[1] Quādam vērō diē, cum celebrāssent missās, appāruit illīs columna in marī; [2] et nōn longē ab illīs vidēbātur, sed nōn poterant ante trēs diēs appropinquāre. [3] Cum autem appropinquāsset vir Deī, aspiciēbat summitātem illīus; tamen minimē potuit prae altitūdine illīus: namque altior erat quam āēr. [4] Porrō cooperta fuit ex rārō conopeō: in tantum rārus erat ut nāvis posset trānsīre per forāmina illīus. [5] Ignōrābant dē quā creātūrā factus esset cōnōpēus: habēbat colōrem argentī, sed tamen dūrior illīs vidēbātur quam marmor; columna erat dē cristāllō clārissimō.
[6] Dīxit sānctus Brendānus frātribus suīs: “Mittite rēmigēs intus in nāvim et arborem atque vēla, et aliī teneant ex vōbīs interim fībulās conopēī.” [7] Spatium namque magnum tenēbat praedictus sagus ā columnā, quasi ūnīus miliāriī, et ita extendēbātur in profundum. [8] Cum haec fēcissent, ait ad illōs vir Deī: “Mittite nāvim intus per aliquod forāmen, ut videāmus dīligenter magnālia creātōris nostrī.”
notes
The crystal pillar. Away in the distance they see tall pillar; it is so high that when they get to it they can't see the top. It is covered by a net, with mesh so wide that a ship can pass through it. The net is made a mysterious material, silver in color and harder than marble; the pillar is made of crystal. Brendan says they should grab one of the meshes of the net; they see that the net is about a mile from the pillar, and that it goes down into the sea to about the same distance. Brendan tells them to push the ship through the opening.
The story was presumably inspired by icebergs in the North Atlantic, but see also the mountain of Revelation 21.11: “and the light thereof was like to a precious stone, as to the jasper stone, even as crystal.” Comare also the descriptions of the Tabernacle in Exodus (26.7-11; 36.14-18).
[1] cum celebrāssent missās: either “really” pluperfect or = celebrārent; either this happened after mass or during it.
[2] illīs vidēbātur: “it seemed to them.”
[3] aspiciēbat: “he was looking at” or “he was trying to look at.”
[4] ex rārō cōnōpeō: we learn in 22.11 that there were actually four nets, on each side of the pillar.
[5] illīs vidēbātur: “it seemed to them.”
[6] aliī ... ex vōbīs: CL would perhaps be aliquī vestrum or quīdam vestrum. This use of alius has been identified as a reflection of Old Irish.
[7] Spatium namque magnum tenēbat praedictus sagus ā columnā: “The aforementioned curtain [previously called cōnōpeus] covered a large space (extending) from the pillar.”
et ita extendēbātur in profundum: it extended to the same extent (ita) down into the sea.
vocabulary
|
missa –ae f. |
the Mass (religious service) (LL)1 |
|
columna –ae f. |
column, pillar |
|
appropinquō appropinquāre appropinquavī |
to approach, draw near2 |
|
appropinquō appropinquāre appropinquavī |
to approach, draw near3 |
|
summitas –ātis f. |
top; surface (OLD 2) |
|
minimē |
No!, not at all |
|
prae (prep. + abl.) |
in front of, in the face of (ML); by means of, because of, in view of |
|
altitūdō altitudinis f. |
height |
|
namque |
for in fact |
|
porrō |
next4 |
|
co–operiō –operīre –operuī –opertum |
to cover over |
|
cōnōpium –(i)ī n. |
net (ML; CL cōnōpēum –ī n.: mosquito net) |
|
per |
through; by means of (OLD 14) |
|
forāmen –inis n. |
aperture, hole, cavity |
|
īgnōrō īgnōrāre īgnōrāvī īgnōrātus |
to not know; ignore5 |
|
creātūra –ae f. |
a creature |
|
faciō facere fēcī factus |
to do, make; to act, conduct oneself (OLD 28) |
|
cōnōpium –(i)ī n. |
net (ML; CL cōnōpēum –ī n.: mosquito net) |
|
marmor –oris n. |
marble |
|
columna –ae f. |
column, pillar |
|
cristallum –ī n. |
rock-crystal |
|
mittō mittere mīsī missus |
to send, let go; to thrust; to put (OLD 13)6 |
|
rēmex –igis m. |
oar (ML; CL oarsman, rower) |
|
intus |
within, inside |
|
vēlum vēlī n. |
sail; curtain; cloth |
|
teneō tenēre tenuī tentus |
to hold, keep; to reach in journeying, make (OLD 5a) |
|
fībula –ae f. |
bolt, bar, pin; the meshes of the net |
|
cōnōpium –(i)ī n. |
net (ML; CL cōnōpēum –ī n.: mosquito net) |
|
spatium spati(ī) n. |
space; expanse (OLD 3)7 |
|
namque |
for in fact |
|
teneō tenēre tenuī tentus |
to hold, keep; to reach in journeying, make (OLD 5a) |
|
praedīcō praedīcere praedīxī praedictus |
to say beforehand; mention |
|
sagum –ī n. or |
cloak; curtain (LL) |
|
columna –ae f. |
column, pillar |
|
mīliārium –(i)ī n. or |
a thousand paces, a mile (OLD 1c) |
|
extendō –ere –tendī –tentus |
to stretch forth; stretch |
|
profundum –ī n. |
deep water; abyss, chasm; the depths of the sea (OLD 1c) |
|
faciō facere fēcī factus |
to do, make; to act, conduct oneself (OLD 28)8 |
|
mittō mittere mīsī missus |
to send, let go; to thrust; to put (OLD 13) |
|
intus |
within, inside |
|
per |
through; by means of (OLD 14) |
|
forāmen –inis n. |
aperture, hole, cavity |
|
dīligenter |
carefully |
|
magnālia –ium n. pl. |
great works or deeds (LL) |
|
creātor –ōris m. |
a creator, founder |