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I.11. Asinus et Leo

 

Parallels: For parallel versions, see Perry 151.

 

Virtutis expers, verbis iactans gloriam,

ignotos fallit, notis est derisui.

Venari asello comite cum vellet leo,

contexit illum frutice et admonuit simul

ut insueta voce terreret feras,

fugientes ipse exciperet. Hic auritulus

clamorem subito totis tollit viribus,

novoque turbat bestias miraculo:

quae, dum paventes exitus notos petunt,

leonis adfliguntur horrendo impetu.

Qui postquam caede fessus est, asinum evocat,

iubetque vocem premere. Tunc ille insolens

"Qualis videtur opera tibi vocis meae?"

"Insignis" inquit "sic ut, nisi nossem tuum

animum genusque, simili fugissem metu".

 

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

 

Expers virtutis,

iactans gloriam verbis,

fallit ignoto,

est derisui notis.

Cum leo vellet venari

asello comite,

contexit illum frutice

et simul admonuit

ut terreret feras insueta voce,

ipse exciperet fugientes.

Hic auritulus

subito tollit clamorem totis viribus,

et turbat bestias novo miraculo:

bestiae,

dum paventes petunt notos exitus,

adfliguntur

horrendo impetu leonis.

Postquam leo fessus est caede,

evocat asinum,

et iubet premere vocem.

Tunc ille insolens:

"Qualis opera meae vocis videtur tibi?"

Leo inquit:

"Sic insignis ut,

nisi nossem tuum animum et genus,

fugissem simili metu."

 

Here is the poem with meter marks:

 

Virtu~tis ex~pers, ver~bis iac~tans glo~riam,

igno~tos fal~lit, no~tis est ~ deri~sui.

Vena~r(i) asel~lo com'~te cum ~ vellet ~ leo,

contex~it il~lum frut'~c(e) et ad~monvit ~ simul

ut in~sue~ta vo~ce ter~reret ~ feras,

fugjen~tes ip~s(e) excip'~ret. Hic ~ auri~tulus

clamo~rem sub'~to to~tis tol~lit vi~ribus,

novo~que tur~bat bes~tias ~ mira~culo:

quae, dum ~ paven~tes ex~itus ~ notos ~ petunt,

leo~nis ad~fligun~tur hor~rend(o) im~petu.

Qui post~quam cae~de fes~sus est, ~ as'n(um) e~vocat,

iubet~que vo~cem prem'~re. Tunc ~ ill(e) in~solens

"Qualis ~ vide~tur op'~ra tib ~ vocis ~ meae?"

"Insig~nis" in~quit "sic ~ ut, nis' ~ nossem ~ tuum

an'mum ~ genus~que, sim'~li fu~gissem ~ metu".

 

Translation:

 

Someone without redeeming qualities but who speaks boastfully about his talents can fool someone who doesn't know him, but he is a laughing-stock to someone who does. When the lion wanted to go hunting with the donkey as his companion, he hid the donkey in a bush and told him to frighten the wild beasts with his unfamiliar voice while he would capture them as they ran away. The long-eared creature immediately raised up a cry with all his might, and upset the beasts with this new-fangled wonder; while the fearful beasts sought their usual escape routes, they were attacked by the savage assault of the lion. After the lion was exhausted from the slaughter, he summoned the donkey and ordered him to shut up. Then the donkey said insolently: "How does the service rendered by my voice seem to you?" The lion said: "It was so outstanding that if I did not already know your character and species, I would have fled in similar fright."

 

[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 Ass and the Lion Hunting (trans. C. Smart)

A coward, full of pompous speech,

The ignorant may overreach;

But is the laughing-stock of those

Who know how far his valor goes.

Once on a time it came to pass,

The Lion hunted with the Ass,

Whom hiding in the thickest shade

He there proposed should lend him aid,

By trumpeting so strange a bray,

That all the beasts he should dismay,

And drive them o'er the desert heath

Into the lurking Lion's teeth.

Proud of the task, the long-ear'd loon

Struck up such an outrageous tune,

That 'twas a miracle to hear-

The beasts forsake their haunts with fear,

And in the Lion's fangs expired:

Who, being now with slaughter tired,

Call'd out the Ass, whose noise he stops.

The Ass, parading from the copse,

Cried out with most conceited scoff,

"How did my music-piece go off?

So well-were not thy courage known,

Their terror had been all my own!"

 

Illustration:

 

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