12.17–24

Now that he understands the vow of silence, Brendan warns his followers to avoid idle talk. They are welcomed by eleven monks who sing but do not speak, and they are led into the refectory (dining room), where signals are given to mark different stages of the meal.  There are root vegetables and wonderful white bread.  Each of Brendan's monks sits next to one of the local monks, and each pair of monks shares a single loaf.

[18] Surgite ... dignēminī: Apparently a quotation or reflection of a (lost) Irish liturgical text; for a similar passage in modern liturgy see The Order or Consecration of a Church: Translated from the Roman Pontifical (1884, 40; the second antiphon): Surgite, Sancti Dei, de mansionibus vestris, loca sanctificate, plebem benedicite, et nos homines peccatores in pace custodite.

obviam vēritātī: “to meet the truth”; obviam with a verb of motion can take a dative (OLD 1a).

[19] per ōrdinem: “one by one”

suī famulī: i.e. the abbot's monks

[20] Datā pāce vicissim: they exchanged the Christian kiss of peace.

sīcut mōs est in occidentālibus partibus: i.e., in western Ireland; Ailbe’s monastery at Emly is now in County Tipperary. It is not clear to me how this practice differed from that in other parts of Ireland, or the western church generally; for the Benedictine rules on hospitality see The Rule of St. Benedict, chapter 53: De hospitibus suscipiendis.

dūcere frātrēs: i.e., this is how visiting monks are treated, rather than visiting lay people.

per ōrātiōnēs: “in the midst of prayers,” i.e., “while saying prayers”

[21] Mandatum novum: part of the antiphon sung during the ritual foot washing on Maundy Thursday / Holy Thursday, from John 13:34: “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (Mandatum novum do vobis: Ut diligatis invicem, sicut dilexi vos, ut et vos diligatis invicem). The English word Maundy is derived through French from mandatum.

[22] Pulsātō signō: presumably the ringing of a bell, used because speaking was forbidden

fēcit omnēs residēre: CL would be fēcit ut omnēs residērent.

[23] ūnus ex frātribus patris monastēriī: i.e., one of the abbot's monks

[24] in ōrdine: “one by one”; the visitors were distributed among the hosts as evenly as possible.