father！ what is this I hear？ Is it true？ What！ you would
leave me； you would vanish into the sky； you would go to the crows？
Impossible！ Answer； father； if you love me。
TRYGAEUS （singing）
Yes； I am going。 You hurt me too sorely； my daughters； when you
ask me for bread； calling me your daddy； and there is not the ghost of
an obolus in the house； if I succeed and come back； you will have a
barley loaf every morning…and a punch in the eye for sauce！
LITTLE DAUGHTER
But how will you make the journey？ There's no ship that will
take you there。
TRYGAEUS
No； but this winged steed will。
LITTLE DAUGHTER
But what an idea； papa； to harness a beetle； to fly to the gods
on。
TRYGAEUS
We see from Aesop's fables that they alone can fly to the abode of
the Immortals。
LITTLE DAUGHTER
Father； father； that's a tale nobody can believe！ that such a
smelly creature can have gone to the gods。
TRYGAEUS
It went to have vengeance on the eagle and break its eggs。
LITTLE DAUGHTER
Why not saddle Pegasus？ you would have a more tragic appearance in
the eyes of the gods。
TRYGAEUS
Eh！ don't you see； little fool； that then twice the food would
be wanted？ Whereas my beetle devours again as filth what I have
eaten myself。
LITTLE DAUGHTER
And if it fell into the watery depths of the sea； could it
escape with its wings？
TRYGAEUS （exposing himself）
I am fitted with a rudder in case of need； and my Naxos beetle
will serve me as a boat。
LITTLE DAUGHTER
And what harbour will you put in at？
TRYGAEUS
Why is there not the harbour of Cantharus at the Piraeus？
LITTLE DAUGHTER
Take care not to knock against anything and so fall off into
space； once a cripple； you would be a fit subject for Euripides； who
would put you into a tragedy。
TRYGAEUS （as the Machine hoists him higher）
I'll see to it。 Good…bye！ （To the Athenians） You； for love of whom
I brave these dangers； do ye neither fart nor crap for the space of
three days； for； if； while cleaving the air； my steed should scent
anything； he would fling me head foremost from the summit of my hopes。
（Intoning）
Now come； my Pegasus； get a…going with up…pricked ears and make
your golden bridle resound gaily。 Eh！ what are you doing？ What are you
up to？ Do you turn your nose towards the cesspools？ Come； pluck up a
spirit； rush upwards from the earth； stretch out your speedy wings and
make straight for the palace of Zeus； for once give up foraging in
your daily food。…Hi！ you down there； what are you after now？ Oh！ my
god！ it's a man taking a crap in the Piraeus； close to the
whorehouses。 But is it my death you seek then； my death？ Will you
not bury that right away and pile a great heap of earth upon it and
plant wild thyme therein and pour perfumes on it？ If I were to fall
from up here and misfortune happened to me； the town of Chios would
owe a fine of five talents for my death； all because of your damned
arse。
（Speaking）
Alas！ how frightened I am！ oh！ I have no heart for jests。 Ah！
machinist； take great care of me。 There is already a wind whirling
round my navel； take great care or； from sheer fright； I shall form
food for my beetle。。。。 But I think I am no longer far from the gods；
aye； that is the dwelling of Zeus； I perceive。 （The beetle descends
and comes to a halt in front of the house of ZEUS。 TRYGAEUS
dismounts and knocks at the door。） Hullo！ Hi！ where is the doorkeeper？
Will no one open？
HERMES （from within）
I think I can sniff a man。 （Opening the door） Why； what plague
is this？
TRYGAEUS
A horse…beetle。
HERMES
Oh！ impudent； shameless rascal！ oh！ scoundrel！ triple scoundrel！
the greatest scoundrel in the world！ how did you come here？ Oh！
scoundrel of all scoundrels！ your name？ Reply。
TRYGAEUS
Triple scoundrel。
HERMES
