Lectitō › Phaedrus › Fables, Book 1
Phaedrus 1.11
The donkey and the lion out hunting
Phaedrus, Fabulae I. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in LectitōPhaedr. 1.11.1Virtūtis expers, verbīs iactāns glōriam,
ignōtōs fallit, nōtīs est dērīsuī.
A man without courage who boasts in words of his glory deceives those who do not know him, but is a laughing-stock to those who do.
Note. Virtūtis expers: 'without courage'. iactāns glōriam: 'boasting of his glory'. nōtīs est dērīsuī: a double dative, 'is a laughing-stock to those who know him'.
Phaedr. 1.11.3Vēnārī asellō comite cum vellet leō,
contēxit illum frutice et admonuit simul,
5ut īnsuētā vōce terrēret ferās,
fugientēs ipse exciperet.
When a lion wanted to go hunting with a donkey as his companion, he covered him with brushwood and told him at the same time to frighten the wild beasts with his strange voice, so that he himself could catch them as they fled.
Note. asellō comite: ablative absolute, 'with a donkey as companion'. contēxit illum frutice: the lion hides the donkey in brushwood. ut … terrēret: purpose. fugientēs ipse exciperet: 'so that he himself could catch them as they fled'.
Phaedr. 1.11.6Hīc aurītulus
clāmōrem subitō tōtīs tollit vīribus
novōque turbat bēstiās mīrāculō.
At this the long-eared one suddenly raised a shout with all his might and threw the beasts into confusion with this new marvel.
Note. aurītulus: 'little long-ears', a mock-affectionate name. tōtīs … vīribus: 'with all his strength'. novō … mīrāculō: 'with this strange marvel'.
Phaedr. 1.11.9Quae dum paventēs exitūs nōtōs petunt,
10leōnis afflīguntur horrendō impetū.
While they in their terror make for the familiar ways out, they are struck down by the lion's dreadful attack.
Note. Quae: the beasts. exitūs nōtōs: 'the familiar ways out'. afflīguntur: 'are struck down'.
Phaedr. 1.11.11Quī postquam caede fessus est, asinum ēvocat
iubetque vōcem premere.
When he was tired of slaughter, he called the donkey out and told him to stop his voice.
Note. caede fessus: 'tired of killing'. vōcem premere: 'to hold his voice', i.e. stop braying.
Phaedr. 1.11.12Tunc ille īnsolēns:
quālis vidētur opera tibi vōcis meae?
Then the donkey said, full of himself: 'What do you think of the work my voice did?'
Note. īnsolēns: 'proud, conceited'. quālis vidētur … opera vōcis meae: 'what do you think of the work of my voice?'.
Phaedr. 1.11.14Īnsignis inquit sīc ut, nisi nōssem tuum
15animum genusque, similī fūgissem metū.
'Remarkable,' said the lion, 'so much so that, if I had not known your spirit and your breed, I would have run away in the same fear.'
Note. Īnsignis (opera): 'remarkable'. nisi nōssem … fūgissem: past unreal condition, 'if I had not known … I would have fled'. nōssem = nōvissem.
Vocabulary
| virtūs, -tūtis, f. | manliness, courage, bravery |
| expers, -pertis | having no share in, without (+ gen. or abl.) |
| verbum, -ī, n. | word |
| iactō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | toss about; discuss |
| glōria, -ae, f. | glory |
| ignōtus, -a, -um | unknown |
| fallō, fallere, fefellī, falsus | deceive |
| nōtus, -a, -um | known, well-known, famous |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| dērīsus, -ūs m. | mockery; derisuī esse, to be a laughing-stock |
| vēnor, -ārī, -ātus sum | hunt |
| asellus, -ī m. | young donkey, little ass |
| comes, -itis, m. and f. | companion |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| volō, velle, voluī | wish |
| leō, -ōnis, m. | lion |
| contegō, -tegere, -tēxī, -tēctus | cover |
| ille, illa, illud, dem. pron. | that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc |
| frutex, -icis m. | shrub, bush; foliage |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| admoneō, -ēre, -uī, -itus | remind, warn, advise |
| simul, adv. | at the same time; simul atque or ac, as soon as |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| īnsuētus, -a, -um (+ gen.) | unused (to), unaccustomed |
| vōx, vōcis, f. | voice; word |
| terreō, -ēre, -uī, -itus | frighten, terrify |
| fera, -ae, f. | wild animal, beast |
| fugiō, fugere, fūgī, fugitūrus | flee, run away |
| ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron. | self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very |
| excipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptus | take out or up, receive, welcome, entertain |
| hīc, adv. | here; hereupon |
| aurītulus, -ī m. | 'long-ears': a joking name for the donkey |
| clāmor, -ōris, m. | shout, cry |
| subitō, adv. | unexpectedly, suddenly |
| tōtus, -a, -um | all the, the whole or entire |
| tollō, tollere, sustulī, sublātus | lift, raise; take away, remove; ancorās tollere, to weigh anchor |
| vīs, vīs, f. | violence, force; virtue, potency, efficacy; plur. vīrēs, -ium, strength; omnibus vīribus, with all one's strength, with might and main |
| novus, -a, -um | new; novissimus, last |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| turbō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | confuse, throw into disorder, disturb, trouble |
| bestia, -ae f. | beast, wild animal |
| mīrāculum, -ī, n. | wonder, marvel, miracle |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| dum, conj. | while, as; as long as; until |
| paveō, -ēre, pāvī | be terrified, tremble |
| exitus, -ūs m. | way out; outcome, end |
| petō, -ere, -īvī or -iī, -ītus | seek, ask; attack |
| afflīgō, -ere, -flīxī, -flīctus | strike against, damage, wreck |
| horrendus, -a, -um | dreadful, terrible |
| impetus, -ūs, m. | attack; impetum facere, to charge |
| postquam, conj. | later than, after, when |
| caedēs, -is, f. | cutting down, killing, slaughter |
| fessus, -a, -um | exhausted, worn out, weary |
| asinus, -ī m. | ass, donkey; (as an insult) dolt |
| ēvocō, -vocāre, -vocāvī, -vocātus | call out, challenge |
| iubeō, iubēre, iussī, iussus | bid, order, command |
| premō, premere, pressī, pressus | press, check, restrain |
| tunc (adv.) | then, at that time |
| īnsolēns, -entis | unaccustomed (to: gen.); excessive, arrogant |
| quālis, -e | of what sort? what kind of? |
| videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus | see; pass., seem |
| opera, -ae, f. | effort, work, labor |
| tū, tuī, pers. pron. | thou, you |
| meus, -a, -um | my, mine |
| īnsignis, -e | notable, remarkable |
| inquam, inquis, inquit, defective verb | I say, you say, he says |
| sīc, adv. | so, thus |
| nisi, conj. | if not, unless |
| nōscō, -ere, nōvī, nōtum | get to know (perf. nōvī: know) |
| tuus, -a, -um | thy, thine, your |
| animus, -ī, m. | mind; heart; spirit, courage |
| genus, generis, n. | kind, nature |
| similis, -e | like, similar (vērī similis: likely) |
| metus, -ūs m. | fear, dread |