Phaedrus 1.5

Phaedr. 1.5.1Numquam est fidēlis cum potente societās:
testātur haec fābella prōpositum meum.

Partnership with the powerful is never to be trusted: this little fable bears out my point.

Note. societās: 'partnership'. testātur: deponent, 'bears witness to'. prōpositum meum: 'my claim, my point'.

Phaedr. 1.5.3Vacca et capella et patiēns ovis iniūriae
sociī fuēre cum leōne in saltibus.

A cow, a she-goat and a sheep that patiently bears wrong were partners with a lion in the woods.

Note. patiēns ovis iniūriae: 'the sheep, patient of wrong'; patiēns takes a genitive here. fuēre = fuērunt.

Phaedr. 1.5.5Hī cum cēpissent cervum vāstī corporis,
sīc est locūtus, partibus factīs, leō:
ego prīmam tollō,nōminor quia leō;

When they had caught a stag of huge size, the lion divided it into parts and spoke as follows: 'I take the first, because I am called lion;

Note. partibus factīs: ablative absolute, 'when the parts had been made'. prīmam (partem) tollō: 'I take the first part'. nōminor quia leō: 'because I am called Lion', a title, not a reason!

Phaedr. 1.5.8secundam, quia sum fortis, tribuētis mihi;

the second you will grant me because I am strong;

Note. secundam (partem). tribuētis: future, 'you will give'.

Phaedr. 1.5.9tum, quia plūs valeō, mē sequētur tertia;

then, because I am stronger, the third will follow me;

Note. plūs valeō: 'I am stronger'. mē sequētur tertia: 'the third (part) will follow me'.

Phaedr. 1.5.10malō afficiētur sī quis quārtam tetigerit.

and harm will come to anyone who touches the fourth.'

Note. malō afficiētur: 'he will be affected with harm', i.e. he will suffer for it. tetigerit: future perfect, 'touches'.

Phaedr. 1.5.11Sīc tōtam praedam sōla improbitās abstulit.

So wickedness alone carried off the whole prize.

Note. Sīc: 'in this way'. sōla improbitās: 'wickedness alone' carried off the whole. The phrase 'the lion's share' comes from this fable.