Χαίρειν
to say 'hello'
Translated by Jennifer Benedict18 Mar 2008Vetting: high4 revisions
Translation
Just like birds, [which] learn these things from men. Birds exclaim "hello!" and "good luck!" and "[May] Zeus [be] sweet!" and these sorts of things,1 neither knowing what they are saying nor being well-disposed towards men, but being trained in speech.
Greek original · Adler’s text
Χαίρειν· ὥσπερ οἱ ὄρνιθες, ἃ μανθάνουσι παρὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. τὸ χαῖρε καὶ τὸ εὖ πράττοις καὶ τὸ Ζεὺς ἵλεως καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα οἱ ὄρνιθες εὔχονται, οὔτε εἰδότες ὅ τι λέγουσιν, οὔτε διακείμενοι πρὸς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ἀλλὰ ἐρρυθμισμένοι τὴν γλῶτταν.