Monday, March 15, 2010

Asinus et Annus (Potts)

SOURCE: Aditus Faciliores, by A. W. Potts and C. Darnell at GoogleBooks. This is not a classical fable, but it does show up in Abstemius (66).

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:

Mediā hieme asinus frīgoris impatiēns vēr tepidum tenerāsque herbās dēsīderābat. Vēre tamen redeunte, redībant etiam hominum et iūmentōrum labōrēs. Deinde asinus labōris impatiēns vēris etiam odium suscēpit, et multīs precibus aestātis adventum ōrābat. Aestas autem māiōrēs sēcum labōrēs attulit. Tunc asinus, Ō sī autumnus redīret! quotīdiē exclāmābat. Autumnī autem labōrēs omnium gravissimī erant: pōma in urbem, messēs in horrea erant portanda. Itaque hīberna frīgora autumnī labōribus potiōra vidēbantur. Nōn enim tempora annī vītam reddunt beātiōrem sed labōrēs libenter suscipere.


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):

Média híeme ásinus frígoris impátiens ver tépidum tenerásque herbas desiderábat. Vere tamen redeúnte, redíbant étiam hóminum et iumentórum labóres. Deinde ásinus labóris impátiens veris étiam ódium suscépit, et multis précibus aestátis advéntum orábat. Aestas autem maióres secum labóres áttulit. Tunc ásinus, O si autúmnus redíret! quotídie exclamábat. Autúmni autem labóres ómnium gravíssimi erant: poma in urbem, messes in hórrea erant portánda. Ítaque hibérna frígora autúmni labóribus potióra videbántur. Non enim témpora anni vitam reddunt beatiórem sed labóres libénter suscípere.


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:

Media hieme
asinus
frigoris impatiens
ver tepidum tenerasque herbas
desiderabat.
Vere tamen redeunte,
redibant etiam
hominum et iumentorum labores.
Deinde asinus
laboris impatiens
veris etiam odium suscepit,
et multis precibus
aestatis adventum orabat.
Aestas autem
maiores secum labores attulit.
Tunc asinus,
O si autumnus rediret!
quotidie exclamabat.
Autumni autem labores
omnium gravissimi erant:
poma in urbem, messes in horrea
erant portanda.
Itaque hiberna frigora
autumni laboribus
potiora videbantur.
Non enim tempora anni
vitam reddunt beatiorem
sed labores libenter suscipere.



IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source), showing a donkey who looks very cold in the snow: