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 short o in scio):
Rūra colēns quīdam fodiendō vertit ut agrum,
Repperit hīc aurī dīvitiōris opēs.Quī Terrae tālī prō mūnere grātus ut esset,
Hanc illī sertīs mos redimīre fuit.Hoc Fortūna dolēns mox obvia facta Colōnō,
Quīn accepta refers haec mihi grātus, ait?Hērēdēs aliōs quia si iam fēcerit aurī
Sors mūtāta suās nāta novāre vicēs:Sat scio, nōn equidem tunc dētestābere Terram,
Sed tua Fortūnam mē gravis īra premet.Auctōrēs meritī quī sint agnoscere rēfert,
Grātia quōs dignō dēbet honōre sequī.PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Quīdam rūra colēns, ut fodiendō agrum vertit, hīc opēs aurī dīvitiōris repperit . Quī ut Terrae grātus esset, prō tālī mūnere mos illī fuit hanc sertīs redimīre. Fortūna, hoc dolēns, mox obvia Colōnō facta, ait: Quīn mihi grātus haec accepta refers? Quia si sors, vicēs suās nāta novāre, iam mūtāta, aliōs hērēdēs aurī fēcerit, sat scio nōn Terram equidem tunc dētestābere, sed īra gravis tua mē Fortūnam premet. Rēfert agnoscere quī auctōrēs meritī sint, quōs grātia dēbet sequī honōre dignō.
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):
Quidam rura colens, ut fodiéndo agrum vertit, hic opes auri divitióris répperit. Qui ut Terrae gratus esset, pro tali múnere mos illi fuit hanc sertis redimíre. Fortúna, hoc dolens, mox óbvia Colóno facta, ait: Quin mihi gratus haec accépta refers? Quia si sors, vices suas nata nováre, iam mutáta, álios herédes auri fécerit, sat scio non Terram équidem tunc detestábere, sed ira gravis tua me Fortúnam premet. Refert agnóscere qui auctóres mériti sint, quos grátia debet sequi honóre digno.
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.
Rūra co·lēns quī·dam fodi·endō ·vertit ut ·agrum,
Repperit ·hīc au·rī || dīviti·ōris o·pēs.Quī Ter·rae tā·lī prō ·mūnere ·grātus ut· esset,
Hanc il·lī ser·tīs || mos redi·mīre fu·it.Hoc For·tūna do·lēns mox ·obvia· facta Co·lōnō,
Quīn ac·cepta re·fers || haec mihi ·grātus, a·it?Hērē·dēs ali·ōs quia ·si iam· fēcerit ·aurī
Sors mū·tāta su·ās || nāta no·vāre vi·cēs:Sat scio, ·nōn equi·dem tunc· dētes·tābere· Terram,
Sed tua ·Fortū·nam || mē gravis ·īra pre·met.Auctō·rēs meri·tī quī ·sint ag·noscere· rēfert,
Grātia ·quōs dig·nō || dēbet ho·nōre se·quī.IMAGE. Here's an illustration for the fable (image source):
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches: Quidam rura colens, ut fodiendo agrum vertit, hic opes auri divitioris repperit . Qui ut Terrae gratus esset, pro tali munere mos illi fuit hanc sertis redimire. Fortuna, hoc dolens, mox obvia Colono facta, ait: Quin mihi gratus haec accepta refers? Quia si sors, vices suas nata novare, iam mutata, alios heredes auri fecerit, sat scio non Terram equidem tunc detestabere, sed ira gravis tua me Fortunam premet. Refert agnoscere qui auctores meriti sint, quos gratia debet sequi honore digno.
