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Phaedrus 1.4
The dog carrying meat across the river
Phaedrus, Fabulae I. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in LectitōPhaedr. 1.4.1Āmittit meritō proprium quī aliēnum adpetit.
Whoever grabs at what belongs to another deservedly loses his own.
Note. Another promythium. meritō: adverb, 'deservedly'. proprium … aliēnum: 'his own … another's'.
Phaedr. 1.4.2Canis per flūmen carnem cum ferret natāns,
lymphārum in speculō vīdit simulācrum suum,
aliamque praedam ab alterō ferrī putāns
5ēripere voluit;
A dog was swimming across a river carrying a piece of meat when he saw his own image in the mirror of the water; and thinking that another prize was being carried by another dog, he tried to snatch it.
Note. carnem: a piece of meat. lymphārum in speculō: 'in the mirror of the waters'. aliam praedam ab alterō ferrī putāns: 'thinking another prize was being carried by another (dog)'.
Phaedr. 1.4.5vērum dēcepta aviditās
et quem tenēbat ōre dīmīsit cibum,
nec quem petēbat potuit adeō adtingere.
But his greed was cheated: he let go of the food he held in his mouth, and could not even reach the food he was after.
Note. vērum: 'but'. dēcepta aviditās: 'his greed was cheated'. quem tenēbat … cibum: the antecedent cibum is placed inside the relative clause, as Latin often does. adeō: 'even'.
Vocabulary
| āmittō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missus | send away, lose |
| meritō (adv.) | deservedly, rightly |
| proprius, -a, -um | one's own, private; characteristic (of) |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| aliēnus, -a, -um | belonging to another, out of place |
| appetō, -petere, -petīvī, -petītus | draw near |
| canis, -is, m. and f. | dog |
| per, prep, with ace. | through, by means of |
| flūmen, -minis, n. | river |
| carō, carnis, f. | flesh |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| ferō, ferre, tulī, lātus | bear, bring |
| natō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | swim, float |
| lympha, -ae f. | water, clear water |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| speculum, -ī, n. | looking-glass, mirror |
| videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus | see; pass., seem |
| simulācrum, -ī n. | image, statue |
| suus, -a, -um | his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their |
| alius, -a, -ud | another, other; aliī ... aliī, some ... others |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| praeda, -ae, f. | booty, spoil, plunder |
| ā, ab (prep. + abl.) | away from, from; by (ā only before consonants) |
| alter, -era, -erum | one or the other (of two); another, second |
| putō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | think |
| ēripiō, -ripere, -ripuī, -reptus | snatch out or away, rescue |
| volō, velle, voluī | wish |
| vērum (conj.) | but, but in fact; nōn modo ... vērum etiam: not only ... but also |
| dēcipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptus | catch, deceive |
| aviditās, -ātis f. | greed, eager desire |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| teneō, -ēre, -uī, -tus | hold, keep; hold back, restrain, stop |
| ōs, ōris, n. | mouth |
| dīmittō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missus | send different ways, send forth or away, despatch; let slip, lose |
| cibus, -ī, m. | food |
| neque or nec, conj. | and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not |
| petō, -ere, -īvī or -iī, -ītus | seek, ask; attack |
| possum, posse, potuī | be able, have power, can |
| adeō, -īre, -iī, -itus | go to, approach |
| attingō, -tingere, -tigī, -tāctus | touch at |