father；　forming　sacred　choruses　with　the　Nymphs；　whether　you　be
  gathering　the　waves　of　the　Nile　in　golden　vases　or　dwelling　in　the
  Maeotic　marsh　or　on　the　snowy　rocks　of　Mimas；　hearken　to　my　prayer　and
  accept　my　offering。　May　these　sacrifices　be　pleasing　to　you。
  （Amidst　rumblings　of　thunder　the　CHORUS　OF　CLOUDS　appears。）
  CHORUS　（singing）
  Eternal　Clouds；　let　us　appear；　let　us　arise　from　the　roaring
  depths　of　Ocean；　our　father；　let　us　fly　towards　the　lofty　mountains；
  spread　our　damp　wings　over　their　forest…laden　summits；　whence　we
  will　dominate　the　distant　valleys；　the　harvest　fed　by　the　sacred
  earth；　the　murmur　of　the　divine　streams　and　the　resounding　waves　of
  the　sea；　which　the　unwearying　orb　lights　up　with　its　glittering　beams。
  But　let　us　shake　off　the　rainy　fogs；　which　hide　our　immortal　beauty
  and　sweep　the　earth　from　afar　with　our　gaze。
  SOCRATES
  Oh；　venerated　goddesses；　yes；　you　are　answering　my　call！　（To
  STREPSIADES。）　Did　you　hear　their　voices　mingling　with　the　awful
  growling　of　the　thunder？
  STREPSIADES
  Oh！　adorable　Clouds；　I　revere　you　and　I　too　am　going　to　let　off　my
  thunder；　so　greatly　has　your　own　affrighted　me。　（He　farts。）　Faith！
  whether　permitted　or　not；　I　must；　I　must　crap！
  SOCRATES
  No　scoffing；　do　not　copy　those　damned　comic　poets。　Come；
  silence！　a　numerous　host　of　goddesses　approaches　with　songs。
  CHORUS　（singing）
  Virgins；　who　pour　forth　the　rains；　let　us　move　toward　Attica；
  the　rich　country　of　Pallas；　the　home　of　the　brave；　let　us　visit　the
  dear　land　of　Cecrops；　where　the　secret　rites　are　celebrated；　where　the
  mysterious　sanctuary　flies　open　to　the　initiate。。。。　What　victims　are
  offered　there　to　the　deities　of　heaven！　What　glorious　temples！　What
  statues！　What　holy　prayers　to　the　rulers　of　Olympus！　At　every　season
  nothing　but　sacred　festivals；　garlanded　victims；　is　to　be　seen。　Then
  Spring　brings　round　again　the　joyous　feasts　of　Dionysus；　the
  harmonious　contests　of　the　choruses　and　the　serious　melodies　of　the
  flute。
  STREPSIADES
  By　Zeus！　Tell　me；　Socrates；　I　pray　you；　who　are　these　women；　whose
  language　is　so　solemn；　can　they　be　demi…goddesses？
  SOCRATES
  Not　at　all。　They　are　the　Clouds　of　heaven；　great　goddesses　for　the
  lazy；　to　them　we　owe　all；　thoughts；　speeches；　trickery；　roguery；
  boasting；　lies；　sagacity。
  STREPSIADES
  Ah！　that　was　why；　as　I　listened　to　them；　my　mind　spread　out　its
  wings；　it　burns　to　babble　about　trifles；　to　maintain　worthless
  arguments；　to　voice　its　petty　reasons；　to　contradict；　to　tease　some
  opponent。　But　are　they　not　going　to　show　themselves？　I　should　like
  to　see　them；　were　it　possible。
  SOCRATES
  Well；　look　this　way　in　the　direction　of　Parnes；　I　already　see
  those　who　are　slowly　descending。
  STREPSIADES
  But　where；　where？　Show　them　to　me。
  SOCRATES
  They　are　advancing　in　a　throng；　following　an　oblique　path　across
  the　dales　and　thickets。
  STREPSIADES
  Strange！　I　can　see　nothing。
  SOCRATES
  There；　close　to　the　entrance。
  STREPSIADES
  Hardly；　if　at　all；　can　I　distinguish　them。
  SOCRATES
  You　must　see　them　clearly　now；　unless　your　eyes　are　filled　with
  gum　as　thick　as　pumpkins。
  STREPSIADES
  Aye；　undoubtedly！　Oh！　the　venerable　goddesses！　Why；　they　fill　up
  the　entire　stage。
  SOCRATES
  And　you　did　not　know；　you　never　suspected；　that　they　were
  goddesses？
  STREPSIADES
  No；　indeed；　I　thought　the　Clouds　were　only　fog；　dew　and　vapour。
  SOCRATES
  But　what　you　certainly　do　not　know　is　that　they　are　the　support　of
  a　crowd　of　quacks；　the　diviners；　who　were　sent　to　Thurium；　the
  notorious　physicians；　the　well…combed　fops；　who　load　their　fingers
  with　rings　down　to　the　nails；　and　the　braggarts；　who　write　dithyrambic
  verses；　all　these　are　idlers　whom　the　Clouds　provide　a　living　for；
  because　they　sing　them　in　their　verses。
  STREPSIADES
  It　is　then　for　this　that　they　praise　〃the　rapid　flight　of　the
  moist　clouds；　which　veil　the　brightness　of　day〃　and　〃the　waving
  locks　of　the　hundred…headed　Typho〃　and　〃the　impetuous　tempests；
  which　float　through　the　heavens；　like　birds　of　prey　with　aerial
  wings　loaded　with　mists〃　and　〃the　rains；　the　dew；　which　the　clouds
  outpour。〃　As　a　reward　for　these　fine　phrases　they　bolt　well…grown；
  tasty　mullet　and　delicate　thrushes。
  SOCRATES
  Yes；　thanks　to　these。　And　is　it　not　right　and　meet？
  STREPSIADES
  Tell　me　then　why；　if　these　really　are　the　Clouds；　they　so　very
  much　resemble　mortals。　This　is　not　their　usual　form。
  SOCRATES
  What　are　they　like　then？
  STREPSIADES
  I　don't　know　exactly；　well；　they　are　like　great　packs　of　wool；　but
  not　like　women…no；　not　in　the　least。。。。And　these　have　noses。
  SOCRATES
  Answer　my　questions。
  STREPSIADES
  Willingly！　Go　on；　I　am　listening。
  SOCRATES
  Have　you　not　sometimes　seen　clouds　in　the　sky　like　a　centaur；　a
  leopard；　a　wolf　or　a　bull？
  STREPSIADES
  Why；　certainly　I　have；　but　what　of　that？
  SOCRATES
  They　take　what　metamorphosis　they　like。　If　they　see　a　debauchee
  with　long　flowing　locks　and　hairy　as　a　beast；　like　the　son　of
  Xenophantes；　they　take　the　form　of　a　Centaur　in　derision　of　his
  shameful　passion。
  STREPSIADES
  And　when　they　see　Simon；　that　thiever　of　public　money；　what　do
  they　do　then？
  SOCRATES
  To　picture　him　to　the　life；　they　turn　at　once　into　wolves。
  STREPSIADES
  So　that　was　why　yesterday；　when　they　saw　Cleonymus；　who　cast
  away　his　buckler　because　he　is　the　veriest　poltroon　amongst　men；
  they　changed　into　deer。
  SOCRATES
  And　to…day　they　have　seen　Clisthenes；　you　see。。。。they　are　women
  STREPSIADES
  Hail；　sovereign　goddesses；　and　if　ever　you　have　let　your　celestial
  voice　be　heard　by　mortal　ears；　speak　to　me；　oh！　speak　to　me；　ye
  all…powerful　queens。
  CHORUS…LEADER
  Hail！　veteran　of　the　ancient　times；　you　who　burn　to　instruct
  yourself　in　fine　language。　And　you；　great　high…priest　of　subtle
