Respondēre lupō dē fūrtī lābe tenētur

vulpēs; causa vocat: hic petit, ille negat.

Sīmius est iūdex; doctī nōn errat acūmen

iūdicis: arcānum mentis in ōre lēgit.

Iūdicium fīgit: “Poscīs quod poscere fraus est 5

vīsque fidem dē rē quam negat ipsa fidēs.

Tū bene fūrta negās: tē vītae pūrior ūsus

līberat. Hanc lītem pāx domet, īra cadat.”

Simplicitās vērī fraus estque puerpera falsī: 

esse solent vītae dissona verba suae.10

Sordibus imbūtī nequeunt dīmittere sordēs.

Fallere quī didicit, fallere semper amat.

    Here, the two greatest villains of the fable collection meet, but it is only the wolf that is wicked in this fable. The fox is accused of theft, but is acquitted by the judge, an ape, on account of his virtuous living. The moral condemns living an unjust lifestyle. The implication is that the filthy lifestyle of the wolf has proven him to be an unsavory character repeatedly, and so the judge is unable to take his claim seriously.

    Perry 474

    lupo: “respond to the wolf”; dat. after respondere.

    furti: subjective gen with dē lābe : “concerning the debacle of theft.”

    causa: since this is a legal fable, a transition like, “lawsuit,” or “trial” works best here. LS causa II E.   

    quod: “a thing which.” Direct object of poscīs.

    poscere: “it is a fraud to demand”; epexegetical inf. after fraus.

    dē rē quam negat ipsa fidēs: lit., “concerning a situation which faith itself denies (itself).” i.e. in a situation where even faith denies itself entrance.  

    vītae pūrior ūsus: “purer way of life,” subject of līberat. 

    domet ... cadat: “let peace subdue ... let anger subside”; pres. subj. in a jussive clause.

    simplicitas veri: “innocence of the truth,” i.e., being unaware of the truth, a paradoxical metaphor.

    vitae suae: dat. with dissona.

    dissona: “are accustomed to be discordant to”; pred. nom. (+ dat.).

    imbuti: participle used substantively: “those soaked” + abl. (sordibus).

    lupusi m.: a wolf

    furtum –i n.: theft

    labes –is f.: disaster, debacle

    vulpes –is f.: a fox

    simiusi m./f.: ape

    acumen –inis n.: sharpened point, fraud

    doctusum: learned, cunning, shrewd

    arcanumi n.: a secret

    figo –ere  fixi fixus: to establish

    posco –ere poposci: to ask, demand

    fraus fraudis f.: fraud

    purusaum: pure, clean

    libero –are –avi –atus: to free, release

    lis litis f.: lawsuit, quarrel

    domo –are –ui –itus: to subdue, master

    simplicitas –tatis f.: innocence

    verumi n.: truth

    puerperaae f.: a mother

    falsumi n.: falsehood

    vitaae f.: anger

    dissonusaum: discordant, different

    sordes –is f.: filth, dirt

    Imbuo –ere –ui –utus: wet, soak

    nequeo –ire –ivi (–ii) –itum: to be unable (+ inf.)

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