Lectitō › Phaedrus › Fables, Book 1
Phaedrus 1.9
The sparrow and the hare
Phaedrus, Fabulae I. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in LectitōPhaedr. 1.9.1Sibi nōn cavēre et aliīs cōnsilium dare
stultum esse paucīs ostendēmus versibus.
In a few lines we will show that it is foolish not to look after yourself and to give advice to others.
Note. The moral is the object of ostendēmus: '(that) not to look out for oneself and to give advice to others is foolish'. paucīs versibus: 'in a few lines'.
Phaedr. 1.9.3Oppressum ab aquilā, flētūs ēdentem gravēs,
leporem obiūrgābat passer: Ubi pernīcitās
5nōta inquit illa est?
A hare, caught by an eagle and letting out loud cries, was being scolded by a sparrow: 'Where is that famous speed of yours?' he said.
Note. Oppressum … leporem: 'the hare, caught by an eagle'. flētūs edentem gravēs: 'uttering loud cries'. obiūrgābat: 'was scolding'.
Phaedr. 1.9.5Quid ita cessārunt pedēs?
'Why were your feet so idle?'
Note. Quid ita: 'why so?'. cessārunt = cessāvērunt, 'were idle'.
Phaedr. 1.9.6Dum loquitur, ipsum accipiter necopīnum rapit
questūque vānō clāmitantem interficit.
While he was speaking, a hawk seized him off his guard and killed him as he screamed in vain complaint.
Note. ipsum: the sparrow himself. necopīnum: 'off his guard'. questū vānō clāmitantem: 'crying out with useless complaint'.
Phaedr. 1.9.8Lepus sēmianimus mortis in sōlāciō:
quī modo sēcūrus nostra irrīdēbās mala,
10similī querēlā fāta dēplōrās tua.
The hare, half-dead, said for the comfort of his death: 'You who a moment ago mocked our misfortunes without a care, now bewail your own fate with the same complaint.'
Note. in sōlāciō mortis: 'as a comfort for his death'. quī … irrīdēbās: 'you who were mocking'. Notice the balance: nostra … mala and fāta … tua.
Vocabulary
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| nōn, adv. | not |
| caveō, cavēre, cāvī, cautus | beware, take care; be on one's guard against, beware of |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| alius, -a, -ud | another, other; aliī ... aliī, some ... others |
| cōnsilium, -ī, n. | advice; plan, design, purpose; prudence |
| dō, dare, dedī, datus | give |
| stultus, -a, -um | foolish, stupid |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| paucī, -ae, -a, plur. adj. | few |
| ostendō, -tendere, -tendī, -tentus | stretch out before, show, explain |
| versus, -ūs m. | line (of writing), verse |
| opprimō, -primere, -pressī, -pressus | press against, overpower, crush |
| ā, ab (prep. + abl.) | away from, from; by (ā only before consonants) |
| aquila, -ae f. | eagle; the eagle standard of a legion |
| flētus, -ūs m. | weeping |
| ēdō, -dere, -didī, -ditus | put forth, give out, utter |
| gravis, -e | heavy; severe, grievous, serious |
| lepus, -oris m. | hare |
| obiūrgō, -iūrgāre, -iūrgāvī, -iūrgātus | chide, scold, reproach |
| passer, -eris m. | sparrow |
| ubi, adv. | where; conj., when |
| pernīcitās, -ātis f. | swiftness, speed |
| nōtus, -a, -um | known, well-known, famous |
| inquam, inquis, inquit, defective verb | I say, you say, he says |
| ille, illa, illud, dem. pron. | that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc |
| quis, quid, interrog. pron. | who? which? what? |
| ita, adv. | in this manner, thus, so; ita ut, as |
| cessō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | stop, cease, rest; be idle |
| pēs, pedis, m. | foot |
| dum, conj. | while, as; as long as; until |
| loquor, loquī, locūtus | speak |
| ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron. | self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very |
| accipiter, -tris m. | hawk |
| necopīnus, -a, -um | not expecting, off guard; unexpected |
| rapiō, -ere, -uī, -tus | seize, snatch |
| questus, -ūs m. | complaint, lament |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| vānus, -a, -um | empty, idle, vain; in vanum: in vain |
| clāmitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | call out |
| interficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectus | put out of the way, kill |
| sēmianimus, -a, -um | half-dead |
| mors, mortīs, f. | death |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| sōlācium, -ī n. | comfort, consolation |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| modo, adv. | only |
| sēcūrus, -a, -um | free from care, untroubled; careless (of: gen.) |
| noster, -tra, -trum | our |
| irrīdeō (inrīdeō), -ēre, -rīsī, -rīsum | laugh at, mock |
| malum, -ī, n. | evil, mischief |
| similis, -e | like, similar (vērī similis: likely) |
| querēla, -ae f. | complaint, lament |
| fātum, -ī, n. | destiny, fate |
| dēplōrō, -plōrāre, -plōrāvī, -plōrātus | lament |
| tuus, -a, -um | thy, thine, your |