Saturday, April 17, 2010

Vespae et Perdices (Camerarius)

SOURCE: Fabulae Aesopicae by the great 16th-century scholar Ioachim Camerarius in a 1702 reprint at GoogleBooks. This is number 51 in the collection. For more information and other versions of this fable, see the links list for Perry 215.

READ OUT LOUD. Choose which marked text you prefer to practice with - macrons or accent marks - and read the text out loud until you feel comfortable and confident. Then, try reading the unmarked text at the bottom. It should be easy for you after practicing with the marked texts. :-)


MACRONS. Here is the text with macrons:

Labōrantēs sitī vespae et perdīcēs accēdunt ad agricolam, et ab illō pōtum petunt. Neque sē grātās solummodo futūrās ob beneficium acceptum, sed prōmeritūrās etiam esse aiunt: Opera quidem sua perdīcēs collocāta in vīneā fodiendo, at vespās acūleīs suīs circum hanc volitantēs abigendō fūrēs. Hīs rēspondisse agricola ferunt: Habēre sē bovēs duōs, quī nihil prōmittentēs faciant omnia atque illīs aquam potius sē praebitūrum esse.


ACCENT MARKS. Here is the text with ecclesiastical accents, plus some color-coding for the words of three or more syllables (blue: penultimate stress; red: antepenultimate stress):

Laborántes siti vespae et perdíces accédunt ad agrícolam, et ab illo potum petunt. Neque se gratas solúmmodo futúras ob benefícium accéptum, sed promeritúras étiam esse aiunt: Ópera quidem sua perdíces collocáta in vínea fodiéndo, at vespas acúleis suis circum hanc volitántes abigéndo fures. His respondísse agrícola ferunt: Habére se boves duos, qui nihil promitténtes fáciant ómnia atque illis aquam pótius se praebitúrum esse.


UNMARKED TEXT. Here is the unmarked text - after practicing with the marked text that you prefer, you should not have any trouble with the unmarked text:

Laborantes siti
vespae et perdices
accedunt ad agricolam,
et ab illo potum petunt.
Neque se
gratas solummodo futuras
ob beneficium acceptum,
sed promerituras etiam esse
aiunt:
Opera quidem sua
perdices
collocata in vinea fodiendo,
at vespas
aculeis suis
circum hanc volitantes
abigendo fures.
His respondisse agricola ferunt:
Habere se
boves duos,
qui nihil promittentes
faciant omnia
atque illis
aquam potius se praebiturum esse.



Here is an illustration from the Medici Aesop, which is online at the New York Public Library website.