Saturday, July 18, 2009

Quercus et Arundo (Barlow)

SOURCE: Aesop’s Fables in Latin: Ancient Wit and Wisdom from the Animal Kingdom. For more information - including vocabulary lists and grammar comments - see the page for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

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:

Validiōre ventō effracta Quercus hūc illūc in amnem praecipitāta fluitat et, rāmīs suīs in Arundine forte fīxīs, haeret mīrāturque Arundinem in tantō turbine stāre incolumem. Arundō respondet cēdendō et dēclīnandō sē esse tūtam; inclīnāre sē etenim ad Boream, ad Notum, ad Eurum, dēnique ad omnem flātum; nec mīrum esse sī Quercus exciderit, quae nōn cēdere, sed resistere mōlīta est.



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):

Validióre vento effrácta Quercus huc illuc in amnem praecipitáta flúitat et, ramis suis in Arúndine forte fixis, haeret miratúrque Arúndinem in tanto túrbine stare incólumem. Arúndo respóndet cedéndo et declinándo se esse tutam; inclináre se étenim ad Bóream, ad Notum, ad Eurum, dénique ad omnem flatum; nec mirum esse si Quercus excíderit, quae non cédere, sed resístere molíta est.


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:

Validiore vento effracta Quercus huc illuc in amnem praecipitata fluitat et, ramis suis in Arundine forte fixis, haeret miraturque Arundinem in tanto turbine stare incolumem. Arundo respondet cedendo et declinando se esse tutam; inclinare se etenim ad Boream, ad Notum, ad Eurum, denique ad omnem flatum; nec mirum esse si Quercus exciderit, quae non cedere, sed resistere molita est.



IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source).