Fable of the Day: De Aucupe et Palumbe (Barlow)

[Laura Gibbs]

It foras auceps; videt nidulantem procul in altissima arbore palumbem. Adproperat et, dum insidias molitur, premit forte calcibus anguem, qui ex improviso mordebat. Auceps, subito exanimatus malo: "Me miserum (inquit); dum alteri insidior, ipse dispereo."

You will notice a new format here! This is because I am now finalizing materials for the edition of Aesop's fables that I'll be publishing with Bolchazy-Carducci, based on Barlow's Aesop of 1687.

Here is the vocabulary for the fable, excluding the words which are on the Common Word List:

anguis (anguis, m.): snake, serpent
auceps (aucupis, m.): fowler, bird-catcher
calx (calcis, f.): heel, foot
insidiae (insidiarum): ambush, snare
palumbes (palumbis, m.): ringdove, wood-pigeon

alter, altera, alterum (alterius): other, another
altus: high, tall, deep
improvisus: unexpected, unforeseen
malus: bad, evil, unlucky
miser, misera, miserum: wretched, unfortunate
nidulans (nidulantis): nesting
subitus: sudden, unexpected

procul: far off, at a distance
foras: out, out of doors
forte: by chance, accidentally

adpropero (adproperare): hasten, hurry towards
dispereo (disperire): perish, be lost, die
eo (ire): go
exanimo (exanimare), exanimatus: kill, exhaust, deprive of life
insidior (insidiari): lie in wait, ambush
molior (moliri): construct, build
mordeo (mordere): bite
premo (premere), pressi: press, press upon

Comments: For a segmented version of the text and an English translation, see the Aesopus website.

subito...malo: "wrapped" word order

me miserum: accusative of exclamation

inquit: since this is a postpositive, that shows you that "me miserum" is viewed as if it were a single word-unit

ipse: modifies the subject of dispereo

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