[49] Sānctus Brendānus post octo diēs fēcit onerāre nāvim dē omnibus quae sibi distribuit praedictus vir, et dē illō fonte omnia vāscula implēre fēcit. [50] Ductīs omnibus ad lītus, ecce praedīcta avis cito volātū vēnit et resēdit super prōram nāvis; at vērō vir Deī agnōvit quod aliquid sibi voluit indicāre. [51] “Nōbīscum celebrābitis diem sānctum Paschae, et istud tempus praeteritum quod fuit, in futūrō annō; [52] et ubi fuistis in praeteritō annō in coenā Dominī, ibi eritis in annō futūrō in praedictō diē.
[53] “Similiter noctem Dominicam Paschae celebrābitis ubi prius celebrāstis, super dorsum Iascōniī. [54] Inveniētis quoque īnsulam post trēs mēnsēs, quae vocātur Īnsula Familiae Ailbēī: ibi celebrābitis Nātīvitātem Dominī.” Cum haec dīxisset, reversa est in locum suum. [55] Frātrēs coepērunt extendere vēla et nāvigāre in ōceanum, et avēs cantābant quasi ūnā vōce: “Exaudī nōs, Deus salūtāris noster, spēs omnium fīnium terrae, et in marī longē!”
notes
After eight days Brendan orders the ship to be loaded with provisions, including water from the spring. The informative bird returns to tell him what's going to happen next: they will return next year to spend the Easter holidays on the same three "islands" as this year. But they will also sail for three (or eight) months to the Island of Ailbe, for Christmas.
[49] fēcit onerāre nāvim: = fēcit (famulōs suōs) onerāre nāvim.
fēcit: faciō in CL can mean “cause it to happen that,” but with a subordinate clause not the infinitive.
dē omnibus: CL would omit the preposition.
[50] at vērō: in CL a strong adversative (“but truly”), but here merely a connective (“and”).
quod aliquid sibi voluit indicāre: “that (the bird) wanted to point out something to him.”
[51] et istud tempus praeteritum quod fuit: “this time that has just gone by”; also object of celebrābitis: in future years they will celebrate with the birds not only Easter, but the time that comes afterwards.
[52] ubi fuistis in praeteritō annō in coenā Dominī: on the Island of Sheep, where they celebrated Maundy Thursday / Holy Thursday.
[53] noctem Dominicam Paschae: “the vigil of Easter Sunday” (O’Meara).
[54] post trēs mēnsēs: the manuscripts have post octō mēnsēs, which seems right, but Orlandi and Guglielmetti insist on trēs, in part because of 12.1.
Īnsula Familiae Ailbēī: for the island of St. Ailbe see chapter 12. familia here means “monastic community.”
[55] Exaudī nōs ... in marī longē: Psalm 64.6 (65.5): “Hear us, O God, our saviour, who art the hope of all the ends of the earth and in the sea afar off” (Exaudi nos, Deus salutaris noster, spes omnium finium terrae, et in mari longe). Note the relevance to sailors; it will be sung again at 27.8; the monks sang verse 2 at 11.5.
vocabulary
octō; octāvus –a –um | 8; 8th 49 |
faciō facere fēcī factus | to do, make; to act, conduct oneself [OLD 28] |
onerō onerāre onerāvī onerātus | to load, burden |
distribuō distribuere distribuī distribūtus | to distribute, divide |
praedīcō praedīcere praedīxī praedictus | to say beforehand; mention 50 |
vasculum (vāsculum) –ī n. | small vessel or container; jar |
faciō facere fēcī factus | to do, make; to act, conduct oneself [OLD 28] |
praedīcō praedīcere praedīxī praedictus | to say beforehand; mention |
cito citius (comp.) citissime (superl.) | quickly |
volātus –ūs m. | flight |
resideō residēre resēdī ressus | to be seated, remain seated; to stand back, stand still |
prōra –ae f. | the extreme forward part of a ship; the prow |
āgnōscō āgnōscere āgnōvī agnitus | to recognize, acknowledge |
praedīcō praedīcere praedīxī praedictus | to say beforehand; mention 51 |
pascha –ae f. | Easter (LL) |
praeteritus –a –um | past 52 |
cēna (coena) cēnae f. | dinner |
praedīcō praedīcere praedīxī praedictus | to say beforehand; mention |
similiter | similarly 53 |
dominicus –a –um | of or belonging to a lord or master |
pascha –ae f. | Easter (LL) |
dorsum –ī n. | the back |
Iasconius –(i)ī m. | Iasconius |
mēnsis mēnsis m. | month 54 |
Ailbeus –ī | Ailbe (a man's name) |
nātīvitās –ātis f. | birth, nativity |
extendō –ere –tendī –tentus (–tēnsus) |
to stretch forth; stretch 55 |
vēlum vēlī n. | sail; curtain; cloth |
nāvigō nāvigāre nāvigāvī nāvigātus | to go by ship, sail; to row |
ōceanus –ī m. | the ocean |
cantō cantāre cantāvī cantātus | to sing |
exaudiō exaudīre exaudīvī exaudītus | to hear |
salūtāris –e | healthful; (ML) offering salvation |