[48] Cum autem sānctus Brendānus haec omnia intrā sē cōnsīderāsset, dīxit eī abbās: “Pater, iam tempus est ut revertāmur ad refectōrium, ut omnia fīant cum lūce.” [49] Et ita fēcērunt ad hunc modum sīcut ad refectiōnem. Fīnītīs omnibus secundum ōrdinem cursūs diēī, omnēs cum magnā alacritāte festīnābant ad complētōrium.
[50] At vērō abbās, cum incohāsset praedictum versiculum, idest “Deus, in adiūtōrium meum intende,” et dedissent simul honōrem Trīnitātī, incipiēbant istum versiculum cantāre, dīcentēs: [51] “Iniūstē ēgimus, inīquitātem fēcimus. Tū, quī pius es pater, parce nōbīs, Domine.” [52] “In pāce in idipsum dormiam et requiēscam, quoniam tū, Domine, singulāriter in spē cōnstituistī mē.” [53] Post haec, cantābant officium quod pertinet ad hanc hōram. [54] Iam cōnsummātō ōrdine psallendī, omnēs ēgrediēbantur forās frātrēs ad illōrum singulās cellulās, accipientēs hospitēs sēcum.
notes
Eventually the abbot says they should go back to the refectory (and eat) while there is still daylight. At the end of the day they go to compline (the evening service) and then to bed. Each host monk takes one of Brendan's monks to his cell.
[48] ut omnia fīant cum lūce: so that they could eat while it was still daytime; this was the practice prescribed by the Rule of St. Benedict 41.9.
[49] Et ita fēcērunt ... sicut ad refectiōnem: “And they acted in the way that they did at dinner.” ita sets up sīcut and is best omitted in translation.
Fīnītīs omnibus: neuter
secundum ōrdinem cursūs diēī: following the prescribed sequence of religious observances
ad complētōrium: Compline (bedtime)
[50] praedictum versiculum: here apparently “the well-known verse” or “the usual verse (in this situation),” since the verse hasn’t been quoted yet.
Deus in adiūtōrium intende: Psalm 69.2 (70.1): “O God, come to my assistance (Deus, in adiutorium meum intende); O Lord, make haste to help me!”
dedissent simul honōrem Trīnitātī: i.e., they sang the Gloria Patri. See 12.45.
[51] Iniūstē ēgimus, etc.: Judith 7.19-20: “We have sinned; with our fathers we have done unjustly; we have committed iniquity. (20) Have thou mercy on us because thou art good” (Peccavimus; cum patribus nostris iniuste egimus; iniquitatem fecimus. (20) Tu quia pius es miserere nostri). See also Psalm 105 (106).6: “Both we and our ancestors have sinned; we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly” (pecavimus cum patribus nostris; inique fecimus, impie egimus). The medieval Irish church had a tradition of penitential prayers, based on selected Bible passages.
[52] In pāce in idipsum dormiam, etc.: Psalm 4.9 (4.8): “In peace, in the self same, I will sleep, and I will rest. (In pace in id ipsum, dormiam, et requiescam. quoniam tu Domine singulariter in spe constituisti me). In id ipsum is the Vulgate’s awkward translation of the Septuagint’s ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό, which in turn translated a Hebrew word meaning “altogether, at the same time.
[53] quod pertinet ad hanc hōram: “which pertains to this hour”; the “monastic hour” in question was Compline, though the choice of psalms was not standard.
vocabulary
| cōnsīderō cōnsīderāre cōnsīderāvī cōnsīderātus | to consider 48 |
| abbās –ātis m. | abbot, the head of a monastery |
| refectōrium –(i)ī n. | monastic refectory, dining hall |
| faciō facere fēcī factus | to do, make; to act, conduct oneself [OLD 28] |
| refectiō –ōnis f. | meal (ML; CL restoration) 49 |
| fīniō fīnīre fīnīvī fīnītus | to finish |
| secundum | after, behind, according to (+ acc.) |
| alacritās –ātis f. | enthusiasm, quickness |
| festīnō festīnāre festīnāvī festīnātus | to hurry |
| complētōrium –iī n. | the service of Compline (prayers at the end of the day, LL) |
| abbās –ātis m. | abbot, the head of a monastery 50 |
| incohō –āre –āvī –ātum | to start work on, begin |
| praedīcō praedīcere praedīxī praedictus | to say beforehand; mention |
| versiculus versiculī m. | little verse, short line |
| adiūtōrium –ī n. | help, aid |
| trīnitās –ātis f. | the number three, a triad |
| versiculus versiculī m. | little verse, short line |
| cantō cantāre cantāvī cantātus | to sing |
| iniūstē | unjustly 51 |
| inīquitās –ātis f. | injustice, mischief |
| faciō facere fēcī factus | to do, make; to act, conduct oneself [OLD 28] |
| requiēscō requiēscere requiēvī requiētum | to rest 52 |
| singulāriter | one by one, singly |
| cantō cantāre cantāvī cantātus | to sing 53 |
| cōnsummō –āre | to consume (ML; CL to add up; complete; accomplish) 54 |
| psallō psallere psallī — | to play the cithara; (LL) sing a Psalm |
| forās | outside, on the outside |
| cellula –ae f. | a small room, cell |