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Haedus et Lupus

 

Parallels: For parallel versions, see Perry 261.

 

Evasisse Lupum sectantem dicitur Haedus,

Huic Ovium apta fugae caula ferebat opem.

Cui Lupus: hic tutum fore te temerarie speras,

Ad caedem pecudes mos iubet unde rapi?

Aris unde peti solet hostia multa Deorum,

Hoc te stulte loco posse latere putas?

Nil moror, Haedus ait, dum me mors ista sequatur,

Quae mihi non celebri laude carere potest.

Namque cruore meo spargi praeclarius aras

Quam tua si faux hoc sicca rigata foret.

Mors commune malum cum sit mortalibus aegris,

Posse mori famae non sine laude decet.

 

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

 

Haedus dicitur evasisse Lupum sectantem;

caula ovium apta fugae ferebat opem Haedo,

cui Lupus ait:

Temerarie speras te fore tutum hic

unde mos iubet pecudes rapi ad caedem?

Stulte, putas te posse latere hoc loco

unde multa hostia solet peti aris Deorum?"

Haedus ait:

"Dum mors ista sequatur me, nil moror;

haec mors non potest carere celebri laude mihi,

namque praeclarius est

aras spargi cruore meo

quam si tua faux sicca rigata foret hoc cruore."

Cum mors sit commune malum mortalibus aegris,

decet posse mori non sine laude famae.

 

Here is the poem with meter marks:

 

Eva~sisse Lu~pum sec~tantem ~ dicitur ~ Haedus,

Huic Ovi~(um) apta fu~gae = caula fe~rebat o~pem.

Cui Lupus: ~ hic tu~tum fore ~ te teme~rarie ~ speras,

Ad cae~dem pecu~des = mos iubet ~ unde ra~pi?

Aris ~ unde pe~ti solet ~ hostia ~ multa De~orum,

Hoc te ~ stulte lo~co = posse la~tere pu~tas?

Nil moror, ~ Haedus a~it, dum ~ me mors ~ ista se~quatur,

Quae mihi ~ non cele~bri = laude ca~rere po~test.

Namque cru~ore me~o spar~gi prae~clarius ~ aras

Quam tua ~ si faux ~ hoc = sicca ri~gata fo~ret.

Mors com~mune ma~lum cum ~ sit mor~talibus ~ aegris,

Posse mo~ri fa~mae = non sine ~ laude de~cet.

 

Translation:

 

A Kid is said to have fled from a pursuing Wolf; a passageway for sheep, suitable for making an escape, helped the Kid get away. The Wolf said to him: "Are you crazy enough to hope that you will be safe here, where custom commands that animals be seized for slaughter? You idiot! Do you think that you can hide in this place where many sacrificial victims are usually sought for the altars of the Gods?" The Kid said: "Since that is the death that pursues me, I make no delay: this death does not deprive me of distinguished praise, for it is much more illustrious for the altars to be sprinkled with my blood than if my blood watered your dry throat." Since death is a common misfortune for all enfeebled mortals, it is fitting to be able to die with a praiseworthy reputation.

 

[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.