26.26–32

Brendan asks Paul for his story, and is told that lived in the monastery of St. Patrick for fifty years, and was in charge of the cemetery.  One day, when preparing a grave for one of the monks, an old man told him that the spot was reserved for another. Paul asked the old man who he was and was told that he was Patrick himself, who had just died.  Paul should bury the other monk in a different spot, but keep it secret.  Then he should go to the sea shore, where he would find a boat.  He should get in the boat, which would take him to the place of his death.

[26] aut ... aut: CL would be et ... et.

[27] in monastēriō sānctī Patriciī: apparently Patrick’s monasatery at Armagh, prominent from the seventh century on.

[29] quia sepulchrum alterīus est: to be explained shortly.

[31] migrāvī dē saeculō: "I departed from this world, I died."

ipse est enim locus meae sepultūrae: “This here is the place of my grave.” Irish hagiographical texts regularly tell of an angel revealing to an abbot the exact spot where he and his monks will wait for the final judgement and their bodily resurrection.

Hīc faciēs sepulchrum frātris nostrī: he points to a different spot (hīc). faciēs is from faciō.

[32] Crās autem proficīscere ad lītus maris, etc.: The ghost of Patrick tells Paul to go on a nautical pilgrimage, so that he can become an island hermit.  We are not told how this order connects to his job of grave-digger, but presumably it is a spiritual honor rather than a punishment.