Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Capi (Osius)

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 141 in the collection. This is not a fable found in Perry's classical canon of Aesop's fables.

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:

Mōris avēs castrāre, Capōs quōs nōmine dīcunt,
Quod fierī pinguēs hāc ratiōne putant.
Hōs multōs numerō fortasse colōnus alēbat,
Corpora quī fīant hīs ut opīma facit.
Cūra sagīnandō sed nīl prōfēcit in ūnō,
Quī reliquīs macrō corpore rīsus erat.
At iugulāre, suīs quī membrīs pinguibus essent,
Convīvās referēns affore iussit herus.
Tum stultī quod obēsa sibī sēnsēre nocērent
Membra, ratī fuerant quae decus ante suum.
Tūtius est inopem multō trādūcere vītam,
Quam cum dīvitiis usque pavēre metū.


PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:

Avēs quōs Capōs nōmine dīcunt mōris castrāre, quod hāc ratiōne putant pinguēs fierī. Colōnus fortasse hōs numerō multōs alēbat, quī facit ut hīs corpora opīma fīant. sed cūra nīl prōfēcit in sagīnandō ūnō, quī corpore macrō reliquīs rīsus erat. At herus iugulāre iussit, quī suīs membrīs pinguibus essent, referēns convīvās affore. Tum stultī sēnsēre quod membra obēsa sibī nocērent, quae ante ratī fuerant decus suum. Vītam inopem trādūcere multō tūtius est, quam cum dīvitiis usque metū pavēre.


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):

Aves quos Capos nómine dicunt moris castráre, quod hac ratióne putant pingues fíeri. Colónus fortásse hos número multos alébat, qui facit ut his córpora opíma fiant. Sed cura nil profécit in saginándo uno, qui córpore macro réliquis risus erat. At herus iuguláre iussit, qui suis membris pínguibus essent, réferens convívas áffore. Tum stulti sensére quod membra obésa sibi nocérent, quae ante rati fúerant decus suum. Vitam ínopem tradúcere multo tútius est, quam cum divítiis usque metu pavére.


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.

Mōris a·vēs cas·trāre, Ca·pōs quōs· nōmine ·dīcunt,
Quod fie·rī pin·guēs || hāc rati·ōne pu·tant.
Hōs mul·tōs nume·rō for·tasse co·lōnus a·lēbat,
Corpora ·quī fī·ant || hīs ut o·pīma fa·cit.
Cūra sa·gīnan·dō sed ·nīl prō·fēcit in· ūnō,
Quī reli·quīs mac·rō || corpore ·rīsus e·rat.
At iugu·lāre, su·īs quī ·membrīs· pinguibus· essent,
Convī·vās refe·rēns || affore· iussit he·rus.
Tum stul·tī quod ob·ēsa si·bī sēn·sēre no·cērent
Membra, ra·tī fue·rant || quae decus ·ante su·um.
Tūtius· est ino·pem mul·tō trā·dūcere· vītam,
Quam cum· dīviti·is || usque pa·vēre me·tū.


IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source):


What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches: Aves quos Capos nomine dicunt moris castrare, quod hac ratione putant pingues fieri. Colonus fortasse hos numero multos alebat, qui facit ut his corpora opima fiant. sed cura nil profecit in saginando uno, qui corpore macro reliquis risus erat. At herus iugulare iussit, qui suis membris pinguibus essent, referens convivas affore. Tum stulti sensere quod membra obesa sibi nocerent, quae ante rati fuerant decus suum. Vitam inopem traducere multo tutius est, quam cum divitiis usque metu pavere.