IX.vi. ( on ) taking notes ( on carrying song )

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 21:24:59 +0800

GAIA, she - dyad earth.
KUKNEION, a swan.
BETA DUCK( Ἀνὴρ Β ), a duck, of duck - dyad ( ? ).
ALPHA DUCK( Ἀνὴρ Α ), another duck, of duck - dyad ( ? ).
TRAGOS, a goat.

GAIA:
{ we used to imagine }
we would summon you.

BETA DUCK:
( we )( will )( beauty - )call( summon )
( we are beauty - calling and summoning )
( to us )( to our house )( invite )( invoke )
( summon before the court )( sue )
( calling upon )( calling by name )
herselves( accused ),
καλούμεθ᾽ αὐτάς.

KUKNEION:
as usual they ( ducks ) want to help,
but how did they come to be
so ( hyper - active ) nominative ?
do you know how, O goat ?

TRAGOS:
( they )have filled full of yous( your - plural )
( of your )( hims - hers - its )( genitive )
the( she - dyad )( its )ears( voc - nom - acc )

and( indeed )long ago
( o she - nuggets - nom )( to - by - for )( she - nugget )( of gold ? )
( o she - wrestlings )( to - by - for )( she - wrestling )( battle ? )
( o she - finest meals )( to - by - for )( she - finest meal )( fine dust ? )
( she would poise )( sway )( brandish )( toss )( shake lots )
( be shaken and shook, you ! )( vibrate ! )

and( indeed )violently( vehemently )( excessively )
( men - nom )throwing - through( throwing - across )
( setting at variance )( setting against )( bringing to discredit )
( calumniating )( accusing )( complaining )( misrepresenting )
( slandering )( laying blame ).

ἐμπεπλήκασιν ὑμῶν
τὰ ὦτα
καὶ πάλαι
καὶ σφοδρῶς διαβάλλοντες.

GAIA:
and { what wed want to teach you }
cant be thrown - through violently
or yelled in the imperative.
but sometimes laughter helps,

ALPHA DUCK:
but if( see ! )( we say )( its we )( theyre we )( we are )( <.< )
( they )( would )( will )laugh at( scornfully )( mock )
( to - by - for )( hims and its )( laughing -
downwards - against )( derisions ),
what( it - thing )( then ) ?

ἢν δὲ καταγελῶσι, τί;

KUKNEION:
we ( did some research ) looked in our pond
and swans arent very funny.
so where would the laughter come from ?

TRAGOS:
out of( forth from )these( shes, hes, its )

and( indeed )Meletos( man - nom )
( youthful )( of a she - ship )( an unknown - nom )
( chaste tree - accused )( vessel of the god and goddess ? )
( τετανότριχα )( he - she - accused )( of long - straight hair )
( strained )( aimed )( string )( not well - bearded )( yet beaky )
( and as accused )( it - dyad )( would be an object of care )
( you - dyad )( would be an object of care )
( Euthuphron 2β )( to - by - for )me

(it )would put me on himself( put me on his table )
( give fulfilment by me )( put me on him like a door )
( place me on him )( apply me like a remedy )
( lay me on him )( apply myself to him )
( employ himself by me )( shut doors
behind us by me )( put a covering or closing
by me )( attempt me )( attack himself
by me )( take advantage ! )( bring me
on himself )( cause by me his penalty )

and( indeed )Anutos( man - nom )
( of fathers wisdom - wealthy flourishing blooms )
( neither flashy )( nor puffed - up )( nor braying )
( yet carries a burden )( a grievous load )
( yet would be led along )( and sprinkled )
( well - ordered )( moderate )( well - equipped )
( well - reared )( well - thickened - congealed )( educated )
( as it seems to the multitude of Politeans )( Meno 90α - β )
( made participial )( adding energy )( anutontes )
( he - nom )( achieving )( accomplishing )( completing )

and( indeed )( o )Lukon( of - wolves )( hims )
( they were tearing like a wolf )( we were tearing like a wolf )
( its - voc - nom - acc )( o he - nom )( tearing like a wolf )
( to tear like a wolf ),

ἐκ τούτων καὶ Μέλητός μοι ἐπέθετο καὶ Ἄνυτος καὶ Λύκων,

GAIA:
we almost explained a wolf
{ then caught myself and felt shame }
as thats what he would do,

