Monday, January 18, 2010

Cervus et Vitis (Porta Latina)

SOURCE: The text is taken from the Latin textbook Porta Latina: Fables of La Fontaine by Frank Gardner Moore, available at GoogleBooks. You can consult the textbook for vocabulary and also for notes on each fable. For more information and other versions of this fable, see Perry 77. In LaFontaine, the fable is 5.15, Le Cerf et la Vigne.

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:

Vēnātōrēs quondam, cum cervus sub vīte altā ac dēnsā sē salvum condidisset, canēs suōs, quōs in culpā esse putābant, revocāvērunt. Tum ille vītem post perīculum ingrātus mordēbat, dum illī eum audītō sonitū regressī, exēgērunt atque ibīdem interfēcērunt. Iūstam, inquit, poenam solvō. Ecce vōbīs, ingrātī, sim exemplō! Et statim canibus praedae fuit, neque vēnātōrēs morientis lacrimās plūris aestimābant.



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):

Venatóres quondam, cum cervus sub vite alta ac densa se salvum condidísset, canes suos, quos in culpa esse putábant, revocavérunt. Tum ille vitem post perículum ingrátus mordébat, dum illi eum, audíto sónitu regréssi, exegérunt atque íbidem interfecérunt. Iustam, inquit, poenam solvo. Ecce vobis, ingráti, sim exémplo! Et statim cánibus praedae fuit, neque venátores moriéntis lácrimas pluris aestimábant.



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; I've inserted spaces between the segments to make it easier to follow:

Venatores quondam,
cum cervus
sub vite alta ac densa
se salvum condidisset,
canes suos,
quos in culpa esse putabant,
revocaverunt.
Tum ille
vitem
post periculum ingratus
mordebat,
dum illi
eum,
audito sonitu regressi,
exegerunt
atque ibidem interfecerunt.
Iustam, inquit, poenam solvo.
Ecce vobis, ingrati,
sim exemplo!
Et statim canibus
praedae fuit,
neque venatores
morientis lacrimas
pluris aestimabant.




IMAGE. Here is the illustration of the fable by Aractingy: