Phaedrus (Burmann): Vultur et Aliae Aves

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 Phaedrus, as reconstructed by Pieter Burman.

Vultur et Aliae Aves

Vultur, natalem simulans se celebrare, aves

Domum invitavit. Deinde, ingressus, ostium

Occlusit atque caedere coepit singulas.

Sic spem tribuentes saepe struunt contraria.

As in many Aesop's fables, the emphasis is not on how wicked the vulture is; instead, the emphasis is on how foolish the birds were to accept his invitation. The epimythium warns us to be on the lookout for people who, like the vulture, get our hopes up only in order to destroy us.

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

Vultur, 

simulans
se celebrare natalem, 

invitavit aves domum. 

Deinde ingressus, 

occlusit ostium

atque coepit caedere singulas.

Sic 

tribuentes spem 

saepe struunt contraria.

And here's the meter marked:

Vultur, · nata·lem simu·lans se · celebrar~ · aves

Dom~ in·vita·vit. Deind~ · ingres·sus os·tium

Occlu·sit at·que cae·dere coe·pit sin·gulas.

Sic spem · tribuen·tes sae·pe struunt · contra·ria.

Here is an illustration from Steinhowel's Aesop:

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

Desbillons: Lacerta et Testudo

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 Desbillons (1711-1789).

Lacerta et Testudo

"Tui me miseret," aiebat Testudini

Lacerta, "quae, quocumque libeat vadere,

Tuam ipsa tecum ferre cogaris domum."

"Quod utile," inquit illa, "non grave est onus."

While this fable is, I believe, original to Desbillons (he provides no note regarding the source), but both the tortoise and the snail appears in Aesop's fables praising the advantage they gain from carrying their home with them wherever they go.

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

Lacerta aiebat Testudini

"Me miseret tui, 

quae, 

quocumque [tibi] libeat vadere,

ipsa cogaris ferre tuam domum tecum."

Illa inquit,

"[Hoc] 

quod utile [est]

non est grave onus."

And here's the meter marked:

Tui · me mise · ret, ai · ebat · Testu · dini

Lacer · ta, quae · quocum · que libe · at va · dere,

Tu~ ip · sa te · cum fer · re co · garis · domum.

Quod u · til~ in · quit il · la non · grav~ est · onus.

Because this fable is not part of the classical Aesopic tradition, I don't have an illustration for it, but here is a lovely picture of a Mexican mud-turtle from Wikipedia.

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

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. :-)

Phaedrus: Mons Parturiens

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 the Roman poet Phaedrus.

Mons Parturiens

Mons parturibat, gemitus immanes ciens,

Eratque in terris maxima expectatio.

At ille murem peperit. Hoc scriptum est tibi,

Qui, magna cum minaris, extricas nihil.

This fable is most famous through its use by the Roman poet Horace in his poetic treatise, Ars Poetica: parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus; "the mountains will labor, a ridiculous mouse will be born."

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

Mons parturibat, 

ciens immanes gemitus,

et 

in terris

erat maxima expectatio.

At ille (mons)

peperit murem. 

Hoc scriptum est tibi,

qui,

cum minaris magna,

extricas nihil.

And here's the meter marked:

Mons par·turi·bat, gemi·tus im·manes · ciens,

erat·qu~ in ter·ris max·im~ ex·pecta·tio.

At il·le mu·rem pepe·rit. Hoc · script~ est · tibi,

qui, mag·na cum · mina·ris, ex·tricas · nihil.

You can find illustrations for the fable here. This one is by Tenniel:

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

Phaedrus (Burmann): Asellus Aeger et Lupus

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 one of Burmann's reconstructions of a Phaedrus poem.

Asellus Aeger et Lupus

Asinum aegrum visit lupus, et coepit tangere.

Interroganti corporis quae maxime

Partes dolerent, "Quas tu tangis," ille ait.

Sic se prodesse cum fingant, mali nocent.

There are many Aesop's fables about pretend-physicians. The donkey is not well enough to fight back physically, but he does fight back verbally, giving a witty reply to the wolf's fake solicitude. In English versions of the fable, the donkey's child opens the door when the wolf comes knocking, and when the wolves ask how the mother-donkey is feeling, the donkey-child answers, "Better than you hope!"

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

lupus

visit aegrum asinum 

et coepit tangere.

Ille (asinus) ait

(lupo) interroganti 

quae partes corporis 

maxime dolerent,

"(partes) 

quas tu tangis."

sic mali,

cum fingant 

se prodesse,

nocent.

And here's the meter marked:

Asin~ ae·grum vi·sit lupus · et coe·pit tan·gere.

Inter·rogan·ti, cor·poris · quae max·ime

Partes · dole·rent: quas · tu tan·gis, ill~ · ait.

Sic se · prodes·se quum · fingant · mali · nocent.

You can find illustrations for the fable here. Here is a great one by Billinghurst:

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

Desbillons: Sol et Noctua

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 Desbillons (1711-1789).

Sol et Noctua

Soli, quod eius sustinere noctua

Radios non posset, fecerat convicium;

"Non me, sed oculos," Sol ait, "culpa tuos."

In Latin, the owl, noctua, is a bird of the night (nox, night). 

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

Noctua

fecerat convicium

Soli,

quod 

non posset sustinere

eius radios;

Sol ait,

"Culpa

non me, 

sed oculos tuos."

And here's the meter marked:

Soli · quod ei · us sus · tine · re Noc · tua

Radios · non pos · set, fe · cerat · convi · cium;

Non me · sed ocu · los Sol · ait · culpa · tuos.

I don't have an illustration for this fable, but here's an illustration by Billinghurst for a different fable about an owl:

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

Desbillons: Auceps, Palumbus, et Serpens

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 Desbillons (1711-1789).

Auceps, Palumbus, et Serpens

Dolum Palumbo incautus Auceps dum struit,

Premit Anguem, cujus dente violatus perit.

Malum jure feres, quod parabis alteri.

Compare the moral of this story with the saying in the Biblical Book of Proverbs: Qui fodit foveam incidet in eam, et qui volvit lapidem revertetur ad eum, "Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein, and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him."

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

Incautus Auceps,

dum struit dolum Palumbo,

premit anguem, 

cujus dente violatus

perit.

Jure

feres [hoc] malum

quod parabis alteri.

And here's the meter marked:

Auceps, Palumbus, et Serpens

Dolum · Palum · b~ incau · tus Au · ceps dum · struit,

Premit an · guem, cuj · us den · te vio · latus · perit.

Malum · jure fe · res, quod · para · bis al · teri.

You can find illustrations for the fable here. This one is from the Medici Aesop:

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

Desbillons: Cancer et eius Filius

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 Desbillons (1711-1789).

Cancer et eius Filius

Ut prorsus iret, filium retrogradum

Cancer monebat; at filius, "I prae! Sequar."

Cuiquam ne objicias, quod tibi objici potest.

Crabs usually walk sideways, which is not exactly "retrograde" as the poem says, although some crabs do move backwards. The English word "crabwise" means "sideways."

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

Cancer monebat

retrogradum filium

ut iret prorsus; 

at filius [dixit], 

"I prae! 

Sequar."

Ne objicias cuiquam, 

quod potest objici tibi.

And here's the meter marked:

Ut pror · sus i · ret, fi · lium · retro · gradum

cancer · mone · bat; at · filius: · I prae, · sequar.

Cuiquam · n~ objici · as, quod · tib~ ob · jici · potest.

You can find illustrations for the fable here. Here is Heighway's illustration:

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

Barth: Calvaria

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 Caspar von Barth (1587-1658).

Calvaria

In triviis quondam, Calvaria glabra jacebat,

Reliquiae humani capitis cui Fata supremum

Invidere decus. Puer hanc petulante lapillo

Insultans petit, et convicia plurima jactat.

At lapis, impulsu teretis rejectus ab Ossis,

Insiluit faciem fugientis, et aspera rupit

Vulnere letali confinia frontis et auris.

The use of the phrase a teretis ossis with the passive participle rejectus makes the skull a character in the story: the skull throws back the stone! The boy's face is also described as if we are seeing it from the point of view of the skull: the skull is smooth, but the boy's face is all bumpy by comparison.

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

quondam

in triviis 

glabra calvaria iacebat,

relliquiae humani capitis, 

cui fata invidere 

supremum decus. 

Puer, insultans,

petit hanc 

petulante lapillo, 

et iactat plurima convicia.

at lapis,

reiectus ab teretis ossis,

impulsu 

insiluit faciem (pueri) fugientis, 

et rupit

aspera confinia frontis et auris

letali vulnere.

And here's the meter marked:

In trivi·is quon·dam Cal·varia · glabra ia·cebat

Relliqui·~ huma·ni capi·tis, cui · fata su·premum

Invi·dere de·cus. Puer · hanc petu·lante la·pillo

Insul·tans petit, · et con·vicia · plurima · iactat.

At lapis · impul·su tere·tis re·iectus ab · ossis

Insilu·it faci·em fugi·entis, et · aspera · rupit

Vulnere · leta·li con·finia · frontis et · auris.

wallpaper.com

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

Barth: Vulpis et Uva

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 Caspar von Barth (1587-1658).

Vulpis et Uva

Uvam impendentem nequiens comprendere saltu,

Omnia tentasset cum jam, vulpecula dixit,

"Immatura etiam gallaque es plena virenti!

Nos, nisi decoctis Phoebo, non vescimur uvis."

Ridicule haec homines, nequeunt quae prendere, temnunt.

This classic fable about the fox and the supposedly sour grapes gives rise to the English saying, "Sour grapes!" In this poem, the sour grapes are associated with sour wine, galla, made from green grapes that are not yet ripe.

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

vulpecula,

nequiens comprendere impendentem uvam

saltu,

cum iam tentasset omnia,

dixit:

"(tu) es immatura etiam 

et plena virenti galla!

nos non vescimur uvis, 

nisi decoctis Phoebo."

homines ridicule temnunt haec

quae nequeunt prendere.

And here's the hexameter meter marked:

Uv~ im·penden·tem nequi·ens com·prendere · saltu

Omnia · tentas·set cum · iam, vul·pecula · dixit

Imma·tur~ eti·am gal·laqu~ es · plena vi·renti,

Nos, nisi · decoc·tis Phoe·bo, non · vescimur · uvis.

Ridicu·l~ haec homi·nes neque·unt quae · prendere · temnunt.

You can find illustrations for the fable here. This illustration is from a 17th-century Aesop:

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

Alciato: Inanis Impetus

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 Andrea Alciato.

Inanis Impetus

Lunarem noctu, ut speculum, canis inspicit orbem,

Seque videns, alium credit inesse canem,

Et latrat, sed frustra: agitur vox irrita ventis,

Et peragit cursus surda Diana suos.

The goddess Diana is associated with the moon, while her brother, Apollo, is associated with the sun. Here is the emblem:

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

noctu

canis inspicit

lunarem orbem, 

ut speculum,

et, 

videns se, 

credit 

alium canem inesse,

et latrat,

sed frustra:

vox agitur ventis, 

irrita,

et Diana, surda,

peragit suos cursus.

And here's the meter marked:

Luna·rem noct~ · ut specu·lum, canis · inspicit · orbem,

Seque vi·dens, ali·um || credit in·esse ca·nem,

Et la·trat sed · frustr~ agi·tur vox · irrita · ventis,

Et pera·git cur·sus || surda Di·ana su·os.

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

Alciato: Alius Peccat, Alius Plectitur

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 Andrea Alciato (1492-1550).

Alius Peccat, Alius Plectitur

Arripit ut lapidem catulus morsuque fatigat,

Nec percussori mutua damna facit,

Sic plerique sinunt veros elabier hostes,

Et, quos nulla gravat noxia, dente petunt.

There is an Aesop's fable that expresses a similar idea: when a thief steals the bees' honey, the bees attack the beekeeper, who then rebukes them for attacking him instead of the one who actually took the honey: The Beekeeper (Perry 72). In Alciato's emblem, the stone is silent: it cannot rebuke the dog for biting the stone instead of attacking the one who threw it.

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

ut catulus 

arripit lapidem

et fatigat morsu

nec facit mutua damna

percussori,

sic plerique 

sinunt veros hostes elabier,

et petunt dente

quos 

nulla noxia gravat.

And here's the meter marked:

Arripit · ut lapi·dem catu·lus, mor·suque fa·tigat,

Nec per·cussori || mutua · damna · facit.

Sic ple·rique si·nunt ve·ros e·labier · hostes,

Et quos · nulla gra·vat || noxia · dente pe·tunt.

You can find illustrations for the emblem at the Glasgow site.

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

Candidus: Poma et Sterquilinium

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).

Poma et Sterquilinium

Cum pomis sterquilinium, superantibus undis,

Dum fluitat, magnum esse putans quod in amne vehatur

Velifero juxtaque adeo viridantia poma,

Continuo "Quam scite," inquit, "nos poma natamus!"

Sed non ista diu duravit gloria, nam, mox

Stercus it, in tenues resolutum evanuit auras.

Jactabundus homo nihil est nisi stercus in undis.

