Friday, June 5, 2009

Acanthis et Luscinia (Gildersleeve)

SOURCE: A Latin Reader by Basil Lanneau Gildersleeve. This is not a fable I have seen in other sources, except for other 19th-century Latin readers. Does anyone else know of an earlier source?

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:

Luscinia et acanthis ante fenestram in caveīs inclūsae pendēbant. Luscinia cantum iūcundissimum incipit. Pater fīlium interrogat, utra avis tam suāviter canat, et ostendit eī utramque. Fīlius statim: Sine dubiō, inquit, acanthis ista est, quae sonōs illōs suāvissimōs ēdit; pennās enim habet pulcherrimās. Haec fābula eōs reprehendit, quī hominēs ex vestibus et formā aestimant.



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):

Luscínia et acánthis ante fenéstram in cáveis inclúsae pendébant. Luscínia cantum iucundíssimum íncipit. Pater fílium intérrogat, utra avis tam suáviter canat, et osténdit ei utrámque. Fílius statim: Sine dúbio, inquit, acánthis ista est, quae sonos illos suavíssimos edit; pennas enim habet pulchérrimas. Haec fábula eos reprehéndit, qui hómines ex véstibus et forma áestimant.


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:

Luscinia et acanthis
ante fenestram
in caveis inclusae
pendebant.
Luscinia
cantum iucundissimum incipit.
Pater
filium interrogat,
utra avis
tam suaviter canat,
et ostendit ei utramque.
Filius statim:
"Sine dubio (inquit)
acanthis ista est,
quae
sonos illos suavissimos edit;
pennas enim habet pulcherrimas."
Haec fabula
eos reprehendit,
qui
homines
ex vestibus et forma aestimant.



IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source), showing a beautiful little goldfinch: