Lectitō › Phaedrus › Fables, Book 1
Phaedrus 1.19
The dog who borrowed a kennel
Phaedrus, Fabulae I. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in LectitōPhaedr. 1.19.1Habent īnsidiās hominis blanditiae malī:
quās ut vītēmus versūs subiectī monent.
The flattery of a bad man hides a trap; the lines below warn us to avoid it.
Note. Habent īnsidiās: 'contain a trap'. quās ut vītēmus: 'that we may avoid them'. versūs subiectī: 'the lines below'.
Phaedr. 1.19.3Canis parturiēns cum rogāsset alteram,
ut fētum in eius tuguriō dēpōneret,
5facile impetrāvit: dein reposcentī locum
precēs admōvit, tempus exōrāns breve,
dum firmiōrēs posset catulōs dūcere.
When a dog about to give birth had asked another to let her lay her litter in her kennel, she easily got her way; then, when the owner asked for the place back, she pleaded with her, begging for a short time until she could take away her puppies when they were stronger.
Note. parturiēns: 'about to give birth'. alteram (canem). fētum: 'her young'. reposcentī: 'to (the owner) asking for it back'. dum … posset: 'until she could'.
Phaedr. 1.19.8Hōc quoque cōnsūmptō flāgitārī validius
cubīle coepit.
When this time too was used up, the owner began to demand her lair back more forcefully.
Note. Hōc … cōnsūmptō: ablative absolute, 'when this time too was used up'. validius: 'more strongly'.
Phaedr. 1.19.9Sī mihi et turbae meae
10pār inquit esse potueris, cēdam locō.
'If you can be a match for me and my pack,' said the one inside, 'I will give up the place.'
Note. The squatter answers from inside: 'if you can be a match (pār) for me and my pack, I will give up the place'. potueris: future perfect.
Vocabulary
| habeō, -ēre, -uī, -itus | have, hold; consider |
| īnsidiae, -ārum, f. plur. | ambush; plot, stratagem |
| homō, hominis, m. | man |
| blanditia, -ae f. | flattery, coaxing; (pl.) endearments |
| malus, -a, -um | bad |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| vītō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | avoid, escape |
| versus, -ūs m. | line (of writing), verse |
| subiciō, -icere, -iēcī, -iectus | throw or place under |
| moneō, -ēre, -uī, -itus | warn |
| canis, -is, m. and f. | dog |
| parturiō, -īre, -īvī | be in labour, be about to give birth |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| rogō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | ask |
| alter, -era, -erum | one or the other (of two); another, second |
| fētus, -ūs m. | offspring, young; fruit, produce (of plants) |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| tugurium, -ī n. | hut, cottage; (of an animal) kennel |
| dēpōnō, -pōnere, -posuī, -positus | put down, deposit; lay aside, give up; ē memoriā dēpōnere, to forget |
| facile, adv. | easily |
| impetrō, -petrāre, -petrāvī, -petrātus | gain one's end, obtain (a request) |
| deinde, adv. | then, next |
| reposcō, -ere | demand back, claim |
| locus, -ī, m., plur. loca, -orum, n. | place, situation |
| prex, precis f. (usu. pl.) | prayer, entreaty |
| admoveō, -ēre, -mōvī, -mōtus | move up, bring near |
| tempus, temporis, n. | time, season |
| exōrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | win over by asking, beg for, obtain by entreaty |
| brevis, -e | short |
| dum, conj. | while, as; as long as; until |
| firmus, -a, -um | strong, steadfast |
| possum, posse, potuī | be able, have power, can |
| catulus, -ī m. | young animal, cub, whelp |
| dūcō, dūcere, dūxī, ductus | lead; make, dig; with or without in mātrimōnium, marry |
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| quoque, adv. | also |
| cōnsūmō, -sūmere, -sūmpsī, -sūmptus | take completely, use up, consume, spend |
| flāgitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | demand urgently |
| validē (adv.; comp. validius) | strongly, vigorously, hard |
| cubīle, -is n. | bed, resting place |
| coepī, coepisse, coeptus (used in tenses of completed action) | have begun, began |
| sī, conj. | if |
| ego, meī, pers. pron. | I |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| turba, -ae f. | crowd |
| meus, -a, -um | my, mine |
| pār, paris | equal |
| inquam, inquis, inquit, defective verb | I say, you say, he says |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| cēdō, -ere, cessī, cessum | go, withdraw, give way |