[11] Erat enim habitātiō eōrum sparsa; tamen ūnanimiter illōrum conversātiō in spē et fide et cāritāte, ūna refectiō, et ad opus Deī ūna ecclēsia perficiendum. [12] Nihil aliud cibī ministrātur nisi pōma et nucēs atque rādīcēs et cētera genera herbārum. Frātrēs post complētōrium in suās singulās cellulās usque ad gallōrum cantūs seu pulsum campanae permānsērunt.
[13] “Pernoctantibus nōbīs et perambulantibus tōtam īnsulam, meus fīliolus dūxit mē ad lītus maris contrā occidentem, ubi erat nāvicula, et dīxit mihi: [14] ‘Pater, ascende in nāvim et nāvigēmus contrā occidentālem plagam, ad īnsulam quae dīcitur Terra Reprōmissiōnis Sānctōrum, quam Deus datūrus est successōribus nostrīs in novissimō tempore.’
notes
Barrind describes Mernoc's monastic community, and says that, after he spent the night on the island, Mernoc took him to a boat on the west coast, and suggested that they sail west to the Land Promised to the Saints.
[11] conversātiō: "communal life." See Philippians 3:20, where the word is often translated "citizenship" or "commonwealth": "But our citizenship is in heaven, (Nostra autem conversatio in caelis est), and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ."
in spē et fide et cāritāte: the famous three virtues of First Corinthians 13.13: “And now there remain faith, hope, and charity, these three (Nunc autem manent fides, spes, caritas, tria haec); but the greatest of these is charity.”
refectiō: “meal” (ML)
ad opus Deī ūna ecclēsia perficiendum: = ūna ecclēsia ad opus Deī perficiendum. Opus Deī, “the divine office,” is still the technical Latin term for the liturgy of the hours (see Time, Ritual, and Monastic Piety).
[12] pōma ... herbārum: vegetarian diet is a regular feature in the lives of the desert saints.
usque ad gallōrum cantūs: i.e., “until cockcrow.”
[13] Pernoctantibus nōbīs et perambulantibus: ablative absolute (AG 419), "As we were spending the night and walking around"
nāvicula: “boat.” Words that in CL are dimunitives can lose that force in ML.
[14] navim: = navem (CL, but rare and poetic).
contrā occidentālem plagam: “toward the western region.” Contra + acc. with a verb of motion can mean “toward” (OLD 14b), used regularly in this text to indicate a particular direction. CL would normally be versus.
Terra Reprōmissiōnis Sānctōrum: “The Land of Promise of the Saints.” Reprōmissiōnis is a defining genitive. The Biblical Promised Land is, originally, the land of Israel; see especially Hebrews 11.9, concerning Abraham: “By faith he abode in the land (in terra repromisionis), dwelling in cottages, with Isaac and Jacob, the co-heirs of the same promise.” In the Navigatio the promised land is not Israel but a future earthly paradise, available as a future refuge (see 28.16), and not to be confused with the paradise of heaven.
datūrus est: First periphrastic conjugation (see AG 194).
in novissimō tempore: "at the end of time." For the sense of impending doom prompted by Viking attacks on Ireland see 28.16.
vocabulary
| habitātiō –ōnis f. | a dwelling 11 |
| sparsus –a –um | thinly distributed |
| ūnanimiter | harmoniously, in total agreement |
| conversātiō –ōnis f | habitual association; (ML) communal life, community |
| cāritās cāritātis f. | love, affection [OLD 2] |
| refectiō –ōnis f. | meal (ML; CL restoration) |
| ecclēsia –ae f. | congregation, church (LL) |
| perficiō perficere perfēcī perfectus | to complete, accomplish |
| ministrō ministrāre ministrāvī ministrātus | to tend, attend, serve 12 |
| pōmum –ī n. | fruit (esp. orchard-fruit) |
| nux nucis f. | nut |
| rādīx rādīcis f. | root |
| herba herbae f. | grass; herb, edible plant |
| complētōrium –iī n. | the service of Compline (prayers at the end of the day, LL) |
| cellula –ae f. | a small room, cell |
| ūsque | until (often with ad or dum) |
| gallus –ī m. | a rooster, cock |
| cantus –ūs m. | song |
| pulsus –ūs m. | striking or beating; tramp |
| campāna –ae f. | a bell |
| pernoctō pernoctāre pernoctāvī pernoctātum | to spend the night 13 |
| perambulō perambulāre perambulāvī perambulātus | to go through |
| fīliolus –ī m. | little son, dear son |
| contrā | against; towards, in the direction of [OLD 14a] |
| occidēns –entis | the west (the land of the setting sun) |
| nāvicula –ae f. | boat (ML); (CL) small boat |
| nāvigō nāvigāre nāvigāvī nāvigātus | to go by ship, sail; to row 14 |
| contrā | against; towards, in the direction of [OLD 14a] |
| occidentālis –e | of the west, westerly |
| plaga –ae f. | open expanse, tract; region |
| reprōmissiō –ōnis f. | |
| successor –ōris m. | a follower, successor |
| novissimus –a –um | final, last; youngest |