Armāvit nātūra canem pede, dente, iuventā:
hinc levis, hinc mordāx, fortis et inde fuit.
Tot bona fūrātur senium: nam rōbore prīvat
corpus, dente genās, et levitāte pedēs.
Hic lepōrem prēndit, faucēs lepus exit inermēs. 5
Ēlumbem dominī verberat īra canem.
Reddit verba canis: “Dum mē pia pertulit aetās,
nūlla meum potuit fallere praeda pedem.
Dēfendit seniī culpam laus ampla iuventae;
prō sene quī cecidit, facta priōra vigent.10
Nūllus amor dūrat nisi frūctus servet amōrem.
Quīlibet est tantī, mūnera quanta facit.
Magnus eram, dum magna dedī: nunc marcidus annīs
vileō, dē veterī mentiō nūlla bonō.
Sī laudās quod eram, quod sum culpāre protervum est.15
Sī iuvenem recipis, pellere turpe senem est.”
Sē miserē servīre sciat, quī servit inīquō.
Parcere subiectīs nescit inīquus homō.
notes
The Old Dog
An old hunting dog has lost his former agility and skill. He fails to catch a rabbit and is beaten by his master. The dog bitterly reminds his master of his former services. He who serves an unjust man is destined to serve in misery.
Other versions: Perry 532.
1 pede, dente, iuventā: ablative of means, singular for plural.
2 hinc ... hinc ... inde: “because of the first, because of the second, because of the third.” These are the gifts that came from his feet, teeth, and youth.
2 levis: "nimble," "swift," LS levis I.B.2.
3 fūrātur: 3rd sing. deponent; subject is senium.
3-4 rōbore ... dente ... levitāte: ablative of separation after prīvat.
4 genās: refers to the mouth or face as a whole (synecdoche).
5 Hic: canis.
5 faucēs ... inermēs: “the toothless jaws” of the old dog.
5 exit: exeō = "escape" + acc. is rare but classical (OLD exeo 13.b).
7 mē ... pertulit: "carried me through" to success as a hunting dog.
7 pia ... aetās: an odd expression for "youth," subject of pertulit.
8 pedem: "swiftness," metonymy.
10 Prō: "because of."
10 facta priōra: supply eius as antecedent of quī.
11 servet: pres. subj. in a future less vivid protasis.
12 tantī: “of as much value,” predicate genitive of value (AG 417).
13 annīs: ablative of specification (AG 418).
14 dē veterī ... bōnō: “concerning my old good,” i.e., prior service.
14 mentiō nulla: nominative.
15 culpāre: inf. epexegetic after protervum, “it is perverse to blame.”
16 iuvenem ... senem: predicates of mē understood.
17 sē ... servīre: indirect statement after sciat.
17 sciat: jussive subj.
17 iniquō: "a unjust man," dat. after servit.
18 Parcere subiectīs: “to spare his subjects," a moral imperative famously articulated in Vergil's Aeneid 6.853. The context there is political, and the :subjects" are peoples ruled by the Roman empire. Here it relates to the treatment of servants or enslaved people in the household, so subiectīs could be translated "the lowly," or "social inferiors."
vocabulary
vetulus –a –um: elderly, aging
armo –are –avi –atus: to equip
dens dentis m.: a tooth
iuventa –ae f.: youth
mordax –acis (gen.): biting
furor –ari –atus: (dep.) to steal, plunder, rob
senium –i n.: (condition of) old age
robur –oris n.: strength, firmness
privo –are –avi –atus: to deprive, rob
gena –ae f.: cheek, cheek-bone
levitas –atis f.: nimbleness, quickness
lepus –oris m.: a hare
prēndo –ere –di –sus: to catch, catch up with
faux faucis f.: a mouth, (pl.) jaws
inermis –e: unarmed, toothless
elumbis –e: weak, feeble
verbero : to beat, strike
perfero –ferre –tuli –latus: carry through
vigeo –ere –ui –– : to be strong
duro –are –avi –atus: to last
quilibet: anyone
marcidus –a –um: enfeebled, exhausted, weak
vilēsco -ere: to become worthless
mentio –onis f.: mention
culpo –are –avi –atus: to blame
protervus –a –um: impudent, shameless, perverse
miserē: wretchedly, desperately
subiectus -a -um: situated on a lower level; subject (to an authority), having a subordinate status