Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Avis Sancti Martini (Odo)

SOURCE: Odo of Cheriton's' Latin fables are available in Hervieux's edition at GoogleBooks, and there is a delightful English translation by John Jacobs: The Fables of Odo of Cheriton.

This is fable 7 in Hervieux's edition. This is not in the classical Aesopic corpus, but Perry does list in his medieval appendix as Perry 589.

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:

Quaedam avis dīcitur sanctī Martīnī in Hispānia, parvula ad modum rēgulī. Haec gracilēs habet tībiās ad modum iuncī et longās. Contigit quod, sōle calente, circā festum sanctī Martīnī, proiēcit sē iuxtā arborem ad sōlem, et ērexit tībiās suās, dīcēns: Eia! sī caelum iam caderet, ipsum sustinērem super tībiās meās. Et cecidit folium ūnum iuxtā, et avis exterrita ēvolat, dīcēns: Ō sancte Martīne, cūr nōn succurris aviculae tuae?


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):

Quaedam avis dícitur sancti Martíni in Hispánia, párvula ad modum réguli. Haec gráciles habet tíbias ad modum iunci et longas. Cóntigit quod, sole calénte, circa festum sancti Martíni, proiécit se iuxta árborem ad solem, et eréxit tíbias suas, dicens: Eia! si caelum iam cáderet, ipsum sustinérem super tíbias meas. Et cécidit fólium unum iuxta, et avis extérrita évolat, dicens: O sancte Martíne, cur non succúrris avículae tuae?


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:

Quaedam avis
dicitur sancti Martini
in Hispania,
parvula
ad modum reguli.
Haec
graciles habet tibias
ad modum iunci
et longas.
Contigit quod,
sole calente,
circa festum sancti Martini,
proiecit se
iuxta arborem ad solem,
et erexit tibias suas,
dicens: Eia!
si caelum iam caderet,
ipsum sustinerem
super tibias meas.
Et cecidit folium unum iuxta,
et avis exterrita evolat,
dicens:
O sancte Martine,
cur non succurris aviculae tuae?



IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source) showing a bird with his legs sticking up: