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:
Brūmae ūmectātās Formīcae tempore frūgēs
Siccābant, adit hās pressa cicāda famē.Quā poscente cibum, tibi, quō trādūcitur aestas,
Tempore rēspondent ille parandus erat.At mihi strīdentī nōn tunc, ait illa, vacābat,
Sēdula cantandī dulce sequēbar opus.Huic, sī trīta tibi est, rēspondent cantibus aestas,
Nunc saltāre, gelū nē moriāre, licet.Fac, quibus ūsus eget, nē rēs acquīrere cessēs,
Dum licet, atque aptī temporis hōra sinit.Tempora nē frustrā, cum sint dīlapsa, requīrās,
Et, quibus indigeās, dēstituāre bonīs.PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Formīcae frūgēs ūmectātās siccābant brūmae tempore; cicāda hās adit, famē pressa. Quā cibum poscente, rēspondent: "Ille tibi parandus erat tempore quō aestas trādūcitur." Illa ait: "At tunc mihi strīdentī nōn vacābat; opus dulce sequēbar, sēdula cantandī. Huic rēspondent Sī aestas tibi trīta est cantibus, nunc licet saltāre, nē gelū moriāre." fac, quibus ūsus eget, nē cessēs rēs acquīrere, dum licet atque aptī temporis hōra sinit, nē frustrā tempora requīrās, cum dīlapsa sint, et bonīs, quibus indigeās, dēstituāre.
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):
Formícae fruges umectátas siccábant brumae témpore; cicáda has adit, fame pressa. Qua cibum poscénte, respóndent: "Ille tibi parándus erat témpore quo aestas tradúcitur." Illa ait: "At tunc mihi stridénti non vacábat; opus dulce sequébar, sédula cantándi. Huic respóndent: Si aestas tibi trita est cántibus, nunc licet saltáre, ne gelu moriáre." Fac, quibus usus eget, ne cesses res acquírere, dum licet atque apti témporis hora sinit, ne frustra témpora requíras, cum dilápsa sint, et bonis, quibus indígeas, destituáre.
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.
Brūm~ ū·mectā·tās For·mīcae ·tempore· frūgēs
Siccā·bant, adit ·hās || pressa ci·cāda fa·mē.Quā pos·cente ci·bum, tibi,· quō trā·dūcitur· aestas,
Tempore ·rēspon·dent || ille pa·randus e·rat.At mihi ·strīden·tī nōn ·tunc, ait· illa, va·cābat,
Sēdula· cantan·dī || dulce se·quēbar o·pus.Huic, sī· trīta ti·b~ est, rēs·pondent· cantibus ·aestas,
Nunc sal·tāre, ge·lū || nē mori·āre, li·cet.Fac, quibus· ūsus e·get, nē· rēs ac·quīrere· cessēs,
Dum licet,· atqu~ ap·tī || temporis· hōra si·nit.Tempora· nē frus·trā, cum ·sint dī·lapsa, re·quīrās,
Et, quibus· indige·ās, || dēstitu·āre bo·nīs.IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story from the 1574 edition of Osius:
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches: Formicae fruges umectatas siccabant brumae tempore; cicada has adit, fame pressa. Qua cibum poscente, respondent: "Ille tibi parandus erat tempore quo aestas traducitur." Illa ait: "At tunc mihi stridenti non vacabat; opus dulce sequebar, sedula cantandi. Huic respondent Si aestas tibi trita est cantibus, nunc licet saltare, ne gelu moriare." fac, quibus usus eget, ne cesses res acquirere, dum licet atque apti temporis hora sinit, ne frustra tempora requiras, cum dilapsa sint, et bonis, quibus indigeas, destituare.
