Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Milvi et Cycni (Aphthonius)

SOURCE: This is a Latin version of Aphthonius's Greek fables; you can see them side-by-side with the Greek text in Nevelet's 1660 edition of Fabulae Variorum Auctorum at GoogleBooks. This is fable 3 in Aphthonius; for other versions, see Perry 396.

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:

Quālem cȳcnīs nātūra cantum, tālem anteā quoque milvīs dederat. Sed, cum equōs hinnientēs audīrent et hinnītūs amōre captī, cōnārentur imitārī, etiam ea quae habēbant cum iīs āmīsēre quae studēbant discere. Ita nec hinnīre didicērunt et canere sunt oblītī.


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):

Qualem cycnis natúra cantum, talem ántea quoque milvis déderat. Sed cum equos hinniéntes audírent et hinnítus amóre capti, conaréntur imitári, étiam ea quae habébant cum iis amisére, quae studébant díscere. Ita nec hinníre didicérunt et cánere sunt oblíti.


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:

Qualem cycnis natura
cantum,
talem
antea quoque milvis
dederat.
Sed
cum equos hinnientes audirent
et hinnitus amore capti,
conarentur imitari,
etiam ea
quae habebant
cum iis amisere
quae studebant discere.
Ita
nec hinnire didicerunt
et canere sunt obliti.



IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source) showing swans singing along with some human musicians: