Cum grege barbātō dum lūdit iūnior agnus,
Tendit in hunc mentī dissona verba lupus:
“Cūr olidam mundā sequeris plūs mātre capellam?
Lac tibi preberet dulcius ipsa parēns;
Est prope, festīnā, mātrem pete, mūnera mātris, 5
Lac bibe: nam servat ūbera plēna tibi.”
Agnus ad haec: “Pia capra mihi lac dulce propīnat,
Mē vice mātris alit, mē vice mātris amat.
Nōn mihi, sed dominō, prōdest mē vīvere: vīvō 10
Ut mētat in tergō vellera multa meō.
Ergō mihi praestat nūtrīrī lacte caprīnō
Quam lac mātris habēns, mergar in ōre tuō.”
Omnēs vincit opēs sēcūram dūcere vītam. 15
Pauperius nihil est quam miser ūsus opum.
Nīl melius sānō monitū, nīl peius inīquō:
Cōnsilium sequitur certā ruīnā malum.
notes
There are a number of fables in the elegiac Romulus that feature a wolf and a lamb; in this one, a lamb has been raised by a surrogate mother, a goat. The wolf tries to cause discord and asks why the lamb doesn’t go and find her own mother, but the lamb cannot be shaken, saying that the goat has always provided her with all that she needs. The lamb also acknowledges that she has grown much stronger nourished by the goat’s milk, and it is important that she grow as much fleece as possible for her master. The lamb sees through the wolf’s ruse, and realizes that the wolf is trying to deceive her.
barbato: “with the bearded flock,” i.e., goats.
tendit verba: “extends words,” i.e., speaks.
in hunc: “directs against him,” i.e., the lamb.
menti dissona verba: “the words discordant to his mind.” Menti is dative with dissona.
munda matre: “more than your clean mother”; ablative of comparison after plus.
preberet: “your own mother would provide,” i.e., if she were here; impf. subj. in a present contrafactual apodosis with protasis suppressed.
lac: “milk, the gifts of your mother”; in apposition to munera.
vice:, “in place of”; abl. (+ gen.).
vivere: “profits me to live”; pres. complementary inf. after prodest.
metat: “I live in order that he (i.e. the master) reap”; pres. subj. in a purpose clause.
lacte caprino: “nurtured with goat milk”; ablative of means.
habens: “my mother although having milk”; pres. concessive part.
mergar: “rather than that I be engulfed”; pres. subj. in a noun clause after quam.
ducere: “to lead a secure life conquers”; pres. inf., subject of vincit.
sano monitu: “better than sound advice”; ablative of comparison after melius.
iniquo: “worse than hostile advice”; ablative of comparison after peius.
vocabulary
grex gregis m.: a flock, herd
barbatus –a –um: bearded, (as sign of) adult
ludo –ere –si –sus: to play
junior junius: younger
agnus –i m.: a lamb
dissonus –a –um: dissonant, different
lupus –i m.: a wolf
olidus –a –um: stinking
capella –ae f.: a she-goat
lac lactis n.: milk
praebeo: to present, offer
dulcior –us: pleasant, charming
festino –are –avi –atus: to hasten, hurry
lacte lactis n.: milk
bibo –ere bibi –– : to drink
uber –eris n.: an udder
capra –ae f.: a she-goat, nanny-goat
propino –are –avi –atum: to give to drink
meto –ere messui messus: to reap, cut off
vellus –eris n.: fleece
nutrio –ire –ivi –itus: to suckle
caprinus –a –um: of goats
mergo –ere mersi mersus : to dip, plunge
pauper –a –um: poor
monitus –us m.: warning, advice
peior –us: worse
iniquus –a –um: hostile
ruina –ae f.: a fall