Desbillons: Camelus et Iupiter

As part of our ongoing work on the Latin fables of Desbillons (see this post for more info), Hector and I read this poem yesterday; it's one of my favorite Aesop's fables:

3.7 Camelus et Jupiter

Camelus olim sortis pertaesus suae

Conquestus est, armari taurum cornibus,

At sese inermem ceteris animalibus

Objectum; cornua ergo sibi concederet,

Jovem rogavit. Deus at iratus preces

Audire ineptas non recusavit modo,

Sed curtari etiam voluit aures bestiae.

Fortuna vivat quisque contentus sua.

Here is the poem written out in English prose order to help in reading:

Camelus, pertaesus suae sortis,

conquestus est

taurum armari cornibus,

at sese objectum (esse), 

inermem ceteris animalibus; 

ergo rogavit Jovem

concederet cornua sibi,

at deus, iratus, 

non modo recusavit audire ineptas preces,

sed etiam voluit

aures bestiae curtari.

Quisque vivat contentus fortuna sua.

The syntax is a bit tricky because it is all done through indirect speech. It would be a lot easier to understand if it were just a dialogue between the camel and Jupiter, but even so, I really like this fable. 

The meter is iambic, and here is some help with the meter (for more about iambic meter, see the post about Desbillons 1.1).

Came·lus o·lim sor·tis per·taesus · suae

Conques·tus est, · arma·ri tau·rum cor·nibus,

At se·s~ iner·mem ce ·teris · anima·libus

Objec·tum; cor·nu~ er·go sibi · conce·deret,

Jovem · roga·vit. Deus · at i·ratus · preces

Audi·re inep·tas non · recu·savit · modo,

Sed cur·tar~ eti·am volu·it au·res bes·tiae.

Fortu·na vi·vat quis·que con·tentus · sua.

You can find illustrations     for the fable here. I like how Francis Barlow included a pyramid in this one to let us know we are in north Africa (camels!), and among the horned creatures that the camel envies, he even included a unicorn:

Meanwhile, for more Desbillons, here are the other poems I've posted so far here at the blog. :-)