issue 20 :: September 2011
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LITERATURE: Variations in Aristophanes Translations
 In 405 B.C.E. Athens, the hottest play was The Frogs, Aristophanes' sardonic and pointed attack on the melodramic playwrite Euripides, who died the year previous. Parodying the plot of Euripides 438 B.C.E. play Alcestis, The Frogs sends the god Dionyses to Hades to rescue Euripides, but after a battle of words with Aeschylus, Dionyses agrees that Euripides is a terrible poet and leaves him in the underworld. The titular Frogs appear only as a chorus on Dionyses' boat ride to Hades, and their buzzing song annoys the god of drink to no end. In a battle of song, perhaps foreshadowing Euripides' battle with Aeschylus, Dionyses pleads with the Frogs to shut up, After failing to out croak the Frogs, Dionyses succeeds in silencing them with a monstrous fart, an act not out of place in Aristophanes' baudy, low brow humor. However, most of the translations of the play refuse to include this, and instead write Dionyses out-croaking the frogs. Below are several translations. We start with Dudley Fitt's correct 1959 translation. Contrary to my initial hypothesis, not even modern, post-Farley brothers/post-South Park translations include the fart. |
| Translation: Dudley Fitts Published: 1959, Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc. DIONYSOS: I will, by God, if it takes all day! Brekekekéx koáx koáx! Go and koáx yourselves away! KOAX KOAX KOAX! [He breaks wind hugely; the FROGS are silent. There! That settles your dammned koáx! |
| Translation: Alfred Corn Published: 1998, University of Pennsylvania D. I’ll croon and shout until I’ve won: Brekekekex, ko-ahx, ko-ahx! So there! Who sings the last ko-ahx? |
| Translation: J. Hookham Frere Published: 1911 (from 1820? translation), Everyman’s Library, Jim Dent & Sons, LTD. Bac. I’ll subdue your rebellious, noisy crew- -Have amongst you there, slap-dash [Strikes at them. Frogs. Brekeke-kesh, koash, koash. We defy your oar and you. Char. Hold! We’re a shore just- shift your oar. Get out. |
Translation: Paul Roche |
| Translation: ? Published: 1928, Horace Liverlight D. Oh yes, I will. I shall cry the whole day, if necessary, until I no longer hear your coax. (He begins to cry against the frogs, who finally stop.) Ah! I knew I would soon put an end to your coax. |
| Translation: Gilbert Murray Published: 1908, George Allen & Sons D. I’ll make you cease your song If I shout for it all day long; My lungs I’ll tax with co-äx, co-äx -I assure you they’re thoroughly strong- Until your efforts at last relax: Brekekekex co-äx, co-äx!! [No answer from the FROGS Brekekekex co-äx, co-äx!!! I knew in the end I should stop your quacks! |
| Translator: Richard Lattimore Published: 1962, University of Michigan Press D. I’ll croak away If it takes all day, brekekekex ko-ax, ko-ax, And I’ll croak you down in the grand climax brekekekex ko-ax, ko-ax, Frogs slink away. Silence. Ha ha. I knew I could beat you. You and your ko-ax! |
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