Ut līnum pariat dē līnī sēmine, sēmen
nūtrit humus, sed avēs tangit hirundō metū:
“Hic ager, hoc sēmen nōbīs mala vincla minātur;
vellite prō nostrīs sēmina sparsa malīs.”
Turba fugit sānōs monitūs vānōsque timōrēs 5
arguit. Exit humō sēmen et herba viret.
Rūrsus hirundō monet īnstāre perīcula; rīdent
rūrsus avēs. Hominem plācat hirundō sibi
cumque virīs habitāns cantū blandītur amīcō:
Nam praevīsa minus laedere tēla solent. 10
Iam mētītur līnum, iam fīunt rētia, iam vir
fallit avēs, iam sē cōnscia culpat avis.
Ūtile cōnsilium quī spernit, inūtile sūmit;
Quī nimis est tūtus, rētia iūre subit.
notes
The Swallow who Warned the Birds
A wise swallow advises the other birds to eat the flax seed when it is sown, so the farmer will not use nets made from it to ensnare them later. The birds refuse to listen, so the swallow befriends the humans instead. Just as the swallow predicted, the other birds are ensnared after the flax is harvested. The moral warns against rejecting wise council.
1 ut līnum pariat: purpose clause after nutrit: "to produce flax" (Linum usitatissimum) a crop used extensively in the premodern world to make sailcloth, nets for fishing and fowling, ropes, and to produce linseed oil. Here it is flax's use in fowling nets to catch birds which is key to the plot.
2 tangit ... metū: “strikes with fear,” DMLBS tangere 4.c.
3 nōbīs mala vincla minātur: “threatens evil chains for us.” The implication is that the birds should get the seeds now and not wait until the farmer sets traps. If the birds wait to go for the flax later, then they will be captured.
4 pro nostris ... malis: take with sparsa, “sown for our harm.”
5-6 vānōsque timōrēs / arguit: “and maintains that the (swallow's) fears are groundless,” DMLBS arguere 2.b.
8 hominem plācat sibi: “wins humans over to himself.” As virīs in the next line suggests, hominem is generic singular.
9 blandītur: "charms," "pleases."
10 praevīsa: “foreseen,” modifies tela as the subject of solent.
10 minus: adv. with laedere, “wound less.”
12 conscia: "aware" of their own foolisness. See LS conscius II.B.
12 avis: nom. fem. singular for the whole flock.
13 quī spernit: “he who despises.” Ūtile cōnsilium is the direct object.
13 inūtile sūmit: supply consilium. The subject here again is qui spernit from the previous clause.
14 quī ... est: “he who is.”
14 rētia iūre subit: “enters the nets justifiably," i.e., deserves to do so. Iūre is in effect an adverb > iūs iūris n.
vocabulary
linum –i n.: flax
pario –are –avi –atus: to bring forth, produce
semen –inis n.: a seed
nutrio –ire –ivi –itus: to nourish
hirundo –inis f.: a swallow
minor –ari –atus : to force, threaten
vello –ere –– –– : to pluck, pull
monitus –ūs m.: warnings
arguo –ere –ui –utus: to denounce; maintain that
herba –ae f.: grass
vireo –ēre –ui: to be green, be lively
insto –are –stiti –staturus : to approach, threaten
placo –are –avi –atus: to reconcile x (acc.) with y (dat.)
habito –are –avi –atus: to inhabit, dwell
cantus –ūs m.: a song
blandior –iri –itus: to soothe, charm, flatter
praevisus –a –um: foreseen, anticipated
meto –ere messui messus: to reap
linum –i n.: flax
rete –is n.: a net
conscius –a –um: knowing, conscious, aware
culpo –are –avi –atus: to blame
sperno –ere sprevi spretus: to scorn, reject
inutilis –e: useless
iūre: by right, rightly
subeō -īre: to enter