GOURDS
News item: Fragments of the text of a lost Greek play
were found in papyrus wrappings of an Egyptian mummy. The play, entitled Gourds,
is attributed to Eupolis of Athens, a contemporary of Aristophanes and likewise
considered a master of Old Comedy. According to some, gourd was Greek
slang for idiot.
A fine way to say thanks
A fig, an onion
Unwashed radishes, squid and ripe olives
Four strange gourds
This dish before us
A liar, a robber, a glutton who keeps a brothel
Seated all together
They are stealing the gold, pocketing the silver
And him with the squint
All wind and ruin
Who perfumes his curls with asarabacca and sagda
Is bad over twice: full of bombast and empty of sense
What a pumpkin head
The gods are always playing tricks
Locusts, a good-for-nothing fever, spoiled fish
Then they shit on us
With this hairy one.
--Russell Streur
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