Magpie, Rochester Bestiary, c.1230

The medieval bestiary records that magpies were sometimes called poets because they can speak words with different sounds, hanging in the trees chattering and can imitate the voice of man (Barber 2008).

Transcription

Translation

Pica quasi poetica quod verba in discrimine
vocis exprimat ut homo. Per ramos enim arborum
pendula inportuna garrulit arte sonans. et-
si nequit linguam sermone explicare; sonum
tamen humane vocis imitatur. de qua quidam
ait. Pica loquas certa dominum te voce salutat.
Si me non videas(changed from videamus) esse negabis avem. Pica
a pico saturni filio; nomen sumpsit. quod ea
in auspitiis utebatur. Nam ferunt hanc avem
quiddam habere divinum illo indicio. quod
in quacumque arbore nidificaverit; clavum vel
quicquid aliud fixum diu herere non potest;
quin statim excidat; ubi illa insederit;

Magpies are like a poem that expresses words in the crisis of the voice of a person[?]. For through the branches of the trees he chattered awkwardly, sounding artfully, although he was unable to explain the language in words; yet it imitates the sound of the human voice, of which some say. Pica is sure that the master greets you with a voice. If you do not see me, you will deny that I am a bird. Pica from the pica son of Saturn; she took the name because she used it in the auspiciousness. For they say that this bird has something divine in that indication that it has nested in any tree; a nail or anything else fixed cannot remain for long; lest it fall out immediately; where she sat down.