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DE MUSCA ET FORMICA

 

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

 

Latin Text:

 

Musca contendebat cum Formica, clamitans sese esse nobilem, illam ignobilem, se volitare, illam repere. E regione Formica praedicebat, se non ignobilem esse, sed natalibus suis contentam, Muscam vagam esse, sese stabilem et laetam, omnibusque caram et magni denique exemplar laboris. Muscam omnibus molestam esse, omnibus invisam. Sese hiemis memorem alimenta reponere, Muscam in aestate vivere, in hieme aut esurituram aut morituram.

 

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

 

Musca

contendebat cum Formica,

clamitans

sese esse nobilem,

illam ignobilem,

se volitare,

illam repere.

E regione

Formica praedicabat,

se non ignobilem esse,

sed natalibus suis contentam,

Muscam vagam esse,

sese stabilem et laetam,

omnibusque caram

et magni denique exemplar laboris.

Muscam,

omnibus molestam esse,

omnibus invisam.

Sese

hiemis memorem

alimenta reponere,

Muscam

in aestate vivere,

in hieme

aut esurituram aut morituram.

 

Translation: The fly was disputing with the ant, shouting that she was noble and the ant was vile; the fly was able to fly, the ant to creep. Directly the ant explained that she was not vile, but was content with the circumstances of her birth, the fly was a vagabond but the ant was settled and happy, liked by all and, in short, she was a model of impressive hard work. The fly was a pest to all, hated by all. The ant was mindful of winter and stored away food; the fly lived in the summer but in winter was going to either go hungry or to die.

 

[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 521.

 

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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