Friday, January 29, 2010

Asinus in Pelle Leonis (Trinity)

SOURCE: This poem was composed by the anonymous "Trinity Master" who published a lovely little book in 1852 setting Latin fables in prose side-by-side with his verse compositions; read the book at Google Books. This is poem 26 in the collection. For more versions, see Perry 358.

READ OUT LOUD. Choose which marked text you prefer to practice with - macrons in verse form, or macrons in prose order, or accent marks in prose order, or focusing on the meter. You will find materials for all of these options below. :-)


VERSE MACRONS. Here is the verse text with macrons:

Ipsum cognoscās; nōlī simulāre, quod haud es;
Ūtere contentus, quod tibi sorte datum est.
Contigit exuviās reperisse leōnis Asellō;
Mox hīs indūtus pascua lata petit.
Aggrediēns laetosque gregēs armentaque terret:
Diffugiunt vīsū; corda timōre micant.
Mox dominus, quaerēns fugitīvum, vīsus adīre;
Hunc etiam rugiēns vult pepulisse ferus.
Attamen auriculās longās ait ille prehendēns,
"Forte aliōs fallās; haec mihi signa manent."


PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:

Ipsum cognoscās; nōlī simulāre, quod haud es; contentus ūtere, quod tibi datum est sorte. Asellō contigit leōnis exuviās reperisse; mox hīs indūtus pascua lata petit. Aggrediēns, terret et laetos gregēs et armenta: diffugiunt vīsū; corda timōre micant. Mox Dominus, fugitīvum quaerēns, adīre vīsus; ferus, rugiēns, etiam hunc pepulisse vult, attamen ille, auriculās longās prehendēns ait, "Forte aliōs fallās; haec signa mihi manent."


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

Ipsum cognóscas; noli simuláre, quod haud es; conténtus útere, quod tibi datum est sorte. Aséllo cóntigit leónis exúvias reperísse; mox his indútus páscua lata petit. Aggrédiens, terret et laetos greges et arménta: diffúgiunt visu; corda timóre micant. Mox Dóminus, fugitívum quaerens, adíre visus; ferus, rúgiens, étiam hunc pepulísse vult, áttamen ille, aurículas longas prehéndens ait, "Forte álios fallas; haec signa mihi manent."


ELEGIAC COUPLET METER. Below I have used an interpunct dot · to indicate the metrical elements in each line, and a double line || to indicate the hemistichs of the pentameter line.

Ipsum· cognos·cās; nō·lī simu·lāre, quod· haud es;
Ūtere· conten·tus, || quod tibi· sorte da·t~ est.
Contigit· exuvi·ās repe·risse le·ōnis A·sellō;
Mox hīs· indū·tus || pascua· lata pe·tit.
Aggredi·ēns lae·tosque gre·gēs ar·mentaque· terret:
Diffugi·unt vī·sū; || corda ti·mōre mi·cant.
Mox domi·nus, quae·rēns fugi·tīvum,· vīsus a·dīre;
Hunc eti·am rugi·ēns || vult pepu·lisse fe·rus.
Attame·n auricu·lās lon·gās ait· ille pre·hendēns,
Fort~ ali·ōs fal·lās; || haec mihi· signa ma·nent.


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


What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches: Ipsum cognoscas; noli simulare, quod haud es; contentus utere, quod tibi datum est sorte. Asello contigit leonis exuvias reperisse; mox his indutus pascua lata petit. Aggrediens, terret et laetos greges et armenta: diffugiunt visu; corda timore micant. Mox Dominus, fugitivum quaerens, adire visus; ferus, rugiens, etiam hunc pepulisse vult, attamen ille, auriculas longas prehendens ait, "Forte alios fallas; haec signa mihi manent."