Saturday, April 24, 2010

Grus et Pavo (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 102 in the collection. For parallel versions, see Perry 294.

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 the short o in pavo)

Pāvo Gruem spernēns oculātās explicat ālās,
Tēque vidē quantō sim prior āles, ait?
Aspice quem referant mea dōna superba decōrem.
Cum tua tē foedam forma loquātur avem.
At cito iactātīs altē Grus subvolat ālīs,
Et levis ipsa feror, tē gravat, inquit, onus.
Nē, beat ipsa bonō quō tē nātūra, superbī,
Aut aliōs ideō temnere crēde tuum.
Sunt aliīs etiam, quae laudem dōna merentur,
Fingere tē sōlum turpe valēre tuīs.



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

Pāvo, Gruem spernēns, ālās oculātās explicat, et ait: Vidē quantō prior tē āles sim? Aspice quem decōrem superba dōna mea referant, cum forma tua loquātur tē avem foedam. At Grus cito altē subvolat, ālīs iactātīs, et inquit: Ipsa levis feror; onus tē gravat. Nē superbī quō bonō nātūra ipsa tē beat, aut crēde ideō tuum aliōs temnere. aliīs etiam dōna sunt, quae laudem merentur; turpe fingere tē sōlum tuīs valēre.


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):

Pavo, Gruem spernens, alas oculátas éxplicat, et ait: Vide quanto prior te ales sim? Áspice quem decórem supérba dona mea réferant, cum forma tua loquátur te avem foedam. At Grus cito alte súbvolat, alis iactátis, et inquit: Ipsa levis feror; onus te gravat. Ne supérbi quo bono natúra ipsa te beat, aut crede ideo tuum álios témnere. Áliis étiam dona sunt, quae laudem meréntur; turpe fíngere te solum tuis valére.


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.

Pāvo Gru·em sper·nēns ocu·lātās ·explicat ·ālās,
Tēque vi·dē quan·tō || sim prior ·āles, a·it?
Aspice ·quem refe·rant mea ·dōna su·perba de·cōrem.
Cum tua ·tē foe·dam || forma lo·quātur a·vem.
At cito ·iactā·tīs al·tē Grus ·subvolat· ālīs,
Et levis· ipsa fe·ror, || tē gravat,· inquit, o·nus.
Nē, beat· ipsa bo·nō quō ·tē nā·tūra, su·perbī,
Aut ali·ōs ide·ō || temnere· crēde tu·um.
Sunt ali·īs eti·am, quae· laudem· dōna me·rentur,
Fingere ·tē sō·lum || turpe va·lēre tu·īs.



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: Pavo, Gruem spernens, alas oculatas explicat, et ait: Vide quanto prior te ales sim? Aspice quem decorem superba dona mea referant, cum forma tua loquatur te avem foedam. At Grus cito alte subvolat, alis iactatis, et inquit: Ipsa levis feror; onus te gravat. Ne superbi quo bono natura ipsa te beat, aut crede ideo tuum alios temnere. aliis etiam dona sunt, quae laudem merentur; turpe fingere te solum tuis valere.