Aristophanes Croaks

(Off Stage Frogs) Brekekekex, ko-ax, ko-ax, Brekekekex, ko-ax, ko-ax! (Frogs) We children of the fountain and the lake, Let us wake, Our full choir-shout, as the flutes ring out, Our symphony of clear-voiced song. The song we loved in the Marshland above, In praise of Dionysus to produce, Of Nysaean Dionysus, son of Zeus. When the revel-tipsy throng, crapulous and gay, To our precinct reeled along on the holy Pitcher day, Brekekekex, ko-ax, ko-ax. (Dionysus) O, dear! O, dear! now I declare, I've got a bump upon my rump. (Frogs) Brekekekex, ko-ax, ko-ax. (Dionysus) But you, perchance, don't care. (Frogs) Brekekekex, ko-ax, ko-ax. (Dionysus) Hang you, and your ko-axing tool, There's nothing but ko-ax with you. (Frogs) That is right, Mr. Busybody, right! For the Muses of the lyre love us well; And hornfoot Pan, who plays on the pipe his jocund lays; And Apollo, Harper bright, delights in our Chorus, For the strong reed's sake, which I grow within my lake To be girdled in his lyre's deep shell. Brekekekex, ko-ax, ko-ax. (Dionysus) My hands are blistered very sore; My stern below is sweltering so, 'Twill soon, I know, upturn and roar Brekekekex, ko-ax, ko-ax. O tuneful race, O pray give o'er, O sing no more. (Frogs) Ah, no! ah, no! Loud and louder our chant must flow. Sing if ever ye sang of yore, When in sunny and glorious days, Through the rushes and marsh-flags springing, On we swept, in the joy of singing, Myriad-diving roundelays. Or when fleeing the storm, we went Down to the depths, and our choral song, Wildly raised to a loud and long Bubble-bursting accompaniment. (Frogs and Dionysus) Brekekekex, ko-ax, ko-ax. (Dionysus) This timing song I take from you. (Frogs) That's a dreadful thing to do. (Dionysus) Much more dreadful, if I row, Till I burst myself, I trow. (Frogs and Dionysus) Brekekekex, ko-ax, ko-ax. (Dionysus) Go, hang yourselves; for what care I? (Frogs) All the same, we'll shout and cry, Stretching all our throats with song, Shouting, crying, all day long, (Frogs and Dionysus) Brekekekex, ko-ax, ko-ax. (Dionysus) In this you'll never, never win. (Frogs) This you shall not beat us in. (Dionysus) No, nor ye prevail o'er me. Never! never! I'll my song, Shout, if need be, all day long, Until I've learned to master your ko-ax. Brekekekex, ko-ax, ko-ax. I thought I'd put a stop to your ko-ax. (Charon) Stop! Easy! Take the oar and push her to. Now pay your fare and go.