Saturday, April 17, 2010

Lupus et Haedus (Desbillons)

SOURCE: For a complete edition of the fables of Desbillons, the 18th-century Jesuit scholar and poet, see GoogleBooks. This is fable 3.8. For parallel versions, see Perry 572.

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 iambic meter. You will find materials for all of these options below. :-)


VERSE MACRONS. Here is the verse text with macrons:

Capra pastum ītūra stabulō Haedum conclūserat,
Aperīre nēminī, ipsa dum redeat, monēns.
Quod cum audiisset, post paulō accēdit Lupus:
Pulsat, caprīnamque imitātus vōcem, iubet
Forēs reclūdī. At Haedus sentiēns dolōs:
Nōn aperiam, inquit; vox mihi audītur quidem
Caprīna; sed per rīmulās videō Lupum.
Diffīdere sī quōs, maximē tenuēs, decet.



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

Capra, pastum ītūra, Haedum conclūserat stabulō, monēns, dum ipsa redeat, aperīre nēminī. Paulō post, Lupus, cum hoc audiisset, accēdit, pulsat, et, vōcem caprīnam imitātus, iubet forēs reclūdī. At Haedus, dolōs sentiēns, inquit: Nōn aperiam; vox quidem caprīna mihi audītur, sed per rīmulās Lupum videō. Decet diffīdere maximē sī quōs tenuēs.


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):

Capra, pastum itúra, Haedum conclúserat stábulo, monens, dum ipsa rédeat, aperíre némini. Paulo post, Lupus, cum hoc audiísset, accédit, pulsat, et, vocem caprínam imitátus, iubet fores reclúdi. At Haedus, dolos séntiens, inquit: Non apériam; vox quidem caprína mihi audítur, sed per rímulas Lupum vídeo. Decet diffídere máxime si quos ténues.


IAMBIC METER. Here is the verse text with some color coding to assist in the iambic meter. The disyllabic elements (iambs/spondees) are not marked, but the trisyllabic elements are color-coded: dactyls are red, anapests are purple, and tribrachs are green (as is any proceleusmaticus, although that is a rare creature); for more information, here are some Notes on Iambic Meter.

Capra pas·t~ ītū·ra stabu·l~ Haedum· conclū·serat,
Aperī·re nē·min~, ip·sa dum· redeat,· monēns.
Quod c~ au·diis·set, post· paul~ ac·cēdit· Lupus:
Pulsat,· caprī·namqu~ imi·tātus· vōcem,· iubet
Forēs· reclū·d~ At Hae·dus sen·tiēns· dolōs:
Nōn ape·ri~, in·quit; vox· mih~ au·dītur· quidem
Caprī·na; sed· per rī·mulās· videō· Lupum.
Diffī·dere sī· quōs, max·imē· tenuēs,· decet.



IMAGE. Here's an illustration for the fable (image source) from an early 16th-century edition of Aesop:


What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches:
Capra, pastum itura, Haedum concluserat stabulo, monens, dum ipsa redeat, aperire nemini. Paulo post, Lupus, cum hoc audiisset, accedit, pulsat, et, vocem caprinam imitatus, iubet fores recludi. At Haedus, dolos sentiens, inquit: Non aperiam; vox quidem caprina mihi auditur, sed per rimulas Lupum video. Decet diffidere maxime si quos tenues.