Lectitō › Phaedrus › Fables, Book 1
Phaedrus 1.25
The dogs and the crocodiles
Phaedrus, Fabulae I. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in LectitōPhaedr. 1.25.1Cōnsilia quī dant prāva cautīs hominibus,
et perdunt operam et dērīdentur turpiter.
Those who give bad advice to cautious people both waste their effort and are shamefully laughed at.
Note. cōnsilia … prāva: 'bad advice'. operam perdunt: 'waste their effort'.
Phaedr. 1.25.3Canēs currentēs bibere in Nīlō flūmine,
ā corcodīlīs nē rapiantur, trāditum est.
It is said that dogs drink from the river Nile on the run, so as not to be seized by crocodiles.
Note. trāditum est: 'it is related'. Canēs currentēs bibere: accusative and infinitive. nē rapiantur: 'so as not to be seized'. Phaedrus spells the word corcodīlus.
Phaedr. 1.25.5Igitur cum currēns bibere coepisset canis,
sīc corcodīlus: Quamlibet lambe ōtiō;
So when a dog had begun to drink on the run, a crocodile spoke thus: 'Lap at your leisure as much as you like;
Note. Quamlibet lambe: 'lap as much as you like'. ōtiō: 'at your leisure'.
Phaedr. 1.25.7nōlī verērī.
don't be afraid.'
Note. nōlī verērī: 'don't be afraid'; nōlī + infinitive is a negative command.
Phaedr. 1.25.7At ille: Facerem mehercule,
nisi esse scīrem carnis tē cupidum meae.
But the dog said: 'I would do so, by Hercules, if I did not know that you are greedy for my flesh.'
Note. Facerem … nisi scīrem: present unreal condition, 'I would do it if I did not know'. mehercule: 'by Hercules'.
Vocabulary
| cōnsilium, -ī, n. | advice; plan, design, purpose; prudence |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| dō, dare, dedī, datus | give |
| prāvus, -a, -um | crooked; bad, wrong |
| cautus, -a, -um | careful, wary, on one's guard |
| homō, hominis, m. | man |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| perdō, -dere, -didī, -ditus | destroy, ruin; lose, waste |
| opera, -ae, f. | effort, work, labor |
| dērīdeō, -ēre, -rīsī, -rīsus | laugh at, mock |
| turpiter (adv.) | shamefully, disgracefully |
| canis, -is, m. and f. | dog |
| currō, currere, cucurrī, cursus | run |
| bibō, bibere, bibī | drink |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| flūmen, -minis, n. | river |
| ā, ab (prep. + abl.) | away from, from; by (ā only before consonants) |
| crocodīlus (corcodīlus), -ī m. | crocodile |
| nē, adv. | not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest |
| rapiō, -ere, -uī, -tus | seize, snatch |
| trādō, -dere, -didī, -ditus | give across, over, or up, deliver; hand down, relate, report |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| igitur, conj. | therefore |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| coepī, coepisse, coeptus (used in tenses of completed action) | have begun, began |
| sīc, adv. | so, thus |
| quamlibet (adv.) | as much as you like |
| lambō, -ere, lambī | lick |
| ōtium, -ī n. | leisure, rest; peace, quiet |
| nōlō, nōlle, nōluī | not wish, be unwilling |
| vereor, -ērī, -itus | fear |
| at, conj. | but |
| ille, illa, illud, dem. pron. | that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc |
| faciō, facere, fēcī, factus | make, do; iter facere, see iter |
| mehercule, mehercle (interj.) | by Hercules!, so help me, truly |
| nisi, conj. | if not, unless |
| sciō, -īre, -īvī, -ītus | know |
| carō, carnis, f. | flesh |
| tū, tuī, pers. pron. | thou, you |
| cupidus, -a, -um | desirous, eager |
| meus, -a, -um | my, mine |