Aristophanes - The Hoopoe Serenade Part One

#aristophanes #greekcomedy #song #hoopoe

This post has 2 parts first the Greek Text with a transliterations into
and then next part translation and notes
The transliteration is there to give non Greek readers a rough idea of how it sounds!
Bear in mind that th kh and ph are aspiratd t k and p not fricatives!
 Meter in Greek mean the lines do not have to have an equal length of syllables, and vowel length and pitch are factors too!

Aristophanes' Birds

The Hoopoe's Serenade Lls 209-222

ἄγε σύννομέ μοι παῦσαι μὲν ὕπνου,

age sunnome moi pausai men hupnou

λῦσον δὲ νόμους ἱερῶν ὕμνων,

luson de nomous hieroon 

οὓς διὰ θείου στόματος θρηνεῖς,

hous dia theiou stomatos threeneis 

τὸν ἐμὸν καὶ σὸν πολύδακρυν Ἴτυν

ton emon kai son poludakrun itun 

ἐλελιζομένη διεροῖς μέλεσιν

elelisdomenee dierois melesin 

γένυος ξουθῆς.

genuos ksouthees

καθαρὰ χωρεῖ διὰ φυλλοκόμου

kathara khoorei dia phullokomou 

σμίλακος ἠχὼ πρὸς Διὸς ἕδρας,

smilakos eekhoo pros dios hedras 

ἵν̓ ὁ χρυσοκόμας Φοῖβος ἀκούων

hin ho khrusokomas phoibos akouoon 

τοῖς σοῖς ἐλέγοις ἀντιψάλλων

tois sois elegois antiphalloon

ἐλεφαντόδετον φόρμιγγα θεῶν

elephantodeton phormigga theoon 

ἵστησι χορούς. διὰ δ᾿ ἀθανάτων

histeesi khorous dia d'athanatoon 

στομάτον χωρεῖ ξύμφωνος ὁμοῦ

stomaton khoorei ksumphoonos homou 

θεία μακάρων ὀλολυγή.

theia makaroon ololugee

The Ancient scholia imply the background music to this includes at least one flute perhaps more?

Next time the translation !