BETA DUCK:
upon( at )( over - against )( in dependence upon )
the( she )double - folding doors
( o man - nom )having made a stand,

(865) ἐπὶ ταῖς θύραις ἑστώς—

KUKNEION:
even indeed the wolf
shares this with me,
also shared by poetry,

TRAGOS:
even( indeed )Meletos( man - nom )
( care )( practice )( study )( beaky )

over( above )( on behalf of )( in defense of )( for the safety of )
the( shes - hes - its - gen )poets( makers )( doers )
( of made )( adopted )( invented )( shes and hes and its )
( let the it - dyad - imperative - make and do )
( let them - imperative - make and do )

( he - nom )being( loaded )weighed - down
( in pain or grief )( being loaded with cargo
on board )( vexed )( grieved ),

Μέλητος μὲν ὑπὲρ τῶν ποιητῶν ἀχθόμενος,

GAIA:
him - letting - it - dyad make and do
she - suffering will out. thats how
a { silly girl } would make and do

ALPHA DUCK:
some( it - voc - nom - acc )

( o shes - nom - accused )( she - strengths )( she - efficacies )
( she - sacrifices )( she - active forces of a verb )
( she - acts )( she - visions )

will( would )( you )do( accomplish )( some great thing ) ?
( will - would you offer sacrifice )( perform mystical rites ? )

( o he - weight of the mountain on the Typhon )
( o he - little - piece of mouse - trap - wood )
( o he - worm that eats both horn and wood )
speak( say, you )( it speaks )
( to - by - for )me,

τί δράσεις; εἰπέ μοι.

KUKNEION:
but wed do all of that with grace.

TRAGOS:
but Anutos( man - nom )( achieving )( accomplishing )( completing )
( over )( above )on behalf of( in defense of )( for the safety of )
the( shes - hes - its - gen )workers - for - the - people( hims )
( demiourgoi )( skilled workmen )( craftsmen )( creators )( makers )
( he - nom )( practicing a trade )( doing work )

and( indeed )of the( shes - hes - its - gen )political( people )
( gen - shes and hes and its )( citizens )( civil men
and women and men )( community people )( be -
fitting a statesman )( of shes and hes and them )
( having relation to public life )( ordinary ),

Ἄνυτος δὲ ὑπὲρ τῶν δημιουργῶν καὶ (24α) τῶν πολιτικῶν,

GAIA:
go learn from all of them their skills.
then use it for the good of the people.
{ thinking youd even want that }
its offering open appeals,

BETA DUCK:
of( shes and hes and its - gen )the( of its and hims )bringing( it )in
( before )( facing )( introducing )( contributing )( paying
the property - tax )( bringing - forward )( proposing )
( e.g. of political measures )

( let them be - imperative - bringing - forward )( facing )

( we will )would have( it )torn( from our arms )
( overpowered )( overmastered )( stollen )( grasped )
the( she - dyad )( its )grain( corn )( bread )
( food )( provisions )( fodder ).

τῶν ἐσφερόντων ἁρπάσομαι τὰ σιτία.

KUKNEION:
but we dont private property
so nobody hears what we say.
or if they do, they take and use
illusions for their private purposes.

TRAGOS:
but( o )Lukon( of - wolves )( hims )
( they were tearing like a wolf )( we were tearing like a wolf )
( its - voc - nom - acc )( o he - nom )( tearing like a wolf )
( to tear like a wolf )

over( above )( on behalf of )( in defense of )( for the safety of )
the( shes - hes - its - gen )public-( men )-speakers( rhetoricians )
( the ones in the ekklesia ),

Λύκων δὲ ὑπὲρ τῶν ῥητόρων:

GAIA:
how else would you manage the public
than by treating them like sheep ?
how else would you help people learn ?
we used to imagine you would never learn.
{ but there you are taking notes }
on our secret we - being behaviors.
even though we never told you to,
we only hinted that you might

ALPHA DUCK:
walk( go by land )( by sea )( go, you )( its going )
( to - by - for you )( now )therefore( accordingly )( well then )
( the )later( coming after )( behind )( posterior )( man - nom ),

βάδιζε τοίνυν ὕστερος:

KUKNEION:
we - swans, by nature, go both
across water and over land.
although on land we waddle,

