Mūla rapit cursum: nam mūlam mūliō cōgit.
Mūlae musca nocet vulnere sīve minīs:
“Cūr pede sōpītō cursum tempusque morāris?
Tē premō, tē pungō: pessima, curre levis.
Mūla refert: “Quia magna tonās? Vīs magna vidērī? 5
Nec tua facta nocent, nec tua verba mihi,
Nec tē sustineō, sed eum, quem sustinet axis,
Quī mea frēna tenet, quī mea terga ferit.
Audet in audācem timidus fortīque minātur
Dēbilis, audendī dum videt esse locum. 10
notes
As is often the case, this fable has the same basic lesson as the preceding fable. Here, it is a fly that tries to rise above his station, giving orders to the mule. The mule responds that he only takes direction from his master, and the fly is put back into his humble position. The moral, however, takes a slightly different approach, stating that weak men often assert themselves against the strong, but rarely are effective.
rapit cursum: “he hurries on his way.”
Mūlae: dative with nocet.
vulnere sīve minīs: abl. of means with nocet, “with a wound or with threats.”
pede sopito: “with a sleepy foot”; ablative of manner.
levis: “lightly”; nom. with adverbial force.
magna tonās: “do you thunder greatly” or perhaps, “why do you buzz so much?”
vis: “do you wish”; pres. > volo (+ inf.)
magna vidērī: “to seem great.”
nec tua ... nec tua/ qui mea ... qui mea: examples of anadiplosis, “doubling”
mihi: dative with nocent.
audet in audacem: “dares against a daring one.”
forti: “threatens the strong”; dat. after minatur.
audendi: lit., “a place of daring”; gen. gerund with locum, but can more generally be taken as, “an opportunity for daring.”
vocabulary
mula –ae f.: a mule
mulio –onis m.: a muleteer, mule driver
musca –ae f.: a fly
mina –ae f.: threats
sopitus –a –um: sleepy
pungo –ere pupugi punctus: prick, sting
pessimus –a –um: worst
tono –are –ui –– : to thunder
axis –is m.: an axis, chariot
frenum –i n.: a bridle
ferio –ire –– –– : to hit
timidus –a –um: timid, fearful
minor –ari –atus : to threaten
debilis –e: weak