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Aesop's Fables: Babrius

Babrius 23 = Perry 49

Βοηλάτης ἄνθτρωπος εἰς μακρὴν ὕλην
ταῦρον κεράστην ἀπολέσας ἀνεζήτει.
ἔθηκε δ' εὐχὴν ταῖς ὀρεινόμοις νύμφαις
[Ἑρμῇ νομαίῳ, Πανί, τοῖς πέριξ, ἄρνα]
ἄρνα προσάξειν, εἰ λάβοιτο τὸν κλέπτην.
ὄχθον δ' ὑπερβὰς τὸν καλὸν βλέπει ταῦρον
λέοντι θοίνην· δυστυχὴς δ' ἐπαρᾶται
καὶ βοῦν προσάξειν, εἰ φύγοι γε τὸν κλέπτην.
Ἐντεῦθεν ἡμᾶς τοῦτ' ἔοικε γινώσκειν,
ἄβουλον εὐχὴν τοῖς θεοῖσι μὴ πέμπειν,
ἐκ τῆς πρὸς ὥραν ἐκφορουμένης λύπης. 


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.