Activity 3- The Fox

Activity Three: The Fox
From antiquity down through to the Middle Ages, the fox has been conceived as the most
clever and most fraudulent of all beasts. Indeed, the unknown author of the Libro della
natura degli animali describes the character of the fox as follows:1
(1) La vuolpe si è una bestia molto malitiosa e con molte vuolponie; e ane una
natura così facta, che quando ella ave fame sì ssi lorda tutta e vassene in uno
campo e ponsi riverta in terra e chava fuore la lingua e sta cossì acconcia. (2) E
quando li corbi e le cornachie lu vedeno, elli, credendo che ssia morta, vannoli
adosso per beccarla. (3) Quella, non dimenticate le suoi malitie, apre la bocha e or
le magnia, e in chutale modo si pasce quando ella ae fame. (4) Questa vuolpe
significa lo dimonio, lo quale è molto ingengnoso e brigasi pur como ello possa
ingannare la gente, […] sempre va tutto lordo e involupato de li peccati e di lordura;
e con questi suoi vitii sì va ingannando li homini del mondo, e sì ne lli mena con
seco in inferno. (5) E in altra mainera si po’ somigliare questa vuolpe a molti homini
di questo mondo li quali sonno sì ingannevoli, che nonn è nullo che de loro se
possa guardare, ché elli ingannano vendendo e conparando e acatando et
prestando e donando; […] unde che elli sono dannati, e anco vuolno dannare altrui.
Modern rewriting
(1) La volpe è una bestia ingannatrice e molto astuta; e ha una natura di tal
fatta che quando ha fame si sporca di proposito, se ne va in un campo, si
riversa a terra e pone la lingua fuori dalla bocca. (2) Quando i corvi e le
cornacchie la vedono, questi, credendola morta, si posano addosso ad essa
per beccarla. (3) Quella, non avendo dimenticato le proprie strategie
maliziose, apre la bocca e li mangia: in questo modo si nutre quando ha fame.
(4) La volpe è simbolo del demonio, il quale è molto astuto e si adopera per
ingannare la gente, […] vive sempre sporco e avvolto di peccati e di lordura;
con questi suoi vizi inganna gli esseri umani e li conduce con sé in inferno. (5)
Allo stesso modo la volpe può essere paragonata a molti uomini di questo
mondo, i quali sono così fraudolenti che non c’è nulla in loro che non
costituisca un pericolo, poiché essi ingannano vendendo, acquistando e
prendendo a prestito, prestando e donando denaro; […] ragione per la quale
essi sono dannati e vogliono dannare gli altri.
Translation:
1
The medieval version is given in italics; the modern rewriting and the translation into English are given in nonitalicized characters. Unless stated otherwise, all the activities of this module refer to the modern version in
Italian. The original text is cited from Luigina Morini, Bestiari medievali (Turin: Einaudi, 1996) pp. 425-86
(461-62).
(1) The fox is a deceitful and cunning beast; its nature is such that when it is
hungry, it deliberately dirties its fur, goes to an open space and lies down with
its tongue out of its mouth. (2) When ravens and crows see the fox, thinking
that it is dead, they land on it and bite its apparently lifeless body. (3) Not
having forgotten its own malicious ways, the fox opens its mouth and devours
the birds immediately: in this way, the fox nourishes itself when it is hungry.
(4) The fox represents the devil, who – being very cunning – strives to deceive
people [...] and always leads a dirty and sinful life; through his vices, he
cheats human beings and he brings them down to Hell with him. (5) At the
same time, the fox can be compared to many men and women of this world
who are so deceitful that there is no aspect of their character that does not
constitute a source of danger, since they deceive people by selling, acquiring,
borrowing, lending and giving money; [...] this is the reason why they are
damned and they want others to be damned.
Consistent with this tradition, Dante’s Commedia uses the imagery associated with the
fox to illustrate Guido da Montefeltro’s actions as a warlord. In particular, Guido da
Montefeltro describes himself as follows:
Io fui uom d’arme, e poi fui cordigliero,
credendomi, sì cinto, fare ammenda;
e certo il creder mio venìa intero,
se non fosse il gran prete, a cui mal prenda!
che mi rimise ne le prime colpe;
e come e quare, voglio che m’intenda.
Mentre ch’io forma fui d’ossa e di polpe
che la madre mi diè, l’opere mie
non furon leonine, ma di volpe.
(Inferno, 27.67-75)2
Translation:
I, once great warlord, was a friar next,
believing, bound by cord, I’d make amends.
And my beliefs would all have been assured,
had not there been (he’ll rot!) that sovereign
priest
who won me, firmly, back to former sins.
Quare and ‘how’ I mean that you should hear.
2
Cited from Dante Alighieri, Commedia, ed. by Anna Maria Chiavacci Leonardi, 3 vols (Milan: Mondadori,
1991-1998), I, Inferno, pp. 813-14.
While I was still, in form, such pulp and bone
as, first, my mother gave to me, actions
of mine all favoured rather fox than lion.
(Inferno, 27.67-75)3
Den Haag, Museum Meermannø, ms. MMW 10 B 25, f. 13v. The image is reproduced with
permission of the Museum Meermannø, Den Haag (Netherlands).
3
Translation cited from Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy, translated and edited by Robin Kirkpatrick, 3 vols
(London: Penguin Classics, 2012), I, Inferno, p. 241.
Oxford, Bodleian Library, ms. Bodley 764, f. 26r. The image is reproduced with permission
of the Bodleian Libraries, the University of Oxford (UK).
Text 3: Activities
Understanding the text
1) In English, summarise the chapter and highlight the symbolic meaning of the fox.
2) Look at the verses cited from Dante’s Commedia. What does Guido da Montefeltro
mean when he says that his actions are ‘non furon leonine, ma di volpe’ (Inferno,
27.75).
Focusing on language and grammar
3) Consider the adjectives ‘ingannatrice’ and ‘astuta’ in the first sentence. What is the
gender and number of these adjectives? Which word do they refer to? For each noun
below choose the appropriate form of the adjective on the same line.
Noun
Volpe
Bestia
Lingua
Corvo
Cornacchia
Animali
Demonio
Inferno
Gente
Uomini
Adjective
 furbi
 affamate
 rossa
 nera
 nere
 domestico
 malvagi
 profondo
 ingenui
 buoni
 furbe
 affamata
 rosse
 nero
 neri
 domestiche
 malvage
 profonde
 ingenue
 buona
 furba
 affamati
 rossi
 neri
 nera
 domestici
 malvagio
 profondi
 ingenua
 buono
4) Which mood and tense are used for the verb ‘va’ in the first sentence? Which is its
infinitive?
5) Conjugate the infinitive of the verb ‘va’ in the present and perfect indicative.
Present indicative
Perfect indicative
Io
Tu
Egli/Ella/Esso
Noi
Voi
Essi
6) Now conjugate the same infinitive in the imperfect and pluperfect indicative.
Imperfect indicative
Pluperfect indicative
Io
Tu
Egli/Ella/Esso
Noi
Voi
Essi
7) Look at the verb ‘si riversa’ in the first sentence and consider what is the subject
and what is direct object of the action. What is the name of this type of verb? Read the
chapter again and find other three verb voices of this type.
8) Look at the articles ‘i’ and ‘le’ in the phrase ‘i corvi e le cornacchie’ in the second
sentence, then identify their gender and number. Are they definite or indefinite
articles?
9) Excluding the reflexive pronoun ‘si’, identify the three pronouns serving as direct
objects in the second sentence. What do they refer to?
10) The mood and tense of the verb ‘avendo dimenticato’ in the third sentence have a
name. What is it? What is its infinitive? Now read the fifth sentence and find five other
verb voices having the same mood (not the same tense) as ‘avendo dimenticato’. For
each of them also identify the infinitive.
11) Analyse the pronoun ‘il quale’ in the fourth sentence. Does it serve as subject or as
object?
12) How would you translate the noun ‘gente’ in the fourth sentence? In Italian, is it
singular or plural?
13) With the help of a dictionary, explain the meaning of the term ‘lordura’ in the fourth
sentence.
14) Analyse the verbs ‘può essere paragonata’ and ‘sono dannati’ in the last sentence;
are they are active or passive? Translate both the verbs into English
Practising
15) Paraphrase the chapter on the fox in Italian based on your answers to the
questions above.
Tips:
- Do not make a word-for-word paraphrase, but focus on the
meaning of each sentence and find the best way to express
this in your own words.
- Your command of the language and your creativity are
keys to filling in the gap between the original text and your
rewriting. Make any changes you need to give a good and
pleasant rendering of the passage, but be sure the final
product is clear, natural and accurate.
- Remember, paraphrasing, like translating, is a good way to
train your brain.
16) Look at the following Italian sayings on animals. Try to find out their meaning. Then
translate them based on the English equivalent sayings.
- A caval donato non si guarda in bocca
- Avere la memoria di un elefante
- Mettere il carro davanti ai buoi

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