Monday, August 3, 2009

Anus et Anser (Barlow)

SOURCE: Aesop’s Fables in Latin: Ancient Wit and Wisdom from the Animal Kingdom. For more information - including vocabulary lists and grammar comments - see the page for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

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:

Anus quaedam Ānserem alēbat, quī illī quotīdiē ōvum aureum exclūdēbat. Anus avārissima, existimāns Ānserem habuisse in visceribus fodīnam auream, cupiditāte commōta, Ānserem confestim interfēcit et, cum viscera perscrūtābātur et ūnicum tantum ōvum dēprehenderat, spē sublactātā inānī, exclāmābat, “Ō mē infēlīcem, tantae crūdēlitātis cōnsciam, quae, nōn modicō contenta lucrō, iam omnia perdiderim.”



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):

Anus quaedam Ánserem alébat, qui illi quotídie ovum aúreum excludébat. Anus avaríssima, exístimans Ánserem habuísse in viscéribus fodínam aúream, cupiditáte commóta, Ánserem conféstim interfécit et, cum víscera perscrutabátur et únicum tantum ovum deprehénderat, spe sublactáta ináni, exclamábat, “O me infelícem, tantae crudelitátis cónsciam, quae, non módico conténta lucro, iam ómnia perdíderim.”


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:

Anus quaedam Anserem alebat, qui illi quotidie ovum aureum excludebat. Anus avarissima, existimans Anserem habuisse in visceribus fodinam auream, cupiditate commota, Anserem confestim interfecit et, cum viscera perscrutabatur et unicum tantum ovum deprehenderat, spe sublactata inani, exclamabat, “O me infelicem, tantae crudelitatis consciam, quae, non modico contenta lucro, iam omnia perdiderim.”



IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source).