Phaedrus 1.8

Phaedr. 1.8.1Quī pretium meritī ab improbīs dēsīderat,
bis peccat: prīmum quoniam indignōs adiuvat;

Whoever looks for a reward for his service from wicked men makes two mistakes: first, because he helps those who do not deserve it;

Note. pretium meritī: 'the reward of his service'. bis peccat: 'makes two mistakes', explained by prīmum … deinde.

Phaedr. 1.8.3impūne abīre deinde quia iam nōn potest.

second, because he can no longer get away unharmed.

Note. impūne abīre: 'to get away unharmed'. quia is placed late in its clause, a common feature of verse.

Phaedr. 1.8.4Os dēvorātum fauce cum haerēret lupī,
5magnō dolōre victus coepit singulōs
illicere pretiō, ut illud extraherent malum.

When a bone that a wolf had swallowed stuck in his throat, overcome by great pain he began to try to tempt each animal with a reward to pull out that bad thing.

Note. Os dēvorātum: 'a bone he had swallowed'. faucē … lupī: 'in the wolf's throat'. singulōs illicere pretiō: 'to entice each (animal) with a reward'.

Phaedr. 1.8.7Tandem persuāsa est iūre iūrandō gruis,
gulaeque crēdēns collī longitūdinem,
perīculōsam fēcit medicīnam lupō.

At last a crane was persuaded by his oath, and, trusting the length of her neck to his gullet, she performed a dangerous operation on the wolf.

Note. persuāsa est iūre iūrandō: 'was persuaded by his oath'. gulae … crēdēns collī longitūdinem: 'trusting the length of her neck to his gullet'. medicīnam facere: 'to perform a cure'.

Phaedr. 1.8.10Prō quō cum pactum flāgitāret praemium:
ingrāta es inquit ōre quae nostrō caput
incolume abstulerīs et mercēdem postulēs.

When she demanded the agreed reward for it, he said: 'You are ungrateful: you have taken your head out of my mouth unharmed, and you ask for payment?'

Note. pactum praemium: 'the agreed reward' (from paciscor). quae … abstuleris et … postulēs: subjunctives in a relative clause giving the reason: 'you who have taken … and (yet) ask'.