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Piscator et Piscis

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The story of The Fisherman and The Fish is a poem written by Avianus. It is written in elegiac couplets. You can find this poem, Avianus 20, along with other poems by Avianus, at the aesopica.net website. The Perry number for this fable is Perry 18. You can see a 1501 woodcut illustration for this fable at the University of Mannheim website. You can find a translation of Avianus's poem in Aesop's Fables, by Laura Gibbs (Oxford University Press, 2003).

   Use this Study Guide to organize your learning activities.

Here is the poem (click "play" icon for brief audio sample):

Piscator solitus praedam suspendere saeta
exigui piscis vile trahebat onus.

sed postquam superas captum perduxit ad auras
atque avido fixum vulnus ab ore tulit,

"parce, precor," supplex lacrimis ita dixit obortis;
"nam quanta ex nostro corpore dona feres?"

nunc me saxosis genitrix fecunda sub antris
fudit et in propriis ludere iussit aquis.

tolle minas, tenerumque tuis sine crescere mensis.
haec tibi me rursum litoris ora dabit.

protinus immensi depastus caerula ponti
pinguior ad calamum sponte recurro tuum.

ille nefas captum referens absolvere piscem,
difficiles queritur cassibus esse vices.

"nam miserum est" inquit "praesentem amittere praedam
stultius et rursum vota futura sequi."

The following version puts the words in a more prose-like order so that it will be easier for you to read:

Piscator solitus suspendere praedam saeta trahebat vile onus exigui piscis.	Additional grammar commentary to be added... meanwhile, if you have questions, use the Comments? Questions? Suggestions? link at the top or bottom of this page if you have a query. You might also want to look at these Tips on Using Segmented Texts.
Sed postquam captum perduxit ad auras superas atque tulit vulnus fixum ab avido ore,
ita dixit supplex, lacrimis obortis:
"Parce, precor; nam quanta dona ex nostro corpore feres?"
Nunc genitrix fecunda me fudit sub saxosis antris et iussit ludere in propriis aquis.
Tolle minas, et sine me, tenerum, crescere tuis mensis. haec ora litoris me tibi dabit rursum.
Protinus depastus immensi ponti caerula sponte recurro, pinguior, ad calamum tuum.
Ille referens nefas esse absolvere captum piscem, queritur difficiles esse vices cassibus.
Inquit: nam miserum est praesentem praedam amittere et stultius est rursum vota futura sequi."