Lectitō › Phaedrus › Fables, Book 1
Phaedrus 1.23
The faithful dog
Phaedrus, Fabulae I. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
Tap any word for its meaning and grammar, save words to review, and track your reading.
Read in LectitōPhaedr. 1.23.1Repente līberālis stultīs grātus est,
vērum perītīs irritōs tendit dolōs.
A man who is suddenly generous pleases fools, but sets his traps in vain for the experienced.
Note. Repente līberālis: 'a man suddenly generous'. perītīs: 'to the experienced'. irritōs tendit dolōs: 'sets traps in vain'.
Phaedr. 1.23.3Nocturnus cum fūr pānem mīsisset canī,
obiectō temptāns an cibō posset capī:
5heus inquit linguam vīs meam praeclūdere,
nē lātrem prō rē dominī?
When a thief in the night had thrown a dog some bread, trying whether he could be caught by the offer of food, the dog said: 'Hey, do you want to stop my tongue, so that I won't bark in defence of my master's property?
Note. Nocturnus … fūr: 'a thief by night'. obiectō … cibō: 'by food thrown to him'. an … posset: 'whether he could'. nē lātrem: 'so that I may not bark'.
Phaedr. 1.23.6Multum falleris.
You are very much mistaken.
Note. Multum fallere: 'you are much mistaken'; fallor in the passive means 'I am mistaken'.
Phaedr. 1.23.7Namque ista subita mē iubet benignitās
vigilāre, faciās nē meā culpā lucrum.
For this sudden kindness of yours tells me to stay awake, so that you do not make a profit through my fault.'
Note. ista … benignitās: 'this kindness of yours'. vigilāre: 'to stay awake'. faciās nē … lucrum: nē placed late, 'so that you do not make a profit'.
Vocabulary
| repente (adv.) | suddenly |
| līberālis, -e | befitting a free man; generous (with: gen.) |
| stultus, -a, -um | foolish, stupid |
| grātus, -a, -um | pleasing, grateful |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| vērum (conj.) | but, but in fact; nōn modo ... vērum etiam: not only ... but also |
| perītus, -a, -um (+ gen.) | skilled, experienced (in) |
| irritus, -a, -um | invalid, of no effect; irritum facere: make void, cancel |
| tendō, -ere, tetendī, tentum | stretch out; hold out |
| dolus, -ī, m. | trick, craft |
| nocturnus, -a, -um | of night, nocturnal; nocturnum tempus, night-time |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| fūr, fūris m. | thief |
| pānis, -is m. | bread, loaf |
| mittō, mittere, mīsī, missus | send |
| canis, -is, m. and f. | dog |
| obiciō, -icere, -iēcī, -iectus | throw in the way or to |
| temptō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | try, attempt |
| an, conj. | or (in questions) |
| cibus, -ī, m. | food |
| possum, posse, potuī | be able, have power, can |
| capiō, capere, cēpī, captus | take, catch, seize; receive, suffer; adopt |
| heus (interj.) | hey! hello there! |
| inquam, inquis, inquit, defective verb | I say, you say, he says |
| lingua, -ae f. | tongue; language |
| volō, velle, voluī | wish |
| meus, -a, -um | my, mine |
| praeclūdō, -ere, -clūsī, -clūsum | close, block |
| nē, adv. | not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest |
| lātrō, -āre, -āvī | bark |
| prō, prep. with abl. | before, in front of; for, in behalf of; for, as; in return for, for |
| rēs, reī, f. | thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really |
| dominus, -ī m. | master, owner |
| multum, -ī, n. | much |
| fallō, fallere, fefellī, falsus | deceive |
| namque, conj. | for |
| iste, ista, istud, dem. pron. | that of yours, that |
| subitus, -a, -um | sudden |
| ego, meī, pers. pron. | I |
| iubeō, iubēre, iussī, iussus | bid, order, command |
| benignitās, -tātis, f. | kindness |
| vigilō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | stay awake, keep watch; be watchful |
| faciō, facere, fēcī, factus | make, do; iter facere, see iter |
| culpa, -ae f. | fault, blame |
| lucrum, -ī, n. | gain |