[1] Igitur frātrēs cum sānctō Brendānō vēnērunt ad lītus eiusdem īnsulae ubi erat illōrum nāvis. [2] Ascendentibus illīs nāvim, occurrit illīs iuvenis, portāns cophinum plēnum pānibus et amphoram aquae, quī dīxit eīs: [3] “Sūmite benedictiōnem dē manū frātris vestrī. Restat enim longum iter usque dum inveniātis cōnsōlātiōnem; tamen nōn dēficiet vōbīs pānis neque aqua, ab istō diē usque in Pascha.” [4] Acceptā benedictiōne coepērunt nāvigāre in ōceanum; semper per biduānās reficiēbant. Itaque per dīversa loca ōceanī ferēbātur nāvis.
notes
As the monks are setting sail a young man appears with food and water, which he says will last them until Easter.
The young man is a recurring figure in the Navigatio, later called procurator. He provides food and guidance at crucial moments, especially at Easter. The language used to describe his actions identifies him as a Christ-figure: he is a servant, a shepherd, and he knows the Way.
[3] usque dum inveniātis cōnsōlātiōnem: Brendan is told that he will ultimately succeed.
istō diē: diēs in this text can be either masculine or feminine.
usque in Pascha: this is the first indication of where they are in the year. So far their voyage has taken them 15 days (6.2) and 40 days (6.6) and an additional three days (6.11), and then they spent three days on the mysterious island (6.27). They seem to have started sometime after Christmas.
[4] per biduānās reficiēbant: i.e., they ate every other day.
vocabulary
| iuvenis iuvenis m. | youth 2 |
| cophinus –ī m. | basket, hamper; chest (ML) |
| pānis pānis m. | bread |
| amphora –ae f. | amphora (large storage jar for liquids) |
| benedictiō –ōnis f. | a blessing 3 |
| restō restāre restitī | to remain, be left; to stop, stay put |
| ūsque | until (often with ad or dum) |
| cōnsōlātiō –ōnis f. | a consolation, comfort |
| pānis pānis m. | bread |
| ūsque | until (often with ad or dum) |
| pascha –ae f. | Easter (LL) |
| benedictiō –ōnis f. | a blessing 4 |
| nāvigō nāvigāre nāvigāvī nāvigātus | to go by ship, sail; to row |
| ōceanus –ī m. | the ocean |
| per | through; by means of [OLD 14] |
| biduāna –ae, f. | two-day fast (ML) |
| reficiō reficere refēcī refectus | to restore, revive (transitive) (ML) to take food, eat (intransitive) |
| per | through; by means of [OLD 14] |
| ōceanus –ī m. | the ocean |
| nāvigō nāvigāre nāvigāvī nāvigātus | to go by ship, sail; to row |