Phaedrus 1.11

The donkey and the lion out hunting

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Phaedr. 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.

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Grammar in this passage: cum clauses ×1, ablative absolute ×1

Latin vocabulary for this passage (74 words)

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

Phaedrus, Fabulae I. Latin text: L. Mueller (Teubner, 1876), public domain; digital text from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA. Word analysis: LatinCy, then every word checked and corrected by hand. Vocabulary: F. Ritchie (1903, public domain) and entries written for this app. English translation, notes and grammar hints: written for this app.