Capra, ut dicitur in Libro rerum, animal barbatum est, longis et acutis cornibus pascitur in convallibus, in montibus et in ramis arborum, quos ore potest attingere. Lacte habundat, et lac eius sanissimum est, sed statim, ut coagulatum fuerit, vitiatur; nam caesus ex eo factus ad nichil pene utilis est. Ut dicit Aristotiles, in quibusdam regionibus post primum fetum non exspectantur impregnatio capre, sed cum urtica fricanta mamille eius. Primo quidem exit sanguis, secundo quasi sanies; et post lac bonum, non peius lacte impregnante capre. Capre aliquando pariunt geminos, sed admodum raro. Ferunt quinque mensibus ut oves. Pinguedine sterilescunt. Utilius concipiunt Novembri mense, ut in Martio pariant. Pariunt octenis annis, ut dicit Plinius; abortiunt etiam frigore obnoxie. Mutilis lactis maior ubertas. Caper silvestris animal sagacissimum est, altos montes amat, delonge positos homines agnoscit ambulantes, si venatores aut viatores sint. Plinius: Sollertiam tantam habent capre, ut, si contigerit in ponte pretenui et angusto duabus obviis e diverso non posse habere transitum nec repricationem retroeundi, unam recumbere atque ita alteram proculcate supergredi. Auribus spirare non naribus nec unquam febre carere dicuntur. Anima hiis calidior est quam ovibus ardentiorque concubitus. Capras in occasum solis in pascuis negant inter se interui sed adversas, reliquis autem horis adversas et inter sese ut dicit Plinius. Hircus lascivum animal est, ut dicit Ysidorus, et fervens semper ad coitum, cuius oculi in transversum ob libidinem aspiciunt. Eque nocte ut in die cernunt; ideoque caprinum iecur si vescatur, restituet vespertinam aciem hiis, quos nictilopas vocant phisici. Dicit tamen Aristotiles, quod multotiens excecantur de die, ut non bene videant de die; nocte vero acuitur eorum visus. Ut dicit Experimantator, fel hirci pilis superpositum palpebrarum eos annichilat.
“Ad idem valet, ut dicit liber Kyrannidarum, sanguis hirci, et est venenum omnium pilorum. Idem dicit, quod suffumigium ex pelle eius litargicos et epilenticos excitat et valet ad suffocationem.”
Nebulis et suffocationibus oculorum medetur.
“Fel etiam hirci si in aliquo loco posueris, ranas ad se congregare facit. Pili eius usti omnem fluxum stringunt. Sanguis eius venena bibita extinguit, si bibitur. Adeps eius morsui et lesure medetur. Stercus eius medetur dolori dentium, si cataplasmetur.”
Cornu capre adustum, sicut dicunt physici, si ante nares illius qui vere caducus est teneatur, statim cadit. Fugat etiam sepentes. Mas inter capras hircus vocatur; animal animosum ac bellicosum et robustum est. In fronte et in cornibus maxima eius fortitudo est. Sanguis eius calidus ac recenter fusus tante virtutis est, ut adamantem lapidem omni metallo insuperabilem frangat. Capre, ut dicit Plinius, herbis venenatis vivunt nec moriuntur; hausto autem melle necari eas †vita dixerunt. Dependet omnium mento villus. Quod si quis apprehensum manu ex grege unam trahat, cetere stupentes spectant. Morsus earum est arbori exitialis. Olivam lambendo sterilem faciunt. Mel aliquando lambentes capre moriuntur. Refert autem Aristotiles quiddam supra modum mirabile, quod in quadam regione caper masculus inventus est, qui mamillas habens extractum est lac ab eis in tanta quantitate, quod inde unus posset fieri caesus. Qui caper deinde coivit cum capra et genuit marem. Dicit autem Aristotiles, hoc non naturaliter esse factum, sed signum fuisse alicuius futuri eventus. Certissimum tamen est, quod idem caper et maris et femine naturam habuit, sicut in hermofroditis hominibus cernere possumus, qui utramque naturam habent. Rarissimum tamen est et forte incompertum, ut unus talium et generet ut masculus et concipiat pariatque ut femina. In Creta quando capre silvestres sagitta percutiuntur, pulegium herbam comdeunt, ut extrahant sagittam de corpore.
- Translation
- Vocabulary
- Notes
Of the She-Goat and the He-Goat
The she-goat, as is said in the book of things, is a bearded animal, with long and sharp horns, it grazes in the valley, in the mountains and in the branches of trees, which it can reach with its mouth. It has an abundance of milk, and its milk is the healthiest, but immediately, when it will have curdled, it spoils; for cheese having been made from it (the milk) is nearly useful for nothing. As Aristotle says, in certain regions the impregnation of a she-goat is not expected after the first offspring, but her udders are rubbed with stinging-nettle. Indeed blood exits first, second something like a foul watery discharge exits; and afterwards good milk exits, not worse than milk of an impregnated she-goat. She-goats sometimes give birth to twins, but very rarely. They carry for five months, as sheep do. They are made sterile by fat. They conceive more usefully in the month of November, so that they give birth in March. They give birth for eight years, as Pliny says; still they miscarry with exposure to cold weather. A greater abundance of milk is from those without horns. The he-goat of the woodlands is a very perceptive animal, it loves high mountains, it recognizes walking people placed far off, if they be travelers or hunters. Pliny: she-goats have much cleverness, if it should happen upon a very thin and narrow bridge with two goats meeting from different sides that have come across, it does not have passage across nor will it be able to go back returning, thus, with the result that one lies down and the other walks over the one having been trodden upon. They are said to breathe with their ears and not their nostrils nor to ever be without a fever. The breath is more fiery for these ones (goats) and (they have) more passionate sex than sheep. They deny that the she-goats at the setting of the sun in the pastures look between themselves but they look outward, but in the remaining hours, they look outward and among themselves, as Pliny says. The he-goat is a lustful animal, as Isidore says, and always burning for sex, whose eyes look out from side to side on account of his desire. And they can discern from nighttime as in the day; and therefore the goat liver if eaten, will restore evening sharpness of sight to them, which naturalists call night owls. Nevertheless Aristotle says, because many times they are blinded from the day, as they may not see well of the day; their sight is sharpened truly by the night. As the Experimenter says, the bile of a goat having been placed upon the hairs of the eyelid annihilates them.
“Toward that same idea, as the book of the Cyranides says, the blood of goats is strong, and it is a poison of all hair. That same (book) says, that the scent extracted from its hide raises lethargy and epilepsy and it is powerful for suffocation.”
It heals obscurities and suffocations of the eyes.
“And also the bile of the he-goat, if you are able to put it in someplace, makes the frogs congregate to each other. Its burned hairs draw together the whole flowing thing. Its blood, if it is drunk, extinguishes poisons having been drunk. Its fat heals the bite and lesion. Its manure, if it is applied, heals pain of the teeth.”
The burned horn of the she goat, just as the biologists say, if it is held before the nostrils of that person who is truly about to fall, he immediately falls. And also it chases away snakes. The male among the she goats is called hircus; the animal is bold and fierce and strong. In its forehead and in its horns is its greatest strength. Its blood hot and recently spilled is of such great virtue, that it breaks adamantine rock unconquerable all metal. Female goats, as Pliny says, live on poisonous plants and do not die; however, they said that they die from drunk honey in life. The shaggy hair hangs down from the chin of all. But if anyone should drag one from the flock by hand with it being seized, the astounded ones watch remaining. The bite of them is deadly to trees. They make the olive sterile by licking. She-goats die sometimes licking honey. However Aristotle reports a certain miracle beyond measure, which is that in a certain region the male goat is found, who, milk has been extracted from its teats in such a great quantity, that one cheese can be made from it. Then that the male goat copulated with the female goat and gave birth to a male. However Aristotle says that this did not happen naturally, but was a sign of some future events. Nevertheless, it is extremely certain, because the same goat had the nature of both male and female, just as we are able to discern in hermaphrodite people, who also have both natures. Nevertheless it is the most rare and not known by chance, that one of such a kind gives birth as a male and conceives as a female. When in Crete the female woodland goats are pierced by the arrow, they eat the plant of the fleabanes, with the result that they extract the arrow from the body.
abortio, abortire, -, – 4 miscarry
abundo, abundare, abundavi, abundatus 1 have an abundance (of); abound (in); rich (with)
acies, -ei f. sharp; sharpness of sight
acuo, acuere, acui, acutus 3 sharpen;
acutus, a, um adj. sharp; pointed
adamas, adamantis m. steel; hardest iron; anything hard
adeps, adipis m/f. fat
admodum adv. very; exceedingly; quite
angustus, a, um adj. narrow
apprehendo, apprehendere, apprehendi, apprehensus 3 grasp cling to; referring back to the beard.
attingo, attingere, attigi, attactus 3 reach; touch
autem conj. but; on the other hand; on the contrary; while; however; moreover; also
barbatus, a, um adj. bearded; having a beard
calidus, a, um adj. hot; fiery
caper, -i m. he-goat
capra, -ae f. she-goat
caprinus, a, um adj. goat; of or belonging to a goat
careo, carere, carui, – 2 be without
caseus, -i m. cheese
cataplasmo, cataplasmare, cataplasmavi, cataplasmatus 1 to apply ointment
ceterus, -a, -um adj./adv others; the remaining; the rest
coagulo, coagulare, coagulavi, coagulatus 1 curdle; spoil; congeal
coeo, coire, coivi(ii), coitus 4 fit together; have sexual intercourse
coitus, -us m. sexual intercourse; sex
comedo, comedere, comedi, comessus 3 eat up; eat away; chew up; finish eating
concipio, concipere, concepi, conceptus 3-io conceive; produce
concubitus, -us m. sexual intercourse; sex; coitus
convallis, -is f. valley
delonge adv. from afar
dependeo, dependere, dependi 3 to hang down; to hang down from; to hang on
excaeco, excaecare, excaecavi, excaecatus 1 blind; dim; darken; confuse; obscure
exitialis, -is, -e adj. deadly; destructive
febris, -is f. fever
fel, -lis n. bile
fervens, ntis adj. burning; red-hot
fetus, -us m. offspring
fio, fieri, factus sum irreg. to be made; be done; become
frico, fricare, fricui, frictus 1 rub; chafe; massage
frigus, -oris n. cold; coldness; frost; cold of winter; winter
frons, frontis m/f. forehead; brow
geminus, -i m. twins
genero, generare, generavi, generatus 1 beget; father; produce; procreate
hircus, -i m. he-goat
hora, -ae f. hour; time
iecur, -coris n. liver
intueor, intueri, intuitus sum 2 look at; regard
lac, -tis n. milk
lascivus, a, um adj. lustful; playful; frisky; horny
libido, -inis f. libido; lust; desire
mamilla, -ae f. teat; udder
Martius, a, um adj. March
mas, maris m. male; masculine; of the male sex
medeor, mederi, 2 cure; heal; comfort
mel, mellis n. honey; sweetness
mensis, -is m. month
mento, mentonis m. long-chin; one who has a long chin
multot adv. many times
mutilus, a, um adj. hornless
naris, -is f. nostril; nose
nichil nothing
November, -ris m. November
obnoxius, a, um adj. (with danger/storms/harm) exposed to; guilty; liable; harmful
obvius, a, um adj. meet; encounter; come across
occasus, -us m. setting; (with solis) sunset
octiens adv. eight; eight times
ovis, -is f. sheep
palpebra, -ae f. eyelid
pasco, pascere, pavi, pastus 3 graze; feed on
pascuus, a, um adj. pasture
pellis, -is f. hide; pelt
percutio, percutere, percussi, percussus 3 to beat; to strike; to pierce
pertenuis, is, e adj. very thin; very slight
pilus, -i m. hair
pinguedo, -inis f. fat/fatness; oiliness
physicus, -i m. physicist, natural philosopher; natural scientist
pons, -tis m. bridge
proculco, proculcare, proculcavi, proculcatus 1 trample on
pulegium, pulegii n. flea-bane
quinque indecl adj. five
quisdam, cuiusdam certain
ramus, -i m. branch; bough
rana, -ae f. frog
raro adv. rarely; seldom
reciprocatio, -nis f. returning
recumbo, recumbere, recubui, – 3 lie down; recline
reliquus, a, um adj remaining; left over
restituo, restituere, restitui, restitutus 3 restore; revive; bring back
sagax, cis adj. keen-scented; perceptive; sharp
sagitta, sagittae f. arrow
sanies, -ei f. fluid discharged (from a wound); bloody matter; foam; froth
sanus, a, um adj. healthy; sensible; sound; sane
silvestris, is, e adj. woodland
sollertia, -ae f. cleverness; skill; shrewdness
spiro, spirare, spiravi, spiratus 1 breathe
stercus, stercoris m. filth; manure
suffocatio, -nis f. suffocation
suffumigium, -i n. fumigation; scent
supergredior, supergredi, supergressus sum 3 walk over; step over
superpono, superponere, superposui, superpositus 3 place over; put upon
transversus, a, um adj. from side to side; moving across
ubertas, -tis f. abundance; productiveness; richness; fertility
unquam adv. at any time; ever
urtica, -ae f. stinging-nettle
utiliter adv. usefully; profitably
venator, -is m. hunter
venenum, -i n. poison
vescor, vesci, – eat
vespertinus, a, um adj. evening
viator, -is m. traveler
villus, villi m. tuft of hair; shaggy hair
vitio, vitiare, vitiavi, vitiatus 1 spoil; corrupt; make faulty
nichil…est: acting as a litotes “is nearly useful for nothing” as opposed to “is not useful”
pene: should be paene
Aristotiles: name, Aristotle, an ancient Greek philosopher and scientist
impregnatio: should be impraegnatio
capre: in line 6 and the first capre in line 8 are genitive, should be caprae
mamille: should be mamillae
peius: comparative form of malus
capre: second capre in line 8 is nominative plural, should be caprae
impregnate: should be impregnatae
sterilescunt: from sterillitas, -atis f. combined with eo, eare, evi, etus, a medieval form of eo, ire, ii, itus, “they go sterile” or “they are made sterile”
utilius: comparative adverb “more usefully”
ut…pariant: result clause, “so that/with the result that they give birth in March”
Plinius: Pliny the Younger, a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher. He was also a naval and army commander
mutilis: dative of possession, literally “for the hornless (goats)”, but for ease of translation “from those without horns”
maior: comparative form of magnus
capre: nominative plural, should be caprae
delonge positios homines: delonge (adverb) and positos (perfect passive participle) describe the homines, “people placed far off”
ut: result clause with unam…supergredi, “with the result that one will recline and the other walks over the one having been trodden upon”
pretenui: should be pertenui
duabus obviis e diverso… transitum: ablative absolute, “with two goats meeting from different sides that have come across”
non… transitum: literally “it is not able to have itself prepared to cross”, but for ease of translation “it does not have passage across nor will it be able to go back returning”
retroeundi: adverb retro combined with future passive participle of eo, ire, ii, itus, “will it (be able) to go back”
quam… concubitus: omission of habent, “(they have) more passionate sex than sheep”
in occasum solis: translates as “at” as opposed to “in/on”
Ysidorus: name, referring to Isidore of Seville, a scholar and Archbishop from Spain
nictilopas: from Greek nuktalops, appears in late Latin as nyctalopia/nictilopa/noctilopa “night owl” or a “period of 24 hours”. The English derivative nyctalopia defines as “the inability to see in dim light or night”
quod: “because”, conjunction
excecantur: should be exaecantur, present passive indicative from excaeco, excaecare, excaecavi, excaecatus
vero: from the adverb “truly”, not adverbially with nocte
Experimentator: unidentified experimenter, perhaps one of the naturalist scientists
annichilat: from the medieval noun annihil/adnichil meaning “annihilation”, here in verbal form “to annihilate”
Kyrannidarum: a collection of magico-medical works from the 4th century, originally written in Greek.
suffomigium: from medieval verb suffumigio “to choke”, as a noun suffomigium is that which chokes, meaning “fumigation, scent, smell”
litargicos: from medieval noun lethargicus/litargicus “lethargic” or “lethargy”
eplenticos: from medieval noun epilempsis, sometimes seen as it is here, epilenticus “epileptic” or “manic”, possibly referring to seizures
si… posueris: conditional
usti: perfect passive participle from uro, urere, ussi, ustus
bibita: perfect passive participle from bibo, bibere, bibi, bibitum
lesure: abl. sg. from the medieval noun lesura, “wound, injury”
adustum: perfect passive participle from aduro, adurere, adussi, adustum, “scorch, singe, burn, consume in fire”
fusus: adj. with sanguis, “flowing blood”
frangat: subjunctive with ut, “that…it breaks”
hausto:. perfect passive participle and ablative absolute with melle, from haurio, haurire, hausi, haustus, “draw up, drink, or exhaust”
melle: ablative absolute with hausto. Honey was often used for its restorative and healing properties.
necari: present passive infinitive, from neca, necare, necui, nectus, “to kill”
trahat: present active subjunctive
lambando: gerund; “by licking”
hermofroditis: alternate form of hermaphroditus, -i, m., “hermaphrodite”
Creta: abl. sg. Crete, Greece’s largest island, known for varied terrain, such as sandy beaches and white mountains.