Fable 80: Canis et Lupus

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 80 in the book: De Cane et Lupo. For more information about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Saginato Cani occurrit Lupus macilentus, miratus quomodo ille, qui intra parietes privatos clauderetur, tam pinguis evaderet, et ipse tam macilentus foret, qui tot nemora, colles, et pascua de iure suo possideret, ex quibus victum sibi compararet. Respondit Canis se indulgentissimum habuisse herum, qui cibos illi quotidie de mensa sua porrigebat. Attonitus stetit paulisper Lupus sed, propius cicatrices et collum saucium perspiciens, percontatus est unde haec cruditas acciderit. Respondit Canis haec tantummodo esse catenae indicia, qua interdum perstringebatur. Cui Lupus: “Ne! Tuae non invideo fortunae, nec meae paeniteo. Malim enim, ieiunus et impastus, praesenti frui libertate, quam satur catenis perstringi et fustibus contundi.”

Saginato Cani
= In the opening words we meet our first main character: the fat dog.

occurrit Lupus macilentus,
= And here is the second character: the emaciated wolf. The verb occurrit (“run into to”) takes a dative complement.

miratus
= This participle introduces an indirect question: the wolf wonders...

quomodo ille,
= The pronoun refers to the dog, ille (canis), and quomodo introduces an indirect question which will take the subjunctive.

qui intra parietes privatos clauderetur,
= The subjunctive provides causal background information; according to the wolf, this is why it is so surprising that the dog is fat (since the dog is locked up, he wouldn't be able to roam and hunt to find his food).

tam pinguis evaderet,
= The subjunctive is in an indirect question, introduced by quomodo, while pinguis is a predicate adjective, agreeing with the subject, ille (canis).

et ipse tam macilentus foret,
= The pronoun refers to the wolf, ipse (lupus), with foret as an alternative subjunctive form of esset, continuing the indirect question introduced by quomodo, with the predicate tam macilentus parallel to tam pinguis (just as the wolf wonders how the dog got to be so fat, he wonders how he got to be so skinny!).

qui
= The referent of the relative pronoun is ipse, the wolf.

tot nemora, colles, et pascua
= The word tot is undeclinable.

de iure suo possideret,
= The subjunctive provides causal background information; according to the wolf, this is why it is so surprising that he, the wolf, is thin - since he does believe himself to have so much territory under his control!

ex quibus
= The woods, hills and meadows provide the referent of the relative pronoun.

victum sibi compararet.
= The subjunctive continues the explanation of the wolf's thoughts, and his surprise at the fact that he is so thin, since he has all this territory in which to hunt his food.

Respondit Canis
= Presumably the wolf expressed his amazement out loud, since the dog answered him in reply!

se indulgentissimum habuisse herum,
= Accusative plus infinitive construction in indirect statement, with se as the accusative subject, and herum as the object. The noun phrase, indulgentissimum herum, wraps around the infinitive, with the superlative expressing an extreme degree of something ("an extremely kind master"). You might expect the infinitive habere here; the perfect habuisse suggests the sense that the dog had gotten himself a master (an opportunity the wolf will decline!)

qui
= The referent of the relative pronoun is the herum.

cibos illi quotidie de mensa sua porrigebat.
= The referent of the pronoun illi is the dog: illi (cani).

Attonitus stetit paulisper Lupus
= The literal meaning of the word attonitus is thunder-struck, as in the word tonitrus, "thunder," which comes from the same root.

sed, propius cicatrices et collum saucium perspiciens,
= The word propius is a comparative adverb, from prope.

percontatus est
= This verb introduces an indirect question.

unde haec cruditas acciderit.
= The word unde introduces an indirect question with the subjunctive.

Respondit Canis
= Again, the dog replied to the wolf's question.

haec tantummodo esse catenae indicia,
= Accusative plus infinitive construction in indirect statement; haec is the accusative subject (neuter plural), and indicia is the predicate noun (neuter plural).

qua interdum perstringebatur.
= The referent of the relative pronoun is catenae.

Cui Lupus:
= The referent of the relative pronoun is canis in the previous sentence, with an implied verb of speaking: cui (cani) lupus (inquit).

“Ne!
= This is the interjection ne - not to be confused with the negating conjunction ne. The interjection means something like "for sure!' or "indeed!"

Tuae non invideo fortunae,
= The phrase tuae fortunae wraps around the verb, non invideo, which takes a dative complement.

nec meae paeniteo.
= The verb paeniteo takes a genitive complement, and you can replace the word nec with the words et non to make the phrase easier to sort out: et meae (fortunae) non paeniteo.

Malim enim,
= The subjunctive malim is part of an implied hypothetical statement: “I would prefer (if I had a choice)." Note also the postpositive particle in second position, as you would expect.

ieiunus et impastus,
= The adjectives ieiunus and impastus agree with the subject of the verb.

praesenti frui libertate,
= The noun phrase praesenti libertate wraps around the infinitive frui, which takes an ablative complement. (The infinitive frui is itself a complement to malim).

quam satur
= The word quam coordinates a comparison introduced by malim (= magis + velim, where the comparison is expressed in the verb itself). Like ieiunus and impastus, the adjective satur agrees with the subject of malim.

catenis perstringi et fustibus contundi.”
= The infinitives perstringi and contundi are also complements to malim, and express just what is being compared: enjoying freedom on the one hand, as opposed to being tied up and beaten.

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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The Aesopus Ning is now open for business - so, for more fables and to share your questions and comments with others, come visit the Ning!

Fable 79: Sol et Ventus

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 79 in the book: De Sole et Vento. For more information about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Sol et Aquilo certabant uter sit fortior. Conventum est experiri vires in Viatorem, ut palmam ferat qui excusserit Viatoris manticam. Boreas horrisono turbine Viatorem aggreditur. At ille non desistit, amictum gradiendo duplicans. Assumit vires Sol qui, nimbo paulatim evicto, totos emolitur radios. Incipit Viator aestuare, sudare, anhelare. Tandem progredi nequiens, sub frondoso nemore, obiecta mantica, resedit et ita Soli victoria contingebat.

Sol et Aquilo certabant
= As often, we meet the main characters here in the opening words of the fable, the Sun and the North Wind, which was called "Aquilo" by the Romans.

uter sit fortior.
= The word uter introduces an indirect question with the subjunctive.

Conventum est
= This impersonal expression expects a complementary infinitive: it was agreed = they agreed to...

experiri vires in Viatorem,
= The deponent infinitive experiri is transitive and takes a direct object in the accusative.

ut palmam ferat
= This is the palm of victory, awarded to the winner in a contest.

qui excusserit Viatoris manticam.
= The implied subject of the verb ferat supplies the referent of the relative pronoun: ut palmam ferat (is) qui excusserit.

Boreas
= This is the Greek name given to the North Wind.

horrisono turbine Viatorem aggreditur.
= The deponent verb aggreditur is transitive and takes a direct object in the accusative.

At ille non desistit,
= The pronoun refers to the wayfarer: ille (viator).

amictum gradiendo duplicans.
= The participial phrase amictum duplicans wraps around the gerund in the ablative case, gradiendo, which describes how the man kept moving: “pacing; walking step by step.”

Assumit vires Sol
= The North Wind has had his chance; now it is the Sun's turn!

qui,
= The referent of the relative pronoun is the sun - but you will have to wait until after the ablative absolute clause to find out what verb goes with this subject.

nimbo paulatim evicto,
= Ablative absolute construction.

totos emolitur radios.
= The phrase totos radios wraps around the deponent verb, which is transitive and takes a direct object in the accusative.

Incipit Viator aestuare, sudare, anhelare.
= The infinitives are all complements to the verb incipit.

Tandem progredi nequiens,
= The participle nequiens takes a complementary infinitive.

sub frondoso nemore,
= The suffix -osus in Latin means "full of" something, so frondosus is literally full of frondes, leafy branches or boughs.

obiecta mantica,
= Ablative absolute construction.

resedit
= The implied subject of the verb is the traveler, who has finally had to stop and sit down to seek relief from the heat.

et ita Soli victoria contingebat.
= The form Soli is the dative form of the noun Sol, the sun - although the form itself is ambiguous. From context, you know it is from Sol, but it could also be from the adjective solus (only, single), from the noun solum ("bottom, ground"), or even from the noun solium ("throne, seat").

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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The Aesopus Ning is now open for business - so, for more fables and to share your questions and comments with others, come visit the Ning!

Fable 78: Rana et Vulpes

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 78 in the book: Rana et Vulpes. For more information about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Rana, paludibus valedicens, novo vivendi genere acquisito, in silvam gloriabunda sese tulit et, bestiarum coronis circumstipata, medicinae artem publice profitebatur, et in herbis, quae ad corpora curanda pertinent, nobiliorem se vel Galeno vel Hippocrate esse clamitabat. Credula bestiarum gens fidem facile adhibebat, Vulpe solummodo excepta, quae sic glorianti irridebat: “Insulsum vagumque animal! Quid tam vana blatteras? Quid artem nobilem prae te fers, quam minime calles? Livida pallidaque illa tua labra respice! Quin domi abi et teipsum cura, medice! Deinde ad nos redeas, meliora forsan de te speraturos.” Nihil respondente Rana sed tacitis secum gemente suspiriis, tota bestiarum cachinnis resonabat silva.

Rana, paludibus valedicens,
= As usual, we meet one of the main characters of the story here in the opening words: the frog, who is saying goodbye to her usual haunts.

novo vivendi genere acquisito,
= Ablative absolute construction, with the ablative noun phrase novo genere wrapping around the gerund which is in the genitive case.

in silvam gloriabunda sese tulit
= The reflexive pronoun sese (= se) refers back to the subject of the main verb, the frog.

et, bestiarum coronis circumstipata,
= The participle circumstipata agrees with the subject of the verb, rana.

medicinae artem publice profitebatur,
= The deponent verb profitebatur is transitive and takes a direct object in the accusative.

et in herbis, quae ad corpora curanda pertinent,
= The gerundive with the preposition ad expresses purpose, with corpora as the accusative complement of the preposition, and the gerundive agreeing in case, number and gender (as any adjective does!).

nobiliorem se vel Galeno vel Hippocrate esse
= Accusative plus infinitive construction in indirect statement, with se as the accusative subject, and nobiliorem as a predicate adjective. The names Galen and Hippocrates ablatives of comparison, and the double use of vel is equivalent to the English correlative conjunctions, “either . . . or . . .”

clamitabat.
= The verb is a frequentative form of the verb clamare.

Credula bestiarum gens fidem facile adhibebat,
= The fides here refers to the trust they were willing to give to the frog and her claims.

Vulpe solummodo excepta,
= Ablative absolute construction.

quae sic glorianti irridebat:
= The referent of the relative pronoun is the fox, and the participle glorianti agrees with the frog: quae (vulpes) sic glorianti (ranae) irridebat.

“Insulsum vagumque animal!
= The word insulsum uses the negating prefix in- with the word salsus, which literally means "salted," but which has the metaphorical meaning of "witty, sharp." The word sal, "salt," also has the metaphorical meaning in Latin of "shrewdness, cunning, wit," etc.

Quid tam vana blatteras?
= The interrogative quid here means “why? for what reason?”

Quid artem nobilem prae te fers,
= The idiom prae se ferre means “to profess, proclaim.”

quam minime calles?
= The referent of the relative pronoun is artem.

Livida pallidaque illa tua labra respice!
= In other words: if the frog takes a look at herself, she will see that she is not very healthy-looking!

Quin domi abi et teipsum cura, medice!
= The word quin plus the imperative expresses the so-called interrogative imperative: “Why don’t you go home and heal yourself?” (the pronoun teipsum is a compound, te + ipsum).

Deinde ad nos redeas,
= The subjunctive states a hypothetical possibility: the frog could come back again as a doctor - if she cures her own ailments first!

meliora forsan de te speraturos.”
= The future active participle speraturos agrees with nos, and meliora (“better things”) is the accusative object of the participle.

Nihil respondente Rana
= Ablative absolute construction, with nihil as the object of the participle.

sed tacitis secum gemente suspiriis,
= The phrase tacitis suspiriis wraps around the participle, gemente, which is part of an ablative absolute construction (parallel to nihil respondente rana).The word secum is a compound, in inverted order: secum = cum + se (“with herself, to herself”).

tota bestiarum cachinnis resonabat silva.
= The noun phrase tota silva wraps around the verb.

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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Fable 77: Ranae et Earum Rex

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 77 in the book: De Ranis et Earum Rege. For more information about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Gens Ranarum supplicabat sibi regem dari. Iupiter deiecit trabem, cuius moles cum ingenti fragore quassabat fluvium. Territae, silebant Ranae. Mox regem venerantur et tandem accedunt propius; omni metu abiecto, iners rex lusui et contemptui est. Lacessunt igitur Iovem rursus, orantes regem sibi dari qui strenuus sit. Iupiter dat Ciconiam, quae, perambulans paludem, quidquid Ranarum obviam fit, vorabat. De cuius tyrannide questae sunt, sed frustra. Nam Iupiter non audit; decrevit enim ut, quae regem clementem sunt deprecatae, iam ferant inclementem.

Gens Ranarum
= As often, we meet one of the main characters in the opening words of the fable: the frog clan!

supplicabat sibi regem dari.
= The reflexive pronoun refers to the subject of the main verb, the frogs: they asked that a king be given to them (i.e., to them, the frogs).

Iupiter deiecit trabem,
= We now learn just who they asked for a king: they went to the king of the gods himself, Jupiter.

cuius moles
= The referent of the relative pronoun is the log, trabem.

cum ingenti fragore
= Note that this is the preposition cum, not the adverb.

quassabat fluvium.
= Although frequentative verbs are usually formed with -tare or -itare in Latin, some frequentative verbs are formed with -sare as you can see here, with the verb quassare formed from the root verb, quatere which has quassus as its perfect participle (compare also cursare from currere, which has cursus as its perfect participle).

Territae, silebant Ranae.
= You might want to translate the Latin participle with a finite verb clause in English: The frogs were terrified and made not a sound. (Given that frogs are proverbially noisy, their silence is quite remarkable!)

Mox regem venerantur
= The deponent verb venerantur is transitive and takes a direct object in the accusative.

et tandem accedunt propius;
= The word propius is the comparative form of the adverb, prope.

omni metu abiecto,
= Ablative absolute construction.

iners rex lusui et contemptui est.
= The predicate datives express the purpose to which the frogs put their king: he was an object of amusement and contempt.

Lacessunt igitur Iovem rursus,
= Note the postpositive particle in second position, as you would expect.

orantes regem sibi dari
= Notice that regem sibi dari repeats their original request - but now they are going to add a relative clause that provides further specifications!

qui strenuus sit.
= The subjunctive, introduced by the relative pronoun qui, explains the result the frogs would like to see in response to their request for a king.

Iupiter dat Ciconiam,
= In the classical Latin version of this story, Jupiter sends a water snake, but here he sends a water bird.

quae, perambulans paludem,
= The relative pronoun is feminine singular, agreeing with ciconia.

quidquid Ranarum obviam fit,
= The phrase quidquid ranarum is a partitive genitive: "whatever (of) frogs." The phrase obviam fieri means “to run into, get in the way of."

vorabat.
= The subject of this verb is the stork: she devoured whatever frogs she ran into!

De cuius tyrannide
= The referent of the relative pronoun cuius is ciconia in the previous sentence: de cuius (ciconiae) tyrannide.

questae sunt, sed frustra.
= The implied subject of the verb is the frogs, ranae - hence the feminine plural form, questae sunt.

Nam Iupiter non audit;
= The nam indicates here that an explanation is coming - that is, an explanation of why it was that the frogs' complained frustra, "in vain."

decrevit enim
= Note the postpositive particle in second position, as you would expect.

ut,
= This ut is going to introduce a subjunctive verb as you would expect - but you'll have to wait until after the relative clause to find out what the verb is.

quae regem clementem sunt deprecatae,
= The deponent verb sunt deprecatae is transitive and takes a direct object in the accusative. The referent of the relative pronoun is the implied subject of the main verb of the sentence, ferant.

iam ferant inclementem.
= The subjunctive here goes with ut (preceding the relative clause).

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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Fable 76: Herinacei Viperas Hospites Eiicientes

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 76 in the book: De Herinaceis Viperas Hospites Eiicientibus. For more information about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Herinacei, hiemem adventare praesentientes, blande Viperas rogaverunt ut in propria illarum caverna adversus vim frigoris locum sibi concederent. Quod cum illae fecissent, Herinacei, huc atque illuc se provolventes, spinarum acumine Viperas pungebant et vehementi dolore torquebant. Illae, male secum actum videntes, blandis verbis orabant Herinaceos ut exirent, quandoquidem tam multis locus esset angustus nimis. Cui Herinacei: “Exeant (inquiunt) qui hic manere non possunt.” Quare Viperae, sentientes ibi locum non esse, cesserunt hospitio.

Herinacei, hiemem adventare praesentientes,
= In the first word we meet one of the main characters in the story: the hedgehogs. Note the accusative plus infinitive construction, hiemem adventare in indirect statement.

blande Viperas rogaverunt
= Here we meet the other main characters in the story: the vipers (who, somewhat surprisingly, turn out to be the victims in this story!).

ut in propria illarum caverna
= The pronoun refers to the vipers: in illarum (viperarum) caverna.

adversus vim frigoris
= The word adversus here is used as a preposition, taking an accusative complement.

locum sibi concederent.
= The subjunctive is introduced by ut, and sibi refers back to the subject of the main verb, the hedgehogs: ut viperae locum (herinaceis) concederent.

Quod cum illae fecissent,
= The relative pronoun connects back to the previous sentence referring to the general situation described there, i.e. the vipers inviting the hedgehogs into their home.

Herinacei, huc atque illuc se provolventes,
= The Latin correlatives huc and illuc are adverbs of motion, equivalent to the somewhat archaic English correlatives "hither" (to here, to this place) and "thither" (to there, to that place).

spinarum acumine Viperas pungebant
= The spinae belong to the hedgehogs. As often, Latin does not use a possessive pronoun, where English chooses to do so: they poked the snakes with the points of (their = the hedgehogs') spines.

et vehementi dolore torquebant.
= The word viperas supplies the object of this verb also.

Illae, male secum actum videntes,
= Accusative plus infinitive construction in indirect statement: male secum actum (esse), “it had gone badly for them” (secum = cum se, “with them, for them”).

blandis verbis orabant Herinaceos
= Notice that the hedgehogs had asked sweetly, blande, for permission to share the vipers' den, and now the vipers are forced to use blandis verbis to try to get rid of their guests.

ut exirent,
= The implied subject of this verb is the hedgehogs: ut (herinacei) exirent.

quandoquidem tam multis
= The adjective multis is dative plural, and refers to "so many (animals)," or "so many (creatures)" living in the vipers' den.

locus esset angustus nimis.
= The subjunctive, introduced by quandoquidem (“since”), gives causal background information; according to the vipers, this is why the hedgehogs need to move out.

Cui Herinacei:
= The referent of the relative pronoun is the entire preceding statement: “to (this) the hedgehogs say . . .”

“Exeant (inquiunt)
= Note the postpositive use of the verb inquiunt to indicate the beginning of a direct quotation.

qui hic manere non possunt.”
= The referent of the relative pronoun qui is the implied subject of the verb: exeant (ei) qui hic manere non possunt; the subjunctive expresses a wish or command, the result that the hedgehogs expect to happen.

Quare Viperae,
= The word quare is a compound consisting of qua + re, "on account of which thing" (i.e. the attitude of the hedgehogs - and their spines!).

sentientes ibi locum non esse,
= The phrase locum esse is an accusative plus infinitive construction in indirect statement: “there is no place.”

cesserunt hospitio.
= The verb cesserunt (“go away from”) takes an ablative complement: the vipers had to abandon their own lodging.

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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The Aesopus Ning is now open for business - so, for more fables and to share your questions and comments with others, come visit the Ning!

Fable 75: Catta in Feminam Mutata

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 75 in the book: De Catta in Feminam Mutata. For more information about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Catta quaedam delicium erat formosi cuiusdam Adolescentis Veneremque oravit ut in feminam mutaret. Dea, miserta cupiditatis Adolescentuli, convertit Cattam in puellam. Quam, cum longe speciosa esset, Amator domum abduxit. Venus, experiri cupiens si, mutata facie, mutasset et mores, in medium constituit murem. Quem cum illa aspexit, oblita formae, murem ut caperet persecuta est. Qua super re indignata, Venus denuo eam in priorem Cattae formam mutavit.

Catta quaedam
= We meet one of the main characters in the story here in the opening words. While the noun cattus is the usual late Latin word for “cat,” the feminine form can also be found, as here in this story.

delicium erat formosi cuiusdam Adolescentis
= Here we meet another of the main characters: a young man. The noun delicium is in the predicate: catta... delicium erat.

Veneremque oravit
= Who do you think is the subject of the verb here: the cat, or the young man? Grammatically, there is no way to be certain, so you have to identifyi the subject based on context.

ut in feminam mutaret.
= The subject of this verb is the goddess Venus.

Dea, miserta cupiditatis Adolescentuli,
= The participle miserta (“take pity on”) takes a genitive complement.

convertit Cattam in puellam.
= The form convertit could be either present or perfect, but given the perfect verbs preceding (oravit) and following (abduxit), it is probably best to take the verb as a perfect form.

Quam,
= The referent of the relative pronoun is puella in the previous sentence. The pronoun is in the accusative case, and you are going to have to wait for a while - until after the cum clause - to find out why she is in the accusative case!

cum longe speciosa esset,
= The subjunctive, introduced by cum, gives causal background information; this is why the man takes the girl home with him.

Amator domum abduxit.
= You now have the verb which completes the relative clause: quam (puellam) amator domum abduxit; this use of domum in the accusative means “to the house, homeward.”

Venus, experiri cupiens
= The participle cupiens takes a complementary infinitive: experiri.

si, mutata facie, mutasset et mores,
= The word si introduces an indirect question with the subjunctive; note also the adverbial use of et, meaning “also." The phrase mutata facie is an ablative absolute construction.

in medium constituit murem.
= Be careful: murem is the object of the verb, while the prepositional phrase in medium means simply "into the middle (of the room)" or "into (their) midst."

Quem cum illa aspexit,
= The referent of the relative pronoun is murem in the previous sentence: quem (murem) cum illa aspexit. Note also the use of cum plus the indicative.

oblita formae,
= The participle oblita (“being forgetful of”) takes a genitive complement.

murem ut caperet
= The murem here serves not only as the object of the verb caperet but also of the main verb of the sentence. Hence the placement of murem preceding the ut.

persecuta est.
= The deponent verb persecuta est is transitive and takes a direct object in the accusative: murem . . . persecuta est.

Qua super re indignata,
= The phrase qua re wraps around the preposition, referring back to the events described previously (the woman chasing the mouse).

