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phaedrus023

Page history last edited by Laura Gibbs 15 years, 9 months ago

 

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I.23. Canis Fidelis

 

Parallels: For parallel versions, see Perry 403.

 

Repente liberalis stultis gratus est,

verum peritis inritos tendit dolos.

Nocturnus cum fur panem misisset cani,

obiecto temptans an cibo posset capi,

"Heus", inquit "linguam vis meam praecludere,

ne latrem pro re domini? Multum falleris.

Namque ista subita me iubet benignitas

vigilare, facias ne mea culpa lucrum".

 

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

 

Repente liberalis gratus est stultis;

verum tendit peritis dolos inritos.

Cum nocturnus fur misisset panem cani,

temptans an posset capi cibo obiecto,

inquit: "Heus! Vis praecludere meam linguam

ne latrem pro re domini?

Multum falleris.

Namque ista subita benignitas iubet me vigilare,

ne facias lucrum mea culpa."

 

Here is the poem with meter marks:

 

Repen~te li~bera~lis stul~tis gra~tus est,

verum ~ peri~tis in~ritos ~ tendit ~ dolos.

Noctur~nus cum ~ fur pa~nem mi~sisset ~ cani,

obiec~to temp~tans an ~ cibo ~ posset ~ capi,

"Heus", in~quit "lin~guam vis ~ meam ~ praeclu~dere,

ne la~trem pro ~ re dom'~ni? Mul~tum fal~leris.

Namqu(e) is~ta sub'~ta me ~ iubet ~ benig~nitas

vig'la~re, fac~jas ne ~ mea ~ culpa ~ lucrum".

 

Translation:

 

When someone is suddenly generous, fools are happy, but the fact is that this generous person lays his traps in vain for those with experience. When a thief in the night tossed bread to a dog, seeing if the dog could be captured by the food he tossed him, the dog said: "Hey! Do you want to tie up my tongue so that I won't bark on behalf of my master's business? You are much mistaken. For this sudden kindness on your part warns me to watch out so that you do not make a profit through some fault of mine."

 

[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.]

 

The Faithful House-dog (trans. C. Smart)

A Man that's gen'rous all at once

May dupe a novice or a dunce;

But to no purpose are the snares

He for the knowing ones prepares.

When late at night a felon tried

To bribe a Dog with food, he cried,

"What ho ! do you attempt to stop

The mouth of him that guards the shop?

You're mightily mistaken, sir,

For this strange kindness is a spur,

To make me double all my din,

Lest such a scoundrel should come in."

 

Illustration:

 

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

 

 

 

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