[1]      Igitur sānctus pater cum suā familiā per aequora ōceanī hūc atque illūc agitābātur per trēs mēnsēs. [2] Nihil poterant vidēre nisi caelum et mare. Reficiēbant semper per biduānum aut trīduānum. [3] Quādam vērō diē, appāruit illīs īnsula nōn longē. Cum appropinquāssent ad lītus, trāxit illōs ventus in partem; [4] et ita per quadrāgintā diēs nāvigābant per īnsulae circuitum, nec poterant portum invenīre. [5] Frātrēs vērō quī in nāvī erant coepērunt Dominum dēprecārī cum flētū, ut illīs adiūtōrium praestōlāsset: vīrēs enim eōrum, prae nimiā lassitūdine, paene dēfēcērunt.

[6]     Cum autem permānsissent in crēbrīs ōrātiōnibus per trīduānum et in abstinentiā, appāruit illīs portus angustus—tantum unīus navis receptiō—et appāruērunt illīs duo fontēs ibīdem, ūnus turbidus et alter clārus. [7] Porrō frātrēs festīnābant cum vāsculīs ad hauriendam aquam. Intuēns vir Deī illōs ait: [8] “Fīliolī, nōlīte peragere illicitam rem sine licentiā seniōrum quī in hāc īnsulā commorantur. [9] Tribuent namque vōbīs hās aquās spontāneē, quās modo vultis fūrtim bibere.”

    The Island of the Community of Ailbe (see 12.74 for the name). They sail for three months (if the manuscript here is correct) and get close to an island, but cannot land for forty days. When they finally make it to land they find two wells, one with dirty water and one with clear. The monks want to drink, but Brendan tells them to wait till the water is offered them.

    St. Ailbe of Emly (in English, St. Elvis) was said to have died in 528 CE; he is also said to have been the principal Christian missionary to Ireland prior to St. Patrick, though there are problems with the dating.  The abbot we meet here is presumably not Ailbe himself, since he refers to Ailbe as his "father" (12.32). In contrast to the Island of Birds, the island is characterized by prayerful silence, and is where Brendan and his monks are to celebrate Christmas. The island is far away from the three “islands” associated with Easter celebrations, and has been tentatively connected with the Azores.

    [2] per biduānum aut trīduānum: i.e., every two or three days (see 3.1).

    [3] in partem: “to one side” or “to the side” (LL)

    [5] ut illīs adiūtōrium praestōlāsset: the obvious meaning is “that He (the Lord) offer assistance to them.” But this meaning of praestōlō is not well attested; see Orlandi and Guglielemetti (2014) ad loc.  With the CL meaning the phrase would mean “that assistance (from the Lord) wait for them,” i.e., “be available to them."

    [6] tantum unīus navis receptiō: “an opening (the width) of only a single ship.”  A rather awkward apposition to portus angustus.

    duo fontēs: more information is given at 12.25-27.

    [7] Intuēns vir Deī illōs ait: = vir Deī, intuēns illōs, ait.

    [8] nōlīte peragere illicitam rem: for a similar warning from a prescient Brendan see 6.9.

    per through; by means of [OLD 14] 1
    ōceanus –ī m. the ocean
    per through; by means of [OLD 14]
    mēnsis mēnsis m. month
    reficiō reficere refēcī refectus to restore, revive (transitive) (ML) to take food, eat (intransitive) 2
    per through; by means of [OLD 14]
    biduānus –a –um two days' duration, lasting two days
    trīduānus –a –um lasting three days
    appropinquō appropinquāre appropinquavī to approach, draw near 3
    per through; by means of [OLD 14]
    quādrāginta; quādrāgesimus –a –um 40; 40th
    nāvigō nāvigāre nāvigāvī nāvigātus to go by ship, sail; to row
    per through; by means of [OLD 14] 4
    circuitus –ūs m. circuit, circle; outer edge, perimeter [OLD 5]
    portus portūs m. harbor
    dēprecor dēprecārī dēprecātus sum to intercede with, entreat, beg [OLD 3] 5
    flētus fletūs m. lamentation
    adiūtōrium –ī n. help, aid
    praestōlo (1) to wait for; expect (CL); offer
    prae (prep. + abl.) in front of, in the face of (ML); by means of, because of, in view of
    lassitūdō lassitūdinis f. weariness
    permaneō permanēre permānsī permānsum to remain 6
    crebēr crēbra crēbrum closely packed; frequent; numerous
    per through; by means of [OLD 14]
    trīduānus –a –um lasting three days
    abstinentia abstinentiae f. restraint in eating and drinking
    portus portūs m. harbor
    angustus –a –um narrow
    receptio –ōnis f. an opening (ML; CL an act of receiving)
    ibīdem in the same place
    turbidus –a –um muddy [OLD 2]
    porrō next 7
    festīnō festīnāre festīnāvī festīnātus to hurry
    vasculum (vāsculum) –ī n. small vessel or container; jar
    hauriō haurīre hausī hastus to scoop up; drink [OLD 5]
    intueor intuērī intuitus sum to look at, watch
    fīliolus –ī m. little son, dear son 8
    peragō peragere perēgī perāctum to finish
    illicitus –a –um unlawful, illicit
    licentia licentiae f. permission
    senex senis old, aged
    commoror commorārī commorātus to linger, stay, live (in a place)
    tribuō tribuere tribuī tribūtus to share out, distribute 9
    namque for in fact
    spontāneē voluntarily, willingly (LL)
    modo only, just; now, just now (at the present time); just now (in the immediate future) [OLD 5b]
    furtim stealthily
    bibō bibere bibī to drink
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