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Fur et Canis

 

Parallels: For parallel versions, see Perry 403.

 

Fur placare Canem latrantem nocte laborat,

Quem putat oblato velle silere cibo.

Cui Canis ut nunc sim pastu satiatus herili,

Non parce soleo munere cuius ali:

Insidiose domum si te spoliante tacerem,

Unde cibum vacuo postmodo ventre petam?

 

Here is the poem in a more prose-like word order for easy reading:

 

Nocte Fur laborat placare Canem latrantem.

Putat canem velle silere oblato cibo.

Canis ei dixit:

Ut nunc sim satiatus pastu herili,

cuius munere soleo ali non parce:

Si tacerem

te spoliante domum insidiose,

unde postmodo petam cibum

vacuo ventre?

 

Here is the poem with meter marks:

 

Fur pla~care Ca~nem la~trantem ~nocte la~borat,

Quem putat ~ obla~to = velle si~lere ci~bo.

Cui Canis ~ ut nunc ~ sim pas~tu sati~atus he~rili,

Non par~ce sole~o = munere ~ cuius a~li:

Insidi~ose do~mum si ~ te spoli~ante ta~cerem,

Unde ci~bum vacu~o = postmodo ~ ventre pe~tam?

 

Translation:

 

At night, a thief was trying to placate a barking dog. He thought the dog would be willing to be silent if food was offered. The dog said to him: "The fact is that now I am satisfied by my master's feedling, by whose gift I am accustomed to be nourished to no small degree. If I were to be silent while you are robbing the house sneakily, where would I later get food when my stomach is empty?"

 

[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.]

 

Illustration:

 

Here is an illustration from the 1575 edition; click on the image for a larger view.