Terra tumet; tumor ille gemit gemitūque fatētur
partum: paene perit sexus uterque metū.
Cum tumeat tellūs, mōnstrat sē mōnstra datūram.
Horrent et trepidant et prope stāre cavent.
In rīsum timor ille redit: nam turgida mūrem 5
terra parit; iocus est quod timor ante fuit.
Saepe minus faciunt hominēs quī magna minantur.
Saepe gerit nimiōs causa pusilla metūs.
notes
The Earth Giving Birth to a Mouse
The Earth swells and groans, about to give birth, evidently to some kind of terrible monster. People are terrified, but then the Earth produces only a mouse, and fear gives way to laughter. Those who make great threats often fail to follow through.
Other versions: Perry 520
1-2 fatētur / partum : “declares (imminent) birthing."
2 sexus uterque: "each sex," i.e., people of both sexes.
3 datūram: supply esse, "will produce," fut. inf. in an indirect statement after monstrat.
4 Horrent ... trepidant ... cavent: the subject is people in general (sexus uterque, line 2).
5 In rīsum redit: “is reduced to laughter," LS redeo II.2.
6 quod timor ante fuit: “(that) which was previously a (source of) terror" (LS timor II.B), subject of est.
7 magna minantur: "make great threats."
8 gerit: "bears," "produces."
vocabulary
tumeo –ēre –– –– : to swell, become inflated
tumor –ōris m.: a swelling
gemo –ere –ui –itus: to moan, groan
gemitus –ūs m.: a groan
partus –ūs m.: a giving birth
sexus –ūs m.: sex, gender
monstro –are –avi –atus: to show, point out
monstrum –i n.: a monster
horreo -ēre: to shiver
trepido –are –avi –atus: to tremble, be afraid
mūs mūris m./f.: a mouse
parturio –ire –ivi (–ii) –– : to be in labor, bring forth
risus –ūs m.: laughter
turgidus –a –um: swollen
iocus –i m.: a joke
minor –ari –atus: to threaten
pusillus –a –um: tiny, very small