Candidus: Haedus Super Tecto

This is a poem intended for my anthology of Latin Aesopic poetry. I'm accumulating the materials for the anthology in a Google Docs folder, including a document for this poem where you will find vocabulary and notes. Comments, questions, and suggestions are welcome! You can use the "comment" feature in the Google Doc, which I will be updating with revisions. Today's poem is by Pantaleon Candidus (1540-1608).

Haedus Super Tecto et Lupus

Supra domus tectum sedebat haedulus

Lupoque, obeunti infra, maledixit, cui lupus

"Non tu," inquit, "ast locus maledicit hic mihi."

By locus, the wolf means the little goat's position of safety, out of reach on top of the roof. The idea that what a person says reflects his position of power and/or safety is a recurring them in the fables. Notice how the fable is one long sentence, with a main clause and a relative clause. 

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

haedulus

sedebat

supra tectum domus

et maledixit

lupo,
obeunti infra, 

cui lupus inquit

"non tu

ast locus 

maledicit mihi hic."

And here's the meter marked:

Supra · domus · tectum · sede·bat hae·dulus

Lupo·qu~ obeun·t~ infra · maledix·it, cui · lupus

"Non t~ in·quit, "ast · locus · maledi·cit hic · mihi."

You can find illustrations for the fable here. This illustration is by Conde:

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