Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Lupus et Hystrix (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 24 in the collection. This is a fable from Abstemius.
You can find the word list for this fable online at NoDictionaries.com, and use it interactively.

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:

Hystrice vescendī pervāsit forte cupīdo
Summa Lupum; ēsuries īnsatiāta premit.
Ast illa hirsūtīs spīnīs mūnīta manēbat
Undique; nōn ardēns audet adīre Lupus.
Intereā, bellō cum vincere nescit apertō,
Quod superest illī, fraude dolōque petit.
"Tempore nē pācis cūrēs tua tēla tulisse;
Nam, nisi Mars īnstat, nōn sua mīles habet:"
Īnsidiātor ait; cuī tālia rettulit Hystrix,
"Quā lupus est, illīc tēla tenēre decet."


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

Forte, cupīdo summa Hystrice vescendī Lupum pervāsit; ēsuries īnsatiāta premit. Ast Hystrix illa hirsūtīs spīnīs undique mūnīta manēbat; Lupus ardēns adīre nōn audet. Intereā, cum vincere nescit bellō apertō, fraude et dolō petit (quod illī superest). "Nē cūrēs tua tēla tulisse pācis tempore; nam, nisi Mars īnstat, mīles sua tela nōn habet" īnsidiātor ait; cuī Hystrix tālia rettulit: "Quā lupus est, illīc tēla tenēre decet."


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):

Forte, cupído summa Hýstrice vescéndi Lupum pervásit; esúries insatiáta premit. Ast Hystrix illa hirsútis spinis úndique muníta manébat; Lupus ardens adíre non audet. Intérea, cum víncere nescit bello apérto, fraude et dolo petit (quod illi súperest). "Ne cures tua tela tulísse pacis témpore; nam, nisi Mars instat, miles sua tela non habet" insidiátor ait; cui Hystrix tália réttulit: "Qua lupus est, illic tela tenére decet."


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.

Hystrice· vescen·dī per·vāsit· forte cu·pīdo
Summa Lup~;· ēsuri·es || īnsati·āta pre·mit.
Ast il·l~ hirsū·tīs spī·nīs mū·nīta ma·nēbat
Undique;· nōn ar·dēns || audet a·dīre Lu·pus.
Intere·ā, bel·lō cum· vincere· nescit a·pertō,
Quod supe·rest il·lī, || fraude do·lōque pe·tit.
Tempore· nē pā·cis cū·rēs tua· tēla tu·lisse;
Nam, nisi· Mars īn·stat, || nōn sua· mīles ha·bet:
Īnsidi·ātor a·it; cuī· tālia· rettuli·t Hystrix,
Quā lupus· est, il·līc || tēla te·nēre de·cet.


IMAGE. Here's an illustration for the fable (image source) showing a high-spirited hedgehog:


What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches: Forte, cupido summa Hystrice vescendi Lupum pervasit; esuries insatiata premit. Ast Hystrix illa hirsutis spinis undique munita manebat; Lupus ardens adire non audet. Interea, cum vincere nescit bello aperto, fraude et dolo petit (quod illi superest). "Ne cures tua tela tulisse pacis tempore; nam, nisi Mars instat, miles sua tela non habet" insidiator ait; cui Hystrix talia rettulit: "Qua lupus est, illic tela tenere decet."