Venus denuo
= The adverb denuo is a contracted form of de novo (compare the English adverb "anew").

eam in priorem Cattae formam mutavit.
= The pronoun eam refers to the woman, formerly a cat: eam (puellam) mutavit.

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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The Aesopus Ning is now open for business - so, for more fables and to share your questions and comments with others, come visit the Ning!

Fable 74: Anus et Ancillae

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 74 in the book: De Anu et Ancillis. For more information about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Anus quaedam domi habebat complures Ancillas, quas quotidie, antequam lucesceret, ad Galli gallinacei, quem domi alebat, cantum excitabat ad opus. Ancillae tandem, quotidiani negotii commotae taedio, Gallum obtruncant, sperantes iam, necato illo, sese in medios dormituras dies. Sed haec spes miseras frustrata est. Hera enim, ut interemptum Gallum rescivit, Ancillas intempesta nocte surgere deinceps iubet.

Anus quaedam
= As often, we meet one of the main characters in the opening word. Don't let the form anus fool you: this is a fourth declension noun, feminine in gender.

domi habebat complures Ancillas,
= The word domi is a locative form, meaning “in her home, at home.”

quas quotidie,
= The relative pronoun refers to the maids, although we don't know yet why they are in the accusative case... and we are going to have to wait quite a while to find out.

antequam lucesceret,
= Like cum, you can find antequam used with both indicative and subjunctive verbs. Used with the subjunctive, as here, it puts more emphasis on the sense of unfulfilled expectation: the day would dawn eventually, but it had not dawned yet.

ad Galli gallinacei,
= Notice that you have a preposition here, ad, which takes an accusative complement - but the phrase galli gallinacei is in the genitive case, not the accusative. So you are going to have to hold this prepositional phrase open until you get the accusative complement you need - which is going to come after this relative clause.

quem domi alebat,
= The relative clause provides further information about the galli gallinacei in the preceding phrase.

cantum excitabat ad opus.
= Now you have the accusative noun you were looking for to complement the preposition ad. The phrase ad galli gallinacei cantum (“at cock-crow”) wraps around the relative clause, quem (gallum) domi alebat. Meanwhile, this verb also explains the accusative quas from the beginning of the clause: quas (ancillas) excitabat (anus).

Ancillae tandem,
= The old woman was the subject of the previous verb, and now the maids are going to become the subjects of their own verb!

quotidiani negotii commotae taedio,
= The ablative taedio explains what it was that got the maids all worked up so that they did the thing they are about to do...

Gallum obtruncant,
= And here is the things that the maids do: they chop the head off the rooster, as you can see in Barlow's illustration for the fable.

sperantes iam,
= The participle introduces indirect statement: the maids are hopefully expecting that...

necato illo,
= Ablative absolute construction, with the pronoun referring to the rooster: illo (gallo).

sese in medios dormituras dies.
= This is an accusative plus infinitive construction in indirect statement, with sese (alternate form of se) as the accusative subject: sese dormituras (esse). Note that the prepositional phrase in medios dies wraps around the future active participle/infinitive.

Sed haec spes
= Notice that the verb sperare and spes share the same root.

miseras frustrata est.
= The deponent verb frustrata est is transitive and takes a direct object in the accusative; the feminine plural adjective, miseras, refers to the maids: miseras (ancillas).

Hera enim,
= Note the postpositive particle in second position, as you would expect.

ut interemptum Gallum rescivit,
= This is a temporal use of ut, meaning “as, as soon as," with an accusative plus infinitive construction: interemptum (esse) gallum.

Ancillas intempesta nocte surgere
= The phrase intempesta nocte means “in the dead of night.”

deinceps iubet.
= The iubet explains the accusative and infinitive: (anus) iubet ancillas surgere.

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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Fable 73: Leo et Quidam Alii Quadrupedes

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 73 in the book: De Leone et Quibusdam Aliis Quadrupedibus. For more information about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Convenere Leo et Ovis et alii Quadrupedes, pepigerantque inter se venationem fore communem. Itur venatum; procumbit cervus; spolia dividunt, singulas singulis partes tollere incipientibus. Irrugiens surgit Leo: “Una (inquit) pars mea est, quia sum dignissimus. Altera item mea est, quia viribus sum praestantissimus. Porro, quia in capiendo cervo plus sudaverim, tertiam mihi partem vendico. Quartam denique partem, nisi concesseritis, actum est de amicitia; ilicet periistis!” Reliqui, hoc audito, discedunt, vacui et taciti, non ausi muttire contra Leonem.

Convenere Leo et Ovis et alii Quadrupedes,
= As usual, we meet the characters of the fable in the opening words. In other versions of the story, it specifies that the lion's partners were a sheep, a heifer (vacca), and a she-goat (capella). The verb convenere is an alternate form of convenerunt.

pepigerantque inter se
= The pact that they made introduces indirect statement: they pledge that...

venationem fore communem.
= Accusative plus infinitive construction, with fore as the future infinitive of esse; venationem is the accusative subject, and communem a predicate adjective.

Itur venatum;
= The supine venatum combined with the verb of motion expresses purpose, and the third person passive itur expresses the idea impersonally, “a hunt was gone on,” i.e. they went hunting.

procumbit cervus; spolia dividunt,
= The cervus provides the spolia which the animals are sharing amongst themselves (or which they think they are going to share!).

singulas singulis partes tollere incipientibus.
= The phrase singulis incipientibus is an ablative absolute construction, with the participle taking a complementary infinitive phrase, singulas partes tollere.

Irrugiens surgit Leo:
= The rugitus, "roar," is the distinctive sound of lions in Latin.

“Una (inquit) pars mea est,
= Note the postpositive use of inquit to mark the beginning of a direct quote.

quia sum dignissimus.
= The superlative is used here without an explicit comparison, the idea being that the lion is most worthy (of all the animals).

Altera item mea est,
= Notice how the lion counts: first he says una and then he says altera; the words unus and alter are often found in a sequence of two items, much like "the one" and "the other" in English.

quia viribus sum praestantissimus.
= The ablative viribus explains in what way the lion is most outstanding.

Porro, quia in capiendo cervo
= The gerundive capiendo agrees with the complement of the preposition, cervo, “in catching the deer.”

plus sudaverim,
The subjunctive is introduced by quia (“because”), giving causal background information; according to the lion, this is why he deserves the third portion.

tertiam mihi partem vendico.
= After una and altera, the lion continues the enumeration of the portions that he claims: tertia.

Quartam denique partem, nisi concesseritis,
= The compound nisi means "if (si) you do not (ni)."

actum est de amicitia;
= The idiomatic phrase actum est de means that something is “done” in the sense of “over and done with, finished.”

ilicet periistis!”
= You might translate this idiomatically as “you’re as good as dead.” The word ilicet (a compound of the imperative i + ) was originally a formula used to dismiss someone from a meeting ("go; it is allowed" = "you can go now").

Reliqui, hoc audito, discedunt, vacui et taciti,
= The adjectives refers to the other animals, the "quadrupeds" of the fable's title: reliqui (quadrupedes) ... vacui et taciti.

non ausi muttire contra Leonem.
= The participle ausi takes a complementary infinitive: muttire.

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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Fable 72: Cattus et Vulpes

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 72 in the book: De Catto et Vulpe. For more information about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Contrahebant inter se amicitias Cattus et Vulpes. Cui Vulpes astutiarum suarum grandem recensebat numerum. Cattus replicuit, “Ast ego uno tantum consilio et, quod natura ad meipsum praeservandum suggessit, contentus sum.” Inter haec, odoram canum vim appropinquantium audiunt. Cattus confestim altissimos arboris scandebat ramos et secure despectans sedebat. Vulpes autem et hic et illic trepide currebat et, nulla aufugiendi spe relicta, nulla uspiam latebra inventa, a canibus apprehensa laceratur.

