Stasimon 1
[Lyric-Scene]
Ho you! What are you about? Are you not meditating?
Strepsiades.
I? Yea, by Neptune!
Socrates.
And what, pray, have you thought?
Strepsiades.
Whether any bit of me will be left by the bugs.
725
Socrates.
You will perish most wretchedly.
Strepsiades.
But, my good friend, I have already perished.
Socrates.
You must not give in, but must wrap yourself up; for you have to discover a device for abstracting, and a means of cheating.
Strepsiades.
Ah me! Would, pray, some one would throw over me a swindling contrivance from the sheep-skins.
Socrates.
Come now; I will first see this fellow, what he is about. Ho you! Are you asleep?
Strepsiades.
No, by Apollo, I am not!
Socrates.
Have you got anything?
Strepsiades.
No; by Jupiter, certainly not!
Socrates.
Nothing at all?
Strepsiades.
Nothing, except what I have in my right hand.
Socrates.
Will you not quickly cover yourself up and think of something?
735
Strepsiades.
About what? For do you tell me this, O Socrates!
Socrates.
Do you, yourself, first find out and state what you wish.
Strepsiades.
You have heard a thousand times what I wish. About the interest; so that I may pay no one.
Socrates.
Come then, wrap yourself up, and having given your mind play with subtilty, revolve your affairs by little and little, rightly distinguishing and examining.
740
Strepsiades.
Ah me, unhappy man!
