Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Boves et Coquus (Babrius-prose)

SOURCE: This is a Latin prose version of Babrius's Greek verse fables, as published by Jean François Boissonade in 1844; the book is available at GoogleBooks. This is fable 21 in Boissonade's edition; for other versions, see Perry 290.

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:

Bovēs quondam coquōs quaerēbant perdere, quippe quī sibi inimīcam tractābant artem. Et ideo congregābantur iam ad proelium acuentēs cornua. Ūnus vērō illōrum aliquis, valdē senex (arāverat enim diū): Istī quidem, ait, nōs perītīs mactant manibus, ac magnō trucīdant sine cruciātū. Quod sī in imperītōs incidēmus hominēs, dūplex tunc impendēbit mors. Nōn dēerit enim quī bovem immolet, coquus etsi dēfuerit." Quī praesēns effugere cupit infortūnium, prōvidēre dēbet nē pēius quid inveniat sibi.


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

Boves quondam coquos quaerébant pérdere, quippe qui sibi inimícam tractábant artem. Et ídeo congregabántur iam ad proélium acuéntes córnua. Unus vero illórum áliquis, valde senex (aráverat enim diu): Isti quidem, ait, nos perítis mactant mánibus, ac magno trucídant sine cruciátu. Quod si in imperítos incidémus hómines, duplex tunc impendébit mors. Non déerit enim qui bovem ímmolet, coquus etsi defúerit." Qui praesens effúgere cupit infortúnium, providére debet ne peius quid invéniat sibi.


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:

Boves quondam
coquos quaerebant perdere,
quippe qui
sibi inimicam tractabant artem.
Et ideo
congregabantur
iam ad proelium
acuentes cornua.
Unus vero illorum aliquis,
valde senex
(araverat enim diu):
Isti quidem, ait,
nos
peritis mactant manibus,
ac magno trucidant sine cruciatu.
Quod
si in imperitos incidemus homines,
duplex tunc impendebit mors.
Non deerit enim
qui bovem immolet,
coquus etsi defuerit."
Qui
praesens effugere cupit infortunium,
providere debet
ne peius quid inveniat sibi.



IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source) showing some beef on the hoof: