Agricola et Filii et Vinea (Trinity)

Source: This poem was composed by the anonymous "Trinity Master" who published a lovely little book in 1852 setting Latin fables in prose side-by-side with his verse compositions; read the book at Google Books.

Other Versions: For more versions, see Perry 42.

22. AGRICOLA ET FILII

Optimus est, pueri, vobis Industria census;
Scilicet enisum || fors hominesque iuvant.
Agricola ad vitae finem provenerat; ad se
Continuo Natos || iussit adire suos.
"Iam moriturus ego," dixit; "mea verba tenete:
Vinea thesauros || possidet illa meos."
Finierat senior; cum verbo vita refugit.
Rite suum iuvenes || indoluere patrem.
Funera post patris, thesaurum quaerere certant;
Armatur duro || quaeque ligone manus.
Funditus ad vernum subvertitur area solem;
Nil tamen inveniunt; || nil locus aeris habet.
Reddit et autumnus lucrum pretiumque laboris;
Muneribus Bacchi || fertilis uva tumet.

Prose paraphrase:

Pueri,
vobis
census optimus
Industria est;
Scilicet
fors et homines
enisum iuvant.
Agricola
ad vitae finem provenerat;
continuo
Natos suos iussit
ad se adire.
Dixit:
"Ego
iam moriturus sum;
mea verba tenete:
Vinea illa
thesauros meos possidet."
Senior finierat;
cum verbo
eius vita refugit.
Iuvenes
rite patrem suum indoluere.
Post patris funera,
thesaurum quaerere certant;
quaeque manus
duro ligone armatur.
Area
ad vernum solem
funditus subvertitur.
Nil tamen inveniunt;
locus
nil aeris habet.
Autumnus
et lucrum et pretium laboris
reddit;
fertilis uva
Bacchi muneribus tumet.

NoDictionaries.com: You can find the word list for this fable online, and use it interactively (here are some tips on how to make best use of the tool).

Image. Here's an illustration for the fable (image source) from a 15th-century edition of the fables:



Word list thanks to NoDictionaries.com:

Coming soon.

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