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Aesop's Fables: Babrius

Babrius 9 = Perry 11

Ἁλιεύς τις αὐλοὺς εἶχε καὶ σοφῶς ηὔλει·
καὶ δή ποτ' ὄψον ἐλπισας ἀμοχθήτως
πολὺ πρὸς αὐλῶν ἡδυφωνίην ἥξειν,
τὸ δίκτυον θεὶς ἐτερέτιζεν εὐμούσως.
ἐπεὶ δὲ φυσῶν ἔκαμε καὶ μάτην ηὔλει,
βαλὼν σαγήνην εἷλκεν ἰχθύων πλήρη.
ἐπὶ γῆς δ' ἰδων σπαίροντας ἄλλον ἀλλοίως,
τοιαῦτ' ἐκερτόμησε τὸν βόλον πλύνων·
"ἄναυλα νῦν ὀρχεῖσθε. κρεῖσσον ἦν ὕμας
πάλαι χορεύειν, ἡνίκ' εἰς χοροὺς ηὔλουν."
[Οὐκ ἔστιν ἀπόνως οὐδ' ἀλύοντα κερδαίνειν.
ὅταν καμὼν δὲ τοῦθ' ἕλῃς ὅπερ βούλει,
τὸ κερτομεῖν σοι καιρός ἐστι καὶ παίζειν.]


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.