This is not a classical Aesop's fable, but it appears in Renaissance and later collections, such as Camerarius. The phrase "Nos poma natamus!" circulated independently as a saying, with the explanation being provided by the fable, much as the fable of the fox is needed to understand the saying "Sour grapes!"

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

superantibus undis,

sterquilinium,

dum fluitat 

cum pomis,

putans (se) esse magnum 

quod 

vehatur in velifero amne,

et adeo

iuxta viridantia poma,

continuo inquit,

"Quam scite nos poma natamus!"

sed ista gloria 

duravit non diu, 

nam mox stercus it, 

resolutum,

evanuit in tenues auras.

iactabundus homo 

nihil est

nisi stercus in undis.

And here's the meter marked:

Cum po·mis ster·quilini·um, supe·rantibus · undis,

Dum flui·tat mag·n~ esse pu·tans quod in · amne ve·hatur

Velife·ro, iux·taqu~ ade·o viri·dantia · poma.

Continu·o, quam · scit~ in·quit, nos · poma na·tamus!

Sed non · ista di·u du·ravit · gloria, · nam mox

Stercus it · in tenu·es reso·lut~ e·vanuit · auras.

Iacta·bundus ho·mo nihil · est, nisi · stercus in · undis.

I even have an illustration for the fable, from a book of children's fables illustrated by William Mulready:

And here's a satirical etching from England, How We Apples Swim, circa 1800, with Bonaparte as the horse-turd! There's a great commentary at the British Museum site which includes a large image you can zoom in on, plus the names of the other floating turds. [CC BY-NC-SA 4.0]

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

Faernus: Vulpes et Uva

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 Faernus (Gabriele Faerno, 1510-1561).

Vulpes et Uva

Vulpes, esuriens, alta de vite racemos

Pendentes nulla cum prensare arte valeret

Nec pedibus tantum aut agili se tollere saltu,

Re infecta, abscedens, haec secum, "Age, desine!" dixit,

"Immatura uva est gustuque insuavis acerbo."

This famous Aesop's fable is the origin of the English saying, "Sour grapes." Faernus's version of the story is actually a single sentence! By making use of participles describing the fox (esuriens, abscedens), a very long cum clause, an ablative absolute (re infecta), along with quoted speech, he has managed to tell the story with just one indicative verb: dixit.

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

Esuriens vulpes,

cum non valeret 

ulla arte

prensare racemos

pendentes de alta vite,

et non [valeret] 

tollere se tantum

pedibus 

aut agili saltu,

re infecta,

abscedens, 

dixit haec secum,

"Age desine!

Uva est 

immatura

et insuavis,

gustu acerbo."

And here's the meter marked:

Vulpes · esuri·ens al·ta de · vite ra·cemos

Penden·tes nul·la cum·prensar~ · arte va·leret,

Nec pedi·bus tant~ · aut agi·li se · tollere · saltu,

R~ infec·t~ absce·dens, haec · sec~ "Age · desine!" · dixit,

"Imma·tur~ uv~ · est gus·tuqu~ in·suavis a·cerbo."

Here is the illustration from the scan at the Internet Archive:

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

Candidus. Pavo Vocem Optans

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).

Pavo Vocem Optans

Voce Deae querula Junoni proprius ales

Supplicat ut, pulchris praestet cum corpore pennis,

Suavisonam quoque ei vellet concedere vocem,

Quando ea lusciniae excellens sit gloria parvae.

Juno refert fine, "Non uni dant omnia Divi."

This is a classic Aesop's fable, and there are other fables about the animals petitioning the gods, like the camel asking Jupiter for horns, etc.

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

proprius ales

supplicat Deae Junoni 

querula voce,

cum praestet 

corpore 

pulchris pennis,

ut quoque vellet 

concedere ei 

suavisonam vocem,

quando 

ea excellens gloria 

sit parvae lusciniae.

fine

Iuno refert, 

"Divi 

non dant omnia 

uni."

And here's the meter marked (note that the first syllable in fine scans short):

Voce, De·ae queru·la, Iu·noni · proprius · ales

Supplicat · ut pul·chris prae·stet cum · corpore · pennis,

Suaviso·nam quoqu~ e·i vel·let con·cedere · vocem,

Quand~ ea · luscini·~ excel·lens sit · gloria · parvae.

Iuno re·fert fine, · non u·ni dant · omnia · Divi.

You can find illustrations for the fable here. Here is an illustration from a 19th-century Aesop's fables:

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