Quaerere diffugium, dominō veniente, capōnem
audāx accipiter dum videt, inquit eī:
"Quid fugis? Exsultā dominum cum cernis adesse,
cuius in adventū plaudere nitor ego."
"Mē," cāpō respondit, "frātrum dīversa meōrum 5
terret poena; tibi nōn timor ullus adest.
Nīl magis horrendum quam flēbilis aula tyrannī,
quā pietās omnis cum ratiōne perit.
Raptōrēs famulīque trucēs scelerumque ministrī
iniūstīs dominīs impietāte placent. 10
Quī sine vī, sine fraude manent, hī fraude necantur:
nūllō damnantur crīmine saepe bonī.
Sīc frātrēs periēre meī. Tē reddit amīcum
impietās dominō nēquitiaeque vigor.
Hī propriās lāvēre stolās in sanguine; passōs 15
martyrium, sepelit venter avārus eōs.
Illius ergo timēns adspectum crēdo latēre
tūtius, ut mortī mē rapuisse queam."
Nōn amat īnsontēs, sed sontēs, aula tyrannī:
complacet iniūstō raptor inīquus erō. 20
notes
Fable 61: About a Hawk and a Capon
In this fable a capon tells a hawk about the deaths of his brothers and why he fears his master.
Querere: indirect statement set up by videt.
dominō veniente: abl. abs. The master in question is the capon’s, which is why the abl. abs. is nested in the indirect statement.
capōnem: acc. subj. in ind. statement. A capon is a type of castrated male chicken who are especially prized for their meat.
Quid: lit, “what?” but works better as, “why?”
Exsultā: imperative. A subjunctive might have been a bit more tactful here, but the author goes with a full on command, the hawk is audāx after all.
cum cernis: cum circumstantial clause with a present indicative + indirect statement, “whenever you see that.”
cuius in adventū: lit, “in whose arrival,” but works well as, “at whose arrival.”
Nīl magis horrendum quam: supply est. “Nothing is more frightening than.”
Quā: “where,” “in which place.”
Raptōrēs: “robbers,” since the capon is talking about the sort of people who are present at court. But this word choice is heavily ironic, since he is talking to a hawk.
Iniūstīs dominīs: dative with placent.
Impietāte: abl. of cause, “because of (their) impiety.”
fraude: abl. of means.
nūllō crīmine: abl. of the charge with damnantur.
periēre: = periērunt. Syncopated form of the perfect indicative.
reddit amīcum: “makes you friendly to” + dative.
dominō: dative with amicum.
nēquitiaeque vigor: “the strength of your wickedness.” Subject (along with impietās).
Hī: i.e. the men who killed his brothers.
lāvēre: = lavērunt.
venter avārus: singular for plural, “their greedy stomach.”
Illius: i.e. the master.
timēns adspectum: “fearing the sight.” + gen.
crēdō: sets up an indirect statement.
mortī: “from death,” dative with rapuisse. Dative of disadvantage (at least from death’s perspective. One would assume the capon is pretty happy about avoiding death).
Nōn īnsontēs, sed sontēs: “not the innocent, but the guilty.” Direct object of amat.
iniūstō erō: dative with complacet, “to the unjust master.”