TRAGOS:
so that( so as )( as being )( inasmuch as )
( as to )( express the actual or intended result
of the action in the principle clause )( and so )
( therefore )( in order that )( for ),

ὥστε,

GAIA:
its tedious to waddle around a pond.
but imaginations born { of the silliest things }
lovely and weird and funny too, random
and yet not altogether new,

ALPHA DUCK:
but you( nom )O( we would be )Sikon
( a squeamish - fastidious - sort of )( man - nom ? )
( a cucumber or gourd )( acting like a Sicilian ? )

and( indeed )Parmenon( man - nom )( standing by )
( staying beside )( remaining )( enduring )( lasting )
( standing ones ground )( standing fast )
( surviving )( remaining alive )

lift( take up for itself )( what is its own )
( carry off and win, you ! )( be puffed up, you ! )
( youre raising )( lifting )( stirring - up )
( taking upon itself )( undergoing )( removing )

the( her - accused )whole of( her )possessions
( properties )( acquisitions ),

σὺ δ᾽ ὦ Σίκων
καὶ Παρμένων αἴρεσθε τὴν παμπησίαν.

KUKNEION:
as swan carries earth, so earth carries swan.
we graze on pondweed at the muddy edges
of a lake, and sometimes bite a bug or snail.
swans havent changed in years. yet too
theres something marvelous in everything
as swans ( she - dyad )( its ) we do,

TRAGOS:
( it )which

( he-)first( ruling )( making a beginning of )
( taking the lead )( governing )( commanding )

( we-)i(-being )say( we say and speak )
( they say and speak )( we - they )( gather )
( choose )( count, tell )( recount, tell over )
( repeat )( maintain and mean )

( the he - song of mourning )( lament )( the elegy ),

ὅπερ ἀρχόμενος ἐγὼ ἔλεγον,

GAIA:
its part of me, yet were not part of it.
so that some things { we choose to share } sometimes,
like swan - song,

BETA DUCK:
( its )carrying( carry, you ! )now( we - )i( - being )

( to - by - for )you

( we )( would )bring together( gather )( collect )
( contribute )( bear along with )( bear jointly )
( be useful )( be profitable )( do some good )
( work with )( agree with )( assist )
( carry - together ),

φέρε νυν ἐγώ σοι ξυμφέρω.

KUKNEION:
we carrying the song together
would be beautiful,

TRAGOS:
( we would )wonder( marvel )( honor )( admire )( worship )
if( thereupon )( spreading all over )( throughout )
whether( you come )( and go into )( you are we )
such( man - nom )as( you - accused ),

θαυμάζοιμ᾽ ἂν εἰ οἷός

KUKNEION:
we would wonder at that ( you ) too,

TRAGOS:
and would( we )be( we )( to suffer )( to permit )
( to leave alone )( to let be )( we - )ego( - being )of you
( you )( gen - plural )( of shes and hes and its ),

τ᾽ εἴην ἐγὼ ὑμῶν

KUKNEION:
not my we at least,

TRAGOS:
this( she - accused )the( she - accused )slander( she - thrown - through )
( she - false accusation )( she - discredit )( she - prejudice against )
( she - ill - repute )( she - quarrel )( she - enmity )
( she - fear )( she - aversion ),

ταύτην τὴν διαβολὴν

KUKNEION:
were only ultra - violet in she - defense,

TRAGOS:
to take out( for oneself )( to choose for oneself )
( to carry off as booty )( to have accepted as a gift )
( to remove her from our mind )( from our hands )
( to set free )( to deliver )( to bring to an end ) ,

ἐξελέσθαι

KUKNEION:
the rearing of our young into adulthood,

TRAGOS:
in this way in( him - it )slight( him )time( dat )
so( in this way )much( great )( mighty )( she - accused )
( she - accused )having( coming - into - being )
being - born( of her ),

ἐν οὕτως ὀλίγῳ χρόνῳ οὕτω πολλὴν γεγονυῖαν.

GAIA:
and some verses we leave to you.

KUKNEION:
we sigh. ( . . . ) only my mother
would let me conversate with goats.

from hymn to Apollo
Apologia
Odyssey XIV
Ekklesiazusai

taking notes

Wolves on the valley below

IX.vi. ( on ) taking notes ( on carrying song )