Monday, March 1, 2010

Nux Secundum Viam Sata (Dana)

SOURCE: Liber Primus, by Joseph Dana (1832) at GoogleBooks. For more information and other versions of this fable, see the links list for Perry 250.

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:

Nux, secundum viam sata, plūrimum ferēbat fructūs: cum autem ā populō praetereunte saxīs et fustibus impeterētur, ut iūglandēs dēcidentēs carperent. "Mē infēlīcem (exclamābat), cui grātiās tam acerbās referunt ob fructūs iūcundōs quōs ex mē percipiunt.



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):

Nux, secúndum viam sata, plúrimum ferébat fructus: cum autem a pópulo praetereúnte saxis et fústibus impeterétur, ut iuglándes decidéntes cárperent. "Me infelícem (exclamábat), cui grátias tam acérbas réferunt ob fructus iucúndos quos ex me percípiunt.



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:

Nux,
secundum viam sata,
plurimum ferebat fructus:
cum autem a populo praetereunte
saxis et fustibus impeteretur,
ut iuglandes decidentes carperent.
"Me infelicem (exclamabat),
cui
gratias tam acerbas referunt
ob fructus iucundos
quos ex me percipiunt.



IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source), showing a walnut tree: