Thursday, May 13, 2010

Mustela et Venus (Babrius-prose)

SOURCE: This is a Latin prose version of Babrius's Greek verse fables, as published by Jean François Boissonade in 1844; the book is available at GoogleBooks. This is fable 32 in Boissonade's edition; for other versions, see Perry 50.

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:

Ōlim mustēlae, pulchrum quae amābat virum, Cȳpris augusta dedit, Cupīdinum māter, formam mūtāre et fēmineam assūmere, fēminaeque venustae, quam quī nōn habēbat ardēbat. Cōnspectam vir ille (nam captus est quī cēperat) uxōrem dūcere dēstinābat. Mēnsā autem positā, mūs praetercurrit, quem altē strātō dēscendēns lectō spōnsa persecūta fuit; sīcque solūtum est nuptiāle convīvium. Ac bellē cum rīsisset, Amor abiit. Nātūrā enim mulier victa fuit.


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

Olim mustélae, pulchrum quae amábat virum, Cypris augústa dedit, Cupídinum mater, formam mutáre et femíneam assúmere, femináeque venústae, quam qui non habébat ardébat. Conspéctam vir ille (nam captus est qui céperat) uxórem dúcere destinábat. Mensa autem pósita, mus praetercúrrit, quem alte strato descéndens lecto sponsa persecúta fuit; sicque solútum est nuptiále convívium. Ac belle cum risísset, Amor ábiit. Natúra enim múlier victa fuit.


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:

Olim mustelae,
pulchrum quae amabat virum,
Cypris augusta dedit,
Cupidinum mater,
formam mutare
et femineam assumere,
feminaeque venustae,
quam
qui non habebat
ardebat.
Conspectam vir ille
(nam captus est
qui ceperat)
uxorem ducere destinabat.
Mensa autem posita,
mus praetercurrit,
quem
alte strato descendens lecto
sponsa persecuta fuit;
sicque solutum est
nuptiale convivium.
Ac belle cum risisset,
Amor abiit.
Natura enim
mulier victa fuit.



IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source) showing the goddess Aphrodite: