Lectitō › Phaedrus › Fables, Book 1
Phaedrus 1.12
The stag at the spring
Phaedrus, Fabulae I. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in LectitōPhaedr. 1.12.1Laudātīs ūtiliōra quae contempserīs
saepe invenīrī haec asserit narrātiō.
This story shows that the things you have despised often turn out more useful than the things you praised.
Note. Laudātīs: ablative of comparison, 'than the things praised'. quae contempseris: 'the things you have despised'. assērit: 'claims, shows'.
Phaedr. 1.12.3Ad fontem cervus, cum bibisset, restitit
et in liquōre vīdit effigiem suam.
A stag, after drinking at a spring, stood still and saw his own likeness in the water.
Note. restitit: 'stood still'. effigiem suam: 'his own likeness', his reflection.
Phaedr. 1.12.5Ibi dum rāmōsa mīrāns laudat cornua
crūrumque nimiam tenuitātem vituperat,
vēnantum subitō vōcibus conterritus
per campum fugere coepit et cursū levī
canēs ēlūsit.
There, while he admired and praised his branching horns and found fault with the excessive thinness of his legs, he was suddenly terrified by the voices of hunters, began to run across the plain, and with his light speed escaped the dogs.
Note. dum + present (laudat, vituperat): 'while he was praising'. rāmōsa cornua: 'branching antlers'. crūrum … tenuitātem: 'the thinness of his legs'. vēnantum = vēnantium, 'of hunters'.
Phaedr. 1.12.9Silva tum excēpit ferum,
10in quā retentīs impedītus cornibus
lacerārī coepit morsibus saevīs canum.
Then a wood took in the wild creature; there, caught fast with his horns held back, he began to be torn apart by the savage bites of the dogs.
Note. excēpit ferum: 'took in the wild creature'. retentīs … cornibus: ablative absolute, 'his horns held fast'. The antlers he admired trap him; the legs he despised had saved him.
Phaedr. 1.12.12Tunc moriēns ēdidisse vōcem hanc dīcitur:
Ō mē īnfēlīcem!
Then, as he died, he is said to have uttered these words: 'Oh, wretch that I am!
Note. moriēns: 'dying'. Ō mē īnfēlīcem: accusative of exclamation, 'oh, wretched me!'.
Phaedr. 1.12.13Quī nunc dēmum intellegō
ūtilia mihi quam fuerint quae dēspexeram,
15et quae laudāram quantum lūctus habuerint.
Only now do I understand how useful to me were the things I despised, and how much grief the things I had praised have brought me.'
Note. Quī: 'I who'. Two indirect questions: quam ūtilia … fuerint and quantum lūctūs habuerint. laudāram = laudāveram.
Vocabulary
| laudō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | praise |
| ūtilis, -e | useful, advantageous |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| contemnō, -ere, -tempsī, -temptus | despise, scorn, think little of |
| saepe, adv. | often, frequently |
| inveniō, -venīre, -vēnī, -ventus | come upon, find |
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| assero (adserō), -ere, -seruī, -sertum | lay claim to, claim |
| narrātiō, -ōnis f. | story, narrative |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| fōns, fontis, m. | fountain, spring |
| cervus, -ī, m. | stag |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| bibō, bibere, bibī | drink |
| restō, -āre, restitī | stay behind, remain |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| liquor, -ōris m. | liquid, water |
| videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus | see; pass., seem |
| effigiēs, -ēī f. | likeness, form, appearance |
| suus, -a, -um | his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their |
| ibi, adv. | in that place, there |
| dum, conj. | while, as; as long as; until |
| rāmōsus, -a, -um | branching, branchy |
| mīror, -ārī, -ātus | wonder, wonder at |
| cornū, -ūs, n. | horn |
| crūs, crūris, n. | leg |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| nimius, -a, -um | excessive, too great |
| tenuitās, -ātis f. | thinness; poverty, weakness |
| vituperō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | find fault with, blame |
| vēnor, -ārī, -ātus sum | hunt |
| subitō, adv. | unexpectedly, suddenly |
| vōx, vōcis, f. | voice; word |
| conterreō, -ēre, -uī, -itus | frighten badly, terrify |
| per, prep, with ace. | through, by means of |
| campus, -ī, m. | plain, field |
| fugiō, fugere, fūgī, fugitūrus | flee, run away |
| coepī, coepisse, coeptus (used in tenses of completed action) | have begun, began |
| cursus, -ūs, m. | running, speed; course, route, voyage; race |
| levis, -e | light, slight |
| canis, -is, m. and f. | dog |
| ēlūdō, -ere, -lūsī, -lūsus | mock, make sport of; elude |
| silva, -ae, f. | wood, forest |
| tum, adv. | then, at that time |
| excipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptus | take out or up, receive, welcome, entertain |
| ferus, -a, -um | wild, savage |
| retineō, -tinēre, -tinuī, -tentus | hold or keep back, keep, restrain; hold fast |
| impediō, -pedīre, -pedīvī, -pedītus | hinder, prevent, impede |
| lacerō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | tear to pieces; squander, waste |
| morsus, -ūs m. | bite; jaws |
| saevus, -a, -um | fierce, savage |
| tunc (adv.) | then, at that time |
| morior, morī, mortuus | die |
| ēdō, -dere, -didī, -ditus | put forth, give out, utter |
| dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictus | say, speak; diem dīcere, to appoint or set a day |
| ō (interj.) | O! oh! |
| ego, meī, pers. pron. | I |
| īnfēlīx, -fēlīcis, adj. | unhappy, unfortunate |
| nunc, adv. | now |
| dēmum, adv. | at last |
| intellegō, -legere, -lēxī, -lēctus | perceive, understand |
| quam, adv. | how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| dēspiciō, -ere, -spexī, -spectum | look down on, despise |
| quantus, -a, -um | how great or much? |
| lūctus, -ūs m. | grief, mourning |
| habeō, -ēre, -uī, -itus | have, hold; consider |