Aristophanes, Knights
Eugene O'Neill, Jr., Ed.

Cleon comes out of the house with a bench and a large basket; at the same moment the Sausage-Seller arrives with another basket; the two are placed beside one another.

Cleon
Get out of here!

Sausage-Seller
Get out yourself!

Cleon
Demos, all is ready these three hours; I await your orders and I burn with desire to load you with benefits.

Sausage-Seller
And I ten, twelve, [1155] a thousand hours, a long, long while, an infinitely long, long, long while.

Demos
As for me, it's thirty thousand hours that I have been impatient; very long, infinitely long, long, long that I have cursed you.

Sausage-Seller
Do you know what you had best do?

Demos
I will, if you tell me.

Sausage-Seller
Declare the lists open [1160] and we will contend abreast to determine who shall treat you the best.

Demos
Splendid! Draw back in line!

Cleon and Sausage-Seller
Ready.

Demos
Off you go!

Sausage-Seller
to Cleon
I shall not let you get to the tape.

Demos
What fervent lovers! If I am not to-day the happiest of men, it will be because I am the most disgusted.

Cleon
Putting down the bench for Demos
Look! I am the first to bring you a seat.

Sausage-Seller
[1165] And I a table.

He places his sausage-tray in front of Demos

Cleon
Wait, here is a cake kneaded of Pylos barley.

Sausage-Seller
Here are crusts, which the ivory hand of the goddess has hallowed.

Demos
[1170] Oh! Mighty Athena! How large are your fingers!

Cleon
This is pea-soup, as exquisite as it is fine; Pallas the victorious goddess at Pylos is the one who crushed the peas herself.

Sausage-Seller
Oh, Demos! the goddess watches over you; she is stretching forth over your head ... a stew-pan full of broth.

Demos
[1175] And should we still be dwelling in this city without this protecting stew-pan?

Cleon
Here are some fish, given to you by her who is the terror of our foes.

Sausage-Seller
The daughter of the mightiest of the gods sends you this meat cooked in its own gravy, along with this dish of tripe and some paunch.

Demos
[1180] That's to thank me for the peplus I offered to her; good.

Cleon
The goddess with the terrible plume invites you to eat this long cake; you will row the harder on it.

Sausage-Seller
Take this also.

Demos
And what shall I do with this tripe?

Sausage-Seller
She sends it you [1185] to belly out your galleys, for she is always showing her kindly anxiety for our fleet. Now drink this drink composed of three parts of water to two of wine.

Demos
Ah! what delicious wine, and how well it stands the water.

Sausage-Seller
The goddess who came from the head of Zeus mixed this liquor with her own hands.

Cleon
[1190] Hold, here is a piece of good rich cake.