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I.2. Ranae Regem Petunt

 

Parallels: For parallel versions, see Perry 44. For  help in translating the poem, use the page for this poem at NoDictionaries.com, with interlinear word lists! (Here are some tips on using the NoDictionaries tool; note that for this fable the definition for fugitant is missing - it is an iterative verb, meaning "flee over and over again, run away from something repeatedly.")

 

Athenae cum florerent aequis legibus,
procax libertas civitatem miscuit,
frenumque solvit pristinum licentia.
Hic conspiratis factionum partibus
arcem tyrannus occupat Pisistratus.
Cum tristem servitutem flerent Attici,
non quia crudelis ille, sed quoniam grave
omne insuetis onus, et coepissent queri,
Aesopus talem tum fabellam rettulit.
'Ranae, vagantes liberis paludibus,
clamore magno regem petiere ab Iove,
qui dissolutos mores vi compesceret.
Pater deorum risit atque illis dedit
parvum tigillum, missum quod subito vadi
motu sonoque terruit pavidum genus.
Hoc mersum limo cum iaceret diutius,
forte una tacite profert e stagno caput,
et explorato rege cunctas evocat.
Illae timore posito certatim adnatant,
lignumque supra turba petulans insilit.
Quod cum inquinassent omni contumelia,
alium rogantes regem misere ad Iovem,
inutilis quoniam esset qui fuerat datus.
Tum misit illis hydrum, qui dente aspero
corripere coepit singulas. Frustra necem
fugitant inertes; vocem praecludit metus.
Furtim igitur dant Mercurio mandata ad Iovem,
adflictis ut succurrat. Tunc contra Tonans
"Quia noluistis vestrum ferre" inquit "bonum,
malum perferte". Vos quoque, o cives,' ait
'hoc sustinete, maius ne veniat, malum'.

 

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

 

Cum Athenae florerent

aequis legibus,

procax libertas

civitatem miscuit,

et licentia

frenum pristinumsolvit.

Hic

factionum partibus conspiratis,

Pisistratus tyrannus

arcem occupat.

Cum Attici

tristem servitutem flerent,

non quia Pisistratus crudelis,

sed quoniam omne onus,

grave insuetis est,

et coepissent queri,

tum Aesopus

talem fabellam rettulit.

'Ranae,

vagantes liberis paludibus,

clamore magno

petiere ab Iove regem,

qui

vi compesceret

dissolutos mores.

Pater deorum risit

atque illis dedit

parvum tigillum,

quod subito missum

vadi motu sonoque

terruit pavidum genus.

Cum tigillum, mersum limo,

iaceret diutius,

forte una rana

tacite profert e stagno caput,

et, explorato rege,

cunctas ranas evocat.

Timore posito,

ranae certatim adnatant,

et turba petulans

insilit supra lignum.

Cum ranae

lignum inquinassent

omni contumelia,

miserunt ad Iovem,

rogantes alium regem,

quoniam inutilis esset rex

qui fuerat datus.

Tum Iupiter

ranis misit hydrum,

qui

dente aspero

singulas ranas corripere coepit.

Frustra

ranae inertes

necem fugitant;

metus

vocem praecludit.

Furtim igitur

ranae

Mercurio dant mandata ad Iovem,

ut ranis adflictis succurrat.

Tunc Jupiter Tonans

contra inquit:

"Quia noluistis ferre

vestrum regem bonum,

malum regem perferte."

Aesopus ait:

"Vos quoque, o cives,

hoc sustinete,

ne veniat maius malum."

 

Here is the poem with meter marks:

 

Athe·nae cum · flore·rent ae·quis le·gibus,

procax · liber·tas ci·vita·tem mis·cuit,

frenum·que sol·vit pris·tinum · licen·tia.

Hic con·spira·tis fac·tio·num par·tibus

arcem · tyran·nus oc·cupat · Pisi·stratus.

Cum tris·tem ser·vitu·tem fle·rent At·tici,

non quia · crude·lis il·le, sed · quoniam · grave

omn(e) in·sue·tis onus, · et coe·pissent · queri,

Aeso·pus ta·lem tum · fabel·lam ret·tulit.

Ranae, · vagan·tes li·beris · palu·dibus,

clamo·re mag·no re·gem pet·ier(e) ab · Iove,

qui dis·solu·tos mo·res vi · compes·ceret.

Pater · deo·rum ri·sit at·qu(e) illis · dedit

parvum · tigil·lum, mis·sum quod · subito · vadi

motu · sono· que ter·ruit · pavidum · genus.

Hoc mer·sum li·mo cum · iace·ret diu·tius,

fort(e) u·na taci·te pro·fert e · stagno · caput,

et ex·plora·to re·ge cunc·tas e·vocat.

Illae · timo·re posi·to cer·tat(im) ad·natant,

lignum·que sup·ra tur·ba petu·lans in·silit.

Quod c(um) in·quinas·sent om·ni con·tume·lia,

alium · rogan·tes re·gem mi·ser(e) ad · Iovem,

inuti·lis quo·niam es·set qui · fuerat · datus.

Tum mi·sit il·lis hy·drum, qui · dent(e) as·pero

corripe·re coe·pit sin·gulas. · Frustra · necem

fugitant · iner·tes; vo·cem prae·cludit · metus.

Furt(im) igi·tur dant · Mercuri·o man·dat(a) ad · Iovem,

adflic·tis ut · succur·rat. Tunc · contra · Tonans

Quia no·luis·tis ves·trum fer·r(e) inquit · bonum,

malum · perfer·te. Vos · quoqu(e), o · cives, · ait

hoc sus·tine·te, ma·ius ne · veniat, · malum.

 

Translation:

 

The Frogs Desiring a King (trans. C. Smart)

 

With equal laws when Athens throve,

The petulance of freedom drove

Their state to license, which overthrew

Those just restraints of old they knew.

Hence, as a factious discontent

Through every rank and order went,

Pisistratus the tyrant form'd

A party, and the fort he storm'd:

Which yoke, while all bemoaned in grief

(Not that he was a cruel chief,

But they unused to be controlled)

Then Esop thus his fable told:

The Frogs, a freeborn people made,

From out their marsh with clamor pray'd

That Jove a monarch would assign

With power their manners to refine.

The sovereign smiled, and on their bog

Bent his petitioners a log,

Which, as it dash'd upon the place,

At first alarm'd the tim'rous race.

But ere it long had lain to cool,

One slily peep'd out of the pool,

And finding it a king in jest,

He boldly summoned all the rest.

Now, void of fear, the tribe advance,

And on the timber leap'd and danced,

And having let their fury loose,

In gross affronts and rank abuse,

Of Jove they sought another king,

For useless was this wooden thing.

Then he a water-snake empower'd,

Who one by one their race devoured.

They try to make escape in vain,

Nor, dumb through fear, can they complain.

By stealth they Mercury depute,

That Jove would once more hear their suit,

And send their sinking state to save;

But he in wrath this answer gave:

"You scorn'd the good king that you had,

And therefore you shall bear the bad."

Ye likewise, 0 Athenian friends,

Convinced to what impatience tends,

Though slavery be no common curse,

Be still, for fear of worse and worse.