| 
  • If you are citizen of an European Union member nation, you may not use this service unless you are at least 16 years old.

  • You already know Dokkio is an AI-powered assistant to organize & manage your digital files & messages. Very soon, Dokkio will support Outlook as well as One Drive. Check it out today!

View
 

abstemius070

Page history last edited by Laura Gibbs 16 years, 1 month ago

 

HOME | Abstemius: Previous Page - Next Page

 

DE MURE LIBERANTE MILVUM

 

Source: Abstemius 70 (You can see a 1499 edition of Abstemius online, but I am doing my transcription from the 1568 edition of Aesopi fabulae in the EEBO catalog.)

 

Latin Text:

 

Mus conspicatus milvum laqueo aucupis implicitum misertus est avis, quamvis sibi inimicae, abrosisque dente vinculis, evolandi viam et fecit. Milvus tanti immemor beneficii, ubi se solutum vidit, murem nil tale suspicantem corripiens unguibus et rostro laceravit. Fabula indicat, malignos viros huiusmodi gratias suis benefactoribus solere reprehendere.

 

Here is a segmented version to help you see the grammatical patterns:

 

Mus

conspicatus milvum

laqueo aucupis implicitum

misertus est avis,

quamvis sibi inimicae,

abrosisque dente vinculis,

evolandi viam et fecit.

Milvus

tanti immemor beneficii,

ubi se solutum vidit,

murem

nil tale suspicantem

corripiens unguibus et rostro laceravit.

Fabula indicat,

malignos viros

huiusmodi gratias

suis benefactoribus solere reprehendere.

 

Translation: A mouse saw a kite caught in the birdcatcher's snare and felt sorry for the bird, even though the kite was its enemy. So the mouse gnawed through the bonds with its teeth, and so made a way for the kite to fly out. The kite took no thought for such a great favor and when it saw that it was free, it grabbed the mouse, who suspected nothing, and tore the mouse to shreds with its beak and talons. The fables shows that this is the sort of thanks with which spiteful men are accustomed to repay their benefactors.

 

[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.]

 

Sir Roger L'Estrange

 

Sir Roger L'Estrange included the fables of Abstemius in his amazing 17th-century edition of Aesop's fables. Here is L'Estrange's translation:

 

A Simple Mouse had the Fortune to be near at hand, when a Kite was taken in a Net. The Kite begg'd of her to try if she could help her out. The Mouse gnaw'd a Hole in't, and set her at Liberty; and the Kite eat up the Mouse for her pains. Save a Thief from the Gallows, and he'll cut your Throat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

Comments (0)

You don't have permission to comment on this page.