[26] Tunc sānctus Brendānus interrogābat illum dē suō adventū aut unde esset aut quantō tempore sustinuisset ibi tālem vītam. [27] Cui ille respondit: “Fuī nūtrītus in monastēriō sānctī Patriciī per quīnquāgintā annōs, et cūstōdiēbam cimitērium frātrum. [28] Quādam vērō diē, cum locum sepultūrae dēsignāsset mihi meus decānus cuidam dēfūnctō, ut sepelīssem, appāruit mihi quīdam senex ignōtus, quī dīxit mihi: [29] ‘Nōlī, frāter, fossam ibi facere, quia sepulchrum alterīus est.’ Cui dīxī: ‘Pater, quis es tū?’ [30] Quī ait: ‘Cūr mē nōn cognōscis? Nōnne tuus abbās sum?’ Cui dīxī: ‘Sānctus Patricius meus abbās.’ At ille respondit: ‘Ego sum. [31] Heri enim migrāvī dē saeculō; ipse est enim locus meae sepultūrae. Hīc faciēs sepulchrum frātris nostrī; et nūllī dicās quid ego dīxī tibi. [32] Crās autem proficīscere ad lītus maris, et inveniēs nāvim ibi, in quam intrābis, quae tē dūcet ad locum ubi expectābis diem mortis tuae.’
notes
Brendan asks Paul for his story, and is told that lived in the monastery of St. Patrick for fifty years, and was in charge of the cemetery. One day, when preparing a grave for one of the monks, an old man told him that the spot was reserved for another. Paul asked the old man who he was and was told that he was Patrick himself, who had just died. Paul should bury the other monk in a different spot, but keep it secret. Then he should go to the sea shore, where he would find a boat. He should get in the boat, which would take him to the place of his death.
[26] aut ... aut: CL would be et ... et.
[27] in monastēriō sānctī Patriciī: apparently Patrick’s monasatery at Armagh, prominent from the seventh century on.
[29] quia sepulchrum alterīus est: to be explained shortly.
[31] migrāvī dē saeculō: "I departed from this world, I died."
ipse est enim locus meae sepultūrae: “This here is the place of my grave.” Irish hagiographical texts regularly tell of an angel revealing to an abbot the exact spot where he and his monks will wait for the final judgement and their bodily resurrection.
Hīc faciēs sepulchrum frātris nostrī: he points to a different spot (hīc). faciēs is from faciō.
[32] Crās autem proficīscere ad lītus maris, etc.: The ghost of Patrick tells Paul to go on a nautical pilgrimage, so that he can become an island hermit. We are not told how this order connects to his job of grave-digger, but presumably it is a spiritual honor rather than a punishment.
vocabulary
| adventus adventūs m. | arrival, advent26 |
| nūtriō –īre –īvī (–iī) –ītus | to bring up, raise, nourish, feed (+ dat. CL with acc.)27 |
| monastērium –ī n. | a monastery |
| per | through; by means of (OLD 14) |
| quīnquāgintā; quīnquāgēsimus –a –um |
50; 50th |
| custōdiō custōdīre custōdīvī custōdītus | to guard |
| comēterium –(i)ī n. | cemetary |
| sepultūra –ae f. | a burial, interment28 |
| dēsīgnō dēsīgnāre dēsīgnāvī dēsīgnātus | to mark out, arrange |
| decānus –ī m. | deacon, chief |
| dēfunctus –ī m. | dead man |
| sepeliō sepelīre sepeliī / sepelīvī sepultum | to dispose of a corpse properly; bury |
| īgnōtus –a –um | unknown |
| fossa –ae f. | ditch29 |
| faciō facere fēcī factus | to do, make; to act, conduct oneself (OLD 28) |
| quia | because; that |
| nōnne | introduces a direct question expecting the answer "yes"30 |
| abbās –ātis m. | abbot, the head of a monastery |
| Patricius –(i)ī m. | St. Patrick (mid or late 5th cent.) |
| abbās –ātis m. | abbot, the head of a monastery |
| herī | yesterday31 |
| migrō migrāre migrāvī migrātus | to go, depart |
| sepultūra –ae f. | a burial, interment |
| faciō facere fēcī factus | to do, make; to act, conduct oneself (OLD 28) |
| crās | tomorrow32 |