Monday, January 4, 2010

Corvus et Vulpes (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 124. In LaFontaine, the fable is 1.2, Le Corbeau et le Renard.

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:

Corvus in arbore sedēns cāseum rōstrō tenēbat, cum vulpēs quaedam odōre adlecta "Salvē" inquit "mī corve, quam pulcher, quam bellus es! Sī vōx tua cum plūmis congruit, tamquam phoenīx es inter cēterās avēs!" Tum ille prae gaudiō vix iam sānus, dum ōs, ut vōcem dulcissimam ostenderet, magnō hiātū aperit, cāseum omīsit. Quō statim raptō "Scītō" inquit "adsentātōrem eius semper sūmptū vīvere quī audiat. Hoc profectō didicisse plūris est quam cāseus ūnus." Corvus autem sērius iūrāvit numquam posteā sē ita captum īrī.



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):

Corvus in árbore sedens cáseum rostro tenébat, cum vulpes quaedam odóre adlécta "Salve" inquit "mi corve, quam pulcher, quam bellus es! Si vox tua cum plumis cóngruit, tamquam phoenix es inter céteras aves!" Tum ille prae gaúdio vix iam sanus, dum os, ut vocem dulcíssimam osténderet, magno hiátu áperit, cáseum omísit. Quo statim rapto "Scito" inquit "adsentatórem eius semper sumptu vívere qui aúdiat. Hoc profécto didicísse pluris est quam cáseus unus." Corvus autem sérius iurávit numquam póstea se ita captum iri.


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:

Corvus
in arbore sedens
caseum rostro tenebat,
cum vulpes
quaedam odore adlecta
"Salve" inquit "mi corve,
quam pulcher, quam bellus es!
Si vox tua
cum plumis congruit,
tamquam phoenix es
inter ceteras aves!"
Tum ille
prae gaudio vix iam sanus,
dum os,
ut vocem dulcissimam ostenderet,
magno hiatu aperit,
caseum omisit.
Quo statim rapto
"Scito" inquit
"adsentatorem
eius semper sumptu vivere
qui audiat.
Hoc profecto didicisse
pluris est
quam caseus unus."
Corvus autem serius iuravit
numquam postea se ita captum iri.



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