Phaedrus 1.26: too much ambition.

Fables are reflections of morality and folk wisdom in societies, often from the point of view of the less well off. It is for this reason that this genre is of great interest for historians of mentality. Part of the charm of fables is too that we modern readers can still identify with the morals expressed in them, Take for instance the following fable: a frog (rana) sees a cow (bos, bovis) and overtaking by jealousy she puff herself up to the point she bursts. It is not difficult to see people, companies or states trying to imitate the more powerful and ending bankrupt. Indeed, the second part of this word –rupt – is the very same as rupta. Be warned!

Phaedrus 1.26. Rana Rupta et Bos

Meter:  senarius (6 feet iambic)

Inops, potentem dum vult imitari, perit.

In prato quondam rana conspexit bovem,

et tacta invidia tantae magnitudinis

rugosam inflavit pellem. Tum natos suos

interrogavit an bove esset latior.

Illi negarunt. Rursus intendit cutem

maiore nisu, et simili quaesivit modo,

quis maior esset. Illi dixerunt 'bovem'.

Novissime indignata, dum vult validius

inflare sese, rupto iacuit corpore.

rumpo rupi ruptum: to burst

inops inopis: without recourses, poor, a poor man

potens potentis: mighty, a mighty man

pereo perii per(ivi): to pass away, get destroyed

pratum: meadow

quondam: `once’

tacta invidia tantae magnitudinis: `touched by envy for such size (gen. obj.)’

rugosus: wrinkled

pellis pellis (f.): skin

natus: child

latus: broad

rursus: again

intendo intendi intentum: to stretch out

cutis cutis (f.): skin

nisus nisus (m.): effort

simili modo: in the same way

quis: in classical Latin uter is used `who of both’

novissime: ultimately

validus: strong (validius with inflare)

iaceo iacui iacitum: to lie

 

Translation by C. Smart (1765)

The Proud Frog

When poor men to expenses run,

And ape their betters, they 're undone.

An Ox the Frog a-grazing view'd,

And envying his magnitude,

She puffs her wrinkled skin, and tries

To vie with his enormous size:

Then asks her young to own at least

That she was bigger than the beast.

They answer, No. With might and main

She swells and strains, and swells again.

"Now for it, who has got the day ?"

The Ox is larger still, they say.

At length, with more and more ado,

She raged and puffed, and burst in two.