Tuesday, June 02, 2009

Aesopus Simplicissimus: Canis et Lupus

The Tar Heel Reader project has inspired me to start writing some fables I'm labeling Aesopus Simplicissimus. I'll be publishing those fables here - sometimes with an accompanying reader at Tar Heel, and sometimes just the text on its own (I don't always have time to do a reader - but it's finding all the right pictures, not writing the Latin, which is so time-consuming!). My goal is eventually to create a "simplicissimus" version of every one of the Aesop's fables attested in the ancient Latin and Greek tradition, as well as in the medieval and Renaissance Latin tradition also!

For today, the fable is Canis et Lupus, the story of the dog and the wolf. You can find materials and resources for this fable at the Aesopus Wiki - including Tar Heel Reader versions (one all in Latin, and one bilingual):

Ecce Lupus! Ecce silva! Lupus domum habet in silva. Lupus in silva cibum quaerit. Non multum cibum ínvenit. Lupus macer est. Quam macer Lupus est!
Ecce Canis! Canis domum habet in urbe. Canis Dómino servit. Dóminus cibum Cani dat. Dóminus multum cibum Cani dat. Canis pinguis est. Quam pinguis Canis est!
Canis Lupo occúrrit.

CANIS: Salve, amíce!
LUPUS: Salve, amíce! Mirátus sum: quam pinguis es tu! Cibum semper quaero, sed saepe non invénio. Unde tantum cibum habes tu?
CANIS: Dóminus meus cibum mihi dat. Cibum mihi dat de mensa sua!
LUPUS: Sed vídeo in collo tuo cicatríces. Unde cicatríces in collo habes?
CANIS: Mi amíce, hoc nihil est. Intérdum me álligant caténa. Caténa cicatríces mihi in collo facit.
LUPUS: Quam miser es tu, Canis! Cibum habes. Sed cibus servitútis est. Vale, mi amíce! Volo vívere in libertáte, non in servitúte.

Here's an illustration for the fable (image source):




Aesop's Fables in Latin now available at Amazon.com.

No comments: