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67. Canis et Praesepi

 

Parallels: For parallel versions, see Perry 702.

 

Allatrante Boves Cane, quem praesepe tenebat,

Pellere quos frendens dentibus ille parat.

Ad data cum non hos admittere pabula vellet,

Invidiae tantum cur alis, unus ait?

Cur, quibus ipse frui nequeas, licet improbe velles,

Non sinis impastos nos saturare cibis?

Est haec invidiae natura, nocere laborat,

Utilitas illi nulla sit inde licet.

 

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

 

Cane, quem praesepe tenebat, allatrante Boves,

quos ille parat pellere, frendens dentibus.

Cum non vellet admittere hos ad data pabula,

unus ait: "Cur alis tantum invidiae?

Cur non sinis nos impastos saturare cibis

quibus ipse nequeas frui, licet improbe velles?

Est haec natura invidiae: laborat nocere,

licet inde illi nulla utilitas sit.

 

Here is the poem with meter marks:

 

Alla~trante Bo~ves Cane, ~ quem prae~sepe te~nebat,

Pellere ~ quos fren~dens = dentibus ~ ille pa~rat.

Ad data ~ cum non ~ hos ad~mittere ~ pabula ~ vellet,

Invidi~ae tan~tum = cur alis, ~ unus a~it?

Cur, quibus ~ ipse fru~i neque~as, licet ~ improbe ~ velles,

Non sinis ~ impas~tos = nos satu~rare ci~bis?

Est haec ~ invidi~ae na~tura, no~cere la~borat,

Utili~tas il~li = nulla sit ~ inde li~cet.

 

Translation:

 

There was a dog inside the manger who was barking at the Oxen and preparing to drive them out, snarling with his teeth. When he did not want to let them into the food that was given to them, one of the Oxen said: "Why do you nourish so much envy? Why do you not allow us, unfed, to feast on the food which you yourself cannot enjoy, even though you might wickedly want to?" This is the nature of envy: it endeavors to do harm, even when there is no profit for it as a result.

 

[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.