Νῦν σωθείην
now may I be saved so that I might have this lesson for the future
Translated by Kyle Helms2 Oct 2009Vetting: high5 revisions
Translation
This is said in the fable of the tortoise who learns how to fly from the eagle and falls.
Greek original · Adler’s text
Νῦν σωθείην, ἵν' ᾖ μοι δίδαγμα τοῦτο τοῦ λοιποῦ χρόνου· παρὰ τὸν μῦθον εἴρηται τοῦτο τῆς μανθανούσης χελώνης ἵπτασθαι παρὰ τοῦ ἀετοῦ καὶ πεσούσης.
Betacode
*nu=n swqei/hn, i(/n' h)=| moi di/dagma tou=to tou= loipou= xro/nou: para\ to\n mu=qon ei)/rhtai tou=to th=s manqanou/shs xelw/nhs i(/ptasqai para\ tou= a)etou= kai\ pesou/shs.
Notes
- The story is told in Babrius 115, though the present entry's headword phrase does not appear there. (See rather Arsenius 12.18c -- and Comica adespota fr. 1225 Kock, but not in K.-A.) The tortoise wishes he had wings so he could fly. An eagle asks how much the tortoise will pay him for instruction. Offering the eagle all the gifts of the Red Sea (proverbial: see Perry p.150 n.a), the tortoise is then carried aloft by the eagle into the clouds, but is dropped. Dying, the tortoise asks himself: "what need did I have of clouds and wings, since even on the ground I move with difficulty?" (
ti/ ga\r nefw=n moi, kai\ ti/s h)=n pterw=n xrei/h, th=| kai\ xama=ze dusko/lws probainou/sh|; ).
References
Perry, B.E. 1965. Babrius and Phaedrus. Harvard University Press
Neighbouring entries
Revision history5 revisions · last 19 May 2016
- coding — David Whitehead
- updated a ref — David Whitehead
- Revised — David Whitehead
- augmented note; another keyword; tweaks — David Whitehead
- tweaked translation, added keyword, set status — Catharine Roth
- Translated — Kyle Helms