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DE ASINO RUBOS COMEDENTE

 

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Source: Aesop's Fables, 1687 (illustrated by Francis Barlow).

 

Latin Text:

 

Asino esculenta messoribus in agro portanti occurrit herilis Canis, cui dixit, Tu panibus cibisque onustus es, quorum mox ego particeps ero, interim dum per viam incedis, tu ipse rubos comedis. Huic Asinus respondebat, Frustula fortasse et offa ad te pertinebunt, verum rubi quos ego comedo sunt gratiores mihi et magis meum palatum sapiunt, quam omnes in macello carnes aut bellaria in pistorum officinis.

 

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

 

Asino

esculenta

messoribus in agro

portanti

occurrit herilis Canis,

cui dixit,

Tu

panibus cibisque

onustus es,

quorum

mox ego particeps ero,

interim

dum per viam incedis,

tu ipse

rubos comedis.

Huic

Asinus respondebat,

Frustula fortasse et offa

ad te pertinebunt,

verum

rubi

quos ego comedo

sunt gratiores mihi

et magis meum palatum sapiunt,

quam omnes in macello carnes

aut bellaria

in pistorum officinis.

 

Translation: A donkey was carrying food to the harvesters in the field. The master's dog ran into the donkey and said: "You are loaded down with loaves of bread and with food, which I would eat in a heartbeat; meanwhile, while you are going along the road, you are actually eating thistles!" The donkey replied: "Perhaps these dainties and morsels would be to your liking, but in fact the thistles which I am eating are more pleasing to me and suit my palate better than all the meat in the butcher shop and all the confections in the bakers' shops.

 

[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.]

 

Parallels: For parallel versions, see Perry 360.

 

Related Links: Crossword Puzzle

 

Illustration: Here is an illustration from this edition, by the renowned artist Francis Barlow; click on the image for a larger view.

 

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