Thursday, March 25, 2010

Cornix et Avium Pennae (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 3 in Hervieux's edition. For more information and other versions of this particular fable, see the links list for Perry 472.

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:

Cornix semel, vidēns sē turpem et nigram, conquesta est Aquilae. Aquila dīxit eī quod mūtuō rēciperet plūmās dē dīversīs avibus. Fēcit sīc. Accēpit dē caudā Pāvōnis, dē ālīs Columbae, et, sīcut sibi placuit, dē cēterīs avibus. Cornix, vidēns sē ornātam, coepit dēridēre et inclāmāre contrā aliās avēs. Vēnērunt igitur avēs, et conquerēbantur Aquilae dē superbiā Cornīcis. Rēspondit Aquila: Accipiat quaelibet avis suam pennam, et sīc humiliābitur. Quō factō, Cornix relicta est turpis et nūda.


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):

Cornix semel, videns se turpem et nigram, conquésta est Áquilae. Áquila dixit ei quod mútuo recíperet plumas de divérsis ávibus. Fecit sic. Accépit de cauda Pavónis, de alis Colúmbae, et, sicut sibi plácuit, de céteris ávibus. Cornix, videns se ornátam, coepit deridére et inclamáre contra álias aves. Venérunt ígitur aves, et conquerebántur Áquilae de supérbia Cornícis. Respóndit Áquila: Accípiat quaélibet avis suam pennam, et sic humiliábitur. Quo facto, Cornix relícta est turpis et nuda.


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:

Cornix semel,
videns se turpem et nigram,
conquesta est Aquilae.
Aquila dixit ei
quod mutuo reciperet plumas
de diversis avibus.
Fecit sic.
Accepit de cauda Pavonis,
de alis Columbae,
et, sicut sibi placuit,
de ceteris avibus.
Cornix,
videns se ornatam,
coepit deridere et inclamare
contra alias aves.
Venerunt igitur aves,
et conquerebantur Aquilae
de superbia Cornicis.
Respondit Aquila:
Accipiat quaelibet avis
suam pennam,
et sic humiliabitur.
Quo facto,
Cornix relicta est
turpis et nuda.



IMAGE. Here's an illustration for the fable (image source) from a Renaissance edition of Aesop: