[1] Porrō post trēs diēs et noctēs, cessāvit ventus, et coepit mare esse quasi coāgulātum, prae nimiā tranquillitāte. [2] Sānctus pater dīxit: “Mittite rēmigēs in nāvim, et laxātē vēla, iuxtā: ubicumque vult Deus enim gubernāre illam, faciet.” [3] Ferēbātur itaque nāvis circiter, per vīgintī diēs. Post haec, iterum ventum Deus illīs suscitāvit prōsperum, ab occidente contrā orientem. [4] Coepērunt simul tendere vēla in altum et nāvigāre. Reficiēbant semper post trīduānum.
notes
The coagulated sea. After sailing for three days they are becalmed and the sea is "practically coagulated." They entrust the ship to God, who eventually sends winds to drive them to the east.
Classical authors speak of a slowing or congealed sea in the far north, apparently not because they didn't understand ice but because of an absence of wind. Some associate Brendan’s congealed sea with the Sargasso Sea.
[2] laxātē vēla, iuxtā: he tells them to lower the sails (laxātē) and stow them next (iuxtā) to the oars.
[3] ventum Deus illīs suscitāvit prōsperum: = Deus suscitāvit illīs ventum prosperum.
[4] post trīduānum: “every third day.”
vocabulary
| porrō | next 1 |
| cessō cessāre cessāvī cessātus | to cease, desist |
| coāgulō –āre –āvī –ātus | to curdle; collect |
| prae | in front of, in the face of (ML); by means of, because of, in view of (prep. + abl.) |
| tranquillitās –tātis f. | calmness |
| mittō mittere mīsī missus | to send, let go; to thrust; to put [OLD 13] 2 |
| rēmex –igis m. | oar (ML; CL oarsman, rower) |
| laxō laxāre laxāvī laxātus | to spread out |
| vēlum vēlī n. | sail; curtain; cloth |
| iūxtā | next to (prep. + acc.) |
| ubīcumque | wherever, whenever |
| gubernō gubernāre –āvī –ātus | to steer |
| faciō facere fēcī factus | to do, make; to act, conduct oneself [OLD 28] |
| circiter | around 3 |
| per | through; by means of [OLD 14] |
| vīgintī; vīcēsimus –a –um | 20; 20th |
| suscitō suscitāre suscitāvī suscitātus | to rouse; rouse from sleep [OLD 3] |
| prōsper or more frequently prōsperus –a –um | (of winds) favorable |
| occidēns –entis | the west (the land of the setting sun) |
| contrā | against; towards, in the direction of [OLD 14a] |
| oriēns –entis m. | the east; the rising sun |
| vēlum vēlī n. | sail; curtain; cloth 4 |
| nāvigō nāvigāre nāvigāvī nāvigātus | to go by ship, sail; to row |
| reficiō reficere refēcī refectus | to restore, revive (transitive) (ML) to take food, eat (intransitive) |
| trīduānus –a –um | lasting three days |
