[5] Sānctus Brendānus frātribus suīs ait: “Deus dedit nōbīs cōnsōlātiōnem post labōrem. [6] Accipite piscēs, quantum sufficit ad nostram coenam, atque assāte eōs ignī. [7] Colligite herbās et rādīcēs quās Dominus servīs suīs praepārāvit.” Et ita fēcērunt. [8] Cum autem effūdissent aquam ad bibendum, dīxit vir Deī: “Frātrēs, cavēte nē suprā modum ūtāminī hās aquās, nē gravius vexentur corpora vestra.”
[9] At vērō frātrēs inaequaliter dīffīnītiōnem virī Deī cōnsīderābant: aliī singulōs calicēs bibēbant, aliī bīnōs, cēterī namque ternōs; [10] in quōs irruit sopor trium diērum et noctium, in aliōs quoque duōrum diērum et noctium, in reliquōs vērō ūnīus diēī et noctis. [11] At sānctus pater sine intermissiōne dēprecābātur Dominum prō frātribus suīs, quod per ignōrantiam contigit illīs tāle perīculum.
notes
Brendan tells the monks to catch some fish and cook them, and to gather vegetables, but warns them that the water is dangerous. Some monks drink three cups, and sleep three days and nights, some drink two cups and sleep two days and nights, and some drink a single cup and sleep a day and a night. Brendan prays for the monks, for putting themselves in such danger.
[8] ūtāminī hās aquās: in CL ūtor would take an ablative.
[9] cēterī namque ternōs: “and in fact the rest (were drinking) three.” Namque can mean “certainly, to be sure” (OLD 1), as at 1.25.
singulōs calicēs bibēbant: calicēs are either “cups” (literally) or units of measurement.
[11] quod per ignōrantiam: note the interest in sins committed out of ignorance.
vocabulary
| cōnsōlātiō –ōnis f. | a consolation, comfort 5 |
| piscis piscis m. | fish 6 |
| sufficiō sufficere suffēcī suffectum | to suffuse |
| cēna (coena) cēnae f. | dinner |
| assō –āre | to broil, to roast |
| colligō colligāre | to bind, to connect 7 |
| herba herbae f. | grass; herb, edible plant |
| rādīx rādīcis f. | root |
| praeparō –parāre –parāvī –parātus | to prepare, make preparations |
| faciō facere fēcī factus | to do, make; to act, conduct oneself [OLD 28] |
| bibō bibere bibī | to drink8 |
| ūtor ūtī ūsus sum | use; consume (food etc.) [OLD 2a] |
| graviter | heavily |
| vexō vexāre vexāvī vexātus | to afflict [OLD 4] |
| inaequāliter | unequally 9 |
| dīffīnītiō –ōnis f. | decree, rule |
| cōnsīderō cōnsīderāre cōnsīderāvī cōnsīderātus | to consider |
| calix –icis m. | cup, goblet, chalice |
| bibō bibere bibī | to drink |
| bīnī –ae –a | 2 by 2 |
| namque | for in fact |
| ternī –ae –a | 3 each |
| inruō –ere –ruī | to rush in 10 |
| sopor –ōris m. | sleep; sound |
| intermissiō –ōnis f. | interruption, intermission |
| dēprecor dēprecārī dēprecātus sum | to intercede with, entreat, beg [OLD 3] |
| prō | for, on behalf of (prep. + abl.) [OLD 3]; in view of, to judge from (+ abl.) [OLD 16b] |
| per | through; by means of [OLD 14] |
| ignōrantia –ae f. | ignorance |