Thursday, April 1, 2010

Vulpes Confitens et Gallus (Odo)

SOURCE: Odo of Cheriton's' Latin fables are available in Hervieux's edition at GoogleBooks, and there is a delightful English translation by John Jacobs: The Fables of Odo of Cheriton.

This is fable 25 in Hervieux's edition. This is not in the classical Aesopic corpus, but Perry does list in his medieval appendix as Perry 597.

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:

Vulpes semel fuit in gallīnāriō. Supervēnērunt hominēs cum baculīs et miserābiliter fustīgāvērunt Vulpem, quod vix per forāmen ēvāsit. Recessit ut potuit, et super cumulum faenī sē proiēcit et gemere incēpit. Petiit Capellānum quod ad eum venīret et peccāta sua audīret. Vēnit igitur Chantecler, scīlicet Gallus, quī est capellānus bestiārum. Aliquantulum timēns mōrēs Reinardī, ā longē sēdit. Reinardus peccāta sua confitēbātur, et inter cētera rōstrum suum apposuit versus capellānum. Et ait capellānus: Quārē appropinquās mihi? Et ait Reinardus: Infirmitas magna mē compellit hoc facere; parcātis mihi. Iterum dīxit alia peccāta, et, ōre apertō, posuit caput versus Gallum et cēpit eum et dēvorāvit.


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):

Vulpes semel fuit in gallinário. Supervenérunt hómines cum báculis et miserabíliter fustigavérunt Vulpem, quod vix per forámen evásit. Recéssit ut pótuit, et super cúmulum faeni se proiécit et gémere incépit. Pétiit Capellánum quod ad eum veníret et peccáta sua audíret. Venit ígitur Chántecler, scílicet Gallus, qui est capellánus bestiárum. Aliquántulum timens mores Reinárdi, a longe sedit. Reinárdus peccáta sua confitebátur, et inter cétera rostrum suum appósuit versus capellánum. Et ait capellánus: Quare appropínquas mihi? Et ait Reinárdus: Infírmitas magna me compéllit hoc fácere; parcátis mihi. Íterum dixit alia peccáta, et, ore apérto, pósuit caput versus Gallum et cepit eum et devorávit.


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:

Vulpes
semel fuit in gallinario.
Supervenerunt homines cum baculis
et miserabiliter fustigaverunt Vulpem,
quod vix per foramen evasit.
Recessit ut potuit,
et super cumulum faeni se proiecit
et gemere incepit.
Petiit Capellanum
quod ad eum veniret
et peccata sua audiret.
Venit igitur Chantecler,
scilicet Gallus,
qui est capellanus bestiarum.
Aliquantulum timens mores Reinardi,
a longe sedit.
Reinardus
peccata sua confitebatur,
et inter cetera
rostrum suum apposuit
versus capellanum.
Et ait capellanus:
Quare appropinquas mihi?
Et ait Reinardus:
Infirmitas magna
me compellit hoc facere;
parcatis mihi.
Iterum dixit alia peccata,
et, ore aperto,
posuit caput versus Gallum
et cepit eum et devoravit.



IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source) showing the fox in search of poultry. This one was lucky enough to get away!