Grāculus, inventō pictī pāvōnis amictū,

sē polit et sociās ferre superbit avēs.

Quem fore pāvōnem pāvōnis penna fatētur,

pāvōnum generī nōn timet īre comes.

Pāvō dolum sentit, falsī pāvōnis honōrem 5

increpat et domitam verbere nūdat avem.

Nūda latet sociōsque fugit minuīque pudōrem

sīc putat; hanc dūrō corripit ōre comes:

“Ascēnsor nimius nimium ruit, aptus in īmīs 

est locus: haec levis est, illa ruīna gravis.10

Quī plūs posse putat sua quam nātūra ministrat,

posse suum superāns, sē minus esse potest.

Sī tibi nōta satis nātūrae mēta fuisset,

nōn vīlis nec inops nec sine veste forēs.”

 

Cui sua nōn sapiunt, aliēnī sēdulus auceps, 15

quod nōn est rapiēns, dēsinit esse quod est.

    The Grackle and the Peacock

    A grackle dresses in the feathers of a peacock and spurns the other grackles to consort with the peacocks, until the grackle is caught, beaten and stripped of its borrowed feathers by a peacock. The grackle hides in shame but is reprimanded by a fellow grackle. Attempts to rise high beyond one's own station can lead to a great fall.

    Other versions: Perry 472.

    1  amictū: "clothing," in this case feathers, or perhaps a single feather (see penna in line 3).

    2  sē polit: "decorates itself with," + abl. (inventō ... amictū), DMLBS polire 3. Graculus is grammatically masculine and the relative pronoun Quem (line 3) is masculine, but domitam (line 6) and Nuda (line 7) indicate the bird is female.

    2  sociās ferre superbit avēs: “disdains to endure its fellow birds,” i.e., is too arrogant to associate with other grackles.

    3  Quem: = hunc, connecting relative (AG 308.f).

    3  Quem fore pāvōnem pāvōnis penna fatētur: order: penna pāvōnis fatētur ("declares") hunc fore (= esse) pāvōnem.

    4  generī: dative with comes.  

    4  timet: graculus is the subject.

    6  domitam verbere: “subdued with a blow." Verbere is no doubt singular for plural. 

    7  minuī: pres. pass. inf. after putat.

    sīc: by hiding.

    9  Ascēnsor nimius: “the one who ascends too much.” The other nimium is adverbial and modifies the verb ruit.  

    10  haec ... illa: ruīna.

    11  Quī: “he who,” stating a general rule. 

    11  plus posse: "that he can (do) more." The omission of an infin. like agere is normal.

    11  ministrat: "provides," i.e., allows.

    12  posse suum: “his own ability,” treating the infinitive as a noun, not uncommon in Medieval Latin (DMLBS posse 7).

    12  sē minus: “less than himself," sē is abl. of comparison. 

    13  Sī tibi nōta satis nātūrae mēta fuisset: order: Sī mēta nātūrae fuisset satis nōta tibi, past contrary-to-fact conditional.

    14  forēs: = essēs, “you would not be”; impf. subj. in a present contrafactual apodosis.

    15  Cui sua non sapiunt: “the one to whom his own things do not taste good,” "he who is unsatisfied with this own (situation)."

    15  aliēnī ... auceps: “a bird-catcher of the property of a stranger,” i.e., “a grasper at another's status,” an avian metaphor appropriate to the fable.

    16  quod nōn est rapiēns: “(by) snatching what (he) is not.”

    graculusm.: a grackle, jackdaw, crow, rook, or sim.

    pictusaum: painted, multi-colored

    pavo –onis m.: a peacock

    amictus –ūs m.: a cloak, clothing

    polio –ire –ivi –itus: to smooth, polish; decorate

    socius -a -um: fellow, allied, companion

    superbio –ire –– –– : to disdain to (+ inf.)

    pennaae f.: a feather, wing

    increpo –are –ui –itus: to rebuke, chide, criticize

    domo –are –ui –itus: to subdue

    verber –eris n.: a blow

    nudo –are –avi –atus: to lay bare, strip

    minuo –ere –ui –utus: to lessen, reduce

    corripio –ere –ripui –reptus: to chastise, criticize

    ascensor ascensoris m.: one who ascends

    ruo –ere –ui –utus: to destroy, ruin

    imusaum: lowest

    ruinaae f.: a fall

    ministro –are –avi –atus: to provide

    metaae f.: a boundary

    vilis –e: cheap, common

    inops –opis (gen.): weak, poor

    alienum -ī n: the property of a stranger

    sedulusaum: persistent

    aucepsipis m.: a bird-catcher, grasper

    sapio –ere –ivi –– : to be tasty

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