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III.14. Arcus Aesopi

 

Parallels: For parallel versions, see Perry 505.

 

Puerorum in turba quidam ludentem Atticus

Aesopum nucibus cum vidisset, restitit,

et quasi delirum risit. Quod sensit simul

derisor potius quam deridendus senex,

arcum retensum posuit in media via:

"Heus" inquit "sapiens, expedi quid fecerim."

Concurrit populus. Ille se torquet diu,

nec quaestionis positae causam intellegit.

Novissime succumbit. Tum victor sophus:

"Cito rumpes arcum, semper si tensum habueris;

at si laxaris, cum voles erit utilis."

Sic lusus animo debent aliquando dari,

ad cogitandum melior ut redeat tibi.

 

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

 

Cum quidam Atticus vidisset

Aesopum ludentem nucibus

in turba puerorum,

restitit,

et risit eum, quasi delirum.

Simul senex sensit hoc

(potius derisor quam deridendus),

posuit retensum arcum in media via.

Inquit:

"Heus sapiens, expedi

quid fecerim."

Populus concurrit.

Ille torquet se diu,

et non intellegit causam positae quaestionis.

Novissime succumbit.

Tum sophus victor:

"Cito rumpes arcum,

si semper habueris tensum;

at si laxaris,

erit utilis

cum voles ."

Sic aliquando lusus debet dari animo,

ut animus redeat tibi

melior ad cogitandum.

 

Here is the poem with meter marks:

 

Pvero~r(um) in tur~ba qui~dam lu~dent(em) At~ticus

Aeso~pum nuc'~bus cum ~ vidis~set, re~stitit,

et qua~si de~lirum ~ risit. ~ Quod sens't ~ simul

deri~sor po~tjus quam ~ deri~dendus ~ senex,

arcum ~ reten~sum pos~vit in ~ medja ~ via:

"Heus" in~quit "sa~pjens, ex~pedi ~ quid fe~cerim."

Concur~rit pop'~lus. Il~le se ~ torquet ~ diu,

nec quae~stio~nis pos'~tae cau~s(am) intel~legit.

Novis~sime ~ succum~bit. Tum ~ victor ~ sophus:

"Cito ~ rumpes ~ arcum, ~ semp'r si ~ tens(um h)ab~veris;

at si ~ laxa~ris, cum ~ voles ~ er't u~tilis."

Sic lu~sus an'~mo de~bent al'~quando ~ dari,

ad cog'~tandum ~ meljor ~ ut re~deat ~ tibi.

 

Translation:

 

When a certain man of Athens saw Aesop playing with nuts amidst a crowd of boys, he stood there and laughed at Aesop as if Aesop were crazy. As soon as the old man realized what was going on (Aesop was more inclined to laugh at others than to be laughed at himself), he took an unstrung bow and placed it in the middle of the road. He said: "Hey wise guy, explain the meaning of what I have done." The people came running up. The man racked his brains for a long time but he could not understand the reason behind Aesop's question. Finally he gave up. The triumphant sage then said: "You will soon break your bow if you keep it tightly strung at all times, but if you let it rest it will be ready to use whenever you want." In the same way sometimes amusement must be given to the mind so that your mind will come to you better prepared for thinking.

 

[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.]

 

Esop Playing (trans. C. Smart)

As Esop was with boys at play,

And had his nuts as well as they,

A grave Athenian, passing by,

Cast on the sage a scornful eye,

As on a dotard quite bereaved:

Which, when the moralist perceived,

(Rather himself a wit profess'd

Than the poor subject of a jest)

Into the public way he flung

A bow that he had just unstrung:

There solve, thou conjurer," he cries,

"The problem, that before thee lies."

The people throng; he racks his brain,

Nor can the thing enjoin'd explain.

At last he gives it up-the seer

Thus then in triumph made it clear:

" As the tough bow exerts its spring,

A constant tension breaks the string;

But if 'tis let at seasons loose,

You may depend upon its use."

Thus recreative sports and play

Are good upon a holiday,

And with more spirit they'll pursue

The studies which they shall renew.

 

Illustration:

 

Here is an image of Aesop from an early printed edition: