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abstemius035

Page history last edited by Laura Gibbs 16 years, 1 month ago

 

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DE GLIRIBUS QUERCUM ERUERE VOLENTIBUS

 

Source: Abstemius 35 (You can see a 1499 edition of Abstemius online, but I am doing my transcription from the 1568 edition of Aesopi fabulae in the EEBO catalog.)

 

Latin Text:

 

Glires quercum arborem glandiferam dentibus eruere destinaverunt, quo paratiorem haberent cibum, ne victus gratia toties ascendere et descendere cogerentur. Sed quidam ex his qui aetate et usu rerum ac prudentia ceteros longe anteibat, eos absterruit, dicens, "Si nutricem nostram nunc interfecerimus, quis futuris annis nobis ac posteris nostris alimenta praebebit?" Fabula haec monet virum prudentem debere non modo praesentia intueri, verum etiam futura longe prospicere.

 

Here is a segmented version to help you see the grammatical patterns:

 

Glires

quercum arborem glandiferam

dentibus eruere

destinaverunt,

quo

paratiorem haberent cibum,

ne victus gratia

toties ascendere et descendere

cogerentur.

Sed quidam ex his

qui

aetate et usu rerum ac prudentia

ceteros longe anteibat,

eos absterruit,

dicens,

"Si nutricem nostram

nunc interfecerimus,

quis futuris annis

nobis ac posteris nostris

alimenta praebebit?"

Fabula haec monet

virum prudentem

debere

non modo

praesentia intueri,

verum

etiam futura longe prospicere.

 

Translation: The dormice decided to use their teeth to bring down the acorn-bearing oak tree so that they would have food that was more readily available to them, and so that they would not be compelled, for the sake of their supper, to continually climb up and down the tree. But one of the dormice, who far exceeded the others in age and skill and wisdom, deterred from this plan, saying, "If we were to kill our nurse now, who in the years to come will offer food to us and to our descendants?" This fable advises us that the wise man should not only consider present circumstances but indeed he should also anticipate events in the distant future.

 

[This translation is meant as a help in understanding the story, not as a "crib" for the Latin. I have not hesitated to change the syntax to make it flow more smoothly in English, altering the verb tense consistently to narrative past tense, etc.]

 

Sir Roger L'Estrange

 

Sir Roger L'Estrange included the fables of Abstemius in his amazing 17th-century edition of Aesop's fables. Here is L'Estrange's translation:

 

The Mice found it so troublesome to be still climbing the Oak for every Bit they put in their Bellies, that they were once to set their Teeth to't, and bring the Acorns down to them; but some wiser than some, and a Grave Experienc'd Mouse, bade them have a care what they did; for it we destroy our Nurse at present, who shall feed us hereafter? Resolution without Foresight is but a Temerarious Folly: And the Consequences of Things are the first Point to be taken into Consideration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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