Thursday, May 6, 2010

Vultur et Canes (Abstemius)

SOURCE: You can find both the first and second "hecatomythia" of Abstemius in Nevelet's monumental Aesop published in 1610, available at GoogleBooks. You can find out more about Abstemius at the Aesopus wiki. This is fable 143 in Abstemius. Perry only includes a few sporadic fables from Abstemius in his index, and there is no Perry number for this fable.

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:

Vulturēs duo cadāver dēpascentēs, duo ingentia frusta absciderant, quae unguibus per āera ferre dēcrēverant, cum subitō canibus adventantibus, alter eōrum dīmissā suā parte cadāveris, ēiulāns statim ē canum cōnspectū procul abiit: Alter praedae intentus, dum partem suam dīmittere cunctātur, ā canibus captus est: quī dum sē iam moritūrum vidēret: heu, inquit, mē miserum et infēlīcem, quī parvae voluptātis causā tot vītae voluptātēs āmittam. Fābula indicat nimiam acquīrendī cupiditātem saepenumerō avārīs attulisse perniciem.


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):

Vúltures duo cadáver depascéntes, duo ingéntia frusta abscíderant, quae únguibus per áera ferre decréverant, cum súbito cánibus adventántibus, alter eórum dimíssa sua parte cadáveris, éiulans statim e canum conspéctu procul ábiit: Alter praedae inténtus, dum partem suam dimíttere cunctátur, a canibus captus est: qui dum se iam moritúrum vidéret: heu, inquit, me míserum et infelícem, qui parvae voluptátis causa tot vitae voluptátes amíttam. Fábula índicat nímiam acquiréndi cupiditátem saepenúmero aváris attulísse perníciem.


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:

Vultures duo
cadaver depascentes,
duo ingentia frusta absciderant,
quae
unguibus per aera ferre
decreverant,
cum
subito canibus adventantibus,
alter eorum
dimissa sua parte cadaveris,
eiulans
statim e canum conspectu
procul abiit:
Alter praedae intentus,
dum partem suam dimittere cunctatur,
a canibus captus est:
qui
dum se iam moriturum videret:
heu, inquit, me miserum et infelicem,
qui
parvae voluptatis causa
tot vitae voluptates amittam.
Fabula indicat
nimiam acquirendi cupiditatem
saepenumero
avaris attulisse perniciem.



IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source) showing two vultures - which one do you think is going to escape?