Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Leo Senex et Asinus (Porta Latina)

SOURCE: The text is taken from the Latin textbook Porta Latina: Fables of La Fontaine by Frank Gardner Moore, available at GoogleBooks. You can consult the textbook for vocabulary and also for notes on each fable. For more information and other versions of this fable, see Perry 481. In LaFontaine, the fable is 3.14, Le Lion devenu vieux.

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:

Leō senex, quī silvīs ōlim terrōri fuerat, iam prīstinam virtūtem suam multō cum dolōre dēsiderābat, cum interim in eum, cui ōlim pārēbant, impetum facerent animālia, nunc eō fortiōra quō ipse imbēcillior erat. Equus enim ungulā leōnem petit, bōs cornū, mordet lupus. Ille autem miser, quī in hōrās languidior ac trīstior, seniō cōnfectus vix iam rudere posset, mortem tacitus exspectābat, usque dum asinum quoque in spēluncam festīnantem cōnspicātus. "Ohē!" inquit, "nimium sānē hoc est; morī equidem cupiō; tuum autem impetum tolerāre bis morī est."



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):

Leo senex, qui silvis olim terróri fúerat, iam prístinam virtútem suam multo cum dolóre desiderábat, cum ínterim in eum, cui olim parébant, ímpetum fácerent animália, nunc eo fortióra quo ipse imbecíllior erat. Equus enim úngula leónem petit, bos cornu, mordet lupus. Ille autem miser, qui in horas languídior ac trístior, sénio conféctus vix iam rúdere posset, mortem tácitus exspectábat, usque dum ásinum quoque in spelúncam festinántem conspicátus. "Ohe!" inquit, "nímium sane hoc est; mori équidem cúpio; tuum autem ímpetum toleráre bis mori est."



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; I've inserted spaces between the segments to make it easier to follow:

Leo senex,
qui silvis
olim terrori fuerat,
iam pristinam virtutem suam
multo cum dolore desiderabat,
cum interim
in eum,
cui olim parebant,
impetum facerent animalia,
nunc eo fortiora
quo ipse imbecillior erat.
Equus enim
ungula leonem petit,
bos cornu,
mordet lupus.
Ille autem miser,
qui in horas languidior ac tristior,
senio confectus
vix iam rudere posset,
mortem tacitus exspectabat,
usque dum asinum quoque
in speluncam festinantem conspicatus.
"Ohe!" inquit,
"nimium sane hoc est;
mori equidem cupio;
tuum autem impetum tolerare
bis mori est."



IMAGE. Here is the illustration of the fable by Aractingy: