Lectitō › Phaedrus › Fables, Book 1
Phaedrus 1.13
The fox and the crow
Phaedrus, Fabulae I. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in LectitōPhaedr. 1.13.1Quī sē laudārī gaudet verbīs subdolīs,
ferē dat poenās turpī paenitentiā.
Whoever enjoys being praised with crafty words usually pays the penalty with shameful regret.
Note. Quī … gaudet: 'whoever enjoys'. fere: 'usually'. dat poenās: 'pays the penalty'.
Phaedr. 1.13.3Cum dē fenestrā corvus raptum cāseum
comēsse vellet, celsā residēns arbore,
5vulpēs hunc vīdit, deinde sīc coepit loquī:
Ō quī tuārum, corve, pennārum est nitor!
A crow had snatched a cheese from a window and, perched in a tall tree, wanted to eat it, when a fox saw him and then began to speak like this: 'O crow, what a shine your feathers have!
Note. The most famous fable of all. comēsse = comedere, 'to eat up'. celsā … arbore: 'in a tall tree'. Ō quī … est nitor: 'oh, what a shine!'; quī is the interrogative adjective agreeing with nitor. corve: vocative.
Phaedr. 1.13.7Quantum decoris corpore et vultū geris!
How much beauty you carry in your body and face!
Note. Quantum decoris: 'how much beauty' (partitive genitive). geris: 'you carry'.
Phaedr. 1.13.8Sī vōcem habērēs, nūlla prior āles foret.
If you had a voice, no bird would surpass you.'
Note. Present unreal condition: sī … habērēs, … foret (= esset), 'if you had a voice, no bird would be ahead of you'.
Phaedr. 1.13.9At ille stultus, dum vult vōcem ostendere,
10ēmīsit ōre cāseum, quem celeriter
dolōsa vulpēs avidīs rapuit dentibus.
But the foolish crow, in trying to show off his voice, let the cheese drop from his mouth, and the crafty fox quickly snatched it up with her greedy teeth.
Note. At ille stultus: 'but the foolish crow'. dum vult … ostendere: 'while trying to show off'. avidīs … dentibus frames the line.
Phaedr. 1.13.12Tunc dēmum ingemuit corvī dēceptus stupor.
Only then did the crow, in his deceived stupidity, groan.
Note. Tum dēmum: 'only then'. corvī dēceptus stupor: 'the crow's deceived stupidity', a mock-grand way to say 'the stupid crow'.
Vocabulary
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| laudō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | praise |
| gaudeō, gaudēre, gāvīsus | be glad, rejoice |
| verbum, -ī, n. | word |
| subdolus, -a, -um | crafty, sly |
| ferē, adv. | nearly, about, almost, for the most part |
| dō, dare, dedī, datus | give |
| poena, -ae, f. | penalty, punishment |
| turpis, -e | disgraceful |
| paenitentia, -ae f. | repentance, change of heart |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| dē, prep, with abl. | down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of |
| fenestra, -ae f. | window, opening |
| corvus, -ī m. | raven |
| rapiō, -ere, -uī, -tus | seize, snatch |
| cāseus, -ī m. | cheese |
| comedō, -ere (-esse), -ēdī, -ēsus | eat, eat up |
| volō, velle, voluī | wish |
| celsus, -a, -um | high, lofty |
| resideō, -ēre, -sēdī | remain behind, stay, linger |
| arbor, -oris, f. | tree |
| vulpēs, -is f. | fox |
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus | see; pass., seem |
| deinde, adv. | then, next |
| sīc, adv. | so, thus |
| coepī, coepisse, coeptus (used in tenses of completed action) | have begun, began |
| loquor, loquī, locūtus | speak |
| ō (interj.) | O! oh! |
| quī, quae, quod, interrog. pron. adj. | what? |
| tuus, -a, -um | thy, thine, your |
| penna, -ae f. | feather; (pl.) wings |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| nītor, -ī, nīxus sum (+ abl.) | rely on |
| quantus, -a, -um | how great or much? |
| decus, -oris n. | honour, glory; what is fitting, propriety |
| corpus, corporis, n. | body |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| vultus, -ūs m. | face, expression |
| gerō, gerere, gessī, gestus | carry, wear; carry on, do |
| sī, conj. | if |
| vōx, vōcis, f. | voice; word |
| habeō, -ēre, -uī, -itus | have, hold; consider |
| nūllus, -a, -um | not any, none, no |
| prior, prius | earlier, former; in front (priōrēs: those in front) |
| āles, ālitis m./f. | bird (especially a bird of omen) |
| at, conj. | but |
| ille, illa, illud, dem. pron. | that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc |
| stultus, -a, -um | foolish, stupid |
| dum, conj. | while, as; as long as; until |
| ostendō, -tendere, -tendī, -tentus | stretch out before, show, explain |
| ēmittō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missus | send out or forth |
| ōs, ōris, n. | mouth |
| celeriter, adv. | swiftly, quickly |
| dolōsus, -a, -um | crafty, deceitful, cunning |
| avidus, -a, -um | eager, greedy (for: gen.) |
| dēns, dentis, m. | tooth |
| tunc (adv.) | then, at that time |
| dēmum, adv. | at last |
| ingemō, -ere, -gemuī | groan, sigh |
| dēcipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptus | catch, deceive |
| stupor, -ōris m. | astonishment, amazement |