VIII.xiii. ( sh ) eepy ( comfort ) eroes ( of fluff )
ADEIMANTOS: ( yawns fast asleep ) this feast feels good . .
strawberry ice creamy . .🍦. . 🍓 . . 🐑
SOKRATES: and( indeed )( to-by-for )in-every-way( it must be ),
( she-he-it-being-binding )( it-he-she-being-need )
( she-he-it eats )( you are eaten )( you will be the eating ),
καὶ πάντῃ ἔδει
ADEIMANTOS: baaa ( uncountedly ) ( and o, ) comfort ( we )-
is( are ) your hand in the dark ( my fantasy
has come alive ) ( in-every-way ) ( if we ) already here
( are feasting upon me ) and this dream ( our thought,
why ) would we ever get out of bed ( ? )
( an ancient question ) ( sprinkles! )
SOKRATES: ( surely )or( why? )( hey! )
( else )( as )( to-by-for )( we- )being( a )clown-fraud( pretentious-
boaster-charlatan-vagabond )( a quack! ),
ADEIMANTOS: ( not at all ) ( we uffy eep ),
SOKRATES: not at all( to-by-for )( none-she )to have a share in( to go-
among )( to allow )( to let-go )( to go-after )
true( unconcealed )philosophy( wisdom-love ) ( ! )
ἢ ἀλαζόνι ὄντι μηδαμῇ μετεῖναι φιλοσοφίας ἀληθινῆς.
ADEIMANTOS: ( ignore him ) and indeed we could
be Nobodys second coming ( his suntanned curves )
( his calloused fingers ) slightly touching mine ( to fluff
my pillowed fears ) if we were sleepy together
( and minding our own business ) ( quiet life )
its on a farm ( dont ask the neighbors ),
MEDEIS: and( indeed )( he )moaning( wailing, moaning,
lamenting, with tears )( me ), o epic-winged-word-songs
( he )was speaking-through( to-by-for )me,
καί μ᾽ ὀλοφυρόμενος ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα:
ADEIMANTOS: ( mmm . . . )
SOKRATES: for( o saying, gathering, choosing, laying-down ),
( we are )( they-we-are )( he( we )is( being ) )( we say )in this way,
saying( gathering, choosing, laying-down )( in this way )
( the saying, gathering, choosing, laying-down ),
ἦν γὰρ οὕτω λεγόμενον.
ADEIMANTOS: ( gasp! )
HERAKLES: o sprung-from-Zeus son-of-Laertes, poly-
mechanos(of many-devices, arts, resources, crafts, means,
machines)Odysseus,
διογενὲς Λαερτιάδη, πολυμήχαν᾽ Ὀδυσσεῦ,
ADEIMANTOS: ( O poly-ecstasy — )
o Herakles, o Sokrates, o Odysseus, , ,
( o all our kings ) ( we want them all ) ( theyre here )
you whisper sweet secrets in my ear ( its bliss )
( its chocolate hazelnut with burnt caramel drizzle )
( and how many more heroes can we fit )
in the same bed? ( in the same mouth ) hm?
( whisper me the answer . . . ),
SOKRATES: therefore( indeed )( isnt )this one( o one )
exceedingly( vehemently-violently )so,
οὐκοῦν ἓν μὲν τοῦτο σφόδρα οὕτω
ADEIMANTOS: you animal! —
SOKRATES: contrary( to the )opinion( belief )( seeming-they-seemed )
( to-by-for )the now-seemings( opinions-beliefs )around( about )him( self )?
παρὰ δόξαν τοῖς νῦν δοκουμένοις περὶ αὐτοῦ;
ADEIMANTOS: ( so much so, we cant restrain ourself! — )
HERAKLES: ah! miserable( cowardly, craven, sorry, poor,
worthless )man,
ADEIMANTOS: ( o yes, o no, )
HERAKLES: or( indeed )( we are )( he was saying ),
ADEIMANTOS: ( o no, o why, , , )
HERAKLES: and( indeed, are )you leading( guiding )some evil
( bad-ill-ugly )destiny( fate-doom )
( doom )
( doom )
( doom . . . )
ἆ δείλ᾽, ἦ τινὰ καὶ σὺ κακὸν μόρον ἡγηλάζεις,
ADEIMANTOS: ( no roosters crow ) ( all roosters peace )
( a wall of birdsong approaches from the east )
( stretching ) ( waking ) ( oh my ) ( and what a night )
( a dream of some lavish delight, and then )
( a dream ) of something not quite right ( o well ),
a morning thought we filtered out ( o honey-dawn,
o hearing you ) and worry leaves my body in a blink,
( sprinkles? )
SAILORS: and( indeed )very( dyad-under-handed-holdingly ),
καὶ μάλα,
SOKRATES: comfort ( we )is( are ) your hand in the dark
( gently holding mine ) still warm from sleep,
SAILORS: (he)was saying,
ἔφη.
SOKRATES: ( so that ) this morning ( with your hand )
tightly holding mine ( we may ) ( as heroes ) ( wake ),
HERAKLES: which( roundly )( we )i( being )were enduring
( suffering, holding-fast )by( from-under )( the )rays-
beams-sheens( of the )sun,
ὅν περ ἐγὼν ὀχέεσκον ὑπ᾽ αὐγὰς ἠελίοιο.
ADEIMANTOS: ( and o the burn, to know him face-to-face.
and its that hard to put things down today;
these nights spent wrestling legends in my dreams,
the words, the thought, the memes, keep twisting things
and turning round, and running me like trains,
and nobodys word came down ) just to find myself
writing it now ( under pressure of the sun, who said )
as heroes words dont settle for the page.
( maybe thats why ) we try to write
and nothing comes out,
SOKRATES: ( then is it not )therefore —
( o dyad-god )( he binds )( bind, you )( god-needed-bound )
( he needs )( need, you )( the dyad-god )( indeed )must( be ) —
measuredly
( we )will( would )speak-in-defense( speak on behalf )( ? )
ἆρ᾽ οὖν δὴ οὐ μετρίως ἀπολογησόμεθα
ADEIMANTOS: then measuredly we speak ( as nothing ) ( but free )
but fluff ( as clouds of sweetness ) ephemeral stuff
for you to read anyway ( dissolving on my tongue )
until youve had enough ( of melting snow ) of me,
SOKRATES: that he, at least
( who is )actually( we-beingly )( a )learning-lover
( would be )having-by-nature( origin-growth )
( that he )would compete( contend-struggle )
toward( against )the( we- )being,
ὅτι πρὸς τὸ ὂν πεφυκὼς εἴη ἁμιλλᾶσθαι ὅ γε ὄντως φιλομαθής,
ADEIMANTOS: ( that we would say ) to bring it on ( and ) never enough.
( and then we would reply again ) ( pink ) bursts
of cotton candy ( in the shape of men,
of extraordinary lyric virility,
to wrestle you ) before you fall asleep
( to haunt your dreams and drag you back ) ( musically )
( to prove the strength of our reality )
uth flickers
//
from hymn to Apollo
Republic VI
Odyssey XI.613-626