Κόραξ δεδηχὼς στόματι τυρὸν εἱστήκει·
τυροῦ δ᾽ ἀλώπηξ ἱχανῶσα κερδῴη
μύθῳ τὸν ὄρνιν ἠπάτησε τοιούτῳ·
“κόραξ, καλαί σοι πτέρυγες, ὀξέη γλήνη,
θηητὸς αὐχήν· στέρνον ἀετοῦ φαίνεις·
ὄνυξι πάντων θηρίων κατισχύεις·
ὀ τοῖος ὂρνις κωφὸς έσσὶ κοὐ κρώζεις!”
κόραξ δ᾽ ἐπαίνῳ καρδίην ἐχαυνώθη,
στόματος δὲ τυρὸν ἐκβαλὼν ἐκεκράγει.
τὸν ἦ σοφὴ λαβοῦσα κερτόμῳ γλώσσῃ,
“οὐκ ἢσθ᾽ ἄφωνος,” εἲπεν, “ὰλλὰ φωνήεις.
ἔχεις, κόραξ, ἄπαντα νοῦς δέ σοι λείπει.
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A crow upon his perch was munching cheese,
When a sly fox, by arguments like these,
To suit herself, beguiled him of his prize: —
“Fair are thy plumes, good crow, and bright thine eyes,
Charming thy neck, an eagle’s breast thou hast,
In talons thou art by no brute surpass’d.
’Tis strange that dumb should be a bird so smart!”
The flattered crow became elate in heart,
And, cawing, from his mouth the cheese let fall;
This Reynard snatch’d, and tauntingly did call,
“’Tis true thou wast not dumb, for thou canst speak,
Yet, spite of all thou hast, thy mind is weak.”
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