Monday, May 3, 2010

Corvus, Columba et Pulli Columbae (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 40 in Hervieux's edition. This is not in the classical Aesopic corpus, but Perry does list in his medieval appendix as Perry 606.

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:

Corvus semel rapuit pullum Columbae, et vēnit Columba ad nīdum Corvī, supplicāns quod redderet sibi pullum suum. Et ait Corvus: Scīsne cantāre? Et ait Columba: Sciō, sed minus bene. Et ait Corvus: Cantā igitur. Cantāvit igitur Columba ut scīvit. Et ait Corvus: Cantā melius, vel pullum nōn habēbis. Et ait Columba: Nec possum nec nōvī melius cantāre. Rēspondit Corvus: Pullum igitur nōn habēbis. Et Corvus cum uxōre suā pullum Columbae dēvorāvērunt.


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):

Corvus semel rápuit pullum Colúmbae, et venit Colúmba ad nidum Corvi, súpplicans quod rédderet sibi pullum suum. Et ait Corvus: Scisne cantáre? Et ait Colúmba: Scio, sed minus bene. Et ait Corvus: Canta ígitur. Cantávit ígitur Colúmba ut scivit. Et ait Corvus: Canta mélius, vel pullum non habébis. Et ait Colúmba: Nec possum nec novi mélius cantáre. Respóndit Corvus: Pullum ígitur non habébis. Et Corvus cum uxóre sua pullum Colúmbae devoravérunt.


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:

Corvus
semel rapuit pullum Columbae,
et venit Columba
ad nidum Corvi,
supplicans
quod redderet sibi pullum suum.
Et ait Corvus:
Scisne cantare?
Et ait Columba:
Scio, sed minus bene.
Et ait Corvus:
Canta igitur.
Cantavit igitur Columba
ut scivit.
Et ait Corvus:
Canta melius,
vel pullum non habebis.
Et ait Columba:
Nec possum nec novi melius cantare.
Respondit Corvus:
Pullum igitur non habebis.
Et Corvus
cum uxore sua
pullum Columbae devoraverunt.



IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source) showing a dove and her chicks: