[33] “Attamen senectus aut languor in membrīs nostrīs minimē amplificātur; in hāc īnsulā nihil ad comedendum indigēmus quod igne parātur, neque frīgus aut aestus superat nōs umquam. [34] Sed cum tempus missārum venit aut vigiliārum, incenduntur lūmināria in nostrā ecclēsiā, quae dūximus nōbīscum dē terrā nostrā, dīvīnā praedestīnātiōne, et ārdent usque ad diem, et nōn minuitur ūllum ex illīs lumīnāribus.”
[35] Postquam bibērunt, tribus vicibus abbās solitō mōre pulsāvit signum, et frātrēs ūnanimiter cum magnō silentiō et gravitāte levāvērunt sē ā mēnsā, antecēdentēs sānctōs patrēs ad ecclēsiam. [36] Gradiēbantur vērō post illōs sānctus Brendānus et praedictus pater monastēriī. [37] Cum ergō intrāssent ecclēsiam, ecce: aliī duodecim frātrēs exiērunt obviam illīs, flectentēs genua cum alacritāte. [38] Sānctus quoque Brendānus, cum illōs vīdisset, dīxit: “Abbā, cūr istī nōn refēcērunt nōbīscum simul?” [39] Cui ait pater: “Propter vōs, quia nōn potuit nostra mēnsa nōs omnēs capere in ūnum. Modo reficient, et nihil illīs dēerit. [40] Nōs autem intrāmus ecclēsiam et cantāmus vesperās, ut frātrēs nostrī, quī modo reficiunt, possint ad tempus cantāre vesperās post nōs.”
notes
The abbot adds that they do not age or get sick, and that their religious services are lighted miraculously. The meal concludes with them taking a drink three times. As the diners leave, Brendan sees twelve more monks come into the refectory, and the abbot explains that there wasn't space for them because of the guests. The abbot suggests that the first group of diners go to church to sing vespers.
[34] incenduntur lūmināria: the source of these lamps is revealed at 12.65ff.
quae dūximus nōbīscum: the antecedent of quae is lūmināria.
[35] frātrēs ... antecēdentēs sānctōs patrēs: the monks (frātres) went ahead of (antecēdentēs) Ailbe and Brendan (sānctōs patrēs).
[39] Modo reficient: “they will eat now.”
[40] intrāmus ... et cantāmus vesperās: probably jussive subjunctives of first conjugation verbs (ML but rare) or the present is used as a future. They were going to Vespers (sunset).
ad tempus: “at the appropriate time.”
vocabulary
| attamen | nevertheless, however (at + tamen) 33 |
| senectūs senectūtis f. | old age |
| languor –ōris m. | feebleness, weariness |
| minimē | No!, not at all |
| amplificō amplificāre | to enlarge, increase |
| comedō comedere (comesse) comēdī comēsum | to eat up, consume |
| indigeō indigēre indiguī | to be in need of, require (+ gen.) |
| frīgus frīgoris n. | cold |
| aestus aestūs m. | heat |
| missa –ae f. | the Mass (religious service) (LL) 34 |
| vigilia vigiliae f. | a keeping of the watch; religious vigil [OLD 4] |
| incendō incendere incendī incensus | to set on fire, ignite |
| lūmināre –is n. | lamp |
| ecclēsia –ae f. | congregation, church (LL) |
| dīvīnus –a –um | divine |
| praedestinātiō –ōnis f. | predestination |
| ūsque | until (often with ad or dum) |
| minuō minuere minuī minūtus | to reduce, diminish |
| lūmināre –is n. | lamp |
| bibō bibere bibī | to drink 35 |
| vicis (gen.) f. | a recurring occasion, a turn, a time |
| abbās –ātis m. | abbot, the head of a monastery |
| solitus –a –um | customary |
| pulsō pulsāre pulsāvī pulsātus | to hit |
| ūnanimiter | harmoniously, in total agreement |
| silentium (silentum) silenti(ī) n. | silence |
| gravitās gravitātis f. | weight |
| levō levāre levāvī levātus | to lift up |
| antecēdō –cēdere –cessī –cessum | to go before |
| ecclēsia –ae f. | congregation, church (LL) |
| gradior gradī gressus sum | to step, walk 36 |
| praedīcō praedīcere praedīxī praedictus | to say beforehand; mention |
| monastērium –ī n. | a monastery |
| ecclēsia –ae f. | congregation, church (LL) 37 |
| duodecim; duodecimus –a –um | 12; 12th |
| obviam (adv.) | in the way, so as to meet |
| flectō flectere flēxī flexus | to bend |
| genū (genus) genūs n. | knee |
| alacritās –ātis f. | enthusiasm, quickness |
| abbās –ātis m. | abbot, the head of a monastery 38 |
| reficiō reficere refēcī refectus | to restore, revive (transitive) (ML) to take food, eat (intransitive) |
| quia | because; that 39 |
| modo | only, just; now, just now (at the present time); just now (in the immediate future) [OLD 5b] |
| reficiō reficere refēcī refectus | to restore, revive (transitive) (ML) to take food, eat (intransitive) |
| ecclēsia –ae f. | congregation, church (LL) 40 |
| cantō cantāre cantāvī cantātus | to sing |
| vesperae –ārum f. pl. | pers, Evensong (ML) |
| modo | only, just; now, just now (at the present time); just now (in the immediate future) [OLD 5b] |
| reficiō reficere refēcī refectus | to restore, revive (transitive) (ML) to take food, eat (intransitive) |
| cantō cantāre cantāvī cantātus | to sing |