Sunday, November 15, 2009

Cervus in Aquas Inspiciens (Barlow)

SOURCE: Aesop's Fables in Latin. For more information and reading help for this fable, see the page for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

READ OUT LOUD. Choose which marked text you prefer to practice with - macrons or accent marks - and read the text out loud until you feel comfortable and confident. Then, try reading the unmarked text at the bottom. It should be easy for you after practicing with the marked texts. :-)


MACRONS. Here is the text with macrons:

Cervus, sēdandī sitim grātia, ad fontem dēscendit et, ibī tōtum corpus dēspectāns, cornua magnopere praestantia laudavit, sed tībiālium tenuitātem maximē dēprecātus est. Sed mox canum circumlātrantium ingruēbat horror et ille per tībiālium vēlōcitātem confūgit ad silvās et ibī miserrimē ā cornibus dētinēbātur. Quī tum moribundulus sīc ultimum efflāvit hālitum: “Mē miserum, quī tībiālium damnāvī tenuitātem, quae mihi salūtem, et cornuum laudāvī praestantiam, quae mihi ruīnam peperērunt.”



ACCENT MARKS. Here is the text with ecclesiastical accents, plus some color-coding for the words of three or more syllables (blue: penultimate stress; red: antepenultimate stress):

Cervus, sedándi sitim grátia, ad fontem descéndit et, ibi totum corpus despéctans, córnua magnópere praestántia laudávit, sed tibiálium tenuitátem máxime deprecátus est. Sed mox canum circumlatrántium ingruébat horror et ille per tibiálium velocitátem confúgit ad silvas et ibi misérrime a córnibus detinebátur. Qui tum moribúndulus sic últimum efflávit hálitum: “Me míserum, qui tibiálium damnávi tenuitátem, quae mihi salútem, et córnuum laudávi praestántiam, quae mihi ruínam peperérunt.”


UNMARKED TEXT. Here is the unmarked text - after practicing with the marked text that you prefer, you should not have any trouble with the unmarked text:

Cervus, sedandi sitim gratia, ad fontem descendit et, ibi totum corpus despectans, cornua magnopere praestantia laudavit, sed tibialium tenuitatem maxime deprecatus est. Sed mox canum circumlatrantium ingruebat horror et ille per tibialium velocitatem confugit ad silvas et ibi miserrime a cornibus detinebatur. Qui tum moribundulus sic ultimum efflavit halitum: “Me miserum, qui tibialium damnavi tenuitatem, quae mihi salutem, et cornuum laudavi praestantiam, quae mihi ruinam pepererunt.”



IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source).