Fūre vocante canem, praetēnsō mūnere pānis,
sprētō pāne, movet tālia verba canis:
“Ut sileam tua dōna volunt fūrtīsque labōrant
esse locum; pānem sī fero, cūncta ferēs.
Fert mūnus mea damna tuum, latet hāmus in ēscā: 5
mē prīvāre cibō cōgitat iste cibus.
Nōn amo nocturnum pānem plūs pāne diurnō,
advena plūs nōtō nōn placet hostis erō.
Nōn rapiet nox ūna mihi bona mīlle diērum:
nōlō semper egēns esse semelque satur.10
Lātrātū tua fūrta loquar, nisi sponte recēdās.”
Hic silet, ille manet; hic tonat, ille fugit.
Sī tibi quid dētur, cūr dētur respice; sī dēs,
Cui dēs ipse notā; tēque, gulōse, domā.
notes
The Thief and the Dog
A thief tries to silence a watchdog by giving him a snack, but the dog sees through the intent of the gift and bays loudly, chasing the man away. Beware of superficially attractive gifts.
Other versions: Perry 403
1 fūre vocante: ablative absolute.
1 praetēnsō mūnere: ablative of means.
2 sprētō pāne: ablative absolute.
3 movet .. verba: = dicit, an idiom used elsewhere in this text (see 2.4 and 21.26)
3 ut sileam vōlunt: "want that I should be silent," "are intended to obtain my silence." sileam is subj. in an indirect command (AG 563).
3 furtīs: “thefts,” dat. after locum.
3-4 labōrant / esse: "try to make."
4 fero ... ferēs: "take."
5 Fert: "brings."
5 ēsca: "bait."
6 cibō: ablative of separation after privāre, as normal.
6 cogitat: "intends," LS cogito II.
7 pāne diūrnō: ablative of comparison.
8 advena plūs nōtō nōn placet hostis erō: order: advena hostis nōn placet plūs nōtō erō.
8 nōtō ... erō: “the familiar master," "the master I know," ablative of comparison.
11 Lātrātū: “by barking."
11 sponte: “by (your) free will," "voluntarily."
13 cūr dētur respice: “consider why it is being given." See 22.5, respice fīnem.
13 sī dēs: “if you are giving,” pres. subj. in a present general condition.
14 Cui dēs ipse notā; tēque, gulōse, domā: order: ipse notā cui dēs, tēque domā, gulōse.
14 notā ... domā: imperative.
14 gulōse: vocative. The reader is imagined as potentially in the position of the thief, giving gifts to ensnare others to serve base appetites. The solution is self-control (tē domā).
vocabulary
fur furis m./f.: a thief, robber
praetendo –ere –di –tus: extend, offer
panis –is m.: bread
sperno –ere sprevi spretus: to scorn, despise
sileo –ēre –ui –– : to be silent
furtum –i n.: theft, trick
locum –i n.: a place, opportunity
hamus –i m.: a hook
privo –are –avi –atus: to deprive, rob
nocturnus –a –um: nocturnal, of night
diurnus –a –um: by day, daily
advena –ae m./f.: a foreigner, stranger
erus –i m.: a master
egens –ntis (gen.): needy, poor
satur –a –um: well-fed, rich
latro –are –avi –atus: to bark, bark at
spons spontis f.: free will
tono –are –ui –– : to thunder; bark
respiciō -spicere -spexī -spectum: look back at; pay heed to, take account of
gulosus –a –um: gluttonous
domo –are –ui –itus: to master, conquer, subdue