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phaedrus028

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

 

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I.28. Vulpis et Aquila

 

Parallels: For parallel versions, see Perry 1.

 

Quamvis sublimes debent humiles metuere,

vindicta docili quia patet sollertiae.

Vulpinos catulos aquila quondam sustulit,

nidoque posuit pullis escam ut carperent.

Hanc persecuta mater orare incipit,

ne tantum miserae luctum importaret sibi.

Contempsit illa, tuta quippe ipso loco.

Vulpes ab ara rapuit ardentem facem,

totamque flammis arborem circumdedit,

hosti dolorem damno miscens sanguinis.

Aquila, ut periclo mortis eriperet suos,

incolumes natos supplex vulpi reddidit.

 

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

 

Quamvis sublimes debent metuere humiles,

quia vindicta patet docili sollertiae.

Quondam aquila sustulit vulpinos catulos,

et posuit pullis nido

ut carperent escam.

Persecuta mater incipit orare hanc,

ne importaret miserae sibi tantum luctum.

Illa contempsit, quippe tuta ipso loco.

Vulpes rapuit ab ara ardentem facem,

et circumdedit totam arborem flammis,

miscens hosti dolorem damno sanguinis.

Aquila, ut eriperet suos periclo mortis,

supplex reddidit incolumes natos vulpi.

 

Here is the poem with meter marks:

 

Quamvis ~ subl~imes de~bent hum'~les met~vere,

vindic~ta doc'~li qui' ~ patet ~ soller~tiae.

Vulpi~nos cat'~los aq'~la quon~dam sus~tulit,

nido~que pos~vit pul~lis e~sc(am) ut car~perent.

Hanc per~secu~ta ma~ter o~rar(e) in~cipit,

ne tan~tum mis'~rae luc~t(um) impor~taret ~ sibi.

Contemp~sit il~la, tu~ta quip~p(e) ipso ~ loco.

Vulpes ~ ab a~ra rap~vit ar~dentem ~ facem,

totam~que flam~mis ar~borem ~ circum~dedit,

hosti ~ dolo~rem dam~no mis~cens san~guinis.

Aq'l(a), ut ~ peric~lo mor~tis e~rip'ret ~ suos,

inc'lu~mes na~tos sup~plex vul~pi red~didit.

 

Translation:

 

No matter how lofty they are, people should fear the humble folk because revenge is available to their quick ingenuity. There was once an eagle who stole the cubs of a fox and carried them off to the chicks in her nest so they could seize the pups as food. The mother fox set off in pursuit, begging the eagle not to impose this unbearable loss on such a miserable creature as herself. The eagle scoffed at her request, feeling quite safe in her position. The fox then snatched a burning faggot from the altar and completely surrounded the tree with flames, adding pain to her enemy at the cost of her own flesh and blood. The eagle, in order to snatch her chicks from the threat of death, conceded, returning the cubs to the fox, unharmed.

 

[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 Fox and Eagle (trans. C. Smart)

Howe'er exalted in your sphere,

There's something from the mean to fear

For, if their property you wrong,

The poor's revenge is quick and strong

When on a time an Eagle stole

The cubs from out a Fox's hole,

And bore them to her young away,

That they might feast upon the prey

The dam pursues the winged thief,

And deprecates so great a grief;

But safe upon the lofty tree,

The Eagle scorn'd the Fox's plea.

With that the Fox perceived at hand

An altar, whence she snatched a brand,

And compassing with flames the wood,

Put her in terror for her brood.

She therefore, lest her house should burn,

Submissive did the cubs return.

 

Illustration:

 

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

 

 

 

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