Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Cerva et Vitis (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 17 in the collection. For more versions, see Perry 77.

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:

Aspice! vēnantēs fugiēns, sub vīte latēbat
Cerva; tegit rāmus; praeteriēre virī.
Intereā tūtum iam sē ferus esse putābat;
Incipit ingrātō carpere dente nemus.
Dum nemus ingrātus carpit, quassāre sequentēs
Prōspiciunt rāmum: dēbita poena ruit.
Namque feram latuisse ratī sub frondibus, arcum
Corripiunt; iaculō nec mora Cerva cadit.
Tum moriēns dīxit, "Nocuit mea culpa merentī;
Id, quō tūtus eram, vulnere saeva petō."


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

Aspice! Cerva, vēnantēs fugiēns, sub vīte latēbat; rāmus vitis Cervam tegit; virī praeteriēre. Intereā ferus putābat sē iam tūtum esse; Cerva nemus dente ingrātō carpere incipit. Dum ferus ingrātus nemus carpit, venatores sequentēs rāmum quassāre prōspiciunt: poena dēbita ruit. Nam venatores, ratī feram sub frondibus latuisse, arcum corripiunt; nec mora: Cerva iaculō cadit. Tum Cerva, moriēns, dīxit, "Culpa mea mihi merentī nocuit; id, quō tūtus eram, vulnere petō, saeva.


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):

Áspice! Cerva, venántes fúgiens, sub vite latébat; ramus vitis Cervam tegit; viri praeteriére. Intérea ferus putábat se iam tutum esse; Cerva nemus dente ingráto cárpere íncipit. Dum ferus ingrátus nemus carpit, venatóres sequéntes ramum quassáre prospíciunt: poena debita ruit. Nam venatóres, rati feram sub fróndibus latuísse, arcum corrípiunt; nec mora: Cerva iáculo cadit. Tum Cerva, móriens, dixit, "Culpa mea mihi merénti nócuit; id, quo tutus eram, vúlnere peto, saeva.


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.

Aspice!· vēnan·tēs fugi·ēns, sub· vīte la·tēbat
Cerva; te·git rā·mus; || praeteri·ēre vi·rī.
Intere·ā tū·tum iam· sē ferus· esse pu·tābat;
Incipit· ingrā·tō || carpere· dente ne·mus.
Dum nemus· ingrā·tus car·pit, quas·sāre se·quentēs
Prōspici·unt rā·mum: || dēbita· poena ru·it.
Namque fe·ram latu·isse ra·tī sub· frondibus,· arcum
Corripi·unt; iacu·lō || nec mora· Cerva ca·dit.
Tum mori·ēns dīx·it, Nocu·it mea· culpa me·rentī;
Id, quō· tūtus e·ram, || vulnere· saeva pe·tō.


IMAGE. Here's an illustration for the fable (image source), showing a young deer munching away:


What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches:
Aspice! Cerva, venantes fugiens, sub vite latebat; ramus vitis Cervam tegit; viri praeteriere. Interea ferus putabat se iam tutum esse; Cerva nemus dente ingrato carpere incipit. Dum ferus ingratus nemus carpit, venatores sequentes ramum quassare prospiciunt: poena debita ruit. Nam venatores, rati feram sub frondibus latuisse, arcum corripiunt; nec mora: Cerva iaculo cadit. Tum Cerva, moriens, dixit, "Culpa mea mihi merenti nocuit; id, quo tutus eram, vulnere peto, saeva.