[8] Cum illam alligāssent per cornua, sequēbātur illa—quasi domestica—illum quī tenēbat ligātūram in manū suā, usque ad locum ubi stetit vir Deī. [9] Iterum ait vir Deī ūnī ex frātribus: “Accipe agnum immaculātum dē grege.” Quī festīnāvit et fēcit sīcut sibi iussum fuerat.
[10] Cum illī parāssent omnia ad opus crāstinae diēī, ecce appāruit illīs vir habēns in manū sportam plēnam pānibus subcinerīciīs et cētera quae necessāria erant. [11] Cum haec posuisset ante virum Deī, cecidit prōnus super faciem suam tribus vicibus ad pedēs sānctī patris, dīcēns: [12] “Unde mihi meritī, ō margarīta Deī, ut pāscāris in istīs sānctīs diēbus dē labōre manuum meārum?”
notes
The monks bring a sheep to Brendan, and he tells them to get a "spotless lamb." On the next day (Good Friday) a stranger--the procurator--appears with bread that he baked himself, and prostrates himself before Brendan because he feels unworthy.
[8] illam: the “single sheep” of 9.7.
quasi domestica: as though it were a tame sheep.
[9] fēcit sīcut sibi iussum fuerat: = fēcit id quod sibi iussum fuerat.
[10] ad opus crāstinae diēī: i.e., for services on Good Friday, the day after Maundy Thursday / Holy Thursday (see 9.4).
appāruit illīs vir: this is "a man," not immediately recognized, though he is in fact the (or a) procurator (see on 8.1-4).
pānibus subcinerīciīs: an allusion to the Pachal Lamb of Exodus 12.5.
[11] super faciem suam: "onto his face," i.e. "face down."
[12] Unde mihi meritī: = unde (est aliquid) meritī mihi? “How am I worthy?” is a rhetorical question, i.e., “What an honor this is for me!” meritī is a partitive genitive.
o margarīta Deī: See Matt. 13.45-6: “Again the kingdom of heaven is like to a merchant seeking good pearls, who when he had found one pearl of great price (inventa autem una pretiosa margarita) went his way and sold all that he had and bought it.”
pascaris: = pasceris.
vocabulary
| adligō (alligo) adligāre adligāvī adligātus | to tie or bind to; hold fast 8 |
| per | through; by means of [OLD 14] |
| domesticus –a –um | domestic |
| teneō tenēre tenuī tentus | to hold, keep; to reach in journeying, make [OLD 5a] |
| ligātūra –ae f. | bond (LL) |
| ūsque | until (often with ad or dum) |
| stō stāre stetī statum | to stand; to stand firm [OLD 3a] |
| agnus agnī m. | lamb (male) 9 |
| immaculātus –a –um | unstained |
| grex gregis m. | herd, flock |
| festīnō festīnāre festīnāvī festīnātus | to hurry |
| faciō facere fēcī factus | to do, make; to act, conduct oneself [OLD 28] |
| crāstinus –a –um | pertaining to tomorrow 10 |
| sporta –ae f. | basket, hamper |
| pānis pānis m. | bread |
| subcinerīcius –a –um | baked in ashes |
| necessārius –a –um | necessary, essential |
| prōnus –a –um | lying on the stomach, face forward 11 |
| vicis (gen.) f. | a recurring occasion, a turn, a time |
| meritus merita meritum | deserved, due 12 |
| margarīta –ae f. or margarītum –ī n. |
a pearl |
| pāscō pāscere pāvī pāstum | to feed |