ADEIMANTOS: but ( we )( am i? )( being ) a man.

( we sigh ) ( into the whining wind again )

but will they make me q-tips swabbing decks?

or will they make me make their big brass beds?

or will they make me oven cook my heads?

or make me be nobodys chambermaid? o,

no — will she make me diarrhea Bia!?

( o Cardi-being-we, what did she do? )

SOKRATES: and( indeed )( while being beauty- )called

by them( a )star-gazer,

and( an )idle-talker( prater-babbler-on ),

and( indeed )useless( unprofitable, unserviceable ),

by( from-under )the sailors in ships thus thoroughly-

equipped( constructed, framed, maintained, proved,

fabricated, trumped-up, with actual trumpets,

prepared-for-purpose )( having got his asses ready),

μετεωροσκόπον (489α) τε καὶ ἀδολέσχην καὶ ἄχρηστόν σφισι καλεῖσθαι

ὑπὸ τῶν ἐν ταῖς οὕτω κατεσκευασμέναις ναυσὶ πλωτήρων;

ADEIMANTOS: and none of it sounds great

at all. its bound to be ( the little things )

( the accidentally felt indignities )

( the unscheduled tooth extractions )

( that sober him ) its still not me ( until

he doesnt feel like listening anymore

or sharing her or his own ) feelings.

HERA: o unwearying( hard-hearted, self-willed, unflinching-

headstrong-wretched-cruel )( man ) —

σχέτλιε,

ADEIMANTOS: ( its a constant battle )

and they make me say things

( of heavier weight than he knows how )

that seem to carry more meaning

( a trust fall forced ) ( an unjust fist )

they bear the mandate, how?

SAILORS: and( indeed )very( dyad-cryptic ),

καὶ μάλα,

SOKRATES: its possible theyve seen more

( than what has been said ),

and its for a good reason that

SAILORS: the( Adeimantos )fearless prophet

was( singing unfettered, and )saying

ἔφη ὁ Ἀδείμαντος.

SOKRATES: things ( out loud )

without being bound strictly

by his necessity,

ADEIMANTOS: ( aside ) ( did you see

how he made me stretch

the translation? )

( unfair )

HERA: o( man )full-of-many-crafts-devices-wiles-plans-counsels,

ποικιλομῆτα,

SOKRATES: ( o dyad-Zeus ) ( she was not binding )

( dont bind, you ) ( Zeus-not-needed-bound) ( she

was not in-need ) ( dont need, you ) ( the dyad-Zeus )

( indeed ) not necessarily ( to be ),

οὐ δή,

ADEIMANTOS: ( well thats a relief ) ( she says,

and rubs her unbound feet and ankles ),

but ( we do notice ) theres letters seald

and my two schoolfellows ( he has been Hamleting again ),

SOKRATES: but(they are, he is, we are saying)(we-)i(-being),

ἦν δ᾽ ἐγώ,

ADEIMANTOS: ( and in my mind we reply ) let it work

for tis the sport to have the enginer

hoist with his own ( rainbow! ) petard ( maybe

hes haunted by Ophelias ),

SOKRATES: (o-song-ways, we)suppose you, questioning-

closely the image-likeness, (dont need)(to be bound)to see,

οἶμαι δεῖσθαί σε ἐξεταζομένην τὴν εἰκόνα ἰδεῖν,

ADEIMANTOS: they sweep my way and ( with more warmth )

( we might persuade or ) marshal me to knavery,

( or maybe its daddys ) ( or mommys issues ),

and it shall go hard ( or bullied back in school ),

or Rosencrantz and Guildenstern arent dead,

SOKRATES: that( it )looks like the composition-arrangement

(to-by-for)cities toward(against)

the trusty-truthful wisdom-lovers,

ὅτι ταῖς πόλεσι πρὸς τοὺς ἀληθινοὺς φιλοσόφους τὴν διάθεσιν ἔοικεν,

ADEIMANTOS: ( or with ) ( more joy ) o, tis most sweet,

when one line two crafts, three or four, or . . . ( more

praise ) directly meet ( good work, handsome! ) ( we )ego

( being ) now most still, most secret and most grave,

( or by bad wisdom ) ( learning ) ( un-made brave ),

SOKRATES: but still hes to learn( that )which( we )say,

ἀλλὰ μανθάνειν ὃ λέγω.

ADEIMANTOS: whom i( we-being )ego will trust ( maybe with )

as ego( we-being )i will adders fangd ( more ) ( sprinkles? )

but i( we-being )ego will delve one yard below their mines,

and blow them at the moon ( ruh-roh ),

( or by previous abuse ) this man

shall set me packing ( hes agent

clockwork orange ) ( misaligned )

( never seen a more aggressive baby )

HERA: now( what )would( will )you( some other )

craft( devise-contrive-wile-plan-counsel )

some( one )other?

τί νῦν μητίσεαι ἄλλο;

SAILORS: and( indeed )ver( secr ),

καὶ μάλ᾽,

SOKRATES: dont forget

that he ( we )is( being ) a human animal,

like you. and you had to go crazy

to love me, right? not unrelated,

sometimes its ok to hint at more

( than we are able to say ) with certainty,

SAILORS: (he)was saying,

ἔφη.

SOKRATES: dont be afraid, asking questions

and showing your vulnerable side ( out loud ).

and dont be afraid of stories,

HERA: how(did)(you-)alone suffer(undergo, submit, steadfast,

dare, venture, had the spirit, courage, resolution, heart)

to(will)bring-into-the-world gleaming-

eyed(Athena)(Athens)(the city)(in poetry)(Politeia)?

πῶς ἔτλης οἶος τεκέειν γλαυκῶπιν Ἀθήνην;

ADEIMANTOS: (but ) mother, good night ( he says )

( and putting on his shades of cool ) ( he wears

all black ) ( and smoking hand-rolled cigarettes )

( maybe hes stuck in early Cohen ) ( oof )

( he doesnt even want to dance ) ( may be

depressed ) ( our boyfriend seems unfixable )

( we let him go ) ( for now ) good night, mother

( and let him be ) ( let be ) ( toward his end )

( it might help we ) ( to sleep on it )

( . . . )

( in sleep, he spells ) em - ei - child - en.

em - ei - child - en.

em - ei - child - en.

//

from Republic VI