Stephen Sondheim
The Frogs: Hymnos: Evoe!
[THE DIONYSIANS]
Dionysos

[XANTHIAS, spoken]
What's that?

[DIONYSOS, spoken]
Don't you know?

[XANTHIAS, spoken]
Should I?

[THE DIONYSIANS]
Dionysos

[XANTHIAS, spoken]
They're singing of you!

[DIONYSOS, spoken]
A hymn to me, the god of drama

[XANTHIAS, spoken]
A hymn to you, the god of wine

[DIONYSOS, spoken]
And a hymn to the god of wine. Two hymns, for the price of one!
[THE DIONYSIANS]
Dionysos
We are come to praise you
For the wondrous blessing, the taste of wine
Evoe!
Alalai! Alalai!
Evoe!
Alalalalalalai!

Dionysos
We are come to thank you
For the gentle tendrils that intertwine
To produce the grapes that produce the wine
Evoe!
Alalai! Alalai!
Evoe!
Alalalalalalai!

Out of wine, comes truth
Out of truth, the vision clеars
And with vision, soon appears a grand design
From the grand dеsign
We can understand the world
And when you understand the world
You need a lot more wine!
Dionysos
We are come to join you
In a shout of joy at the only shrine
Where you come benighted and leave benign
For that endless blessing, the taste of wine
Evoe!
Alalai! Alalai!
Evoe!
Alalalalalalai!

Wine makes the passions sing
Wine leads the feet to dance
Wine answers every question

Pour the wine
Wine takes away the sting
Wine gives the heart its chance
Wine aids the indigestion

Pour the wine
See the curmudgeon smile
Hear the insomniac snore
Look at the coward roar
All from the vine

Pour the wine
Wine lends a sense of style
Wine gets the spirit to soar
Wine makes you thirsty
Pour more wine
More wine
Wine helps the edges blur
Wine lets the mind escape
Wine settles all dissension

Pour the wine
Wine makes the blood to stir
Wine leads to friendly rape
Wine eases tension
What an invention is wine
Pour the wine
Glory be to wine

Dionysos
We are come to praise you
For the hazy vision that sees through all
Evoe!
Alalai! Alalai!
Evoe!
Alalalalalalai!

Dionysos (For the tranquil smile, for the sense of style)
We are come to thank you (We are come to praise)
For the [?] (We are come to praise Dionysos)
Evoe!
Alalai! Alalai! (Evoe!)
Evoe! (Alalai! Alalai!)
Alalalalalalai! (Evoe!)

Dionysos (For the hearty soul, for the [?])
We are come to laud you (We are come to thank)
For the sudden [?] (Dionysos)
Evoe! (Evoe!)
Alalai! Alalai! (Evoe!) (Alalai! Alalai!)
Evoe! (Alalai! Alalai!) (Evoe!)
Alalalalalalai! (Evoe!)

Dionysos (For the [?], for the blood that stirs)
We are come to bless you
For the false resolve and the gift of [?]
Evoe! (Evoe!)
Alalai! Alalai! (Evoe!) (Alalai! Alalai!)
Evoe! (Alalai! Alalai!) (Evoe!)
Alalalalalalai! (Evoe!)
Alalalalalalalalalalalalalalai!

Dionysos
We are come to praise you (We are come to praise)
We are come to praise by the fading light
To exalt your name in the sacred rite
Which begins at five
And goes on all night
Evoe! (Evoe!) (Evoe!)
Alalai! Alalai! (Evoe!) (Alalai! Alalai!)
Evoe! (Alalai! Alalai!) (Evoe!)
Evoe!
Evoe!
Evoe!
Alalai!