Tondet equus prātum, petit hunc leō. Causa leōnem
Haec movet, ut fīat ēsca leōnis equus.
Inquit equō: “Mī frāter, ave, fruor arte medendī,
Et comes et medicus sum tibi.” Pāret equus:
Sentit enim fraudēs et fraudī fraude resistit. 5
Mente prius texēns rētia fraudis, ait:
“Quaesītus placitusque venīs, tē temporis offert
Grātia, tē rogitat pēs mihi sentē gravis.”
Hic favet, īnstat equō; subiectō vertice, calcem
Inprimit et sōpit membra leōnis equus. 10
Vix fugit ille sopor, vix audet vīta revertī,
Vix leō, colla movēns, respicit. Hostis abest.
Sē leō sīc damnat: “Patior prō crīmine poenam:
Nam gessī speciem pācis et hostis eram.”
Quod nōn es, nōn esse velīs; quod es, esse fatēre: 15
Est male quod nōn est, quī negat esse quod est.
notes
This fable also features a lion, but one notably less kind than in the previous fable. Here, the lion approaches a horse, hoping to trick him so that he can eat him. The horse, however, can sense the deceit and tells the lion that he has come at the perfect time, as he has stepped on something and needs help to remove it. As soon as the lion bends to examine the hoof, the horse stomps on his head, rendering him senseless. The moral emphasizes the importance of not pretending to be what one is not.
ut fiat: “in order for the horse to become food”; pres. subj. in a purpose clause.
arte medendī: “art of healing”; medendī, gen. gerund. Arte, abl. with fruor.
fraudi: “he resists the fraud”; dat. after resistit.
fraude: “by means of fraud” note the polyptoton; ablative of means.
Quaesītus placitusque: perfect passive participles, pred. nom. with venīs, but work well as adjectives, “you, sought after and agreeable.”
temporis gratia: “the favor of time presents you,” i.e., you come at a good time.
sente: “painful from a thorn”; ablative of cause.
equo: “approaches the horse”; dat. after instat.
subiecto vertice: “the top of his (the lion’s) head having been bent down”; ablative absolute.
reverti: “dares to return”; pres. inf. after audet.
gessī speciem pācis: “I gave the appearance of peace.”
velis: “you ought not to wish”; pres. volative subj. (+ inf.)
fatere: “confess!”; 2nd sing. imperat. (+ inf.)
est male: “he is badly,” i.e., he acts badly as.
quod nōn est:, “that which he is not; predicate clause after esse.
vocabulary
tondeo –ere totondi tonsus: to cut, clip, graze
pratum –i n.: a meadow
leo –onis m.: a lion
Inquam: to say
ave: hail!
medeor –eri: (dep.) to heal
medicus –i m.: a doctor, physician
fraus fraudis f.: fraud, trickery
resisto –ere –stiti –– : to pause, continue
texo –ere –xui –xtus: to weave
rete –is n.: a net, snare
placitus –a –um: pleasing
rogito –are –avi –– : to ask, inquire
sentis –is m.: a thorn, briar
faveo –ere favi fauturus: to favor, support
insto –are –stiti –staturus : to be close to (+ dat.)
subjicio –jeci –jectus: to throw under, bend down
vertex –icis m.: crown (of his head)
calx –cis m./f.: heel
inprimo –ere –pressi –pressus: to impress, imprint
sopor –oris m.: insensibility
sopio –ire –ivi –itus: to render insensible by a blow
collum –i n.: a neck, throat