The Fox & The Grapes (Babrius 19)
Fable Friday | Aesop's Fables | Translation from Babrius & Phaedrus Fables
I hope to keep up this new project of translating from Babrius & Phaedrus’s Fables—a collection of Greek and Latin poetry of Aesop’s Fables. My goal is to post a new translation every Friday or every other Friday, depending on the length of the fable and the time available.
The Fox and the Grapes
|1| A bunch of grapes was hanging from a dark vine on a hillside.
|2| A cunning fox, perceiving them to be delectable,
|3| strove, leaping repeatedly
|4| to seize the bottom of the purple fruit;
|5| for, the grapes were ripe and seasonable for the vintage.
|6| After struggling in vain, for he was powerless to reach the bunch,
|7| he departed, charming his grief, saying:
|8| “The bunch of grapes are sour—not ripe, as I supposed.”
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More Literal, Stricter Greek Syntax, with Notes
|1| A bunch of grapes from a dark vine on a hillside
|2| was hanging. And, a cunning fox,1 seeing them (to be)2 full,3
|3| was eager,4 many times leaping5
|4| to take hold of the bottom of the purple fruit;
|5| for, (the bunch) was ripe and in season6 for the vintage.
|6| And, after toiling7 in vain, for he was incapable8 to reach (the grapes),
|7| He departed, beguiling9 his grief thus:
|8| “The bunch of grapes are sour, not ripe, as I supposed.”
LSJ κερδώ, “A. the wily one or thief, i.e. the fox.” From line 3.
From line 3.
LSJ πλήρης, “full of...” Many definitions include, “gorged”; “satiated”; “fully”; “complete.” The idea being, they are perfectly ripe, appearing delectable, desirable—luscious, perhaps?
LSJ ὁρμάω, “B.3.b. generally, hasten, be eager.” It can also have the notion of starting to do something. The idea here being the fox is attempting to jump up over and over to get the grapes.
From line 4.
LSJ ἀκμαῖος, “A.II. II. in time, in season, “ἀ. καιρός” PTeb.24.56 (ii B. C., Sup.); ἀ. ἡμέραι the seasonable days, Ath.5.180c, cf. AP10.2 (Antip.Sid.): neut. pl. as Adv., “ἀκμαἶ᾽ ἂν μόλοι” S.Aj.921 (cj.).”
LSJ κάμνω, “A.I. work; A.II. toil, labour... strain... do it with effort.”
Lit. “he was not strong (enough)”
Perhaps, “assuaging, mollifying.” All in all, the final line is the fox coping with his inability to get what he desired.