  nonsense；　tell　us；　your　desire。　To　you　and　Prodicus　alone　of　all　the
  hollow　orationers　of　to…day　have　we　lent　an　ear…to　Prodicus；　because
  of　his　knowledge　and　his　great　wisdom；　and　to　you；　because　you　walk
  with　head　erect；　a　confident　look；　barefooted；　resigned　to
  everything　and　proud　of　our　protection。
  STREPSIADES
  Oh！　Earth！　What　august　utterances！　how　sacred！　how　wondrous！
  SOCRATES
  That　is　because　these　are　the　only　goddesses；　all　the　rest　are
  pure　myth。
  STREPSIADES
  But　by　the　Earth！　is　our　father；　Zeus；　the　Olympian；　not　a　god？
  SOCRATES
  Zeus！　what　Zeus！　Are　you　mad？　There　is　no　Zeus。
  STREPSIADES
  What　are　you　saying　now？　Who　causes　the　rain　to　fall？　Answer　me
  that！
  SOCRATES
  Why；　these；　and　I　will　prove　it。　Have　you　ever　seen　it　raining
  without　clouds？　Let　Zeus　then　cause　rain　with　a　clear　sky　and
  without　their　presence！
  STREPSIADES
  By　Apollo！　that　is　powerfully　argued！　For　my　own　part；　I　always
  thought　it　was　Zeus　pissing　into　a　sieve。　But　tell　me；　who　is　it　makes
  the　thunder；　which　I　so　much　dread？
  SOCRATES
  These；　when　they　roll　one　over　the　other。
  STREPSIADES
  But　how　can　that　be？　you　most　daring　among　men！
  SOCRATES
  Being　full　of　water；　and　forced　to　move　along；　they　are　of
  necessity　precipitated　in　rain；　being　fully　distended　with　moisture
  from　the　regions　where　they　have　been　floating；　hence　they　bump　each
  other　heavily　and　burst　with　great　noise。
  STREPSIADES
  But　is　it　not　Zeus　who　forces　them　to　move？
  SOCRATES
  Not　at　all；　it's　the　aerial　Whirlwind。
  STREPSIADES
  The　Whirlwind！　ah！　I　did　not　know　that。　So　Zeus；　it　seems；　has
  no　existence；　and　its　the　Whirlwind　that　reigns　in　his　stead？　But
  you　have　not　yet　told　me　what　makes　the　roll　of　the　thunder？
  SOCRATES
  Have　you　not　understood　me　then？　I　tell　you；　that　the　Clouds；　when
  full　of　rain；　bump　against　one　another；　and　that；　being　inordinately
  swollen　out；　they　burst　with　a　great　noise。
  STREPSIADES
  How　can　you　make　me　credit　that？
  SOCRATES
  Take　yourself　as　an　example。　When　you　have　heartily　gorged　on　stew
  at　the　Panathenaea；　you　get　throes　of　stomach…ache　and　then　suddenly
  your　belly　resounds　with　prolonged　rumbling。
  STREPSIADES
  Yes；　yes；　by　Apollo　I　suffer；　I　get　colic；　then　the　stew　sets　to
  rumbling　like　thunder　and　finally　bursts　forth　with　a　terrific
  noise。　At　first；　it's　but　a　little　gurgling　pappax；　pappax！　then　it
  increases；　papapappax！　and　when　I　take　my　crap；　why；　it's　thunder
  indeed；　papapappax！　pappax！！　papapappax！！！　just　like　the　clouds。
  SOCRATES
  Well　then；　reflect　what　a　noise　is　produced　by　your　belly；　which
  is　but　small。　Shall　not　the　air；　which　is　boundless；　produce　these
  mighty　claps　of　thunder？
  STREPSIADES
  And　this　is　why　the　names　are　so　much　alike：　crap　and　clap。　But
  tell　me　this。　Whence　comes　the　lightning；　the　dazzling　flame；　which　at
  times　consumes　the