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DE CANE ET UMBRA

 

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

 

Introduction: In this fable, a foolish dog is fooled by a reflection that he sees in the water. In Joseph Jacobs' version of this fable, the lesson is about the difference between shadow and substance: "Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow." In Caxton's 15th-century version of the fable, the moral is as follows: "He that desyreth to haue other mens goodes oft he loseth his owne good;" in other words, "He that desires to have other men's goods often loses his own." What do you think the dog might say at the end of this fable, when he realizes what has happened?For another fable about a greedy dog, see the story of the dog in the manger. For another fable about a dog who cannot see beyond mere appearances, see the story of the dog wearing a bell.

 

Latin Text:

 

Canis quidam, tranans fluvium, vorabunda fauce vehebat carnem, splendente sole, et (ut plerumque fit) umbra carnis lucebat in aquis. Quam avide captans, quod in rictu oris erat perdiderat. Quo infortunio perculsus, huc illuc vagos circumtulit ocellos et, tandem animum recipiens, sic elatravit: "Miserae deerat cupiditati modus! Satis superque esset ni desipuissem. Iam tota spes et res in fundo perierunt."

 

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

 

Canis quidam,

tranans fluvium,

vorabunda fauce

vehebat carnem,

splendente sole,

et (ut plerumque fit)

umbra carnis

lucebat in aquis.

Quam avide captans,

quod in rictu oris erat

perdiderat.

Quo infortunio perculsus,

huc illuc

vagos circumtulit ocellos

et, tandem animum recipiens,

sic elatravit:

"Miserae deerat cupiditati modus!

Satis superque esset

ni desipuissem.

Iam tota spes et res

in fundo perierunt."

 

Translation: A certain dog was crossing a stream and carrying meat in his greedy jaws. The sun was shining and, as you would expect, the shadow of the meat reflected in the water. The dog greedily snatched at the shadow. What he had in gaping mouth he lost. Struck to the core by this misfortune, he looked around, rolling his eyes this way and that, and finally getting a hold of himself, he howled: "There was no limit my wretched greed! I would have had plenty and more, if I had not been such an idiot! Now all my hope and situation has been completely undone."

 

[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 133.

 

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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