SOURCE: The poem comes from Phryx Aesopus Habitu Poetico, by Hieronymus Osius, published in 1574, and online at the University of Mannheim as page images and text scan. This is poem 194 in the collection. For parallel versions, see Perry 193.
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 short e in latebra):
Mōre suō laqueōs dispōnere coeperat Auceps,
Ūsus ut arte suā fallere posset avēs.
Hoc opus admīrāns Cassīta propinquat, et illī
Ingeniōse novī quid struis, inquit, homo?
Huic ait ille dolum cēlandō, condimus urbem
Et latebrās structīs omnibus arte petit.
Cernere cauta parum cupiēns avis advolat urbem,
Quam mox implicitam rētibus ille capit.
Quae iam capta, novās sī sīc, ait, exstruis urbēs,
Hās habitāre volēns incola rārus erit.
Nōn tūtā tunc pāce domūs habitantur, et urbēs,
Saevit in hās cum vīs, cumque rapīna ducum.
PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Auceps, mōre suō, laqueōs dispōnere coeperat, ut, arte suā ūsus, avēs fallere posset. Cassīta, hoc opus admīrāns, propinquat, et illī inquit: Quid novī ingeniōse struis, homo? Ille huic ait, dolum cēlandō: Urbem condimus. Et, omnibus arte structīs, latebrās petit. avis parum cauta, cernere urbem cupiēns, advolat, quam ille, mox rētibus implicitam, capit. Quae, iam capta, ait: Sī urbēs novās sīc exstruis, incola rārus erit, hās habitāre volēns. tunc pāce tūtā nōn habitantur domūs et urbēs, cum vīs in hās saevit, et ducum rapīna.
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):
Auceps, more suo, láqueos dispónere coéperat, ut, arte sua usus, aves fállere posset. Cassíta, hoc opus admírans, propínquat, et illi inquit: Quid novi ingenióse struis, homo? Ille huic ait, dolum celándo: Urbem cóndimus. Et, ómnibus arte structis, látebras petit. Avis parum cauta, cérnere urbem cúpiens, ádvolat, quam ille, mox rétibus implícitam, capit. Quae, iam capta, ait: Si urbes novas sic éxstruis, íncola rarus erit, has habitáre volens. Tunc pace tuta non habitántur domus et urbes, cum vis in has saevit, et ducum rapína.
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.
Mōre su·ō laque·ōs dis·pōnere· coeperat ·Auceps,
Ūsus ut· arte su·ā || fallere ·posset a·vēs.
Hoc opus ·admī·rāns Cas·sīta pro·pinquat, et ·illī
Ingeni·ōse no·vī || quid struis,· inquit, ho·mo?
Huic ait· ille do·lum cē·landō, ·condimus· urbem
Et late·brās struc·tīs || omnibus· arte pe·tit.
Cernere ·cauta pa·rum cupi·ēns avis ·advolat ·urbem,
Quam mox· implici·tam || rētibus· ille ca·pit.
Quae iam ·capta, no·vās sī ·sīc, ait, ·exstruis ·urbēs,
Hās habi·tāre vo·lēns || incola· rārus e·rit.
Nōn tū·tā tunc ·pāce do·mūs habi·tantur, et· urbēs,
Saevit in· hās cum· vīs, || cumque ra·pīna du·cum.
IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story from the 1574 edition of Osius:
Here is another illustration from the Medici Aesop, which is online at the New York Public Library website.
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches: Auceps, more suo, laqueos disponere coeperat, ut, arte sua usus, aves fallere posset. Cassita, hoc opus admirans, propinquat, et illi inquit: Quid novi ingeniose struis, homo? Ille huic ait, dolum celando: Urbem condimus. Et, omnibus arte structis, latebras petit. avis parum cauta, cernere urbem cupiens, advolat, quam ille, mox retibus implicitam, capit. Quae, iam capta, ait: Si urbes novas sic exstruis, incola rarus erit, has habitare volens. tunc pace tuta non habitantur domus et urbes, cum vis in has saevit, et ducum rapina.