Aristophanes, Frogs
Matthew Dillon, Ed.

Charon
Who's bound for the retreat from strife and woe?
Who is for Lethe's plain? who comes for donkey's wool?
who for the Cerberians, or the crows, or Taenarus?

Dionysus
That's me.

Charon
Then get in quick.

Dionysus
Where do you think we'll stop?
At the crows, really?

Charon
Absolutely, just for you.
Get in.

Dionysus
Here, boy.

Charon
I will not take the Slave,
unless he fought at sea, to save his hide.

Xanthias
Oh God, not me—I happened to have an eye infection.

Charon
Then you must run around the lake.

Xanthias
So where should I wait up?

Charon
By the Stone of Withering
At the rest-stop.

Dionysus
You hear?

Xanthias
O yes, I hear,
unhappy wretch, whom did I cross when I set out?

Charon
Sit down at the oar,
If anyone else is sailing, hurry up!
Hey, you, what are you doing?

Dionysus
What am I doing? What else but
sitting on the oar, where you commanded.

Charon
Come, fatso, just sit down there.

Dionysus
See?

Charon
Grasp the oar, stretch out your hands.

Dionysus
See?

Charon
Stop fooling around; lean your body forward,
And pull with a will.

Dionysus
How can I row?
Inexperienced, un-seafaring, unSalaminian.

Charon
It's easy. You'll hear songs
most delightful, when once you lay into it.

Dionysus
From whom?

Charon
The marvelous music of the frogswans.

Dionysus
Then order away!

Charon
Heave ho, heave ho—