[5] Fīnītō sermōne virī Deī, ecce ūnus ex habitātōribus eiusdem īnsulae ēgrediēbātur forās, quasi ad aliquod opus peragendum. [6] Erat ille hispidus valdē et igneus atque tenebrōsus. Cum vērō vīdisset famulōs Chrīstī trānsīre iuxtā illam īnsulam, reversus est in suam officīnam. [7] Vir Deī iterum sē armāvit, et ait frātribus: “Fīliolī, tendite in altum plūs vēla, et simul nāvigātē quantōcius, atque fugiāmus istam īnsulam.”
[8] Citius dictō, ecce, praedictus barbarus occurrit ad lītus illīs ē regiōne, portāns forcipem in manibus cum massā igneā dē scōriā, immēnsae magnitūdinis atque fervōris. [9] Quī statim super famulōs Chrīstī iactāvit praedictam massam, sed illīs nōn nocuit: trānsīvit enim illōs, quasi spatium ūnīus stadiī, ultrā. [10] Nam ubi cecidit in mare, coepit fervere, quasi ruīna montis igneī fuisset ibi, et ascendēbat fūmus dē marī sīcut dē clībanō ignis.
notes
One of the islanders appears, sees the monks in their boat, and goes back inside. Brendan knows that danger is coming and urges a speedy escape, but the islander comes back and throws a huge lump of burning slag at them, using tongs. He misses, but the hot slag makes the water boil.
[5] quasi ad aliquod opus peragendum: “as though to do some job or other.”
et igneus atque tenebrōsus: having just left his forge he was red in the face and covered in soot.
[7] tendite in altum plūs vēla: CL would be tendite vēla altius.
et simul nāvigātē quantōcius: navigō here is “row.”
[8] Citius dictō: “before he had finished speaking” (O’Meara).
ad lītus illīs ē regiōne: “towards the shore, directly at them.”
ē regiōne: “in a straight line, directly” (OLD regiō 2b).
immēnsae magnitūdinis atque fervōris: probably modifies massā igneā.
[9] spatium ūnīus stadiī: about 200 yards; accusative of extent of space, AG § 425.
quasi ruīna montis igneī fuisset ibi: “as though in that place there was the collapse of a fiery mountain”; i.e., there was a volcano. CL would be esset.
sīcut dē clībanō ignis = sīcut igins dē clībanō, “like fire [i.e. smoke] from an oven.”
vocabulary
fīniō fīnīre fīnīvī fīnītus |
to finish5 |
habitātor –ōris m. |
a tenant, occupant, inhabitant |
forās |
outside, on the outside |
peragō peragere perēgī perāctum |
to finish |
hispidus –a –um |
shaggy, hairy6 |
valdē |
powerfully; intensely, exceedingly |
igneus –a –um |
fiery |
tenebrōsus –a –um |
dark, murky |
famulus –ī m. |
servant |
Christus –ī m. |
Christ |
iūxtā |
next to (prep. + acc.) |
officīna –ae f. |
workshop |
armō armāre armāvī armātus |
to equip, arm7 |
fīliolus –ī m. |
little son, dear son |
vēlum vēlī n. |
sail; curtain; cloth |
nāvigō nāvigāre nāvigāvī nāvigātus |
to go by ship, sail; to row |
quantōcius |
as quickly as possible |
cito citius (comp.) citissime (superl.) |
quickly8 |
dictum dictī n. |
word; saying |
praedīcō praedīcere praedīxī praedictus |
to say beforehand; mention |
litus –ī m. |
besmearment, anointing |
regiō regiōnis f. |
region; direction, line |
forceps –ipis f. |
pair of tongs |
māssa –ae f. |
lump, mass |
igneus –a –um |
fiery |
scōria –ae f. |
slag, waste from smelting |
immēnsus –a –um |
immense |
fervor –ōris m. |
heat |
famulus –ī m. |
servant9 |
Christus –ī m. |
Christ |
iactō iactāre iactāvī iactātus |
to throw through the air, hurl |
praedīcō praedīcere praedīxī praedictus |
to say beforehand; mention |
māssa –ae f. |
lump, mass |
spatium spati(ī) n. |
space; expanse (OLD 3) |
stadium –iī n. |
a stade (a Greek unit of measurement, equal to 625 Roman feet); a furlong (1/8 of a mile, 660 feet) |
ferveō fervēre ferbuī or |
to boil10 |
ruīna ruīnae f. |
collapse |
igneus –a –um |
fiery |
fūmus –ī m. |
smoke |
clībanus –ī m. |
portable earthenware oven |