Lectitō › Phaedrus › Fables, Book 1
Phaedrus 1.21
The old lion, the boar, the bull and the donkey
Phaedrus, Fabulae I. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in LectitōPhaedr. 1.21.1Quīcumque āmīsit dignitātem prīstinam,
ignāvīs etiam iocus est in cāsū gravī.
Whoever has lost his former rank becomes a joke even to cowards in his hour of misfortune.
Note. dignitātem prīstinam: 'his former rank'. ignāvīs … iocus est: double dative idea, 'is a joke to cowards'.
Phaedr. 1.21.3Dēfectus annīs et dēsertus vīribus
leō cum iacēret spīritum extrēmum trahēns,
5aper fulmineīs vēnit ad eum dentibus
et vindicāvit ictū veterem iniūriam.
When a lion, worn out by years and abandoned by his strength, lay drawing his last breath, a boar came at him with his lightning tusks and avenged an old wrong with a blow.
Note. Dēfectus annīs: 'worn out by years'. spīritum extrēmum trahēns: 'drawing his last breath'. fulmineīs … dentibus: 'with tusks like lightning'.
Phaedr. 1.21.7Īnfestīs taurus mox cōnfōdit cornibus
hostīle corpus.
Soon a bull pierced the hostile body with its menacing horns.
Note. Īnfestīs … cornibus: 'with threatening horns'. hostīle corpus: the lion's body.
Phaedr. 1.21.8Asinus, ut vīdit ferum
impūne laedī, calcibus frontem extudit.
A donkey, when he saw that the wild beast could be hurt without punishment, smashed in his forehead with kicks.
Note. ut vīdit: 'when he saw'. ferum impūne laedī: 'that the wild beast could be hurt without punishment'. calcibus: 'with his heels', i.e. kicks.
Phaedr. 1.21.10At ille exspīrāns: Fortīs indignē tulī
mihi īnsultāre: tē, nātūrae dēdecus,
quod ferre certē cōgor bis videor morī.
But the lion, as he breathed his last, said: 'I was angry that brave beasts insulted me; but because I am forced to put up with you, the disgrace of nature, I seem to die twice.'
Note. Fortīs … mihi īnsultāre: 'that brave beasts insulted me' (fortīs = fortēs). indignē tulī: 'I was angry'. tē … quod ferre … cōgor: 'because I am forced to bear you'.
Vocabulary
| quīcumque, quaecumque, quodcumque | whoever, whatever |
| āmittō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missus | send away, lose |
| dignitās, -ātis f. | rank, standing, prestige |
| prīstinus, -a, -um | former |
| ignāvus, -a, -um | lazy, cowardly |
| etiam, adv. | and now, also, too, even |
| iocus, -ī m. | joke, jest |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| cāsus, -ūs, m. | fall; chance, accident |
| gravis, -e | heavy; severe, grievous, serious |
| dēficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectus | fail |
| annus, -ī, m. | year |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| dēserō, -serere, -seruī, -sertus | desert |
| vīs, vīs, f. | violence, force; virtue, potency, efficacy; plur. vīrēs, -ium, strength; omnibus vīribus, with all one's strength, with might and main |
| leō, -ōnis, m. | lion |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| iaceō, -ēre, -uī | lie, be prostrate |
| spīritus, -ūs m. | breath; (pl.) pride, arrogance |
| extrēmus, -a, -um | last, extreme, furthest |
| trahō, trahere, trāxī, trāctus | draw, drag |
| aper, aprī, m. | wild boar |
| fulmineus, -a, -um | like lightning, flashing |
| veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventus | come |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| dēns, dentis, m. | tooth |
| vindicō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | punish; claim |
| īctus, -ūs, m. | blow |
| vetus, veteris | old, former |
| iniūria, -ae, f. | injury, wrong, hurt, harm |
| īnfestus, -a, -um | unsafe, dangerous |
| taurus, -ī, m. | bull |
| mox, adv. | soon |
| cōnfodiō, -ere, -fōdī, -fossus | stab, run through |
| cornū, -ūs, n. | horn |
| hostīlis, -e | of the enemy, hostile |
| corpus, corporis, n. | body |
| asinus, -ī m. | ass, donkey; (as an insult) dolt |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus | see; pass., seem |
| ferus, -a, -um | wild, savage |
| impūne (adv.) | without punishment |
| laedō, -ere, laesī, laesus | hurt, injure; break (an oath) |
| calx, calcis f. | heel; calcibus, with kicks |
| frōns, frontis, f. | forehead |
| extundō, -tundere, -tudī, -tūsus | beat out; batter, smash |
| at, conj. | but |
| ille, illa, illud, dem. pron. | that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc |
| exspīrō, -spīrāre, -spīrāvī, -spīrātus | breathe out |
| fortis, -e | brave |
| indignē (adv.) | shamefully, undeservedly |
| ferō, ferre, tulī, lātus | bear, bring |
| ego, meī, pers. pron. | I |
| īnsultō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | leap on; mock, insult (+ dat.) |
| tū, tuī, pers. pron. | thou, you |
| nātūra, -ae, f. | nature, character |
| dēdecus, -decoris, n. | dishonor, disgrace |
| quod, conj. | that, in that, because |
| certē (adv.) | certainly, surely; at any rate |
| cōgō, cōgere, coēgī, coāctus | drive together, collect; compel |
| bis (adv.) | twice |
| morior, morī, mortuus | die |