Aesop's Fables: Babrius
Babrius 116 = Perry 350
Νυκτὸς μεσούσης ᾖδε παῖς τις εὐφώνως.
γυνὴ δ' ἀκούει τοῦδε, κἀξαναστᾶσα
θυρίδων προκύπτει, καὶ βλέπουσα τὸν παῖδα
λαμπρῆς σελήνης ἐν φάει καλὸν λίην,
τὸν ἄνδρ' ἑαυτῆς καταλιποῦσα κοιμᾶσθαι
κάτω μελάθρων ἦλθε, καὶ θύρης ἔξω
ἐλθοῦς' ἐποίει τὴν προθυμίην πλήρη.
ὡνήρ δὲ ταύτης ἐξανίστατ' ἐξαίφνης
ζητῶν ὅποὐστί, κοὐκ ἰδὼν δόμων εἴσω
μηδὲν χανών τε καὐτὸς ἦλθεν εἰς οἶμον.
καὶ τῇ συνεύνῳ φησί "μηδὲν ἐκπλήσσου,
τὸν παῖδα δ' ἡμῶν πεῖσον ἐν δόμοις εὕδειν."
ὃν καὶ λαβὼν παρῆγεν. εἶτα κἀκεῖνος,
ἄμφω θελόντων δρᾶν τι, τῇδ' ἐρᾳθύμει.
Τουτὶ μὲν οὕτως· ἔμφασις δὲ τοῦ μύθου,
κακὸν ἐπιχαίνειν, ὅταν ἔχῃ τις ἐκτῖσαι.
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.
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