Friday, February 5, 2010

Asinus et catulus (Osius)

SOURCE: The poem comes from Phryx Aesopus Habitu Poetico, by Hieronymus Osius, published in 1574, and online at the University of Mannheim as page images and text scan. This is poem 12 in the collection. For parallel versions, see Perry 91.

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:

Esse vidēbat herum Catulō dēlīrus amīcum,
Quī stolidī pecoris crīmen Asellus habet;
Saepius huic recipī gremiō cum cerneret illum,
Spērat idem stultē posse licēre sibī.
Assultāret herō persuāsit inepta cupīdo,
Iamque ad blanditiās ingeniōsus erat.
Sed movet ūsus herum perversō mōre placendī,
Corrigat ut stultum fustibus hūius opus.
Quod nātūra negat, nōn affectāre labōrēs,
Nōn hanc ex facilī dissimulāre licet.
Persequere officiō; nōn hoc quī ferre recūsent,
Invītīs operam parce probāre tuam.


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

Asellus dēlīrus, quī crīmen stolidī pecoris habet, herum amīcum catulō esse vidēbat; cum saepius cerneret illum huic gremiō recipī, stultē spērat idem sibī licēre posse. Cupīdo inepta persuāsit herō assultāret, et iam ad blanditiās ingeniōsus erat. Sed, mōre perversō placendī ūsus, herum movet , ut hūius opus stultum fustibus corrigat. Quod nātūra negat, nōn affectāre labōrēs; hanc dissimulāre ex facilī nōn licet. Nōn officiō persequere quī hoc ferre recūsent; invītīs operam tuam probāre parce.


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):

Aséllus delírus, qui crimen stólidi pécoris habet, herum amícum cátulo esse vidébat; cum saépius cérneret illum huic grémio récipi, stulte sperat idem sibi licére posse. Cupído inépta persuásit hero assultáret, et iam ad blandítias ingeniósus erat. Sed, more pervérso placéndi usus, herum movet , ut huius opus stultum fústibus córrigat. Quod natúra negat, non affectáre labóres; hanc dissimuláre ex fácili non licet. Non offício perséquere qui hoc ferre recúsent; invítis óperam tuam probáre parce.


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.

Esse vi·dēbat he·rum Catu·lō dē·līrus a·mīcum,
Quī stoli·dī peco·ris || crīmen A·sellus ha·bet;
Saepius· huic reci·pī gremi·ō cum· cerneret· illum,
Spērat i·dem stul·tē || posse li·cēre si·bī.
Assul·tāret he·rō per·suāsit i·nepta cu·pīdo,
Iamqu~ ad· blanditi·ās || ingeni·ōsus e·rat.
Sed movet· ūsus he·rum per·versō· mōre pla·cendī,
Corrigat ·ut stul·tum || fustibus· hūius o·pus.
Quod nā·tūra ne·gat, nōn· affec·tāre la·bōrēs,
Nōn hanc· ex faci·lī || dissimu·lāre li·cet.
Perseque·r~ offici·ō; nōn· hoc quī ·ferre re·cūsent,
Invī·tīs ope·ram || parce pro·bāre tu·am.


IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story from the 1574 edition of Osius:


What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches: Asellus delirus, qui crimen stolidi pecoris habet, herum amicum catulo esse videbat; cum saepius cerneret illum huic gremio recipi, stulte sperat idem sibi licere posse. Cupido inepta persuasit hero assultaret, et iam ad blanditias ingeniosus erat. Sed, more perverso placendi usus, herum movet , ut huius opus stultum fustibus corrigat. Quod natura negat, non affectare labores; hanc dissimulare ex facili non licet. Non officio persequere qui hoc ferre recusent; invitis operam tuam probare parce.