Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Asinus et Equus (Via Latina)

SOURCE: Via Latina. For more information and other versions, see the links list for Perry 565.

For help in reading the story, try pasting the unmarked text into NoDictionaries.com (see more tips here).

READ OUT LOUD. Choose which marked text you prefer to practice with - macrons or accent marks - and read the text out loud until you feel comfortable and confident. Then, try reading the unmarked text at the bottom. It should be easy for you after practicing with the marked texts. :-)


MACRONS. Here is the text with macrons:

Asinus equum beātum praedicābat, quī tam cōpiōsē pāscerētur, cum sibi post molestissimōs labōrēs nē paleae quidem satis praebērētur. Fōrte autem bellō exortō, equus in proelium agitur, et circumventus ab hostibus, post incrēdibiles labōrēs tandem, multīs vulneribus cōnfossus, collābitur. Haec omnia asinus cōnspicātus, O mē stolidum, inquit, quī beātitūdinem ex praesentis temporis fōrtūnā aestimāverim!



ACCENT MARKS. Here is the text with ecclesiastical accents, plus some color-coding for the words of three or more syllables (blue: penultimate stress; red: antepenultimate stress):

Ásinus equum beátum praedicábat, qui tam copióse pascerétur, cum sibi post molestíssimos labóres ne páleae quidem satis praeberétur. Forte autem bello exórto, equus in proélium ágitur, et circumvéntus ab hóstibus, post incredíbiles labóres tandem, multis vulnéribus confóssus, collábitur. Haec ómnia ásinus conspicátus, O me stólidum, inquit, qui beatitúdinem ex praeséntis témporis fortúna aestimáverim!



UNMARKED TEXT. Here is the unmarked text - after practicing with the marked text that you prefer, you should not have any trouble with the unmarked text:

Asinus
equum beatum praedicabat,
qui
tam copiose pasceretur,
cum sibi
post molestissimos labores
ne paleae quidem
satis praeberetur.
Forte autem
bello exorto,
equus in proelium agitur,
et,
circumventus ab hostibus,
post incredibiles labores
tandem,
multis vulneribus confossus,
collabitur.
Haec omnia
asinus conspicatus,
"O me stolidum (inquit),
qui beatitudinem
ex praesentis temporis fortuna
aestimaverim!"



IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source) from a 19th-century edition of Aesop: