READ OUT LOUD. Choose which marked text you prefer to practice with - macrons in verse form, or macrons in prose order, or accent marks in prose order, or focusing on the meter. You will find materials for all of these options below. :-)
VERSE MACRONS. Here is the verse text with macrons (note the i in sit is long before hemistich)
Capra cibum quaerēns, haedum commendat ovĪlĪ;
Hunc illī solidā servat ovīle serā.Nātum cauta parēns monitū praemūnit amīcō,
Ut lateat, nec sit in sua damna vagus.Hīc latet; ecce lupus movet hostia, vōce capellam
Exprimit, ut pateant hostia clausa petit.Stā procul, haedus ait, caprīzās gutture falsō.
Cum bene caprīzēs, tē procul esse volō.Quod mea sīs māter, mentītur imāgo loquendī.
Rīmula, quā videō, tē docet esse lupum.Īnsita nātōrum cordī doctrīna parentum
Cum pariat fructum, sprēta nocēre solet. PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Capra, cibum quaerēns, haedum commendat ovĪlĪ; illī ovīle hunc servat serā solidā. Parēns cauta monitū amīcō nātum praemūnit, ut lateat, nec vagus sit in damna sua. Hīc latet; ecce lupus hostia movet, vōce capellam exprimit, petit ut hostia clausa pateant. Haedus ait: Procul stā; gutture falsō caprīzās. Cum bene caprīzēs, volō tē procul esse. Imāgo loquendī mentītur quod māter mea sīs; Rīmula, quā videō, docet tē lupum esse. Cum doctrīna parentum, cordī nātōrum īnsita, fructum pariat, sprēta, nocēre solet.
STRESS (ACCENT) MARKS. Here is the prose text with accents, plus some color-coding for the words of three or more syllables (blue: penultimate stress; red: antepenultimate stress):
Capra, cibum quaerens, haedum comméndat ovílI; illi ovíle hunc servat sera sólida. Parens cauta mónitu amíco natum praemúnit, ut láteat, nec vagus sit in damna sua. Hic latet; ecce lupus hóstia movet, voce capéllam éxprimit, petit ut hóstia clausa páteant. Haedus ait: Procul sta; gútture falso caprízas. Cum bene caprízes, volo te procul esse. Imágo loquéndi mentítur quod mater mea sis; Rímula, qua vídeo, docet te lupum esse. Cum doctrína paréntum, cordi natórum ínsita, fructum páriat, spreta, nocére solet.
ELEGIAC COUPLET METER. Below I have used an interpunct dot · to indicate the metrical elements in each line, and a double line || to indicate the hemistichs of the pentameter line.
Capra ci·bum quae·rēns, hae·dum com·mendat o·vĪlĪ;
Hunc il·lī soli·dā || servat o·vīle se·rā.Nātum· cauta pa·rēns moni·tū prae·mūnit a·mīcō,
Ut late·at, nec· sit || in sua· damna va·gus.Hīc latet;· ecce lu·pus movet· hostia,· vōce ca·pellam
Exprimit,· ut pate·ant || hostia· clausa pe·tit.Stā procul,· haedus a·it, cap·rīzās· gutture· falsō.
Cum bene· caprī·zēs, || tē procul· esse vo·lō.Quod mea· sīs mā·ter, men·tītur i·māgo lo·quendī.
Rīmula,· quā vide·ō, || tē docet· esse lu·pum.Īnsita· nātō·rum cor·dī doc·trīna pa·rentum
Cum pari·at fruc·tum, || sprēta no·cēre solet. IMAGE. Here's an illustration for the fable (image source) from a 1479 edition of Aesop:
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches:
Capra, cibum quaerens, haedum commendat ovIlI; illi ovile hunc servat sera solida. Parens cauta monitu amico natum praemunit, ut lateat, nec vagus sit in damna sua. Hic latet; ecce lupus hostia movet, voce capellam exprimit, petit ut hostia clausa pateant. Haedus ait: Procul sta; gutture falso caprizas. Cum bene caprizes, volo te procul esse. Imago loquendi mentitur quod mater mea sis; Rimula, qua video, docet te lupum esse. Cum doctrina parentum, cordi natorum insita, fructum pariat, spreta, nocere solet.
