[5] Iterum vir Deī coepit praedictum ieiūnium cum frātribus suīs. [6] Tertiā namque diē vīdērunt īnsulam nōn longē ab eīs, tōtam coopertam arboribus dēnsissimīs, habentēs frūctum praedictum ūvārum incrēdibilī fertilitāte, ita ut omnēs arborēs incurvātae fuissent ad terram, ūnīus frūctūs, ūnīusque colōris. [7] Nūlla erat sterilis arbor nūllaque alterīus generis in eādem īnsulā. [8] Tunc frātrēs tenuērunt portum; vir Deī ascendit dē nāvī et coepit circuīre illam īnsulam. [9] Erat autem odor illīus sīcut odor domūs plēnae malīs pūnicīs. Frātrēs adhūc expectābant in nāvī, dōnec vir Deī ad eōs redīret. [10] Interim flābat illīs ventus odōrem suāvissimum, ita ut ad oblīviōnem illōrum ieiūnium cōnārētur.
notes
After another fast of three days they see an island covered with trees, all of which have those those same grapes. They bring the ship into harbor, and Brendan starts walking around the island, which smells like pomegranate. The other monks stay in the boat, and the smell of the island allows them to forget how hungry they are.
[6] īnsulam ... ūnīusque colōris: This island is later called Insula deliciarum. If this is the same as the Insula deliciosa of 1.4 then voyage to the Promised Land is to the west, though not to the far west.
[10] ita ut ad oblīviōnem illōrum ieiūnium cōnārētur: “so as to tempt them to forget their fast," literally "so as to tempt their fast to forgetfulness." The text is disputed, but the meaning seems clear: the smells satisfied (rather than sharpened) their hunger.
vocabulary
| praedīcō praedīcere praedīxī praedictus | to say beforehand; mention5 |
| ieiūnium –iī n. | a fast |
| namque | for in fact6 |
| co–operiō –operīre –operuī –opertum |
to cover over |
| dēnsus –a –um | thick, dense |
| praedīcō praedīcere praedīxī praedictus | to say beforehand; mention |
| ūva –ae f. | grape |
| incrēdibilis incrēdibilis incrēdibile | incredible |
| fertilitās –ātis f. | fruitfulness, fertility |
| incurvō incurvāre incurvāvī incurvātus | to cause to bend down, bend |
| sterilis –e | unproductive, unfruitful7 |
| teneō tenēre tenuī tentus | to hold, keep; to reach in journeying, make (OLD 5a)8 |
| portus portūs m. | harbor |
| circumeo (circueō ) –īre –iī/–īvī circuitus | to go around |
| odor –ōris m. | smell, odor9 |
| mālus pūnicus malī pūnicī m. | pomegranate |
| flō flāre flāvī flātus | to blow10 |
| odor –ōris m. | smell, odor |
| suāvis suāve | agreeable, sweet, charming |
| oblīviō (obolītiō) –ōnis f. | forgetfulness, oblivion |
| ieiūnium –iī n. | a fast |