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 iambic meter. You will find materials for all of these options below. :-)
VERSE MACRONS. Here is the verse text with macrons:
Asinus iacentem vīdit in prātō lyram;
accessit et temptāvit chordās ungulā.
Sonuēre tāctae. "Bella rēs meherculēs
male cessit" inquit "artis quia sum nescius.
Sī repperisset aliquis hanc prūdentior,
dīvīnīs aurēs oblectāsset cantibus."
Sīc saepe ingenia calamitāte intercidunt.
PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Asinus lyram vīdit in prātō iacentem; accessit et ungulā chordās temptāvit. Tāctae sonuēre. Inquit: "Meherculēs! Bella rēs male cessit quia artis nescius sum. Sī aliquis prūdentior hanc repperisset, cantibus dīvīnīs aurēs oblectāsset." Sīc ingenia saepe calamitāte intercidunt.
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):
Ásinus lyram vidit in prato iacéntem; accéssit et úngula chordas temptávit. Tactae sonuére. Inquit: "Mehércules! Bella res male cessit quia artis néscius sum. Si áliquis prudéntior hanc repperísset, cántibus divínis aures oblectásset." Sic ingénia saepe calamitáte intércidunt.
IAMBIC METER. Here is the verse text with some color coding to assist in the iambic meter. The disyllabic elements (iambs/spondees) are not marked, but the trisyllabic elements are color-coded: dactyls are red, anapests are purple, and tribrachs are green (as is any proceleusmaticus, although that is a rare creature); for more information, here are some Notes on Iambic Meter.
Asinus· iacen·tem vī·dit in· prātō· lyram;
acces·sit et· temptā·vit chor·dās un·gulā.
Sonuē·re tāc·tae. "Bel·la rēs· meher·culēs
male ces·sit" in·quit "ar·tis quia· sum ne·scius.
Sī rep·peris·set ali·quis hanc· prūden·tior,
dīvī·nīs au·rēs ob·lectās·set can·tibus."
Sīc sae·p~ ingeni·a cala·mitā·t~ inter·cidunt.
IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source) showing an ancient lyre:
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches:
Asinus lyram vidit in prato iacentem; accessit et ungula chordas temptavit. Tactae sonuere. Inquit: "Mehercules! Bella res male cessit quia artis nescius sum. Si aliquis prudentior hanc repperisset, cantibus divinis aures oblectasset." Sic ingenia saepe calamitate intercidunt.