Contrahebant inter se amicitias
= The opening words of the fable tell us about a friendship, saving the information for the end of the sentence.

Cattus et Vulpes.
= Here then are our two friends: the cat and the fox!

Cui Vulpes
= The referent of the relative pronoun is cattus in the previous sentence: cui (catto) vulpes (recensebat).

astutiarum suarum grandem recensebat numerum.
= The phrase grandem numerum wraps around the verb.

Cattus replicuit,
= The Latin word replicare, via French, ultimately yields the English word "reply." There are also English words derived from Latin which do not lose the plic- of the stem, such as implicate, duplicate, etc.

“Ast ego uno tantum consilio
= The predicate ablative functions like an adjective: uno tantum consilio, “I (am) just a one-plan (cat).”

et, quod natura
= The referent of the relative pronoun quod is the implied ablative complement of the verb which is coming up: contentus sum (eo) quod, “I am contented with that which . . .”

ad meipsum praeservandum suggessit,
= The gerundive with the preposition ad expresses purpose, and meipsum is an example of a compound word: me + ipsum.

contentus sum.”
= The relative clause explains just what the cat is content with: contentus sum (hoc) quod...

Inter haec,
= The pronoun here, neuter plural, refers to these things that they were saying to each other, their conversation.

odoram canum vim appropinquantium
= The highly poetic phrase, odora canum vis (“the keen-scented pack of hounds”), comes from Vergil’s Aeneid, Book IV.

audiunt.
= The cat and the fox are the implied subject of this verb.

Cattus confestim
= We will learn first about what the cat does when he hears the dogs approaching!

altissimos arboris scandebat ramos
= The phrase altissimos arboris ramos wraps around the verb.

et secure despectans sedebat.
= The etymology of secure is se- (without) and cura (care), so the cat is sitting up in the tree without a care in the world.

Vulpes autem
= The postpositive particle is in second position, as you would expect, alerting us now to what the fox was doing.

et hic et illic trepide currebat
= The Latin adverbs hic and illic express the idea that the fox was running around in this place and in that place - but without going anywhere at all!

et, nulla aufugiendi spe relicta,
= The phrase nulla spe (“no hope of”) wraps around the gerund in the genitive case, in an ablative absolute construction.

nulla uspiam latebra inventa,
= Another ablative absolute construction.

a canibus apprehensa laceratur.
= Latin is fond of passive verbs, as you can see here with the passive participle and passive verb, but you might want to render them both as active verbs in English: "the dogs caught the fox and tore her to pieces."

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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Fable 71: Agricola et Filii

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 71 in the book: De Agricola et Filiis. For more information about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Agricola, Filios suos videns quotidie litigantes, iussit fasciculum virgarum sibi afferri. Quae cum allatae essent, colligavit omnes in unum fasciculum, iussitque singulos Filiorum fasciculum capere et confringere. Illis vero confringere non valentibus, solvens postea fasciculum, tradidit singulas singulis eis frangendas, atque, illis statim facileque frangentibus, dixit, “Ita et vos, Filii mei, si unanimes perstiteritis, invictos vos hostibus praebebitis. Sin minus, ipsa vestra aemulatio opportunam vos praedam inimicis praestabit.”

Agricola,
= We meet one of the main characters in the fable here in the first word.

Filios suos videns quotidie litigantes,
= The participle litigantes is accusative plural, agreeing with the sons.

iussit fasciculum virgarum sibi afferri.
= The word fasciculus is a diminutive of the noun fascis, better known in the plural form fasces.

Quae cum allatae essent,
= The referent of the relative pronoun is virgarum in the previous sentence: quae (virgae) cum allatae essent.

colligavit omnes in unum fasciculum,
= The adjective omnes refers to the twigs: omnes (virgas).

iussitque singulos Filiorum
= The genitive plural is used with the distributive numeral, singulos: “each (of) his sons.”

fasciculum capere et confringere.
= The infinitives are complements to the verb iussit, with fasciculum as the object of the infinitives.

Illis vero confringere non valentibus,
= Ablative absolute construction, with the postpositive particle in second position, as you would expect.

solvens postea fasciculum,
= The nominative singular participle refers back to the subject of the main verb, the father.

tradidit singulas singulis eis frangendas,
= The word singulis agrees with eis, referring to the sons, while singulas refers to the twigs, and the gerundive frangendas expresses purpose: tradidit singulas (virgas) singulis eis (filiis) frangendas.

atque, illis statim facileque frangentibus,
= Ablative absolute construction, with the twigs as the implied object of the participle: illis (virgas) frangentibus.

dixit, “Ita et vos, Filii mei,
= Note the adverbial use of et in the phrase et vos ("you also").

si unanimes perstiteritis,
= The word unanimis is a contraction of un- ("one") and anim- ("mind, spirit"), meaning "like-minded, agreed."

invictos vos hostibus praebebitis.
= The in- prefix is adjectival here, meaning "un-defeated."

Sin minus,
= The adverb minus refers to the situation just discussed: sin minus (unanimes perstiteritis), “but if (you persist in being) less (united) . . .”

ipsa vestra aemulatio
= The word aemulatio can be used in either a good or a bad sense in Latin; here it is clearly bad!

opportunam vos praedam inimicis praestabit.”
= The phrase opportunam praedam wraps around the pronoun, with the noun phrase and the pronoun in apposition to one another in the predicate: “(your quarrel) will offer you to your enemies (as) ready prey.”

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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Fable 70: Nutrix et Lupus

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 70 in the book: De Nutrice et Lupo. For more information about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Nutrix minatur Puerum plorantem: ni taceat, se Lupo illum tradituram. Lupus praeteriens id forte audit et spe praedae manet ad fores. Puer tandem, obrepente somno, silescit. Regreditur Lupus in silvas, ieiunus et inanis. Lupa obviam illi habens sciscitatur ubi sit praeda. Cui gemebundus Lupus: “Verba (inquit) mihi data sunt. Puerum plorantem abiicere Nutrix minabatur, sed fefellit.”

Nutrix minatur Puerum plorantem:
= The deponent verb minatur is transitive and takes a direct object in the accusative.

ni taceat,
= The word ni here stands for nisi, "unless."

se Lupo illum tradituram.
= Accusative plus infinitive construction in indirect statement: se illum tradituram (esse), with se as the accusative subject (referring back to the nutrix who is the subject of the main verb), and illum (puerum) as the object.

Lupus praeteriens
= Here we meet the other main character of the fable, a wolf, who just happens to be passing by.

id forte audit
= The pronoun id refers to the nurse's threat.

et spe praedae manet ad fores.
= The noun praedae is an objective genitive, complementing spe (“in hopes of”).

Puer tandem, obrepente somno,
= Ablative absolute construction.

silescit.
= Note the inchoative verb: silescere, "to grow silent" (from the root verb, silere, "to be silent").

Regreditur Lupus in silvas, ieiunus et inanis.
= The word inanis means literally empty (empty-handed, perhaps, or "empty-pawed" since he is a wolf), but it also has a whole range of negative metaphorical connotations: "foolish, ineffectual," etc.

Lupa
= Here we meet an unexpected character: it is Mrs. Wolf!

obviam illi habens
= The phrase obviam habere means “to meet, run into,” and takes a dative complement, illi (lupo).

sciscitatur
= The verb is derived from the same root as scire, to know.

ubi sit praeda.
= The interrogative ubi introduces an indirect question with the subjunctive.

Cui gemebundus Lupus:
= The referent of the relative pronoun is lupa in the previous sentence: cui (lupae) lupus (inquit).

"Verba (inquit) mihi data sunt.
= The phrase verba dare means “to cheat, deceive,” with a dative complement: mihi verba data sunt, “I was deceived.”

Puerum plorantem abiicere Nutrix minabatur,
= See the infinitive construction used with minatur above.

sed fefellit.”
= The verb fallere shares the same root as the word falsus (notice the fourth principle part of the verb), so you could think of it meaning "to play someone false."

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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Fable 69: Cattus et Mures

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 69 in the book: De Catto et Muribus. For more information about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Cattus, cum pistoris domum ingressus est, quam plurimos invenit Mures et, nunc unum nunc alterum devorando, tam caute patrifamilias providebat ut paucos relinqueret. Mures interim, cum ante oculos habuissent diuturnam illorum caedem, consilium ceperunt quo pacto Cattum vorabundum evitarent. Post varias disceptationes concludebant tandem ut in locis occultis altissimisque remanerent, ne descendendo in praedam Catto venirent. Cattus, hoc consilio intellecto, se mortuum fingebat, cum unus ex Murium senioribus ab alto exclamavit, “Euge, amice! Non Catto credendum est, ne mortuo quidem.”

Cattus,
= As usual, we meet one of the main characters of the fable in the opening word.

cum pistoris domum ingressus est,
= The deponent verb ingressus est is transitive and takes a direct object in the accusative.

quam plurimos invenit Mures
= The phrase quam plurimos mures means “as many as could be” or “very many indeed.”

et, nunc unum nunc alterum devorando,
= The gerund here takes an accusative object.

tam caute patrifamilias providebat
= The word patrifamilias is the dative form of paterfamilias, a compound of two words, pater + familias, of which only the first word declines. (Historically, the second part - familias - represents an archaic genitive form: the father of the family.)

ut paucos relinqueret.
= The adjective refers to the mice: ut paucos (mures) reliqueret (cattus).

Mures interim,
= Just as the cat was the subject of the first sentence, now the mice get to be the subject of the second sentence!

cum ante oculos habuissent diuturnam illorum caedem,
= The subjunctive, introduced by cum, gives causal background information; this is why the mice needed to come up with a plan.

consilium ceperunt
= The idiom consilium capere means "to form a plan, to take up a proposal, to decide."

quo pacto Cattum vorabundum evitarent.
= The interrogative phrase quo pacto introduces an indirect question with the subjunctive.

Post varias disceptationes concludebant tandem
= Note the nice play on words: they faced some dis-cep-tationes in their attempt to consilium capere; the word disceptatio shares the same root as the verb capere.

ut in locis occultis altissimisque remanerent,
= Note the use of the superlative with a specific term of comparison, meaning extremely high places, the highest possible places.

ne descendendo in praedam Catto venirent.
= The gerund is in the ablative case.

Cattus, hoc consilio intellecto,
= Note the ablative absolute construction, which you might choose to translate with a finite verb instead: "The cat, after he had understood their plan, ..."

se mortuum fingebat,
= Accusative plus infinitive construction, introduced by fingebat: se mortuum (esse).

cum unus ex Murium senioribus
= The word senior is a comparative form of the word senex meaning "old," although in English you have a choice of two words you can use here: older, or elder. Which do you think is the better choice?

ab alto exclamavit,
= Notice too that the mouse has followed the rules and stayed up high somewhere, safely, without coming down!

“Euge, amice!
= Since the word euge is Greek in origin, there might be good reason to use the Italian "bravo!" as the translation, since "bravo!" is a foreign word which has been adopted into English usage.

Non Catto credendum est,
= The future passive participle combined with the verb est results in a future passive periphrastic, also known as a “gerundive of necessity." The subject is impersonal, hence the neuter singular form. To introduce a personal subject, you would use another dative: non catto credendum est nobis, "we should not put our trust in a cat."

ne mortuo quidem.”
= The phrase ne . . . quidem puts a strong emphasis on the word mortuo, referring to the cat who is not to be trust: mortuo (catto).

There is no Barlow illustration for this fable, but you can see illustrations to other versions of the fable by checking out some of the links to illustrated fables online here.

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Fable 68: Cervus in Aquas Inspiciens

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 68 in the book: De Cervo in Aquas Inspiciente. For more information about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Cervus, sedandi sitim gratia, ad fontem descendit et, ibi totum corpus despectans, cornua magnopere praestantia laudavit, sed tibialium tenuitatem maxime deprecatus est. Sed mox canum circumlatrantium ingruebat horror et ille per tibialium velocitatem confugit ad silvas et ibi miserrime a cornibus detinebatur. Qui tum moribundulus sic ultimum efflavit halitum: “Me miserum, qui tibialium damnavi tenuitatem, quae mihi salutem, et cornuum laudavi praestantiam, quae mihi ruinam pepererunt.”

Cervus,
= As usual, we meet the main character of the fable in the opening word: the deer - or stag, as might be the more appropriate word choice for this particular fable!

sedandi sitim gratia,
= The ablative gratia (for the sake of) takes a genitive complement, the gerund sedandi, while sitim is the direct object of the gerund.

ad fontem descendit
= The fons here is supposed to serve as a source of water - but unfortunately for the stag, it also serves as a mirror!

et, ibi totum corpus despectans,
= The neuter noun, corpus, is the accusative object of the participle.

cornua magnopere praestantia laudavit,
= The adjective praestantia and the noun cornua are a double predicate: the stag praised his horns (as) especially beautiful.

sed tibialium tenuitatem maxime deprecatus est.
= The deponent verb deprecatus est is transitive and takes a direct object in the accusative.

Sed mox canum circumlatrantium ingruebat horror
= The noun horror takes a genitive complement: canum circumlatrantium.

et ille
= The pronoun refers to the stag: ille (cervus).

per tibialium velocitatem confugit ad silvas
= Recall, of course, that he had just despised his legs for their thinness!

et ibi miserrime a cornibus detinebatur.
= The word miserrime is the superlative form of the adverb misere.

Qui tum moribundulus
= The referent of the relative pronoun qui is cervus in the previous sentence: qui (cervus). The diminutive adjective moribundulus conveys a pathetic quality; the stag is not small in size, but he is in a sadly diminished state.

sic ultimum efflavit halitum:
= The phrase ultimum halitum is wrapped around the verb.

“Me miserum,
= An exclamation using the accusative.

qui tibialium damnavi tenuitatem,
= The referent of the relative pronoun is me, which is masculine singular (standing for cervus).

quae mihi salutem,
= The referent of the relative pronoun quae is tenuitatem, and the verb is implied by the parallel construction, as you will see: quae (tenuitas) mihi salutem (peperit).

et cornuum laudavi praestantiam,
= The phrase cornuum praestantiam wraps around the verb.

quae mihi ruinam pepererunt.”
= The referent of the relative pronoun quae is cornuum, which is neuter plural: quae (cornua) mihi ruinam pepererunt.

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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The Aesopus Ning is now open for business - so, for more fables and to share your questions and comments with others, come visit the Ning!

Fable 67: Leo et Mus

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 67 in the book: De Leone et Mure. For more information about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Leo, aestu cursuque defessus, in umbra quiescebat. Murium autem grege tergum eius percurrente, expergefactus unum e multis comprehendit. Supplicat misellus, clamitans indignum se esse cui irascatur. Leo, reputans nihil laudis esse in nece tantillae bestiolae, captivum dimittit. Non multo post, Leo, dum per segetes currit, incidit in plagas; rugire licet, exire non licet. Rugientem Leonem Mus audit, vocem agnoscit, repit in cuniculos, et quaesitos laqueorum nodos invenit corroditque. Quo facto, Leo e plagis evadit.

Leo, aestu cursuque defessus,
= Note the elegant use of two fourth declension nouns here in parallel: aestu cursuque.

in umbra quiescebat.
= As often, the opening verb of the story is an imperfect past tense as the plot unfolds.

