Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Serpens et Lima (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 93. In LaFontaine, the fable is 5.16, Le Serpent et la Lime.

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:

Serpēns quīdam in vicīnī suī tabernam ingressus esse dīcitur, ut cibum peteret, neque quicquam quod rōderet invēnisse nisi līmam. Tē miserum, inquit haec, atque īnscium! Quidnam tibi vīs? Dūriōrem quam tē rem adgrederis. Prius omnēs tibi dentēs, stultissime, rūperis, quam mihi vel minimum abrādēs. Sōla vetustās mē exedet. Haec ad īnfimos illōs pertinent, quī, pessimīs ingeniīs inductī, bona omnia rōdant. Nēquīquam autem sē torquent, cum dentēs suōs in tot bellīs rēbus sē imprimere crēdant; quae tamen illīs sunt velut aes atque adamās.



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):

Serpens quidam in vicíni sui tabérnam ingréssus esse dícitur, ut cibum péteret, neque quicquam quod róderet invenísse nisi limam. Te míserum, inquit haec, atque ínscium! Quidnam tibi vis? Duriórem quam te rem adgréderis. Prius omnes tibi dentes, stultíssime, rúperis, quam mihi vel minimum abrádes. Sola vetústas me éxedet. Haec ad ínfimos illos pértinent, qui, péssimis ingéniis indúcti, bona ómnia rodant. Nequíquam autem se torquent, cum dentes suos in tot bellis rebus se imprímere credant; quae tamen illis sunt velut aes atque ádamas.



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:

Serpens quidam
in vicini sui tabernam
ingressus esse dicitur,
ut cibum peteret,
neque quicquam quod roderet invenisse
nisi limam.
Te miserum, inquit haec,
atque inscium!
Quidnam tibi vis?
Duriorem quam te rem adgrederis.
Prius
omnes tibi dentes, stultissime, ruperis,
quam
mihi vel minimum abrades.
Sola vetustas me exedet.
Haec
ad infimos illos pertinent,
qui,
pessimis ingeniis inducti,
bona omnia rodant.
Nequiquam autem se torquent,
cum dentes suos
in tot bellis rebus
se imprimere credant;
quae tamen
illis sunt
velut aes atque adamas.



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