Jacob Cats, Spiegel (The Hague, 1632)

Emblem 19

A man and a woman pointing at two dogs who are fighting while a third walks away with a bone; men duelling in the background

A man and a woman pointing at two dogs who are fighting while a third walks away with a bone; men duelling in the background
Engraving · click to enlarge

Two dogges strive for a bone, and the thirt taket it awaijEnglish

Two dogs strive for a bone, and the third takes it away.AI-generated

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TranscriptionAI-generated

Ghy die tot u gebruyck yet zijt gesint te leeren, Wilt oock een vlijtigh oogh op dese printe keeren; Twee doggen (soo ghy siet) die knorren tegen een, Die vallen over hoop, en vechten om een been: Maer onder het geschal van bassen, huylen, krijten, Van dapper over-handt sich in het lijf te bijten, So koomter noch een hondt, de slimste van den hoop, Die neemt het hachtjen wegh, en steltet opten loop; De vechters (als de gal een weynigh is geseten; En datse bey gelijck wel moede zijn gebeten) Gaen soecken na den bout, maer sien geweldigh slecht Vermits sy niet en sien den loon van haer gevecht: Sy vinden niet een sier voor hun te zijn gelaten, Als schuym en vlocken hayrs, die vliegen achter straten; Dies gaen de rekels heen, aen alle kant gewont; Maer een die looser was die heeft den vetten mont. Dit sietmen menigmael, en over al geschieden, By Vorsten, by het volck, en oock by jonge lieden, Een saecke, soete jeugt, die ick voor desen sagh Wil ick tot u bericht hier brengen aen den dagh: Twee vryers, die gelijck een rijcke vrijster minden, Zijn besigh om met ernst haer saecken aen te binden; Een yeder poogt om strijt te doen al wat hy kan, Op dat hy krijgen mocht den naem van echte man: Een yder boven dat gaet neerstigh over-dencken Waer door, en hoe hy sal sijn mede-vryer krencken; Siet daer van stonden aen soo weet men in de Stadt Wat yeder van der jeugt wel eer bedreven had: Daer koomtet aen den dagh al watter in de scholen, Al watter buyten 'slandts of elders was verholen; Men wijst in 't openbaer als met een vinger aen Wat yeder inder jeught voor grillen heeft gedaen: Hier op hy, dien het treft, wil flux sijn eere rechten, Daer valtmen in krakeel, daer gaetet op een vechten, Daer krijgt de jongste wulp voor eerst een diepe steeck, Soo dat hy vluchten moest, en uyt den velde weeck; Dit klonck door al het landt, dies riepen al de vrienden Dat voor de jonge maegt de vryers niet en dienden; Sy wort daer op gelast de vechters af te slaen; En wat men haer ghebiedt dat is terstont gedaen. Maer een die dit vernam, en al den handel wiste, En die oock even selfs op dese waters viste, Set stracx, en met bescheyt, sijn beste fuycken uyt; En eer het yemant weet, de Vrijster is de bruyt, De maegt een echte vrou; daer gaen de vechters henen, Een ander heeft de Bruydt en sy de blaeuwe schenen: Siet t'wijl het grilligh volck is tegen een geset Een die maer stont en keeck die leyt de vrijster met.

TranslationAI-generated

You who are minded to learn something for your own use, be willing also to turn a diligent eye upon this print; two mastiffs (as you see) snarl at one another, they fall in a heap and fight over a bone: but amid the din of barking, howling and yelping, of bravely biting each other in turn into the body, there comes yet another dog, the slyest of the pack, who takes the little bone away and makes off with it at a run; the fighters (once the gall has settled a little, and when both alike are bitten weary) go looking for the joint, but look mightily foolish since they do not see the reward of their fight: they find not a scrap left for them, only foam and tufts of hair flying about the streets; so the curs go off, wounded on every side; but one who was craftier has the greasy mouth. This one sees happening many a time and everywhere, among princes, among the common people, and also among young folk. A matter, sweet youth, that I saw some time ago I will bring here to light for your instruction: two suitors, who alike loved a rich maiden, are busy earnestly pressing their affairs; each strives in rivalry to do all he can, so that he may win the name of husband: besides that, each diligently ponders by what means and how he shall injure his fellow suitor; see, at once the whole town knows what each of them formerly did in his youth: there comes to light all that happened in the schools, all that was hidden abroad or elsewhere; people point in public as with a finger at what whims each did in his youth: at this he whom it touches will straightway right his honour, one falls to quarrelling, it comes to a fight, there the youngest whelp first gets a deep thrust, so that he had to flee and yielded the field; this resounded through the whole land, so all the friends cried out that the suitors were of no use for the young maid; she is thereupon ordered to dismiss the fighters; and whatever is commanded her is at once done. But one who learned of this, and knew the whole business, and who himself was likewise fishing in these waters, straightway and discreetly sets out his best fish-traps; and before anyone knows it, the maiden is the bride, the maid a wedded wife; there the fighters go off, another has the bride and they have the bruised shins: see, while the fickle folk are set against each other, one who only stood and looked goes to bed with the maiden.

CommentaryAI-generated

7 passages · original left, translation right (click to fold)

Lat. Dumos concussi sustulit alter aves. Sic vos non vobis vellera fertis oves. Sic vos non vobis mellificatis apes. Sic vos non vobis fertis aratra boves.

Latin. I shook the thickets, another carried off the birds. Thus you sheep bear fleeces, but not for yourselves. Thus you bees make honey, but not for yourselves. Thus you oxen draw the ploughs, but not for yourselves.

Franç. Tel bat les buissons Qui n'a pas les oisillons.

French. One man beats the bushes who does not get the little birds.

Nederd. Die 'tgeluck heeft leydt de bruydt ter kercke.

Dutch. He who has the luck leads the bride to church.

Hy en heeft het nestjen niet die het weet/ maer die het rooft.

He does not have the little nest who knows of it, but he who robs it.

D'een klopt op de haege/ maer d'ander krijgt de vogels.

The one beats on the hedge, but the other gets the birds.

Ital. La robba non è de chi la fama di chi la gode.

Italian. The goods belong not to him who makes them, but to him who enjoys them.

Nederd. Menig man brengt de sale op de merrie/ en een ander rijter op.

Dutch. Many a man puts the saddle on the mare, and another rides upon it.

Iconclass

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Relationships to the Adagia of ErasmusAI-generated

Suggested relationships between this emblem and adages in Erasmus’ Adagia.

Sources

Record ID: embstma_1288_emblem019
This emblem on the Iconclass site: https://iconclass.org/view/embstma_1288_emblem019
Copy: University Library, Glasgow, Stirling Maxwell 1288