Murium autem grege
= Note the postpositive particle in second position, as you would expect. This genitive noun phrase, murium grege, will be part of an ablative absolute phrase, as you are about to discover.

tergum eius percurrente,
= An ablative absolute phrase, with tergum the direct object of the participle, with eius referring to the lion: tergum eius (leonis).

expergefactus
= You might want to translate the participle as a finite verb phrase, "The lion woke up and..."

unum e multis comprehendit.
= The unum refers to one of the many mice who had been running down his back!

Supplicat misellus,
= The diminutive adjective refers to the mouse: misellus (mus).

clamitans
= The verb is an iterative form of the root verb, clamare.

indignum se esse
= Accusative plus infinitive construction in indirect statement, with se (referring to the mouse, subject of the main verb) as the accusative subject and indignum as a predicate adjective.

cui irascatur.
= The subjunctive, introduced by the relative pronoun, explains the result of the mouse’s unworthy status; he is not even the sort of creature a lion might get angry at.

Leo, reputans
= The participle reputans is able to introduce indirect statement.

nihil laudis esse
= Accusative plus infinitive construction in indirect statement, with a partitive genitive construction: nihil (nothing) laudis (of praise, glory) esse = “there is no glory.”

in nece tantillae bestiolae,
= Note the use of the a diminutive adjective together with a diminutive noun!

captivum dimittit.
= The adjective refers to the mouse: captivum (murem).

Non multo post,
= The ablative expresses the degree of difference in a comparison introduced by post, “not (by) much later.”

Leo, dum per segetes currit,
= Notice that in telling a story, you can mix present and past tenses much more freely than is usually admissable in written English style.

incidit in plagas;
= The form incidit is ambiguous, and could be either present or perfect, but the unambiguous present verb currit strongly suggests taking this form as present also.

rugire licet, exire non licet.
= Notice the elegant parallel construction with licet / non licet.

Rugientem Leonem
= We were just told that it was possible for the lion to roar, so roar he does!

Mus audit,
= This sentence also features an unambiguous present tense verb: audit.

vocem agnoscit,
= Notice that vox can be used in Latin for all kinds of sounds, cries and calls, not just the human voice.

repit in cuniculos,
= The basic meaning of cuniculus is "rabbit" (compare English "cony"), but the word also came to refer to holes or passages, based on the way that rabbits burrow!

et quaesitos laqueorum nodos
= You might translate the passive participle with an active verb: "The mouse sought out the knots in the snare..."

invenit corroditque.
= You can see the same root as the English "rodent" in the verb corrodere - it is a very fitting thing for a "rodent" to be doing!

Quo facto,
= Ablative absolute construction, in which the relative pronoun quo connects back to the previous sentence, referring to the general situation described there, i.e. the mouse chewing through the knots.

Leo e plagis evadit.
= Thanks to Abstemius, there is also the marvelous follow-up story of just what kind of reward the mouse asked for and received for his services!

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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Fable 66: Leo et Quattuor Tauri

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 66 in the book: De Leone et Quattuor Tauris. For more information about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Quattuor fuere Tauri qui, inter se invicem societate inita, foedus faciebant communem ipsorum esse salutem et commune periculum. Hoc observavit esuriens et indignabundus Leo, qui quamvis grandi premeretur fame, coniunctos tamen aggredi non ausus est. Hoc ergo consilium cepit: primum verbis fallacibus unum ab altero segregavit, deinde segregatos facile laniavit.

Quattuor fuere Tauri
= The phrase quattuor tauri wraps around the verb, fuere (an alternate form of fuerunt), which is declarative: “there were four bulls.”

qui,
= Notice the ambiguity of the relative pronoun qui, which can be either masculine nominative plural, as here, or masculine nominative singular, as you will see further down.

inter se invicem societate inita,
= Ablative absolute construction.

foedus faciebant
= Although foedus might look like a masculine second declension noun, it is not - you are dealing here with a neuter third declension noun, which is here in the accusative case.

communem ipsorum esse salutem
= Accusative plus infinitive construction, with the noun salutem as the subject and communem as predicate adjective. The noun phrase ipsorum salutem is wrapped around the infinitive; the pronoun refers to the bulls: ipsorum (taurorum) salutem.

et commune periculum.
= Accusative plus infinitive, parallel to communem salutem in the preceding statement: commune (esse) periculum.

Hoc observavit
= The pronoun refers to the entire general situation of the bulls, their treaty, and so on.

esuriens et indignabundus Leo,
= If there are two adjectives that would make you watch out for a lion, it would have to be hungry and angry!

qui
= Here the relative pronoun qui is masculine nominative singular.

quamvis grandi premeretur fame,
= The phrase grandi fame wraps around the verb, with the subjunctive expressing a supposition introduced by quamvis.

coniunctos tamen aggredi
= The deponent infinitive aggredi is transitive and takes a direct object in the accusative: coniunctos (tauros). Note also the postpositive particle in second position, as you would expect

non ausus est.
= This verb needs a complementary infinitive, which you have already with aggredi.

Hoc ergo consilium cepit:
= Note the postpositive particle in second position, as you would expect.

primum
= This is primum used as an adverb, "first" (in a series of events).

verbis fallacibus
= The fable does not tell us what words the lion used to set the bulls against each other. Just imagine the possibilities!

unum ab altero segregavit,
= The verb segregare means literally to "dis-herd," based on the root word grex (gregis) meaning "flock, herd." The prefix se- means "without, apart" as in Latin securus, "without - care."

deinde segregatos facile laniavit.
= You might even want to translate the participle as a finite verb: "Finally, after he had separated the bulls, he easily butchered them."

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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The Aesopus Ning is now open for business - so, for more fables and to share your questions and comments with others, come visit the Ning!

Fable 65: Ursus et Duo Viatores

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 65 in the book: De Urso et Duobus Viatoribus. For more information Fable about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Amici duo, facto foedere, iter inceptantes, Urso obviam dabant. Alter ex Amicis trepidus arborem conscendit. Alter autem, constratus humi, se mortuum simulabat et spiritum totum compressit. Accedens Ursus, ad faciem os admovens et mortuum credens, abibat, intactum relinquens. Tandem descendebat ex arbore Amicus et, Socium accedens, percontatus est quid illi susurraverat Ursus. Cui ille respondit, “Monebat me Ursus, ut de falsis et perfidis Amicis in posterum caverem.”

Amici duo,
= In the opening words, we meet the two of the main characters of the story: the two friends.

facto foedere,
= Ablative absolute construction.

iter inceptantes,
= The participle here takes a direct object in the accusative case, iter.

Urso obviam dabant.
= The phrase obviam dare means “to meet, run into,” and it takes a dative complement: urso.

Alter ex Amicis
= The double use of alter is equivalent to the English construction, “the one . . . the other."

trepidus arborem conscendit.
= The adjective trepidus agrees with the subject of the verb.

Alter autem, constratus humi,
= See the note about alter... alter... above. Note the postpositive particle in second position, as you would expect. The word humi is a locative form of the noun humus, meaning “on the ground.”

se mortuum simulabat
= Accusative plus infinitive construction: se mortuum (esse) simulabat.

et spiritum totum compressit.
= The meaning of spiritus here is "breath," rather than "spirit."

Accedens Ursus,
= Now that one of the men is up in the tree, while the other man is still on the ground, we will see what the bear will do!

ad faciem os admovens
= The phrase ad faciem refers to the face of the man who is lying on the ground.

et mortuum credens,
= Accusative plus infinitive construction, with the man lying on the ground as the implied subject of the infinitive: (eum) mortuum (esse) credens.

abibat, intactum relinquens.
= The adjective intactum has a predicative function: leaving (the man) untouched.

