Fable of the Day: De Rana et Vulpe (Barlow)

[Laura Gibbs]

Rana, paludibus valedicens, et novo vivendi genere acquisito, in silvam gloriabunda sese tulit et, bestiarum coronis circumstipata, medicinae artem publice profitebatur et in herbis, quae ad corpora curanda pertinent, nobiliorem se vel Galeno vel Hippocrate esse clamitabat. Credula bestiarum gens fidem facile adhibebant, vulpe solummodo excepta, quae sic glorianti irridebat: "Insulsum vagumque animal! Quid tam vana blatteras? Quid artem nobilem prae te fers, quam minime calles? Livida pallidaque illa tua labra respice: quin domi abi et teipsum cura, medice! Deinde ad nos redeas, meliora forsan de te speraturos." Nihil respondente rana sed tacitis secum gemente suspiriis, tota bestiarum cachinnis resonabat silva.

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:

animal (animalis, n.): animal
ars (artis, f.): art
bestia: beast
cachinnus: cackle, chuckle
corona: crown, wreath, ring
corpus (corporis, n.): body
domus (domus, f.): home, house
fides (fidei, f.): faith, trust
Galenus: Galen
gens (gentis, f.): tribe, nation
genus (generis, n.): kind, type
herba: herb, grass
Hippocrates (Hippocratis, m.): Hippocrates
labrum: lip, big fat lip
medicina: medicine
medicus: doctor, physician
nihil: nothing
palus (paludis, f.): swamp
silva: forest
suspirium: sigh, deep breath

circumstipatus: surrounded
credulus: gullible, trusting
gloriabundus: triumphant
insulsus: stupid, tedious
lividus: color of bruises
melior, melius (melioris): better
nobilis, nobile (nobilis): respected, respectable
novus: new
pallidus: pale, yellow-green
tacitus: silent, quiet
tuus: your
vagus: wandering, unreliable
vanus: false, empty, groundless

abeo (abire): go away
acquiro (acquirere) - acquisitus: obtain, acquire
adhibeo (adhibere): apply, put to
blattero (blatterare): babble, yammer
calleo (callere): know, have experience
clamito (clamitare): shout repeatedly
curo (curare): cure, heal
excipio (excipere) - exceptus: take out, remove
fero (ferre), tuli: bring, bear
gemo (gemere): moan, groan
glorior (gloriari): boast
irrideo (irridere), irrisi: mock, scoff at
pertineo (pertinere): reach, relate to
profiteor (profiteri): claim, declare
redeo (redire): go back, come back
resono (resonare): resound
respicio (respicere): regard, look at
spero (sperare): hope
valedico (valedicere): say goodbye to
vivo (vivere): live

deinde: afterwards, then
facile: easily
forsan: perhaps
minime: barely, not at all
prae: before, in front of
publice: publicly
quid: why, for what reason
quin: why not, why don't
sic: thus, in this way
solummodo: only, alone

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

vivendi: genitive form of the gerund (compare the English saying, "modus vivendi")

gloriabunda: an adjective best understood adverbially, modifying the subject of the verb

curanda: gerundive, in the prepositional phrase ad corpora curanda

clamitabat se esse nobiliorem: indirect discourse, with accusative and infinitive

Galen and Hippocrates: the two most famous physicians of antiquity

adhibebant: the grammatical subject, gens bestiarum, is logically plural, so takes a plural verb here

tota...silva: the adjective and noun "wrap around" the clause for poetic effect

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