[20] “Vagāmur per dīversās partēs āeris et firmāmentī et terrārum, sīcut aliī spīritūs quī mittuntur; [21] sed in sānctīs diēbus atque Dominicīs accipimus corpora tālia quae tū vidēs, et commorāmur hīc, laudāmusque nostrum creātōrem. [22] Tū autem cum tuīs frātribus habēs ūnum annum in tuō itinere; adhūc restant sex. [23] Ubi hodiē celebrāstī Pascha, ibi omnī annō celebrābis, et posteā inveniēs quae posuistī in corde tuō, idest Terram Reprōmissiōnis Sānctōrum.” [24] Cum haec dīxisset, levāvit sē dē prōrā illa avis, et coepit volāre ad aliās.
[25] Cum autem vespertīna hōra appropinquāsset, coepērunt omnēs quae in arbore erant, quasi ūnā vōce, cantāre, percutientēs latera sua atque dīcentēs: [26] “Tē decet ymnus, Deus, in Syon, et tibi reddētur vōtum in Hierusalem.” [27] Et semper reciprocābant praedictum versiculum quasi per spatium ūnīus hōrae; et vidēbātur virō Deī et illīs quī cum eō erant illa modulātiō et sonus ālārum quasi carmen plānctūs, prō suāvitāte.
notes
The bird adds that normally they wander the earth like other spirits, but that on Sundays and holy days they return to their tree and praise God. She also says that Brendan and his monks have now completed one year of a total of seven; after that they will find the Land Promised to the Saints. She then rejoins the other birds, and all the birds sing a line from the Psalms, for an hour.
[20] aliī spīritūs quī mittuntur: “the other (good) spirits [angels], sent (to earth)”; quī mittuntur reflects the fact that in Greek angelos originally meant “messenger.”
[21] in sānctīs diēbus atque Dominicīs: the neutral angels get to be birds on holy days, as a respite from their sad everyday lives; so too the damned get special vacation days (25.9ff.)
[22] habēs ūnum annum in tuō itinere: Brendan and his followers are in the first year of their voyage, and the bird knows this.
[23] omnī annō: “every year.”
[24] levāvit sē dē prōrā illa avis: = illa avis levāvit sē dē prōrā, or possibly avis levāvit sē dē prōrā illā.
ad aliās: = ad aliās (avēs).
[25] vespertīna hōra: the time for the office of Vespers (early evening). omnēs quae in arbore erant: sc. avēs.
percutientēs latera sua: either in lamentation or a rhythmic accompaniment.
[26] Te decet ymnus ... Hierusalem: They sing, for an hour, Psalm 64.2 (65.1): “A hymn, O God, becometh thee in Zion (Te decet hymnus, Deus, in Sion), and a vow shall be paid to thee in Jerusalem; and to you shall vows be performed.” The birds are apparently able to sing a single verse, not an entire psalm. They sing verse 5 of Psalm 64 (65) at 11.55, and the entire psalm is sung on the Island of Three Choirs (17.14).
[27] quasi carmen plānctūs, prō suāvitāte: there was the sweetness one associates with song, in this case a funeral song. prō (+ abl.) often means “because of” in ML.
vocabulary
vagor –ārī –ātus sum | to wander about 20 |
per | through; by means of [OLD 14] |
firmāmentum –ī n. | a strengthening, support, prop |
mittō mittere mīsī missus | to send, let go; to thrust; to put [OLD 13] |
dominica –ae f. | the Lord's Day, Sunday 21 |
commoror commorārī commorātus | to linger, stay, live (in a place) |
creātor –ōris m. | a creator, founder |
restō restāre restitī | to remain, be left; to stop, stay put 22 |
sex; sextus –a –um | 6; 6th |
pascha –ae f. | Easter (LL) 23 |
reprōmissiō –ōnis f. | formal promise |
levō levāre levāvī levātus | to lift up 24 |
prōra –ae f. | the extreme forward part of a ship; the prow |
volō volāre volāvī volātus | to fly |
vespertīnus –a –um | of the evening, evening 25 |
appropinquō appropinquāre appropinquavī | to approach, draw near |
cantō cantāre cantāvī cantātus | to sing |
percutiō percutere percussī percussum | to strike, kill |
(h)ymnus –ī m. | a song of praise, a hymn 26 |
Syon (or Zion) | the hill of Jerusalem; Jerusalem |
vōtum vōtī n. | prayer [OLD 2] |
Hierusalem (Jerūsalem) n. | Jerusalem |
reciprocō –āre –āvī –ātus | to move back and forth (CL); repeat 27 |
praedīcō praedīcere praedīxī praedictus | to say beforehand; mention |
versiculus versiculī m. | little verse, short line |
per | through; by means of [OLD 14] |
spatium spati(ī) n. | space; expanse [OLD 3] |
modulātiō –ōnis f. | inflection of tone, melody, singing |
sonus sonī m. | sound |
āla ālae f. | wing |
plānctus –ūs m. | lamentation |
prō | for, on behalf of (prep. + abl.) [OLD 3]; in view of, to judge from (+ abl.) [OLD 16b] |
suāvitās –ātis f. | sweetness |