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III.7. Lupus ad Canem

 

Parallels: For parallel versions, see Perry 346.

 

Quam dulcis sit libertas breviter proloquar.

Cani perpasto macie confectus lupus

forte occurrit; dein, salutati invicem

ut restiterunt," Unde sic, quaeso, nites?

Aut quo cibo fecisti tantum corporis?

Ego, qui sum longe fortior, pereo fame."

Canis simpliciter: "Eadem est condicio tibi,

praestare domino si par officium potes."

"Quod?" inquit ille. "Custos ut sis liminis,

a furibus tuearis et noctu domum.

Adfertur ultro panis; de mensa sua

dat ossa dominus; frusta iactat familia,

et quod fastidit quisque pulmentarium.

Sic sine labore venter impletur meus."

"Ego vero sum paratus: nunc patior nives

imbresque in silvis asperam vitam trahens.

Quanto est facilius mihi sub tecto vivere,

et otiosum largo satiari cibo!"

"Veni ergo mecum." Dum procedunt, aspicit

lupus a catena collum detritum cani.

"Unde hoc, amice?" "Nil est." "Dic, sodes, tamen."

"Quia videor acer, alligant me interdiu,

luce ut quiescam, et vigilem nox cum venerit:

crepusculo solutus qua visum est vagor."

"Age, abire si quo est animus, est licentia?"

"Non plane est" inquit. "Fruere quae laudas, canis;

regnare nolo, liber ut non sim mihi."

 

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

 

Breviter proloquar

quam dulcis sit libertas.

Lupus confectus macie

forte occurrit cani perpasto;

dein salutati invicem

ut restiterunt,

"Quaeso: unde sic nites?

Aut quo cibo fecisti tantum corporis?

Ego, qui sum fortior longe, pereo fame."

Canis simpliciter:

"Eadem condicio est tibi,

si potes praestare domino par officium."

Ille inquit: "Quod?"

"Ut sis custos liminis

et noctu tuearis domum a furibus.

Panis adfertur ultro;

dominus dat ossa de mensa sua;

familia iactat frusta,

et pulmentarium quod quisque fastidit.

Sic meus venter impletur sine labore."

"Ego vero paratus sum:

nunc patior nives et imbres

trahens asperam vitam in silvis.

Quanto facilius est mihi

vivere sub tecto,

et otiosum satiari largo cibo!"

"Ergo: veni mecum."

Dum procedunt,

lupus aspicit

collum cani detritum a catena.

"Unde hoc, amice?"

"Nil est."

"Tamen dic, sodes."

"Quia videor acer,

alligant me interdiu,

ut quiescam luce

et vigilem cum nox venerit:

solutus crepusculo vagor qua visum est."

"Age: si quo abire animus est, licentia est?"

Inquit: "Plane non est."

"Fruere his quae laudas, canis;

nolo regnare, ut non sim liber mihi."

 

Here is the poem with meter marks:

 

Quam du~lcis sit ~ liber~tas brev'~ter pro~loquar.

Cani ~ perpas~to mac~je con~fectus ~ lupus

fort(e) oc~currit; ~ dein, ~ salu~tat(i) in~vicem

ut re~stite~runt," Un~de sic, ~ quaeso, ~ nites?

Aut quo ~ cibo ~ fecis~ti tan~tum cor~poris?

Eg', qui ~ sum lon~ge for~tior, ~ pereo ~ fame."

Canis ~ simplic'~ter: "Ea~d(em) est con~dicjo ~ tibi,

praesta~re dom'~no si ~ par of~ficjum ~ potes."

"Quod?" in~quit il~le. "Cus~tos ut ~ sis li~minis,

a fu~ribus ~ tuea~ris et ~ noctu ~ domum.

Adfer~tur ul~tro pa~nis; de ~ mensa ~ sua

dat os~sa dom'~nus; frus~ta iac~tat fam'~lia,

et quod ~ fasti~dit quis~que pul~menta~rium.

Sic sin' ~ labo~re ven~ter im~pletur ~ meus."

