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:
Acta sitī Cornix ardentī repperit urnam,
Īmus in hāc modicam fundus habēbat aquam.Quam quoniam rōstrō nēquīquam haurīre labōrat,
Callida nōn vānae cōnsulit artis opus.Undique collectōs lapidēs dēiēcit in urnam,
Hāc urnae lābrum mox subit arte liquor.Largiter hōc haustō sēsē rigat ārida Cornix,
Est ita sēdandī cōpia facta sitim.Arte quidem nōbīs acquīrere multa licēbit,
Quae vīs haud aliās ulla parāre potest.PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Cornix urnam repperit, sitī ardentī acta; in hāc fundus īmus aquam modicam habēbat. quam quoniam rōstrō haurīre nēquīquam labōrat, callida opus artis nōn vānae cōnsulit. Lapidēs undique collectōs in urnam dēiēcit , hāc arte liquor mox urnae lābrum subit. Cornix ārida sēsē rigat, hōc largiter haustō; cōpia sēdandī sitim ita facta est. Arte quidem nōbīs licēbit multa acquīrere, quae ulla vīs aliās haud parāre potest.
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):
Cornix urnam répperit, siti ardénti acta; in hac fundus imus aquam módicam habébat. Quam quóniam rostro hauríre nequíquam labórat, cállida opus artis non vanae cónsulit. Lápides úndique colléctos in urnam deiécit , hac arte liquor mox urnae labrum subit. Cornix árida sese rigat, hoc lárgiter hausto; cópia sedándi sitim ita facta est. Arte quidem nobis licébit multa acquírere, quae ulla vis alias haud paráre potest.
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.
Acta si·tī Cor·nix ar·dentī ·repperit ·urnam,
Īmus in· hāc modi·cam || fundus ha·bēbat a·quam.Quam quoni·am rōs·trō nē·quīqu~ hau·rīre la·bōrat,
Callida· nōn vā·nae || cōnsulit· artis o·pus.Undique ·collec·tōs lapi·dēs dē·iēcit in ·urnam,
Hāc ur·nae lā·brum || mox subit ·arte li·quor.Largiter· hōc haus·tō sē·sē rigat ·ārida· Cornix,
Est ita ·sēdan·dī || cōpia· facta si·tim.Arte qui·dem nō·bīs ac·quīrere· multa li·cēbit,
Quae vīs· haud ali·ās || ulla pa·rāre po·test.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: Cornix urnam repperit, siti ardenti acta; in hac fundus imus aquam modicam habebat. quam quoniam rostro haurire nequiquam laborat, callida opus artis non vanae consulit. Lapides undique collectos in urnam deiecit , hac arte liquor mox urnae labrum subit. Cornix arida sese rigat, hoc largiter hausto; copia sedandi sitim ita facta est. Arte quidem nobis licebit multa acquirere, quae ulla vis alias haud parare potest.
