Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Aquila filios cuniculi rapiens (Abstemius)

SOURCE: This fable comes from the first Hecatomythium ("100 Fables") of Laurentius Abstemius (Lorenzo Bevilaqua), a fifteenth-century Italian scholar. Of all the neo-Latin fable collections, Abstemius's was the most popular, and his stories are frequently anthologized in the 16th-, 17th- and 18th-century collections of Aesop's fables in Latin. Here is a 1499 edition of the book online. This is fable 81 in the collection, and has much in common with the traditional fable of the eagle and the fox, Perry 1.

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:

Aquila in altissimā arbore nīdulāta, catulōs cunīculī, quī longē illic pascēbantur, in escam pullōrum suōrum rapuerat, quam cunīculus blandīs ōrābat verbīs, ut suōs sibi fīliōs restituere dignārētur. At illa eum, ut pusillum et terrestre animal et ad sibi nocendum impotēns, arbītrāta, eōs in cōnspectū mātris unguibus dīlacerāre, et pullīs suīs epulandōs appōnere nōn dubitāvit. Tunc cunīculus fīliōrum morte commōtus, hanc iniūriam minimē impūnītam abīre permīsit: arborem enim, quae nīdum sustinēbat, rādīcitus effōdit. Quae levī impulsū ventōrum prōcidēns, pullōs aquilae adhuc implūmēs et involūcrēs in humum dēiēcit, quī, ā ferīs dēpastī, magnum dolōris solātium cunīculō praebuērunt. Haec indicat fābula nēminem potentiā suā frētum imbēcilliōrēs dēbēre dēspicere, cum aliquando infirmiōrēs potentiōrum iniūriās ulciscantur.



ACCENT MARKS. Here is the text with stress accents, plus some color-coding for the words of three or more syllables (blue: penultimate stress; red: antepenultimate stress):

Áquila in altíssima árbore niduláta, cátulos cunículi, qui longe illic pascebántur, in escam pullórum suórum rapúerat, quam cunículus blandis orábat verbis, ut suos sibi fílios restitúere dignarétur. At illa eum, ut pusíllum et terréstre ánimal et ad sibi nocéndum ímpotens, arbitráta, eos in conspéctu matris únguibus dilaceráre, et pullis suis epulándos appónere non dubitávit. Tunc cunículus filiórum morte commótus, hanc iniúriam mínime impunítam abíre permísit: árborem enim, quae nidum sustinébat, radícitus effódit. Quae levi impúlsu ventórum prócidens, pullos áquilae adhuc implúmes et involúcres in humum deiécit, qui, a feris depásti, magnum dolóris solátium cunículo praebuérunt. Haec índicat fábula néminem poténtia sua fretum imbecillióres debére despícere, cum aliquándo infirmióres potentiórum iniúrias ulciscántur.



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 put in some line breaks to show the natural pauses in the story:

Aquila
in altissima arbore nidulata,
catulos cuniculi,
qui longe illic pascebantur,
in escam pullorum suorum rapuerat,
quam
cuniculus blandis orabat verbis,
ut suos sibi filios
restituere dignaretur.
At illa
eum, ut pusillum et terrestre animal
et ad sibi nocendum impotens,
arbitrata,
eos in conspectu matris
unguibus dilacerare,
et pullis suis epulandos apponere
non dubitavit.
Tunc cuniculus
filiorum morte commotus,
hanc iniuriam
minime impunitam abire permisit:
arborem enim,
quae nidum sustinebat,
radicitus effodit.
Quae
levi impulsu ventorum procidens,
pullos aquilae
adhuc implumes et involucres
in humum deiecit,
qui, a feris depasti,
magnum doloris solatium
cuniculo praebuerunt.
Haec indicat fabula
neminem potentia sua fretum
imbecilliores debere despicere,
cum
aliquando infirmiores
potentiorum iniurias ulciscantur.




IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source) which shows an eagle chasing down a rabbit out in the wild: