[6] Dīxit sānctus Brendānus: “Ecce, Dominus noster Iēsus Chrīstus nōbīs dedit locum ad manendum in suā sānctā resurrēctiōne.” [7] Et addidit: “Sī nōn habuissēmus alia dispendia, exceptō istō fonte, sufficere crēdō nōbīs ad vīctum et ad pōtum illum.”
[8] Erat autem super illum fontem arbor mīrae lātitūdinis in gīrum, nōn nimis altitūdinis, cooperta avibus candidissimīs. In tantum cooperuērunt illam ut folia et rāmī eius minimē vidērentur. [9] Cum haec vīdisset vir Deī, coepit intrā sē cōgitāre et tractāre quidnam esset, aut quae causa fuisset, ut tanta multitūdō avium potuisset esse in ūnā collēctiōne.
[10] In tantum sibi erat taedium ut effūdisset lacrimās, prōvolūtīs genibus, atque dēprecāsset Deum, dīcēns: [11] “Deus, cognitor incognitōrum et revēlātor absconditōrum omnium, tū scīs angustiam cordis meī: [12] dēprecor tuam maiestātem, ut mihi peccātōrī dignēris per tuam magnam misericordiam revēlāre tuum sēcrētum, quod modo videō prae oculīs meīs. Nōn dignitātis aut meritī praesūmō, sed clēmentiae tuae.”
notes
Brendan says that this is the place to celebrate Easter; the water from the spring is all they need for food and drink. Over the spring is a huge tree covered with white birds. Brendan is baffled by this, and prays for understanding.
[6] in suā sānctā resurrēctiōne: i.e., for the celebration of Easter; this turns out to mean the whole period between Easter and Pentecost (see 9.20).
[7] sufficere crēdō ... ad pōtum illum: = crēdō illum (fontem) sufficere nōbīs ad vīctum et ad pōtum. Brendan uses the best non-divine information he has, and turns out to be wrong.
[8] avibus candidissimīs: the birds were "very white."
[11] In tantum sibi erat taedium: "he was so upset." Apparently the remarkable sight troubled him simply because he didn't understand it.
[12] Nōn dignitātis ... sed clēmentiae tuae: “I presume not on my own dignity or merit, but on your clemency”; the normal construction in ML would be praesūmō with dē + abl.
vocabulary
| Iēsūs –ū m. | Jesus (Christ) 6 |
| Christus –ī m. | Christ |
| resurrectiō –ōnis f. | resurrection, rising from the dead |
| dispendium –ī n. | provisions, food supplies (ML; CL dispendium –(i)ī n.: expenditure) 7 |
| sufficiō sufficere suffēcī suffectum | to suffuse |
| vīctus vīctūs m. | food |
| pōtus pōtūs m. | a drinking, a drink |
| mīrus –a –um | marvelous, wonderful 8 |
| lātitūdō lātitūdinis f. | breadth |
| gȳrus –ī m. | circle |
| altitūdō altitudinis f. | height |
| co-operiō –operīre –operuī –opertum |
to cover over |
| folium foli(ī) n. | leaf |
| rāmus rāmī m. | branch |
| minimē | No!, not at all |
| tractō tractāre tractāvī tractātus | to examine, consider [OLD 8] 9 |
| quisnam (quīnam) quaenam quidnam | whoever?, whatever? (in indirect questions) [OLD 1b] |
| collēctiō –ōnis f. | a collecting, gathering |
| taedium –ī n. | leisure, slack time; weariness; disgust, aversion 10 |
| prōvolvō –ere –volvī –volūtus | to topple over, go down |
| genū (genus) genūs n. | knee |
| dēprecor dēprecārī dēprecātus sum | to intercede with, entreat, beg [OLD 3] |
| cognitor | one who understands, knower 11 |
| incognitus –a –um | unknown, unnoticed, unperceived |
| revēlātor -ōris, m. | one who reveals |
| abscondō abscondere abscondī (abscondidī) absconditus (absconsus) | to put out of sight |
| angustiae –ārum f. | narrow pass, narrowness |
| dēprecor dēprecārī dēprecātus sum | to intercede with, entreat, beg [OLD 3] 12 |
| māiestās –ātis f. | greatness; majesty |
| peccātor –ōris m. | a transgressor, sinner |
| dignō dignāre | to consider worthy |
| per | through; by means of [OLD 14] |
| misericordia misericordiae f. | pity, mercy |
| revēlō –āre | to unveil, uncover |
| sēcrētum –ī n. | secret |
| modo | only, just; now, just now (at the present time); just now (in the immediate future) [OLD 5b] |
| prae | in front of, in the face of (ML); by means of, because of, in view of (prep. + abl.) |
| meritus merita meritum | deserved, due |
| praesūmō –ere –sūmpsī –sūmptus | to anticipate [OLD 3]; (ML) presume on the basis of |
| clēmentia –ae f. | mildness gentleness, mercy |
