Friday, April 2, 2010

Cervus, Ovis et Lupus (Walter)

SOURCE: The text is online as the "Anonymus Neveleti" at the Latin Library, and the text is sometimes attributed to Walter of England. This is poem 31 in the collection. For parallel versions, see Perry 477.

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:

Cervus ovī praesente lupō sīc intonat: Amplum
Vas triticī dēbēs reddere, redde mihi.
Sīc iubet esse lupus, pāret timor ista iubentī.
Namque diē fixō dēbita spondet ovis.
Fit mora; cervus ovem vexat dē foedere; cervō
Inquit ovis: Nōn stant foedera facta metū.
Mē decuit cōgente lupō quaecunque fatērī.
Mē decuit fraudem pellere fraude parī.
Cum timor in promptū sedeat, prōmissa timōris
Ārent; nīl fideī verba timentis habent.


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

Cervus, lupō praesente, sīc intonat ovī: Vas amplum triticī reddere dēbēs; mihi redde. Lupus sīc esse iubet; timor ista iubentī pāret. Namque diē fixō ovis dēbita spondet. Mora fit; cervus ovem dē foedere vexat. Ovis cervō inquit: Foedera, metū facta, nōn stant. Lupō cōgente, mē decuit quaecunque fatērī; mē decuit fraudem pellere fraude parī. Cum timor in promptū sedeat, timōris prōmissa ārent; timentis verba nīl fideī habent.


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):

Cervus, lupo praesénte, sic íntonat ovi: Vas amplum trítici réddere debes; mihi redde. Lupus sic esse iubet; timor ista iubénti paret. Namque die fixo ovis débita spondet. Mora fit; cervus ovem de foédere vexat. Ovis cervo inquit: Foédera, metu facta, non stant. Lupo cogénte, me décuit quaecúnque fatéri; me décuit fraudem péllere fraude pari. Cum timor in promptu sédeat, timóris promíssa arent; timéntis verba nil fídei habent.


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.

Cervus o·vī prae·sente lu·pō sīc· intonat:· Amplum
Vas triti·cī dē·bēs || reddere,· redde mi·hi.
Sīc iubet· esse lu·pus, pā·ret timor· ista iu·bentī.
Namque di·ē fi·xō || dēbita· spondet o·vis.
Fit mora;· cervus o·vem vex·at dē· foedere;· cervō
Inquit o·vis: Nōn· stant || foedera· facta me·tū.
Mē decu·it cō·gente lu·pō quae·cunque fa·tērī.
Mē decu·it frau·dem || pellere· fraude pa·rī.
Cum timor· in promp·tū sede·at, prō·missa ti·mōris
Ārent;· nīl fide·ī || verba ti·mentis ha·bent.


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


What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches:
Cervus, lupo praesente, sic intonat ovi: Vas amplum tritici reddere debes; mihi redde. Lupus sic esse iubet; timor ista iubenti paret. Namque die fixo ovis debita spondet. Mora fit; cervus ovem de foedere vexat. Ovis cervo inquit: Foedera, metu facta, non stant. Lupo cogente, me decuit quaecunque fateri; me decuit fraudem pellere fraude pari. Cum timor in promptu sedeat, timoris promissa arent; timentis verba nil fidei habent.