Other Versions: For the Aesop's fable about the mouse and the oyster, see Perry 454.
Emblem 95: CAPTIVUS OB GULAM
Regnatorque penus, mensaeque arrosor herilis
Ostrea mus summis || vidit hiulca labris.
Queis teneram apponens · barbam, falsa ossa momordit:
Ast ea clauserunt || tacta repente domum;
Deprensum et tetro · tenuerunt carcere furem,
Semet in obscurum || qui dederat tumulum.
Prose paraphrase:
Mus,
et regnator penus
et herilis mensae arrosor,
ostrea vidit
summis labris hiulca;
quibus labris
barbam teneram apponens,
ossa falsa momordit:
ast repente
ostrea tacta
domum clauserunt;
et tenuerunt furem,
carcere tetro deprensum,
qui semet dederat
in tumulum obscurum.
Image. Here's an illustration for the fable (image source) from a 1539 edition of the emblems:
Word list thanks to NoDictionaries.com:
Regnatorque penus, mensaeque arrosor herilis
regnator king, lord
penus provisions, food; stock of household; storeroom in temple of Vesta
mensa table; course, meal; banker's counter
arrosor one who nibbles/gnaws at
erilis of a master or mistress
Ostrea mus summis vidit hiulca labris.
ostreum oyster
mus mouse
summus highest, the top of; greatest; last; the end of
video see, look at; consider; seem, seem good, appear, be seen
hiulcus gaping, having the mouth wide open, insatiable, greedy; cracked; disconnected
labrum lip, edge, margin
Queis teneram apponens barbam, falsa ossa momordit:
queis = quibus from qui who, which
tene rtender; soft/delicate/gentle; young/immature; weak/fragile/frail
appono place near, set before/on table, serve up; put/apply/add to; appoint/assign
barba beard/ whiskers; large unkempt beard
falsus wrong, lying, fictitious, spurious, false, deceiving, feigned, deceptive
ossum bone; kernel; heartwood; stone
mordeo bite; sting; hurt, pain; vex; criticize, carp at; eat, consume; bite/cut into
Ast ea clauserunt tacta repente domum;
ast but, on the other hand/contrary; but yet; at least; in that event; if further
is he/she/it/they; DEMONST: that, he/she/it, they/them
claudo close, shut, block up; conclude, finish; blockade, besiege; enclose; confine
tango touch, strike; border on, influence; mention
repente suddenly, unexpectedly
domus house, building; home, household
Deprensum et tetro tenuerunt carcere furem,
deprendo seize/catch; catch napping/redhanded; surprise/pounce on; arrest; intercept
et and, and even; also, even
teter foul, offensive; ugly; disgraceful
teneo hold, keep; comprehend; possess; master; preserve
carcer prison, jail; jailbird; starting barriers at race-course, traps; beginning
fur thief, robber; robber bee; the Devil
Semet in obscurum qui dederat tumulum.
semet = se reflexive pronoun: he (himself), they (themselves), etc.
in into; about, in the mist of; according to, after; for; to, among
obscurus dim, dark, obscure; dusky, shadowy, only faintly/dimly seen; dingy; gloomy
qui who, which
do give; dedicate; sell; pay; grant/bestow/impart/offer/lend; devote; allow; make
tumulus mound, hillock; mound, tomb
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