"Eg' ve~ro sum ~ para~tus: nunc ~ patjor ~ nives

imbres~qu(e) in sil~vis as~peram ~ vitam ~ trahens.

Quant(o) est ~ facil~jus mih' ~ sub tec~to vi~vere,

et ot~io~sum lar~go sat~jari ~ cibo!"

"Ven(i) er~go me~cum." Dum ~ proce~dunt, as~picit

lup's a ~ cate~na col~lum de~tritum ~ cani.

"Und(e h)oc, ~ ami~ce?" "Nil ~ est." "Dic, ~ sodes, ~ tamen."

"Quja vi~deor ~ ac'r, al~ligant ~ m(e) inter~diu,

luc(e) ut ~ quies~c(am), et vig'~lem nox ~ cum ve~nerit:

crepus~culo ~ solu~tus qua ~ vis(um) est ~ vagor."

"Ag(e), a~bir' si ~ qu(o) est an'~mus, est ~ licen~tia?"

"Non pla~n(e) est" in~quit. "Fru~er' quae ~ laudas, ~ canis;

regna~re no~lo, li~ber ut ~ non sim ~ mihi."

 

 

Translation:

 

Briefly I will tell how sweet liberty is. A wolf, worn out by hunger, happened to run into a well-fed dog; after they stopped and greeted one another, the wolf said: "Please: how did you get to be so shiny? Or tell me: with what kind of food did you make such a body? I, who am stronger than you by far, am dying of hunger." The dog simply said: "The same deal is yours, if you can offer the master an equal service." The wolf said: "What service is that?" The dog said: "That you be the guardian of the door and at night guard the house from thieves. What's more, bread is given to you, the master gives you the bones from his own table, the household servants toss you scraps and and bits of meat which anyone doesn't want. Thus my stomach is filled without any effort." The wolf said: "I am ready indeed: right now I suffer snow and rain, living a hard life in the woods. How much easier it is for me to live under a roof and to stuff myself at leisure with abundant food!" The dog said: "Okay: come with me." While they were going along, the wolf noticed that the dog's collar was worn away by a chain. He said: "Where does that come from, friend?" The dog said: "It's nothing." The wolf said: "But tell me, please." The dog said: "Because I seem high-spirited, they tie me up during the day so that I rest while it's light out and am on guard when night comes; I am untied at dusk and I can wander where it pleases me." The wolf said: "Tell me: if you want to go away somewhere, is that allowed?" The dog said: "Clearly not." The wolf said: "Enjoy these things which you praise, dog; I don't want to live like a king, with the result that I'm not free to do as I want."

 

[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 Dog and the Wolf (trans. C. Smart)

I will, as briefly as I may,

The sweets of liberty display.

A Wolf half famish'd, chanced to see

A Dog, as fat as dog could be:

For one day meeting on the road,

They mutual compliments bestowed:

" Prithee," says Isgrim, faint and weak,

"How came you so well fed and sleek ?

I starve, though stronger of the two."

" It will be just as well with you,"

The Dog quite cool and frank replied,

"If with my master you'll abide."

"For what ?" "Why merely to attend,

And from night thieves the door defend."

" I gladly will accept the post,

What! shall I bear with snow and frost

And all this rough inclement plight,

Rather than have a home at night,

And feed on plenty at my ease ?"

" Come, then, with me "-the Wolf agrees.

But as they went the mark he found,

Where the Dog's collar had been bound:

"What's this, my friend ?" "Why, nothing." "Nay,

Be more explicit, sir, I pray."

" I'm somewhat fierce and apt to bite,

Therefore they hold me pretty tight,

That in the day-time I may sleep,

And night by night my vigils keep.

At eveningtide they let me out,

And then I freely walk about:

Bread comes without a care of mine.

I from my master's table dine;

The servants throw me many a scrap,

With choice of pot-liquor to lap;

So, I've my bellyful, you find."

"But can you go where you've a mind?"

"Not always, to be flat and plain."

"Then, Dog, enjoy your post again,

For to remain this servile thing,

Old Isgrim would not be a king."

 

Illustration:

 

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