Aesop's Fables: Babrius
Babrius 37 = Perry 300
Δαμάλης ἐν ἀγροῖς ἄφετος, ἀτριβὴς ζεύγλης,
κάμνοντι καὶ σύροντι τὴν ὕνιν ταύρῳ
"τάλας" ἐφώνει "μόχθον οἷον ὀτλεύεις."
ὁ βοῦς δ' ἐσίγα χὐπέτεμνε τὴν χώρην.
ἐπεὶ δ' ἔμελλον ἀγρόται θεοῖς θύειν,
ὁ βοῦς μὲν ὁ γέρων εἰς νομὰς απεζεύχθη,
ὁ δὲ μόσχος ἀδμὴς κεῖνος εἵλκετο σχοίνῳ
δεθεὶς κέρατα, βωμὸν αἵματος πλήσων.
κἀκεῖνος αὐτῷ τοιάδ' εἶπε φωνήσας·
"εἰς ταῦτα μέντοι μὴ πονῶν ἐτηρήθης.
ὁ νέος παρέρπεις τὸν γέροντα, καὶ θύῃ,
καὶ σοῦ τένοντα πέλεκυς, οὐ ζυγὸς τρίψει."
[Ἔργοις ἔπαινος, ἀργίᾳ δὲ κίνδυνος.]
Ben
Perry, Babrius and Phaedrus (Loeb). This edition contains the Greek
texts of Babrius, with a facing English translation, and an extensive index covering
the Greek and Latin fable tradition. This book is an absolute must for anyone
interested in the Aesopic fable tradition. Invaluable.
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