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.

    In this fable a viper that threatens a workman’s file. The file then starts speaking to the viper and threatens her back. 

     Perry 093

     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.

    viperaae f.: a viper, snake

    fabrilise: of a workman

    daps dapis f.: a feast

    anxiusaum: anxious about (+ gen.)

    limaae 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

    farinaae f.: flour, dust

    attritusus m.: rubbing

    ferreusaum: 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

    inermusaum: 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

    obviusaum: in the way of (+ dat.)

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