Saturday, April 17, 2010

Musca et Formica (Barlow)

SOURCE: You can find Francis Barlow's illustrated edition of Aesop's fables (1687 edition) available online at Michigan State University. I've also transcribed the fables at the Aesopus wiki, with page images at Aesopica.net. This is fable 48 in Barlow. For parallel versions, see Perry 521.

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:

Musca contendēbat cum Formīca, clāmitāns sēsē esse nōbilem, illam ignōbilem, sē volitāre, illam repere. Ē regiōne Formīca praedicēbat, sē nōn ignōbilem esse, sed nātālibus suīs contentam, Muscam vagam esse, sēsē stabilem et laetam, omnibusque cāram et magnī dēnique exemplar labōris; Muscam omnibus molestam esse, omnibus invīsam. Sēsē hiemis memorem alimenta repōnere, Muscam in aestāte vīvere, in hieme aut ēsuritūram aut moritūram.


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):

Musca contendébat cum Formíca, clámitans sese esse nóbilem, illam ignóbilem, se volitáre, illam répere. E regióne Formíca praedicébat, se non ignóbilem esse, sed natálibus suis conténtam, Muscam vagam esse, sese stábilem et laetam, omnibúsque caram et magni dénique exémplar labóris; Muscam ómnibus moléstam esse, ómnibus invísam. Sese híemis mémorem aliménta repónere, Muscam in aestáte vívere, in híeme aut esuritúram aut moritúram.


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:

Musca
contendebat cum Formica,
clamitans
sese esse nobilem,
illam ignobilem,
se volitare,
illam repere.
E regione
Formica praedicebat,
se
non ignobilem esse,
sed natalibus suis contentam,
Muscam
vagam esse,
sese
stabilem et laetam,
omnibusque caram
et magni denique exemplar laboris;
Muscam
omnibus molestam esse,
omnibus invisam.
Sese
hiemis memorem
alimenta reponere,
Muscam
in aestate vivere,
in hieme
aut esurituram aut morituram.



IMAGE. Here is Francis Barlow's illustration for the story: