Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Lupus et Ciconia (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 156. In LaFontaine, the fable is 3.9, Le Loup et la Cigogne.

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:

Lupō cuidam os, quod nimis avidē (ut fit) rōdēbat, in gutture haesit, ut paene perīret, quippe quī nē vōcem quidem ēmittere posset. Accidit forte ut praeterīret cicōnia, quam signō quōdam ad sē vocāvit ille. Accurrit igitur et os quam celerrimē extrāxit. Inde pretium poposcit. "Pretiumne," inquit, "ultrō poscis? Rīdicula rēs est! Nōnne satis est praemiī ē gutture meō collum retrāxisse? Abī, ingrāta! Cavē nē tē aliquandō opprimam!"



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):

Lupo cuidam os, quod nimis ávide (ut fit) rodébat, in gútture haesit, ut paene períret, quippe qui ne vocem quidem emíttere posset. Áccidit forte ut praeteríret cicónia, quam signo quodam ad se vocávit ille. Accúrrit ígitur et os quam celérrime extráxit. Inde prétium popóscit. "Pretiúmne," inquit, "ultro poscis? Ridícula res est! Nonne satis est praémii e gútture meo collum retraxísse? Abi, ingráta! Cave ne te aliquándo ópprimam!"



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:

Lupo cuidam
os,
quod nimis avide (ut fit) rodebat,
in gutture haesit,
ut paene periret,
quippe qui
ne vocem quidem
emittere posset.
Accidit forte
ut praeteriret ciconia,
quam
signo quodam
ad se vocavit ille.
Accurrit igitur
et os quam celerrime extraxit.
Inde pretium poposcit.
"Pretiumne," inquit, "ultro poscis?
Ridicula res est!
Nonne satis est praemii
e gutture meo collum retraxisse?
Abi, ingrata!
Cave
ne te aliquando opprimam!"



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