He loses his own, and deserves it, who tries to take another's.
A dog, swimming across a river carrying a piece of meat, saw his own image in the mirror of the water, and believing that it was another dog carrying another prey, he wanted to take it away from him; but his greediness was disappointed; he dropped the food he held in his mouth and much less could he touch what he desired.
[ Amittit merito proprium qui alienum appetit.
Canis per flumen carnem dum ferret natans,
Lympharum in speculo vidit simulacrum suum,
Aliamque praedam ab altero ferri putans
Eripere voluit: verum decepta aviditas
Et quem tenebat ore dimisit cibum,
Nec quem petebat potuit adeo attingere.]
A dog, swimming across a river carrying a piece of meat, saw his own image in the mirror of the water, and believing that it was another dog carrying another prey, he wanted to take it away from him; but his greediness was disappointed; he dropped the food he held in his mouth and much less could he touch what he desired.
[ Amittit merito proprium qui alienum appetit.
Canis per flumen carnem dum ferret natans,
Lympharum in speculo vidit simulacrum suum,
Aliamque praedam ab altero ferri putans
Eripere voluit: verum decepta aviditas
Et quem tenebat ore dimisit cibum,
Nec quem petebat potuit adeo attingere.]
