[20] Cum haec exposuimus intrā nōs, subitō appāruit quīdam vir magnō splendōre cōram nōbīs, quī statim propriīs nōminibus nōs appellāvit atque salūtāvit, dīcēns: [21] ‘Euge, bonī frātrēs! Dominus enim revēlāvit vōbīs istam terram, quam datūrus est suīs sānctīs. Est enim medietās īnsulae istīus, usque ad istud flūmen. Nōn licet vōbīs trānsīre ulterius: revertiminī igitur unde existis.’ [22] Cum haec dīxisset, statim illum interrogāvī unde esset aut quō nōmine vocārētur.
[23] “Quī ait: ‘Cūr mē interrogās unde sim aut quōmodo vocer? Quārē mē nōn interrogās dē istā īnsulā? Sīcut illam vidēs modo, ita ab initiō mundī permanet. [24] Indigēs aliquid cibī aut pōtūs sīve vestīmentī? Ūnum annum enim es in hāc īnsulā, et nōn gustāstī cibō aut dē pōtū. [25] Numquam fuistī oppressus somnō, nec nox tē cooperuit. Diēs namque est semper sine ūllā caecitāte tenebrārum: hīc Dominus noster Iēsus Chrīstus lūx ipsīus est.’
notes
A mysterious man appeared, says Barrind; he knew them by name without being told, and told them not to cross the river but to go home. Barrind asked the man who he was, but the man said that the island was more interesting than who he was: the visitors felt no bodily needs there for a year, or what seemed like a year. They never slept, and it was never dark, because of the light of Christ.
[20] Cum haec exposuimus intrā nōs: i.e., when they had talked these things over.
vir magnō splendōre: Barrind calls him an angel at 1.32; ablative of quality (ablative of description), AG § 415.
propriīs nōminibus nōs appellavit: Saints’s lives often mention a mystical power of knowing someone’s name in advance.
[21] quam datūrus est: CL would be quam dabit.
Est enim medietās: "for this is the middle."
usque ad istud flūmen: “all the way up to this river” here means “at this river."
revertiminī: plural imperative of a deponent verb (CL).
[23] Cūr mē interrogās, etc.: divine beings (here an angel) often reject questions about their identity. Compare Jacob and God (in human form) at Gen. 32.29: “Jacob asked him, ‘Tell me: by what name art thou called?’ He answered: ‘Why dost thou ask my name?’”
ita ab initiō mundī permanet: an example of the “timeless present,” used for actions at the time of speaking but also happening more generally (Pinkster, Oxford Latin Syntax I, 397–9); English would normally use a perfect: “thus it has remained since the beginning of the world.”
[24] Ūnum annum enim es in hāc īnsulā: according to Barrind they have only been on the island for 15 days (1.19), but confusion about time can be a feature of an Irish echtra.
gustāstī: = gustāvistī.
[25] lūx ipsīus est: "this is its (the island's) light"; cp. Revelation 21.23: “And the city hath no need of sun nor of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God hath enlightened it (nam claritas Dei inluminavit eam), and the Lamb is the lamp thereof” (et lucerna eius est Agnus).
vocabulary
expōnō expōnere exposuī expositus | to relate, describe, explain [OLD 6] 20 |
splendor splendōris m. | brightness |
corām | (adv. or prep. + abl.) face to face; in the presence of, in front of |
salūtō salūtāre salūtāvī salūtātus | to greet; bid farewell to [OLD 3] |
euge | (interjection) Oh good! Bravo! Hooray! 21 |
revēlō –āre | to unveil, uncover |
medietās –ātis f. | the middle, a middle point |
ūsque | until (often with ad or dum) |
ulterius | further away; to a greater extent |
revertor revertī reversus sum | to return |
modo | only, just; now, just now (at the present time); just now (in the immediate future) [OLD 5b] 23 |
permaneō permanēre permānsī permānsum | to remain |
indigeō indigēre indiguī | to be in need of, require (+gen.) 24 |
pōtus pōtūs m. | a drinking, a drink |
vestīmentum –ī n. pl. | garment, clothes |
gustō gustāre gustāvī gustātus | to taste |
pōtus pōtūs m. | a drinking, a drink |
opprimō opprimere oppressī oppressus | to press on 25 |
co-operiō –operīre –operuī –opertum |
to cover over |
namque | for in fact |
caecitās –tātis f. | blindness |
Iēsūs –ū m. | Jesus (Christ) |
Christus –ī m. | Christ |