Tandem descendebat ex arbore Amicus
= The adverb tandem suggests that the man up in the tree has waited until the bear has left them far behind.

et, Socium accedens, percontatus est
= The deponent verb percontatus est introduces a question.

quid illi susurraverat Ursus.
= Although you would normally expect a subjunctive here for indirect question, you can sometimes find the indicative used for questions of fact (as here), especially in early Latin and in poetry, as well as in later Latin, as you see here.

Cui ille respondit,
= The referent of the relative pronoun cui is amicus in the previous sentence: cui (amico) ille respondit.

“Monebat me Ursus,
= The verb monebat introduces an ut clause.

ut de falsis et perfidis Amicis
= An explanation of the etymology of the adjective perfidus assumes that it comes from the expression per fidem fallit.

in posterum caverem.”
= The subjunctive caverem completes the ut clause.

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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The Aesopus Ning is now open for business - so, for more fables and to share your questions and comments with others, come visit the Ning!

Fable 64: Satyrus et Viator

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 64 in the book: De Satyro et Viatore. For more information Fable about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Satyrus Viatorem, nive obrutum atque algore enectum, misertus ducit in antrum suum. Refocillantem manus anhelitu oris percontatur causam; “Ut calefiant,” inquit. Postea, cum accumberent, sufflat Viator in polentam. Quod cur ita faceret interrogatus “Ut frigescat,” inquit. Tunc continuo Satyrus Viatorem eiiciens: “Nolo (inquit) in meo ut sis antro, cui tam diversum est os.”

Satyrus
= As usual, the first word introduces us to one of the main characters in the fable: the satyr.

Viatorem, nive obrutum atque algore enectum,
= In the second word, we meet the other main character of the fable: a wayfarer, who has been overwhelmed by the snow.

misertus ducit in antrum suum.
= The deponent participle misertus is transitive and takes a direct object in the accusative, viatorem, which is also the object of ducit.

Refocillantem manus anhelitu oris
= The participle refers to the wayfarer: (viatorem) refocillantem manus, with manus an accusative plural, object of the participle.

percontatur causam;
= The satyr is the subject of this deponent verb, which takes a double accusative for the person who is being asked a question (viatorem refocillantem manus) and the information requested (causam).

“Ut calefiant,” inquit.
= The implied subject of this verb is the man’s hands, manus.

Postea, cum accumberent,
= The subjunctive, introduced by cum, gives causal background information; this is why the man was now ready to eat his food.

sufflat Viator in polentam.
= In ancient Rome, the food called polenta was a form of pearl barley, although in modern Italian cooking, polenta is made from corn meal.

Quod cur ita faceret
= The relative pronoun quod connects back to the previous sentence, referring to the general situation described there, i.e. the man blowing on his food; cur introduces an indirect question with the subjunctive.

interrogatus
= This is the participle that explains the indirect question: the man was asked why he was blowing on his food.

“Ut frigescat,” inquit.
= The subject of this verb is the polenta; the verb frigescere is not transitive, but intransitive, meaning "to grow cool" (like other inchoative verbs formed with the -sc- suffix, the verb refers to an ongoing process).

Tunc continuo
= The adverb continuo means something that happens immediately, directly, at once (from the adjective continuus, meaning "joining, connecting with something," hence the sense of something uninterrupted in time).

Satyrus Viatorem eiiciens:
= A participle, because it is a verb form, is able to take a direct object, as here.

“Nolo (inquit)
= The verb inquit is being used postpositively here, as a particle that signals a direct quotation.

in meo ut sis antro,
= The phrase in meo antro wraps around the phrase, ut sis.

cui tam diversum est os.”
= The referent of the relative pronoun cui is you, the implied subject of sis; the dative here expresses possession: “whose mouth.” The word diversum is a predicate adjective, agreeing with the noun os.

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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The Aesopus Ning is now open for business - so, for more fables and to share your questions and comments with others, come visit the Ning!

Fable 63: Vulpes in Puteo

Here's the next fable with a kind of running commentary that is not entirely possible within the confines of the forthcoming book from Bolchazy-Carducci. This will be Fable 63 in the book: De Vulpe in Puteo. For more information Fable about this fable, see the Discussion Forum for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

Vulpes et Caper sitibundi in quendam puteum descendebant. In quo cum perbibissent, Vulpes dixit circumspicienti reditum Capro, “Bono animo esto, Caper! Excogitavi etenim quo pacto uterque reduces simus.” Obtemperavit consilio Caper, et Vulpes, ex puteo prosiliens, prae gaudio in margine cursitabat. Ceterum, cum ab Hirco ut foedifraga incusaretur, respondit, “Enimvero, Hirce, si tantum tibi sensus esset in mente, quantum est saetarum in mento, non prius in puteum descendisses, quam de reditu exploravisses.”

Vulpes et Caper sitibundi
= We meet the two main characters of the fable here in the opening words - the fox and the goat - and they are both thirsty!

in quendam puteum descendebant.
= The adjective quidam is one of those tricky words with a suffix that does not decline: quendam = quem+dam, masculine accusative singular, agreeing with puteum.

In quo cum perbibissent,
= The referent of the relative pronoun quo is puteum in the previous sentence: in quo (puteo); the subjunctive, introduced by cum, gives causal background information as to why they were ready to get out of the well now.

Vulpes dixit circumspicienti reditum Capro,
= The fox spoke to the goat, with the phrase circumspicienti reditum modifying the goat (a participle, like a verb, can take a direct object).

“Bono animo esto, Caper!
= The form esto is the future imperative of sum, with the predicate ablative bono animo functioning like a predicate adjective, meaning something like “good-spirited, optimistic.”

Excogitavi etenim
= The verb excogitavi will introduce the fox's thoughts in the form of indirect statement.

quo pacto uterque reduces simus.”
= The word quo introduces an indirect question with the subjunctive; reduces is a predicate adjective, masculine nominative plural. The pronoun uterque is grammatically singular, but logically plural, referring to uterque (nostrum), “each of us two, both of us," hence the plural verb, simus.

Obtemperavit consilio Caper,
= The verb obtemperavit takes a dative complement; the plan refers to the fox using the goat’s horns to climb up and get out, so that he could then (supposedly) help the goat in turn to get out.

et Vulpes, ex puteo prosiliens,
= The fox was able to leap out of the well because he was able to get a good start by jumping up onto the horns of the goat.

prae gaudio in margine cursitabat.
= The verb cursitare is an intensive iterative form based on the standard verb currere (you can see that the iterative verb is formed using the supine stem, curs-).

Ceterum,
= The adverb ceterum introduces the second phase of the story... which, much to the goat's disappointment, does not involve his rescue from the well!

cum ab Hirco ut foedifraga incusaretur,
= The subjunctive, introduced by cum, gives causal background information; this is why the fox insulted the goat.

respondit,
= The implied subject of this verb is the fox, vulpes, who was the subject of the main verb of the previous sentence (cursitabat).

“Enimvero, Hirce,
= Unlike the particle enim, which is usually found in second position, the form enimvero (= enim + vero) is usually found in first position, as here.

si tantum tibi sensus esset in mente,
= The word sensus is genitive singular, in a partitive genitive construction: tantum (so much) sensus (of wit), "so much wit." The imperfect subjunctive introduces a hypothetical that is contrary to fact: if only the goat had some wit.. but he doesn't!

quantum est saetarum in mento,
= Parallel construction, with partitive genitives: tantum (so much) sensus (of wit), quantum (as much) saetarum (of whiskers) = “as much wit as whiskers.”

non prius in puteum descendisses,
= The adverbial prius anticipates a quam clause, expressing the comparison.

quam de reditu exploravisses.”
= The quam follows up on the prius in the previous clause. Although we do not use the expression "before... than..." in English, you might think of a comparative construction "earlier in time... than..." to see how the prius... quam... construction works in Latin.

Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:

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The Aesopus Ning is now open for business - so, for more fables and to share your questions and comments with others, come visit the Ning!