Sunday, January 10, 2010

Mus et Rana (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 4 in the collection. This version of the battle between the frog and the mouse, with a battle and weapons, can be seen in modern fable collections, like the one illustrated by Francis Barlow (see below).

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:

Horrida cum Rānā Mūs ōlim bella gerēbat;
Praemia bellōrum rēgna palūdis erant.
Iamque diū pugnant; vehemēns certāmen et anceps:
Tractaque erant longā bella propinqua morā.
Callidus in stipulīs latuit Mūs; inde parāvit
Īnsidiās; cōram cuspide Rāna petit.
Iuncea cuspis erat bellantibus. Exitus illīs
Stat tamen in dubiō; dēnique fīnis adest.
Scīlicet incautōs commūnis ab aethere cernit
Hostis; et approperāns Milvus utrumque rapit.


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

Ōlim Mūs cum Rānā bella horrida gerēbat; praemia bellōrum rēgna palūdis erant. Et iam diū pugnant: certāmen vehemēns et anceps erat, et bella propinqua erant, morā longā tracta. Mūs callidus in stipulīs latuit; inde īnsidiās parāvit. Cōram, Rāna Murem cuspide petit; bellantibus iuncea cuspis erat. Exitus tamen illīs in dubiō stat; dēnique fīnis adest: scīlicet Milvus, hostis commūnis, ab aethere incautōs cernit et, approperāns, utrumque rapit.


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):

Olim Mus cum Rana bella hórrida gerébat; praémia bellórum regna palúdis erant. Et iam diu pugnant: certámen véhemens et anceps erat, et bella propínqua erant, mora longa tracta. Mus cállidus in stípulis látuit; inde insídias parávit. Coram, Rana Murem cúspide petit; bellántibus iúncea cuspis erat. Éxitus tamen illis in dúbio stat; dénique finis adest: scílicet Milvus, hostis commúnis, ab aéthere incaútos cernit et, appróperans, utrúmque rapit.


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.

Horrida· cum Rā·nā Mūs· ōlim· bella ge·rēbat;
Praemia· bellō·rum || rēgna pa·lūdis e·rant.
Iamque di·ū pug·nant vehe·mēns cer·tāmen et· anceps
Tractaqu~ e·rant lon·gā || bella pro·pinqua mo·rā.
Callidus· in stipu·līs latu·it Mūs;· inde pa·rāvit
Īnsidi·ās; cō·ram || cuspide· Rāna pe·tit.
Iuncea· cuspis e·rat bel·lantibus.· Exitus· illīs
Stat tamen· in dubi·ō; || dēnique· fīnis ad·est.
Scīlicet· incau·tōs com·mūnis a·b aethere· cernit
Hostis; et· apprope·rāns || Milvus u·trumque ra·pit.


IMAGE. Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:


What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches:
Olim Mus cum Rana bella horrida gerebat; praemia bellorum regna paludis erant. Et iam diu pugnant: certamen vehemens et anceps erat, et bella propinqua erant, mora longa tracta. Mus callidus in stipulis latuit; inde insidias paravit. Coram, Rana Murem cuspide petit; bellantibus iuncea cuspis erat. Exitus tamen illis in dubio stat; denique finis adest: scilicet Milvus, hostis communis, ab aethere incautos cernit et, approperans, utrumque rapit.