Thursday, May 13, 2010

Puer et Exta (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 34 in Boissonade's edition; for other versions, see Perry 47.

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:

Cererī taurum turba rustica cum immolārent, amplam āream pampinīs cōnstrāverant, carnibusque mēnsās onustās habuēre ac vīnī dōlia. Ūnus autem ex puerīs, cum inexplētum comēdisset, bovīnīs extīs inflātus rediit domum ac ventriculī tumōre dolēns. Tum mollibus mātris incidēns ulnīs: Hei mihi! quid ista? clāmābat. Morior miser. Viscera enim mihi, māter, prōcidunt omnia. Quae contrā: Bonō sīs animō, et reiice cuncta. Nē parcitō. Namque nōn tua, nāte, vomis, sed taurīna.


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):

Céreri taurum turba rústica cum immolárent, amplam áream pámpinis constráverant, carnibúsque mensas onústas habuére ac vini dólia. Unus autem ex púeris, cum inexplétum comedísset, bovínis extis inflátus rédiit domum ac ventrículi tumóre dolens. Tum móllibus matris íncidens ulnis: Hei mihi! quid ista? clamábat. Mórior miser. Víscera enim mihi, mater, prócidunt ómnia. Quae contra: Bono sis ánimo, et réiice cuncta. Ne párcito. Namque non tua, nate, vomis, sed taurína.


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:

Cereri taurum
turba rustica
cum immolarent,
amplam aream
pampinis constraverant,
carnibusque mensas onustas
habuere
ac vini dolia.
Unus autem ex pueris,
cum inexpletum comedisset,
bovinis extis inflatus
rediit domum
ac ventriculi tumore dolens.
Tum
mollibus matris incidens ulnis:
Hei mihi! quid ista?
clamabat.
Morior miser.
Viscera enim mihi, mater,
procidunt omnia.
Quae contra:
Bono sis animo,
et reiice cuncta.
Ne parcito.
Namque
non tua, nate, vomis,
sed taurina.



IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source) - it's an old Soviet postage stamp showing a painting of Ceres by Rubens: