Sunday, February 14, 2010

Olea et Ficus (Dana)

SOURCE: Liber Primus, by Joseph Dana (1832) at GoogleBooks. For more information and other versions of this fable, see the links list for Perry 413.

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:

Iuxtā oleam ēnāta fuerat fīcus. Hanc illa dēspiciēbat atque irrīdēbat, quod cum ipsa viriditāte perennī gaudēret, illī tum folia dēciderent. Nix autem, eā tempestāte dēlapsa, oleae rāmīs tam dēnsa īnsidēbat, ut ipsa ūnā cum pulchritūdine suā interiit: hanc vērō, quam nūdātam foliīs inventī, praeterībat, et in terram dēfluēns nihil eī nocēbat.


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):

Iuxta óleam enáta fúerat ficus. Hanc illa despiciébat atque irridébat, quod cum ipsa viriditáte perénni gaudéret, illi tum fólia decíderent. Nix autem, ea tempestáte delápsa, óleae ramis tam densa insidébat, ut ipsa una cum pulchritúdine sua intériit: hanc vero, quam nudátam fóliis invénit, praeteríbat, et in terram défluens nihil ei nocébat.



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:

Iuxta oleam
enata fuerat ficus.
Hanc
illa despiciebat atque irridebat,
quod
cum ipsa
viriditate perenni gauderet,
illi
tum folia deciderent.
Nix autem,
ea tempestate delapsa,
oleae ramis
tam densa insidebat,
ut ipsa
una cum pulchritudine sua
interiit:
hanc vero,
quam nudatam foliis invenit,
praeteribat,
et in terram defluens
nihil ei nocebat.



IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source), showing an olive tree covered with snow!