Sunday, October 4, 2009

Mus Urbanus et Mus Rusticus (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:

Mūs Rūsticus, vidēns Urbānum Mūrem rūs deambulantem, invītat ad cēnam dēprōmitque omne penum, ut tantī hospitis expleat lautitiam. Urbānus Mūs rūris damnat inopiam urbisque cōpiam laudat, sēcumque in urbem dūcit Rūsticum. Quī, inter epulandum attonitus īnsolitīs clāmōribus, cum intellexerat perīculum quotīdiānum esse, dīxit Urbānō Mūrī, “Tuae dapēs plūs fellis quam mellis habent. Mālō sēcūrus esse cum meā inopiā quam dīves esse cum tuā anxietāte.”



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):

Mus Rústicus, videns Urbánum Murem rus deambulántem, invítat ad cenam depromítque omne penum, ut tanti hóspitis éxpleat lautítiam. Urbánus Mus ruris damnat inópiam urbísque cópiam laudat, secúmque in urbem ducit Rústicum. Qui, inter epulándum attónitus insólitis clamóribus, cum intelléxerat perículum quotidiánum esse, dixit Urbáno Muri, “Tuae dapes plus fellis quam mellis habent. Malo secúrus esse cum mea inópia quam dives esse cum tua anxietáte.”



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:

Mus Rusticus, videns Urbanum Murem rus deambulantem, invitat ad cenam depromitque omne penum, ut tanti hospitis expleat lautitiam. Urbanus Mus ruris damnat inopiam urbisque copiam laudat, secumque in urbem ducit Rusticum. Qui, inter epulandum attonitus insolitis clamoribus, cum intellexerat periculum quotidianum esse, dixit Urbano Muri, “Tuae dapes plus fellis quam mellis habent. Malo securus esse cum mea inopia quam dives esse cum tua anxietate.”



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