Incūsant avidī pēs et manus ōtia ventris:

“Omnia sōlus habēs lucra, labōre carēs.

Nōs labor ēdomuit, tē fōvit inertia: sorbēs

Omnia, quae nostrī cūra labōris emit.

Disce patī famis ācre iugum vel disce labōrī 5

Cēdere, tēque tuī cūra labōris alat.”

Sīc ventrī servīre negant; sē venter inānem

Comperit, ōrat opem: nīl dat avāra manus.

Ille precēs iterat: iterum fugit illa precantem.

In stomachī fundō torpet obitque calor; 10

Vīcta famē, nātūra fugit, vīs ārida faucēs

Obsērat ut solitum nōn sinat īre cibum.

Vult epulās dare sēra manus, sed corporis aegrī

Perdita, nōn reparāns, māchina tōta perit.

Nēmō sibi satis est: eget omnis amīcus amīcō. 15

Sī nōn vīs aliī parcere, parce tibi.

    This fable reflects the Biblical idea that each member of the church body contributes an equal amount, found in 1 Corinthians 12:12-22. The scripture invokes a scenario in which one part of the body decides that it does not want to serve the rest of the body, and compares this to the members of the church working together. This fable elaborates this idea; the foot and the hand complain about the easy life that the stomach lives: it receives the profits of the work that the rest of the body performs, but doesn’t have to do any work itself. The hand and foot suddenly refuse to feed the stomach, but, of course, this leads to the death of the entire body. The moral corresponds to the Biblical idea that no man can subsist alone.

     

    Perry 130

    ōtia ventris: “the laziness of the stomach.” Direct object of incūsant.

    sōlus habēs: “you alone have.” 

    labōre carēs: ablative with carēs.

    nostrī cūra labōris: “the care of our labor.” Subject of emit. 

    labōrī: dative with cēdere.

    alat: jussive subj.

    ventrī: dative with servīre.

    nīl: direct object of dat. 

    precantem: acc. present participle, “the one (who is) praying.”

    famē: abl. of means. 

    vīs ārida: subject of obsērat. Faucēs is the direct object. 

    ut solitum nōn sinat īre cibum: result clause, “that it does not permit the usual food to go down.” 

    sēra: technically modifies manus, but works well if taken adverbially, and as if it were comparative, “too late.” 

    corporis aegrī: gen. Take with the subject, māchina tōta, “the whole machine of the sick body.” 

    Perdita: “having wasted away.” Perfect participle in apposition to māchina tōta.

    nōn reparāns: a present participle in apposition to māchina tōta. Has a causal sense, “unable to repair (itself).” 

    amīcō: abl. with eget. 

    alii: “to be sparing to another”; dat. after parcere.

    venter –tris n.: a stomach

    incuso –are –avi –atus: to criticize, condemn

    avidusaum: greedy

    lucrum –i n.: gain, profit

    edomo –are –ui –itus: conquer, overcome

    foveo –ere fovi fotus: to keep warm, favor

    inertiaae f.: ignorance, inactivity

    sorbeo –ere –ui –– : to drink, absorb

    emo –ere emi emptus: to gain, acquire

    inanis –e: void, empty

    comperio –ire –peri –pertus: to learn, discover

    avarusum: avaricious, greedy

    itero –are –avi –atus: to do a second time, repeat

    stomachusi m.: a gullet, stomach

    fundusi m.: bottom, lowest part

    torpeo –ere –– –– : to be numb or lethargic

    obeo –ire –ivi –itus: to die

    calor –oris m.: heat, warmth

    aridusaum: dried, thirsty

    faux faucis f.: a throat

    obsero –are –avi –atus: to fasten, shut off

    solitusaum: usual, customary

    epulaae f.: food

    serusaum: too late

    reparo –are –avi –atus: to renew, revive

    machinaae f.: a machine

    nemo –inis m./f.: no one, nobody

    egeo –ere –ui –– : to need (+ abl.)

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