11.49–55

After eight days Brendan orders the ship to be loaded with provisions, including water from the spring.  The informative bird returns to tell him what's going to happen next: they will return next year to spend the Easter holidays on the same three "islands" as this year.   But they will also sail for three (or eight) months to the Island of Ailbe, for Christmas.

[49] fēcit onerāre nāvim: = fēcit (famulōs suōs) onerāre nāvim.

fēcit: faciō in CL can mean “cause it to happen that,” but with a subordinate clause not the infinitive.

dē omnibus: CL would omit the preposition.

[50] at vērō: in CL a strong adversative (“but truly”), but here merely a connective (“and”).

quod aliquid sibi voluit indicāre: “that (the bird) wanted to point out something to him.”

[51] et istud tempus praeteritum quod fuit: “this time that has just gone by”; also object of celebrābitis: in future years they will celebrate with the birds not only Easter, but the time that comes afterwards.

[52] ubi fuistis in praeteritō annō in coenā Dominī: on the Island of Sheep, where they celebrated Maundy Thursday / Holy Thursday.

[53] noctem Dominicam Paschae: “the vigil of Easter Sunday” (O’Meara).

[54] post trēs mēnsēs: the manuscripts have post octō mēnsēs, which seems right, but Orlandi and Guglielmetti insist on trēs, in part because of 12.1.

Īnsula Familiae Ailbēī: for the island of St. Ailbe see chapter 12.  familia here means “monastic community.”

[55] Exaudī nōs ... in marī longē: Psalm 64.6 (65.5): “Hear us, O God, our saviour, who art the hope of all the ends of the earth and in the sea afar off” (Exaudi nos, Deus salutaris noster, spes omnium finium terrae, et in mari longe).  Note the relevance to sailors; it will be sung again at 27.8; the monks sang verse 2 at 11.5.