Peace [7]
Heave away, heave, heave, oh!
HERMES
Come, pull harder, harder.
CHORUS
Heave away, heave, heave, oh!
HERMES
Still harder, harder still.
CHORUS
Heave away, heave! Heave away, heave, heave, oh!
TRYGAEUS
Come, come, there is no working together. Come! all pull at the
same instant! you Boeotians are only pretending. Beware!
HERMES
Come, heave away, heave!
TRYGAEUS
Heave away, heave oh!
CHORUS
Hi! you two pull as well.
TRYGAEUS
Why, I am pulling, I am hanging on to the rope and straining
till I am almost off my feet; I am working with all my might.
CHORUS
Why does not the work advance then?
TRYGAEUS
Lamachus, this is terrible! You are in the way, sitting there.
We have no use for your Medusa's head, friend. But wait, the Argives
have not pulled the least bit; they have done nothing but laugh at
us for our pains while they were getting gain with both hands.
HERMES
Ah! my dear sir, the Laconians at all events pull with vigour.
TRYGAEUS
But look! only those among them who generally hold the plough-tail
show any zeal, while the armourers impede them in their efforts.
HERMES
And the Megarians too are doing nothing, yet look how they are
pulling and showing their teeth like famished curs.
TRYGAEUS
The poor wretches are dying of hunger I suppose.
HERMES
This won't do, friends. Come! all together! Everyone to the work
and with a good heart for the business.
CHORUS
Heave away, heave!
HERMES
Harder!
CHORUS
Heave away, heave!
HERMES
Come on then, by heaven.
CHORUS
We are moving it a little.
TRYGAEUS
Isn't it terrible and stupid! some pull one way and others
another. You Argives there, beware of a thrashing!
HERMES
Come, put your strength into it.
TRYGAEUS
Heave away, heave!
CHORUS
There are many ill-disposed folk among us.
TRYGAEUS
Do you at least, who long for peace, pull heartily.
CHORUS
But there are some who prevent us.
HERMES
Off to the Devil with you, Megarians! The goddess hates you. She
recollects that you were the first to rub her the wrong way.
Athenians, you are not well placed for pulling. There you are too busy
with law-suits; if you really want to free the goddess, get down a
little towards the sea.
LEADER OF THE CHORUS
Come, friends, none but husbandmen on the rope.
HERMES
Ah I that will do ever so much better.
LEADER OF THE CHORUS
He says the thing is going well. Come, all of you, together and
with a will.
TRYGAEUS
It's the husbandmen who are doing all the work.
CHORUS
Come then, come, and all together!
HERMES
Hah! hah! at last there is some unanimity in the work.
CHORUS
Don't let us give up, let us redouble our efforts.
HERMES
There! now we have it!
CHORUS
Come then, all together! Heave away, heave! Heave away, heave!
Heave away, heave! Heave away, heave! Heave away, heave! All together!
(PEACE is drawn out of the pit. With her come OPORA and THEORIA.)
TRYGAEUS
Oh! venerated goddess, who givest us our grapes, where am I to
find the ten-thousand-gallon words wherewith to greet thee? I have
none such at home. Oh! hail to thee, Opora, and thee, Theoria! How
beautiful is thy face! How sweet thy breath! What gentle fragrance
comes from thy bosom, gentle as freedom from military duty, as the
most dainty perfumes!
HERMES
Is it then a smell like a soldier's knapsack?
TRYGAEUS
Oh! hateful soldier! your hideous satchel makes me sick! it stinks
like the belching of onions, whereas this lovable deity has the
odour of sweet fruits, of festivals, of the Dionysia, of the harmony
of flutes, of the tragic poets, of the verses of Sophocles, of the
phrases of Euripides....
HERMES
HERMES
Come, pull harder, harder.
CHORUS
Heave away, heave, heave, oh!
HERMES
Still harder, harder still.
CHORUS
Heave away, heave! Heave away, heave, heave, oh!
TRYGAEUS
Come, come, there is no working together. Come! all pull at the
same instant! you Boeotians are only pretending. Beware!
HERMES
Come, heave away, heave!
TRYGAEUS
Heave away, heave oh!
CHORUS
Hi! you two pull as well.
TRYGAEUS
Why, I am pulling, I am hanging on to the rope and straining
till I am almost off my feet; I am working with all my might.
CHORUS
Why does not the work advance then?
TRYGAEUS
Lamachus, this is terrible! You are in the way, sitting there.
We have no use for your Medusa's head, friend. But wait, the Argives
have not pulled the least bit; they have done nothing but laugh at
us for our pains while they were getting gain with both hands.
HERMES
Ah! my dear sir, the Laconians at all events pull with vigour.
TRYGAEUS
But look! only those among them who generally hold the plough-tail
show any zeal, while the armourers impede them in their efforts.
HERMES
And the Megarians too are doing nothing, yet look how they are
pulling and showing their teeth like famished curs.
TRYGAEUS
The poor wretches are dying of hunger I suppose.
HERMES
This won't do, friends. Come! all together! Everyone to the work
and with a good heart for the business.
CHORUS
Heave away, heave!
HERMES
Harder!
CHORUS
Heave away, heave!
HERMES
Come on then, by heaven.
CHORUS
We are moving it a little.
TRYGAEUS
Isn't it terrible and stupid! some pull one way and others
another. You Argives there, beware of a thrashing!
HERMES
Come, put your strength into it.
TRYGAEUS
Heave away, heave!
CHORUS
There are many ill-disposed folk among us.
TRYGAEUS
Do you at least, who long for peace, pull heartily.
CHORUS
But there are some who prevent us.
HERMES
Off to the Devil with you, Megarians! The goddess hates you. She
recollects that you were the first to rub her the wrong way.
Athenians, you are not well placed for pulling. There you are too busy
with law-suits; if you really want to free the goddess, get down a
little towards the sea.
LEADER OF THE CHORUS
Come, friends, none but husbandmen on the rope.
HERMES
Ah I that will do ever so much better.
LEADER OF THE CHORUS
He says the thing is going well. Come, all of you, together and
with a will.
TRYGAEUS
It's the husbandmen who are doing all the work.
CHORUS
Come then, come, and all together!
HERMES
Hah! hah! at last there is some unanimity in the work.
CHORUS
Don't let us give up, let us redouble our efforts.
HERMES
There! now we have it!
CHORUS
Come then, all together! Heave away, heave! Heave away, heave!
Heave away, heave! Heave away, heave! Heave away, heave! All together!
(PEACE is drawn out of the pit. With her come OPORA and THEORIA.)
TRYGAEUS
Oh! venerated goddess, who givest us our grapes, where am I to
find the ten-thousand-gallon words wherewith to greet thee? I have
none such at home. Oh! hail to thee, Opora, and thee, Theoria! How
beautiful is thy face! How sweet thy breath! What gentle fragrance
comes from thy bosom, gentle as freedom from military duty, as the
most dainty perfumes!
HERMES
Is it then a smell like a soldier's knapsack?
TRYGAEUS
Oh! hateful soldier! your hideous satchel makes me sick! it stinks
like the belching of onions, whereas this lovable deity has the
odour of sweet fruits, of festivals, of the Dionysia, of the harmony
of flutes, of the tragic poets, of the verses of Sophocles, of the
phrases of Euripides....
HERMES