Vīpera fabrīlem, dapis ānxia, tendit in aedem;
Incipit haec līmam rōdere, līma loquī:
“Nescīs posse meum, quae sit mea glōria nescīs:
Dente meō patēris. Nōn ego dente tuō.
In tenuem ferrum fortī molō dente farīnam, 5
Et cadit attrītū dūra farīna meō.
Ferrea mordācī castīgō tūbera morsū,
Aspera plānō, secō longa, foranda forō.
Dēlīrās, igitur, cum dente minārīs inermī.
Rīdeō, quod ferior; vulnera ferre gemis.” 10
Fortem fortis amet: nam fortem fortior angit.
Maiōrī timeat obvius īre minor.
notes
In this fable a viper that threatens a workman’s file. The file then starts speaking to the viper and threatens her back.
fabrilem aedem: “dwelling of a workman.”
dapis anxia: “anxious about a feast”; anxia takes a genitive and modifies vipera.
loqui (sc. incipit): “the file (begins) to speak”; pres. inf.
posse: “know my power”; inf., used as a substantive.
quae sit: “know what is my glory”; pres subj. in an indirect question after nescis.
dente meo: “by my tooth”; abl. of instrument. The file is likely referring to its own pointy tip.
Non ego dente meo: “I do not (suffer) by your tooth”; supply pateris from previous line.
in tenuem ... farinam: “grind iron into fine dust.”
attritu meo: “by my rubbing”; gerund in an ablative of means.
dura farina: nom., subject of cadit.
ferrea tubera: “iron protuberances” i.e. bumps in the iron.
mordaci morsu: “my pungent/sharp/stinging bite”; abl. of instrument (just because “biting bite” didn’t sound great, although it may be an intentional pleonasm)
foranda: “I bore the things that must be bored”; neut. pl. Gerundive.
ferre gemis: “you grieve to bear wounds”; gero takes an infinitive here.
quod ferior: “although I am hit”; ferior is passive indicative.
amet: “let the strong love”; pres. jussive subj.
timeat: “let the smaller fear to go”; pres. jussive subj.
maiori obvius: “let the smaller one fear going in the way of the bigger one”; obvius takes a dative.
vocabulary
vipera –ae f.: a viper, snake
fabrilis –e: of a workman
daps dapis f.: a feast
anxius –a –um: anxious about (+ gen.)
lima –ae f.: a file
rodo –ere rosi rosus: to gnaw, peck
dens dentis m.: a tooth
tenuis –e: thin, fine
molo –ere –ui –itus: to grind
farina –ae f.: flour, dust
attritus –us m.: rubbing
ferreus –a –um: made of iron
mordax –acis (gen.): biting
castigo –are –avi –atus: to correct, smooth
tuber –eris n.: a protuberance, bump
morsus –us m.: a bite
asperus –a –um: uneven, rough
plano –are –avi –atus: to level, flatten
seco –are –cui –ctus: to cut, sever
foro –are –avi –atus: to pierce, bore
deliro –are –– –– : to be mad, crazy
minor –ari –atus : to threaten
inermus –a –um: unarmed, defenseless
ferio –ire –– –– : to hit, strike
gemo –ere –ui –itus: to moan, grieve (+ inf.)
ango –ere –nxi –ctum (–xum): to choke, strangle, cause pain
obvius –a –um: in the way of (+ dat.)